GENERAL CHOI HONG HI

Taekwon-Do history lessons

Interview with Dr. He-Young Kim

Dr. Kimm: General Choi, thank you for granting my request for an interview. One of the interesting facts I heard about you is that you have two names and two dates of birth. Is that true?

Gen. Choi: Yes, both are true. I was born in Korea on November 9, 1918. At that time, the Korean calendar was based on a lunar cycle, each month had 27 or 28 days. In the 1960s, Korea switched to the Western calendar, which is based on solar cycles, each month has 30 or 31 days. According to the Western calendar, my birth date is December 22. So although I have two birth dates, I chose to celebrate them on November 9, 1918.

As for my names, the first one, Choi, Hong Hi, was given to me by my father at my birth in 1918. My second name is Taekwon-Do, which was given to me by God in 1955.

How did you start practicing martial arts?

Gen. Choi: My training was sparked by a famous incident during the Japanese occupation of Korea. At that time in 1930, a group of Japanese students taunted and harassed a group of Korean female students on a train going to the city of Kwang Ju.

After arriving in Kwang Ju, the angry Korean students then surrounded the Japanese students and beat them severely. Later, the Japanese police came and mercilessly rammed into the ranks of the Korean students.

News of this incident spread quickly through Korea. In protest of the brutal actions of the Japanese students and police, students held strikes and marches in schools across our country. At the school I attended, I was one of the leaders of the protest movement and planned and led a student march at my school. Because of this, I was expelled from the Japanese school system.

My father, strongly anti-Japanese but also concerned about my future, urged me to study Chinese writing and the art of calligraphy. He felt that one day I could get a job and use these skills to make tombstones. So I went to study under Mr. Il Dong Han, a renowned calligrapher. From him I also learned Taek Kyun, my first martial art.

What made you go to Japan?

Gen. Choi: I studied calligraphy and Chinese writing for seven years. My father was pleased with the skill and proficiency I had achieved. During this time, I became interested in Western cultures, science and laws. Some of my friends had learned about the West in Japan and during their vacations at home, they told me about their studies and invited me to join them. That's how I decided to go to Japan.

A few days before I was to leave for Japan, I lost all my money in cards. It was money I had to live and travel in Japan. I begged Hur to give me back some of the money I had lost to him. He refused, saying that the purpose of the card game was to make money, not to give it away. As he was about to leave, I took an ink bottle that was handy and threw it at him. It hit him in the forehead and knocked him unconscious. As the blood and ink ran down his face, I took the money out of his pocket and ran home. A few days later, I arrived in Kyoto, Japan.

I knew I could never return to my hometown without learning some form of self-defense. At first I thought about learning how to box, but my friend Kim Hyun Soo convinced me to take a karate class with him at Dong Dai Sa University. A few days later, I started practicing karate.

You later moved from Kyoto to Tokyo. Why did you move and what was life like in Tokyo?

Gen. Choi: My original intention was to go to high school in Kyoto. For a year and a half, I studied English and math constantly and practiced karate. But I didn't pass the promotion exam to the fourth semester. Then I moved to Tokyo because I thought I would have a better chance of enrolling in a school here.

Lee Yong Ryun, a good friend from my hometown, lived in Tokyo and helped me settle down. Again, I studied English and math and karate.

I finally passed the entrance exam and enrolled in the fourth semester of Dong A Business High School. This allowed me to eventually enroll in the law school at Choong Ang University.

At university, I practiced karate under the supervision of Master Guchin Funagoshi, the founder of Shotokan. I trained regularly under Master Funagoshi and participated in a special "night training while walking" from Tokyo to Kamakura. After I advanced to second dan in karate, I started learning karate on the roof of the Tokyo YMCA building with my friend Yoon Byung. In later years, after the liberation of Korea in 1945, Master Yoon returned to Korea and founded the Kwon Bub Club at the YMCAe in Seoul.

How did you end up in the Japanese army? And how come you were accused of treason and imprisoned?

