FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Great-Grandmaster Chull Hee Park Awards Ninth
Dan to Taekwondo/JuJitsu Legend
George Anderson

By Patrick Hickey


February 16, 2007, at the Kwanmukan International Symposium, George E. Anderson from Akron, Ohio, received his ninth Dan certification from the Kukkiwon. Great-Grandmaster Chull Hee Park, founder of the Kang Duk Won in Korea, was in attendance and personally presented the certification to Grandmaster Anderson. The certification is believed to be the first ninth Dan issued to anyone outside of Korea.
This historic occasion took place at the Kwanmukan International Banquet held annually in Akron, Ohio. In attendance this year were over 250 guests, mostly martial artists, from more than four countries and ten states. World-class instruction at the seminar was provided by those recognized as Shihan ("Grandmaster") under Grandmaster Anderson's Kwanmukan organization.
Grandmaster Anderson, who is now 75 years old, has a martial arts resume that spans over 55 years. First involved with Taekwondo in the early 60’s, he has been active in the international sports arena, serving as Referee Council Chairman and as the first Vice-President of the World Union of Karate-Do Organizations (now known as the World Karate Federation, a member of the United States Olympic Committee), and also as an International representative for the International JuJitsu Federation.
The Kukkiwon, also known as the World Taekwondo Headquarters, serves as the issuing body for Taekwondo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taekwondo) Dan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_%28martial_arts%29) (black belt degrees) promotion and certification. The Kukkiwon is the only Taekwondo institute's Dan that is recognized by World Taekwondo Federation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Taekwondo_Federation) (WTF) which governs the competition aspects of Taekwondo as the International Federation of Taekwondo of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).


[LEFT]
[FONT=Arial]Thank you.

Patrick M. Hickey, CIC CPCU

Love Insurance Agency, Inc.
34920 Ridge Road
Willoughby, Ohio 44094
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phickey@loveinsurance.com

While congratulations are certainly in order, GM Anderson is at least the second non-Korean to receive this honor as GM Edward B. Sell received his 9th dan from the Kukkiwon earlier.

Perhaps the writer meant that GM Anderson was the first non-Korean who received this honor while physically outside of Korea?

Miles

While congratulations are certainly in order, GM Anderson is at least the second non-Korean to receive this honor as GM Edward B. Sell received his 9th dan from the Kukkiwon earlier.

Perhaps the writer meant that GM Anderson was the first non-Korean who received this honor while physically outside of Korea?

Miles
http://www.uscdka.com/TheFounders.aspx

1991 - 8th Degree Black Belt certified by the World Taekwondo Federation (Kukkiwon).

1997 - Featured on the cover of Tae Kwon Do Times.

1997 - 9th Degree Black Belt certified by the World Chung Do Kwan.

http://www.uscdka.com/TheFounders.aspx

1991 - 8th Degree Black Belt certified by the World Taekwondo Federation (Kukkiwon).

1997 - Featured on the cover of Tae Kwon Do Times.

1997 - 9th Degree Black Belt certified by the World Chung Do Kwan.



2001 - Successfully passed the examination that proclaims him as the highest ranked Black Belt in the world in Taekwondo outside the Korean nationality!

http://uscdka.com/Articles/LakelandLedger9thDan.aspx

Here is his biography.

http://www.usmaf.org/bio/anderson/

2001 - Successfully passed the examination that proclaims him as the highest ranked Black Belt in the world in Taekwondo outside the Korean nationality!

http://uscdka.com/Articles/LakelandLedger9thDan.aspx
I just pointed out GM Sells bio does not mention being promoted by the Kukkiwon or WTF which GM Anderson was promoted by.

OK let me please clear this up for all of you, GM Sell was awarded his 9th in Korea at the Kukkiwon, what happen with GM Anderson is they awarded his here in America. This is what is being said he is the first to recieve his 9th in America not that he is the first American to recieve it.

Bascically to recieve it you usually need to go to Korea, in this case they brought it to him here in the states.

Thanks Terry, that's what I suspected (and alluded to in my parting question).

I have never heard of a Kukkiwon 9th dan being awarded without the honoree going to Korea and testing before the High Dan Test Board. Have you?

Miles

Thanks Terry, that's what I suspected (and alluded to in my parting question).

I have never heard of a Kukkiwon 9th dan being awarded without the honoree going to Korea and testing before the High Dan Test Board. Have you?

Miles


Miles this was a first for the Kukkiwon but they felt for the sake of him recieving it that they would bring it to him and that he thought that he did not deserve it and would not go over. At least that is what I was told.
Man everyday something happens new inside the walls of TKD.

I by no means want to high jack the thread about GM Anderson's wonderful accomplishment. But to clarify that GM Sell did test for & receive 9th Dan KKW. http://uscdka.com/USCDKAHistory.aspx

Unfortuneatly, not all of the uscdka website is updated. GM Sell did receive his Kwan 9th a few years before his KKW accomplishment.

GM Anderson's accomplishment is really something. I've never heard of anyone being awarded a KKW 9th Dan outside Korea. That is truly wonderful!

As far as I know, to receive Kukkiwon 9th Dan, you must go to Korea to test for and receive it. Those are the rules. If someone receives 9th Dan, or claims to have received 9th Dan, and did not go to Korea to test, something suspicious is afoot.

Shihan George Anderson deserves all the recognition we can give for leadership in the martial arts. He was head of the AAU Karate program when I was competing and he was a good leader. He must deserve it his resume is exemplary.
Thanks,
Sensei Tom

Ok, time out. Shihan is a Japanese term, used in that country's martial arts, and apparently this George Anderson was head of AAU Karate. That being the case, why would he receive 9th Dan from the Kukkiwon, the central Tae Kwon Do Headquarters in Korea. Am I missing something here?

Check out his bio from Brian R. VanCise. It shows that he went from TKD to karate. He was President of the AAU Karate program. Here is a portion of his bio:
"Receiving his third dan from Grandmaster Ro, Anderson founded the Central Taekwondo Association with Larry Lunn, Bob Chaney, Dan Willis and himself as founders. As Anderson was Senior, he was elected Chairman. This organization grew rapidly to one of the largest in the USA at that time and became interested in national affairs.
Bob Chaney allegedly was first referee in the new AAU Karate upon returning from Japan, appointed Anderson to many important posts, which finalized with his being certified as a World Union of Karatedo official at the World Championship in Long Beach, CA. From this position and as the head of very large American association, Anderson helped sponsor the separation of AAU Taekwondo and AAU. Remaining in both sections, he was appointed Public Relations Co-Chairman of the AAU Taekwondo and also Executive Board Administrator for AAU Racquetball. Active in the AAU Taekwondo (the precourser of the US Taekwondo Union) he was the leader of the successful AAU team that won the team championship at the National AAU Taekwondo Championship in Berkeley California in the 1970’s. Where he earned a Pan-American Taekwondo Officials Certification.
Taekwondo being well seated in Korean hands, his interest soon turned to karate and he became the AAU Karate International Representative, an International Judge, and was elected the Secretary General of the Pan American Union at the World Karate Championship in Madrid Spain."
Thanks,
Sensei Tom