Tae Kwon Do Moo Duk Kwan is traditional Tae Kwon Do as
preserved by the Korea Moo Duk Hae in Seoul, Korea. The Founder of Moo
Duk Kwan is the Great Grandmaster Hwang Kee of Seoul, South Korea. He
founded the Moo Duk Kwan on November 9, 1945. The Moo Duk Kwan is most
well known for being not only one of the first kwans formed in Korea,
but the one with the most members in South Korea and throughout the world.
It is of great sadness and loss, that the Great
Grandmaster Hwang Kee passed way on the evening (7:05 p.m. - Korean time)
of July 14, 2002. Kwan Jang Nim founded the great "Railroad Dojang" or the
Moo Duk Kwan in the Yong San district railway station in Seoul. He was born
on November 9, 1914. "May he rest in peace".
Master Dr. Ko was most fortunate to find his "true roots" to the
Moo Duk Kwan through Grandmaster Shin, Soung Eui, who holds the 9th DAN
from the Moo Duk Kwan in Seoul, Korea. Grandmaster Shin also holds the
9th DAN from the Kukkiwon (World Taekwondo Headquarters) in Seoul, Korea.
Master Dr. Ko holds the 6th DAN Black Belt from the The Korea Tae
Kwon Do Moo Duk Kwan as signed and sealed by its second generation President,
Grandmaster Chon, Jae Kyu. (Authors Note: the first generation President
of the Tae Kwon Do Moo Duk Kwan, Grandmaster Hong, Chong Soo became deceased
in 1996 -"may he rest in peace").
"Moo Duk Kwan's Presidency - Past & Current"
Grandmaster Shin, Soung Eui, who recommended Master Dr. Ko for his 6th DAN,
is the current Director of the Pan-American Moo Duk Kwan Society. He is also
President of the United States Tae Kwon-Do Moo Duk Kwan Federation. Grandmaster
Shin was born on March 9th, 1942 in Ham Kyung Nam Do, North Korea. At that time,
all of Korea was under the stern rule of the Japanese as it had been since
1909. Korea was liberated at the end of World War II in 1945, and in 1946
his family moved to Seoul in search of a better life. However, in 1950, the
Korean War destroyed the country, forcing the family to move again
towards the south to escape the conflict. These times were very
difficult. The Shin family returned to Seoul after 18 months when the
conflict lessened. A weak truce occurred in 1953, and since then, the
country has remained divided.
Grandmaster Shin started his training in the Moo Duk Kwan on the 12th
of June, 1955 with his master, Grandmaster Kang, Myung Kyu. Grandmaster
Kang, who now holds the Moo Duk Kwan 10th DAN, lives near Sacramento,
where he has been teaching Tae Kwon-Do for many years. He is also a professor
(retired) at California State University-Sacramento. Grandmaster Kang's
master is Grandmaster Nam, Sam Hyun of Dae Jun City, Korea, who is a direct
descendant (Dan No. 3) and student of the Great Grandmaster Hwang Kee, the
founder of Moo Duk Kwan. With all of this factual and accurate lineage,
Master Dr. Ko is truly three (3) times removed from the Great Grandmaster
and founder Hwang Kee. It is with sadness now, that Grandmaster Nam is
deceased and the Great Grandmaster Hwang Kee is deceased (July 14, 2002).
When Grandmaster Shin left Korea to move to the United States on the
27th of November, 1974, he had more than 800 Black Belt students
traditionally trained, including 40 with the rank of 4th DAN or
higher.
Grandmaster Shin is recognized world-wide as one of the world's
greatest authorities and leaders in the Martial Arts. Due to his
educational background, his professional expertise in psychology, and
highly respected position in the martial arts, he also serves on the
international negotiating committee for the unification of North and
South Korea.
The official website of Grandmaster Shin can be directly accessed by
clicking on the following link:
www.mastershinonline.com
One of the most profound human features and attributes that beholds
Grandmaster Shin is that his greatest emphasis on the martial arts is
the children. The children of Shin's Tae Kwon Do is placed at the highest
priority. Grandmaster Shin is most wonderful with children.
Grandmaster
Shin attended four 2-hour classes per day, six days a
week. With such practice and training, he became Grandmaster Kang's
first Black Belt student after a year of training through an exam
administered by Moo Duk Kwan's founder, the Great Grandmaster Hwang
Kee. In February of 1965, Grandmaster Shin received his Degree in
Psychology at Choong Ahn University in Seoul, and in April of 1965,
entered the Army as a lieutenant. In the Army, Grandmaster Shin
trained the 3rd Infantry Division in Tae Kwon-Do. Grandmaster Shin
was honorably discharged from the Army in May of 1969 with the rank of
Military Police Captain, and dedicated himself to teaching Tae Kwon-Do
in Seoul. A short while later, he was elected President of the Young
Dun Po Taekwon-Do Association, an organization of more than 23 schools.
Master Dr. Ko was presented his Master Instructor's Certificate #00157
on May 3, 1996 from the United States Tae Kwon-Do Moo Duk Kwan
Federation and its President Grandmaster Shin, Soung Eui. In
addition, he has received numerous Awards of Achievement and
Appreciation from Grandmaster Shin for his support to him and Moo Duk
Kwan.
Long Live Moo Duk Kwan!