Gen. Choi: At the end of 1942, I and others believed that Japan was going to lose the war and that it would therefore be foolish to join the Japanese army. However, most Korean students in Japan at that time were prevented from going to school and were forced to join the army. Many of us began to hide, moving from inn to inn to avoid conscription. The police finally caught up with me and forced me to join the Japanese army on October 20, 1943.

I was sent back to Seoul to join the other Korean students conscripted for basic training at Seoul National University. Then we were sent to the 42nd Division unit in Pyeong Yang.

There was a lot of resistance in the team. Soon after our arrival, I became part of a group of thirty Korean student soldiers who decided to try to escape to the Baek Doo Mountains on the Manchuria-Korea border. There we were to join the underground Korean Liberation Army and fight against the Japanese occupiers. Our escape plan failed, and we were all arrested and tried for treason. First, I was sentenced to seven years in prison. Later, the sentence was commuted and I was to be executed on August 18, 1945. Exactly three days before my execution, my country was liberated from the Japanese occupation forces.

After the liberation of Korea, you served as the leader of a student volunteer group, and later enrolled in a military English school. Could you tell me more about your activities at this time?

Gen. Choi: When my fellow soldiers and I left the prison, we heard a call on the radio addressed to us from Kun Joon, the preparatory committee. It was an invitation from Ju Woon Young, the chairman of the committee, to join the autonomy effort in Seoul. Under his leadership, we formed a student volunteer group to maintain law and order, as the Korean police force had not yet been formed.

Later, Yu was assassinated and the student volunteer group split into two. One defended communism, and the other, which I led, defended the ideals of democracy.

In this role, I had the opportunity to meet Major Reas of the US Army, the superintendent of the English military school. This school then became the Korean Military Academy. Thanks to this meeting, I became one of the 110 founding fathers of the Korean Army.

After you were commissioned as a lieutenant in the Korean Army, you were assigned to the 4th Regiment in Kwang Ju. Please tell me about your assignments and experiences in Kwang Ju.

Gen. Choi: When I returned to the headquarters of the 4th Regiment in Kwang Ju, I found that the local police force was very well organized. They have already gathered even more strength and gained more authority than the army. Police officers often arrested military personnel for minor charges and then beat them as punishment.

This was unacceptable, and as a result I ordered that none of the men were to leave the military area alone. Furthermore, I incorporated karate (Tang Soo) into the military training regime. But my conscience was shamed by the decision to teach karate. As a man, I despised the Japanese, so how could I teach karate to my Korean soldiers? And that's when I began my academic work in martial arts. I wanted to create a new Korean martial art based on precise movements and containing a mentality suitable for Korean soldiers.

I invented and practiced and perfected this new art for 9 years. In 1955, I created the Korean martial art of Taekwon-Do.

The Korean War broke out on June 25, 1950 and lasted three years. What was your main task during the war?

Gen. Choi: In June 1949, I was ordered to attend an advanced military training school in the United States. I was on my honeymoon at the time I received the order, and I really did not want to leave my bride. But I am a soldier and I obey orders. Under the command of Colonel Choi Duk Shin, I boarded a ship to the US with three others.

One day of our voyage, while I was practicing kicks on deck, my shoe came off the sole of my kicking foot and landed in the Pacific. Well, I couldn't wear just one shoe, so I took the other one off and threw it into the ocean as well. Then I went back to my cabin.

When we arrived in the United States, we first went to the General Elementary School at Fort Riley, Kansas, and later to the Advanced Command School at Fort Benning, Georgia.

During a break from military training, I had the opportunity to show Tang Soo techniques to my classmates. We graduated on June 23, 1950, two days before war broke out in my country.

We were in a hurry to get back to Korea. Upon my arrival, I was ordered to set up a training school for officers. While I was serving as the school's deputy director, Master Lee Wonk Kuk, the founder of Amung Do Kwan, visited me. He told me that he had to go to Japan for "personal reasons" and asked me to take over Chung Do Kwan as chairman. I accepted his request. From the time I was made a general in the army I was honorary chairman, then - appointed by Master Son Duk Son - I became chairman of Chung Do Kwan.

