Resources for Tae Kwon Do coming to America

Azulx

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Are there any sources recommended for how TKD came and developed in America. I would like to write a research paper on this. Thanks.
 

Buka

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Oh, this should prove to be interesting.
 

Buka

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I'll tell you what little I know.
The first Tae-kwon-do school here in Hawaii opened in 1981. (in Lahaina) Randy Casco ran it.
The first in New York opened in 1969 under Suh Chong Kang. I was there once, but I forget where it was.
The first one in Boston was opened in 1974 by Jae H. Kim (great guy)

You should probably look into Jhoon Rhee. Maybe the place to start.

You gotta' talk to Dirty dog and Mister Weis, they'll be able to help you a lot.
 
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oftheherd1

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Jhoon Goo Rhee had a school in Washington DC, at Connecticut and S Streets. I started MA training there about 1964/65, staying with it for several months before military life got in the way. I don't know how long he had been there, but we did have a brown belt who successfully tested for his BB while I was there. I remember some students commenting on the fact that he had a school in Texas (which was being run by another student of his) before coming to Washington, DC.

I can't really tell you anything else about TKD history. Have you tried Google or your current instructor? Buka is right about Dirty dog, Master Weis, as well as Sabunim Rush.
 

oftheherd1

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I'll tell you what little I know.
The first Tae-kwon-do school here in Hawaii opened in 1981. (in Lahaina) Randy Casco ran it.
The first in New York opened in 1969 under Suh Chong Kang. I was there once, but I forget where it was.
The first one in Boston was opened in 1974 by Jae H. Kim (great guy)

You should probably look into Jhoon Rhee. Maybe the place to start.

You gotta' talk to Dirty dog and Mister Weis, they'll be able to help you a lot.

Buka,

By New York, are you referring to NYC? I think Henry Cho had a school there about 1964 or 65. I met him when he was traveling with the show showing sport arts (Wide World of Sports) from around the world. It included Thai Boxing in that show. Iirc, Henry Cho was a 4th or 5th Dan then. He was incredibly fast.
 

Earl Weiss

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Are there any sources recommended for how TKD came and developed in America. I would like to write a research paper on this. Thanks.
Your first issue would be to define what "TKD" is / was or is / was not. Obviously before 1955 no one used the name. Some, such as Jhoon Rhee taught the precurser as taught in the Chung Do Kwan in Korea. General Choi, when in Texas for military training visited him and convinced him to adopt the new system and name. This scenario repeated itself with others who were in the US. Some adopted the name and system. Some just used the name. You will have to decide if using the name alone was part of how TKD was developed in the USA, and then of course you have the mass conversions and expansion by the KKW in the 1970's
 

TrueJim

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Are there any sources recommended for how TKD came and developed in America. I would like to write a research paper on this. Thanks.

I would love to see this paper when it's done! (Whatever information uncover could also find a nice home on the taekwondo wiki.) In addition to what folks have already said about Jhoon Rhee, I think the story of taekwondo coming to America wouldn't be complete also without the story of LEE, Haeng Ung, who in 1969 emigrated from South Korea to Omaha Nebraska and went on to found the American Taekwondo Association (ATA) chain of schools.
 

Kickboxer101

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Jhoon Goo Rhee had a school in Washington DC, at Connecticut and S Streets. I started MA training there about 1964/65, staying with it for several months before military life got in the way. I don't know how long he had been there, but we did have a brown belt who successfully tested for his BB while I was there. I remember some students commenting on the fact that he had a school in Texas (which was being run by another student of his) before coming to Washington, DC.

I can't really tell you anything else about TKD history. Have you tried Google or your current instructor? Buka is right about Dirty dog, Master Weis, as well as Sabunim Rush.
Just a general question to anyone I've always wondered is Jhoon Rhee any relation to Philip Rhee the actor in the best of the best movies as hes a high ranking taekwondo guy as well
 

oftheherd1

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Just a general question to anyone I've always wondered is Jhoon Rhee any relation to Philip Rhee the actor in the best of the best movies as hes a high ranking taekwondo guy as well

I may be mistaken, as I didn't keep up with GM Rhee's family life. But a former acquaintance of mine said he had know GM Rhee and his son, whose name was Jimmy, not Phillip. And I seem to recall that he had only one son and one daughter.
 

Kickboxer101

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I may be mistaken, as I didn't keep up with GM Rhee's family life. But a former acquaintance of mine said he had know GM Rhee and his son, whose name was Jimmy, not Phillip. And I seem to recall that he had only one son and one daughter.
Yeah probably just a coincidence as he's got a brother Simon Rhee as well but both are awesome taekwondo guys this is the fight scene they did against each other. Philips the one in the black

 

Buka

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Buka,

By New York, are you referring to NYC? I think Henry Cho had a school there about 1964 or 65. I met him when he was traveling with the show showing sport arts (Wide World of Sports) from around the world. It included Thai Boxing in that show. Iirc, Henry Cho was a 4th or 5th Dan then. He was incredibly fast.

I think you're right. How I forgot about Cho kind of scares me. I watched some classes in his school, too. We used to drive to NYC to buy Karate equipment at Aaron Banks store, then run around visiting dojos.
 

SahBumNimRush

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I have heard a lot over the years of the oral tradition/history of TKD in the U.S. My KJN came over from South Korea in 1969. However, you asked for resources.. .

The Taekwondo Hall of Fame will give you a good start of names and dates for some of the more prevalent Pioneers that brought TKD to the U.S. (and around the world for that matter).

TAEKWONDO HALL OF FAME ® - TAEKWONDO HALL OF FAME - TAEKWONDOHALLOFFAME.COM - Salon de la Fama del Taekwondo - SALON DE LA FAMA DEL TAEKWONDO - Salon de la Fama del Taekwondo - Tae Kwon Do Hall Of Fame - Taekwondo Hall of Fame - TaeKwon-Do Hall of Fame - Taekwon-do Hall of Fame - taekwondo hall of fame - Mike Warren - Joe Hayes - Albert Cheeks & Others!

The U.S. Taekeondo Grandmasters Society may also be of help.

USTGS – US Taekwondo Grandmasters Organization, 미국 태권도 고단자회 | Lists of Grand Masters 1925년 – 1935년생
 

chrispillertkd

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I'll tell you what little I know.
The first Tae-kwon-do school here in Hawaii opened in 1981. (in Lahaina) Randy Casco ran it.

The first time Taekwon-Do was introduced to Hawai'i was actually in the early 1970's (at least by 1974) by GM Lee, Kyo Woon of the Oh Do Kwan.

Pax,

Chris
 

Dirty Dog

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My understanding is that GM RHEE, Jhoon first started teaching TKD in the USA (although it was under the "Korean Karate" brand) in (if memory serves...) in 1957.
My own KJN (GM Wang H "Bobby" Kim of the Moo Duk Kwan) was a relative late comer, opening his first school here in 1969.
 

Balrog

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You might also look at the lineage of Grandmaster Haeng Ung Lee, who came to America in 1963 and founded the American Taekwondo Association in 1969.
 

Archtkd

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Are there any sources recommended for how TKD came and developed in America. I would like to write a research paper on this. Thanks.

This article by GM Ken Min, a pioneer, founder of the USTU (the predecessor body of USA Taekwondo) and one of the main influences of getting Kukki taekwondo to the Olympics, is a good resource: http://www.lacancha.com/kmfound.pdf
 

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