Grandmaster Jhoon Rhee
10th Degree Black Belt (Father of American Taekwondo)
Beginning at the age of 13, Rhee secretively started studying Taekwondo without getting the approval of his father. During the 1940's and 1950's, Taekwondo was unknown to the general public and did not have a favorable image within Korean society. Rhee continued to pursue and excel in his practices of Taekwondo over the years. Like many other Koreans, the introduction and spread of American Pop culture through Korean society sparked the imagination of Rhee and his ideas of the U.S.
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Known as the "Father of American Taekwondo," Grandmaster Jhoon Rhee is credited with introducing this Korean form of martial arts to the United States. Currently, Taekwondo is a highly popular sport nationwide and abroad. Its widespread influence was reflected in the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia; this was the first time that Taekwondo was featured as an international sport with numerous nations participating.
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" I made my commitment to enhance the public image of Taekwondo in America, because anything that happens in America, good or bad, influences the world," stated Rhee. After realizing his desires to introduce Taekwondo to the American public, Rhee immigrated to the U.S. in 1956. Rhee came to the U.S. to study at San Marcos Southwest Texas State College and as a member of the Korean Army Officer Training Program. He was called back to Korea to complete a year of remaining active military duty before returning in late 1957.
In 1959, Rhee transferred to the University of Texas in Austin, Texas where he needed money to fund his education. He began teaching a non-credit karate (the name Taekwondo was unknown at the time). To attract students, Rhee gave demonstrations where he would jump into the air and break three boards that were eight feet high with a kick. |