When our troops crossed the 38th parallel, I was assigned to the First Corps. One of my first assignments was to brief General Douglas MacArthur, Commander-in-Chief of the United Nations (UN) forces. He was inspecting the front line and I was selected to brief him on the battle situation. Many UN generals came with him. After a 30-minute briefing, I asked him if he had any questions. He replied, "No questions, everything is very clear." And then he came up to me and, shaking my hand, asked me my name.

You created the 29th Infantry Division, also known as the "fist division". Could you talk about how you formed this division and its unique designation?

Gen. Choi: In September 1953, Gen. Baek Sun Yub, Chief of the Military Staff of the Korean Army, asked me to establish the 28th Division. I asked him: "Will it be the last division formed in this war?" He said, "No, one more will be formed in a few months." I asked him if I could form the last division, the 29th Infantry, and he granted my request.

The first thing I set out to do was to create a distinctive flag for the division. The two in the number 29 represented the divided Korean peninsula, and I saw my fist as the nine. When people saw the flag, the 29th was nicknamed the "fist" or "Ik keu" division.

My second task was to select the division's officer personnel. I sought out Colonel Ha Chung Kab and Lieutenant Colonel Kim Hwang Mok to help with the military training of the men. I also brought in Masters Nam Tae Hee and Han Cha Kyo to assist me in training the Tang Soo soldiers. It was then that I realized that the character and characteristics of the techniques, although I still called this martial art Tang Soo, were much different than the karate I had practiced in Japan.

I gave very specific orders to my officers and instructors. "When soldiers train Tang Soo, instructors can be hit by anyone, regardless of military rank. But outside the gym, they are addressed in accordance with military rank."

The combination of military drill and Tang Soo training have made our division unique among others in the Korean military. We were prepared to fight with or without weapons.

In 1954, after President Seung Man Rhee saw a Tang Soo presentation by the 29th Division, he remarked: "This is Taek Kyun. All soldiers should practice this art." What was the significance of this presentation and President Rhee's remark?

Gen. Choi: In June 1954, the 1st Division left Cheju Island to become part of the 2nd Corps, which was in Kang Won Province in the eastern part of Korea. In mid-September, a ceremony was held in honor of the 2nd Corps' fourth birthday and the 29th Division's first birthday.

The celebration included a demonstration of Tang Soo techniques by the 29th Division. President Rhee watched our demonstration with great interest and did not sit down once during the 30 minute performance. When Master Nam, Tae Hee broke the roof tiles with his fist, the President pointing to his fingers asked, "Is this the part used to break the board?" I replied, "Yes, sir!" Then the President turned to the generals in the audience and said: "This is Taek Kyun. I want to see all the soldiers practice this art."

The truth is that many generals in the Korean army did not want me to teach Tang Soo to their soldiers. But the president's statement made it easier to show Tang Soo to the rest of the army. Next, I needed to build an institute to train and educate martial arts instructors. When the 29th Division moved its command to Jong Dae Ri, west of the Sulrak Mountains, I gave the order for a gymnasium to be built. I named it On Do Kwan. Master Nam, Tae Hee started teaching Tang Soo instructors here.

The fact that President Rhee called our art Taek Kyun made me think that Tang Soo needed a new name close to Taek Kyun. The techniques I was teaching were neither Tang Soo nor Taek Kyun, and I desperately needed a new name.

In 1955, you convened an advisory board to name your martial art. Why did you form this group and what problems did you face during the meetings?

Gen. Choi: As I mentioned before, I had been inventing, training and teaching Tang Soo since I was assigned to the Fourth Regiment in Kwang Ju in 1946. The art was based on Asian philosophy and the techniques on precise movements. Our demonstration in front of President Rhee was a great success. I came up with the name Taekwon-Do and in 1955 I felt it was time to announce the new name. But instead of announcing it myself, I thought it would be wise to form an advisory board for that purpose. At that time, many civilian "dojangs" were also using the names Tang Soo, Kong Soo or Kwon Bub because many army generals were not enthusiastic about my activities.

