Who is the highest ranking TKD master in the world?

[yentao]

Who is the highest ranking TKD master in the world?

 

[Mithios]

There are so many claiming high rank. That it is to hard to figure it out any more

 

[celtic bhoy]

In ITF it is Grandmaster Rhee Ki Ha O.C.M.

General Choi said in his calligraphies, that Grandmaster Rhee was the greatest exponent of Taekwon-Do and he was the first to be promoted to 9th Dan by the general.

Grandmaster Serriff was second to be promoted and the first non-korean.

 

[Mithios]

As far as wtf and kukkiwon, there are 5, 10th dans certified by them. All of them are korean and live in korea. Gen. Choi promoted a couple 9th dans ( 4 maybe ? ) Then you have the kwon systems and independent organizations.

 

[yentao]

Really, I thought the highest rank is 8th dan black belt. Never mind...

 

[Kodanjaclay]

no, 9th dan is technically the highest achievable rank. there are no requirements for 10th dan. As Mithios indicated there are only a handful of them, and most for service to society, from what i understand. its more of an honorary thing.

 

[Langdow]

I've also heard its an honorary thing, and can actually quite insulting if you promote a 9th to a tenth in some cases. Kinda like saying your past your prime.

 

[Andi]

I thought you could only get promoted to 10th degree once you'd died! That's quite far past your prime.

 

[Kodanjaclay]

Being deceased is not a pre-requisite. Kim, Un-Yong for example is a tenth dan. Every gone to Kukkiwon and told him he is dead? (lol) Incidentally, this is why print on Korean stylists belts should never be red. Your name should not appear in red, as that means you are deceased.

 

[Hollywood1340]

Whomever wants to be I'd guess

 

[allan]

I heard it is only the original Kwan leaders who has been promoted to 10th dan either before or after their death, and then Dr. Kim, Un Young.

 

[miguksaram]

Originally posted by Kodanjaclay
no, 9th dan is technically the highest achievable rank. there are no requirements for 10th dan. As Mithios indicated there are only a handful of them, and most for service to society, from what i understand. its more of an honorary thing.

This is correct. One of the main reasons for GM Kim, Un-yong is a 10th dan is that he heads up all the the KKW TKD. Though technically he is alive, his leadership has been dead for a while, but that is just a personal observation. BTW...wasn't he supposed to resign?

 

[allan]

I think he resigned from the KTA, not KKW or WTF.

 

[MichiganTKD]

You know, with all the phonies and pseudomasters claiming 10th Dan in whatever no-name organizations they belong to, I'm not sure I'd WANT 10th Dan. Someone would start claiming 11th and 12th Dan just to keep their ego satisfied.

 

[hardheadjarhead]

This is correct. One of the main reasons for GM Kim, Un-yong is a 10th dan is that he heads up all the the KKW TKD. Though technically he is alive, his leadership has been dead for a while, but that is just a personal observation. BTW...wasn't he supposed to resign?

Back in the seventies I knew one Korean master who was quite critical of Kim, saying he wasn't even a legitimate black belt. Supposedly Kim's position was a purely political appointment.

Anybody else hear this? As it is, it is nothing more than rumor, and could be sour grapes for all I know.


Regards,


Steve

 

[Mithios]

Back in the seventies I knew one Korean master who was quite critical of Kim, saying he wasn't even a legitimate black belt. Supposedly Kim's position was a purely political appointment.

Anybody else hear this? As it is, it is nothing more than rumor, and could be sour grapes for all I know.


Regards,


Steve

That is what i have alway's heard from everyone. Including grandmaster's in the W.T.F. Mithios

 

[ShaolinWolf]

Well, the only TKD 10th degree that I know of is dead. His name was Hung Ung Lee, the man who started the American Taekwondo Association. He was the9th degree Grandmaster for like 10 yrs. and once he died of lung cancer, the ATA Masters promoted him to eternal 10th degree, though in my opinion, means nothing other than there will be no one else who is a 10th degree in ATA, not even his younger brother, Soon Ho Lee, who is now the 9th degree GrandMaster.

I don't know how SH Lee would fair against other masters in Korea. Who knows...that would be interesting if SH Lee went back to Korea for a TKD tournament to decide who was the ultimate TKD GrandMaster of Masters. But then, it'd be a joke. So, its kind of hard to say who is the highest ranking TKD master in the world considering there are really only 9 ranks that can be achieved under normal conditions, and considering the ATA 10th degree is dead and never actually was there to receive his 10th degree position.

:asian:

 

[MichiganTKD]

Regarding Dr. Un Yong Kim,

It is true he is not an actual Tae Kwon Do Instructor or Black belt. As far as I know, he practices TKD for nothing more than recreation. However, the WTF Vice President, Woon Kyu Uhm, is the World Chung Do Kwan Grandmaster.

 

[ThuNder_FoOt]

I despise the politics. The more information I receive on these subjects, the less I tend to train. I say ignorance is bliss in these situations.

TO answer the question, the highest ranking GM in Taekwondo is General Choi. If we are talking people alive, then it would be whomever was first to receive high rank under him, IMHO.
:asian: :asian:

 

[Mudo Warrior]

I don't know who is the highest ranking master, but I do know that I don't want to be called master just because of a rank that I have earned. What ever happened to true mastery?
Respectfully,