The committee was composed of many prominent citizens, such as Cho, Kyung Jae, multiple speakers of the National Assembly, General Lee, Hyung Keun, the commanding general of the army, presidents of newspaper companies, etc. At the meeting, I explained that the name Taekwon-Do means "the art of kicking and punching". While some members advocated the names Tang Soo and Kong Soo, others agreed that the name used would be Taekwon-Do. But one committee member suggested that the name be submitted to President Rhee for approval. The name was sent to President Rhee and he rejected it. He felt that Taek Kyun was traditional and that we should use that name instead of Taekwon-Do. I became close to Kwak Young Joo, the President's Chief of Staff, and Sun Jung Hak, the Director of the President's Protection Force. I explained to them that this was a new art, much different from the original Taek Kyun, and asked them to try to convince the President to accept the new name. I finally got permission from him to use the name Taekwon-Do.

After receiving the President's approval, I ordered that the original Tang Soo characters in front of Oh Do Kwan and Chung Do Kwan be replaced with the new Taekwon-Do characters. I got Master Nam, Tae Hee, to have the Taekwon-Do soldiers salute "Tae Kwon".

The name of Tae Kwon Do gradually spread among the military troops thanks to Oh Do Kwan and among the civilians thanks to Chung Do Kwan.

In retrospect, I think I was allowed to use the name Taekwon-Do because I was a two-star general, had a powerful friend in General Lee, Hyung Keun, the army commanding general, and good relations with President Man Rhee through calligraphy and Tang Soo.

In 1955, you led the Taekwon-Do team on a goodwill tour to Vietnam and the Republic of China. How were the trips organized and what was the significance of these demonstrations?

In the summer of 1957, President Rhee invited President Go Din Diem to visit Korea. The official reason for the visit was the Taekwon-Do demonstration. Watching the demonstration, President Diem said: "Now I understand why Korean soldiers are so strong and disciplined." General Choi, Dak Shin, a friend of mine, overheard his remark by chance. Later, General Choi became ambassador to Vietnam and asked President Diem to invite the Korean Taekwon-Do team to demonstrate in Vietnam. President Diem invited the team and we also received an invitation to visit the Republic of China.

Twenty-one Taekwon-Do students were selected for the national team, and they also underwent a special two-week training at the Army Command Gym.

The presentation in Vietnam was a great success. We were invited for two weeks and during that time more than three hundred thousand people witnessed and enjoyed our demonstrations. Because of the success of our tour, President Diem asked us to extend our visit for another week. During one appearance, General Tiu, Superintendent of the Military Academy and later President of Vietnam, remarked: "I never imagined that the human body could develop such strength. This is the martial art we should practice in Vietnam."

The significance of the trip was twofold. First, it was the first time in Korea's five-thousand-year history that its culture, spirit, and techniques were shown to another country. Second, in 1962, Vietnam officially asked Korea to send instructors to Vietnam to teach the military and civilian public the art of Taekwon-Do.

Before we returned to Korea, we stopped in Taipei, Republic of China. Here we were welcomed by Gen. Ju. In his welcoming speech, he said: "China and Korea have been brothers for thousands of years. Taekwon-Do may have been introduced to Korea by China at the time of the Kija Kingdom. (Kija is the legendary Chinese who founded the Kija Kingdom at a time before the birth of Jesus Christ). In response to the audience, hiding my feelings of resentment, I said: "Yes, China and Korea have been brotherly nations throughout our history. But Taekwon-Do is a new martial art created by me in 1955. There was no Taekwon-Do before Jesus Christ.

We showed Taekwon-Do in Dae Buk and in Dae Nam. Our demonstrations in Dae Buk were attended by many high officials of the Chinese government, including Chiang, Kyung Kuk, the President's son and the second most powerful man in the Republic of China.

When we were scheduling the demonstrations, the Chinese wanted to insert time to show Byuk Jang Sool or Kung-Fu. We welcomed this because we had a lot of confidence in our ability to overcome the popularity of Kung-Fu. During the demonstrations we were rewarded many times with thunderous applause for breaking, kicking and defending against techniques with weapons.

Korean Ambassador to the Republic of China, General Kim, Hong Il told me: " A year ago, I cried out in regret that our volleyball team was beaten by the Chinese by one point. But now I am shouting with joy because I have seen that Taekwon-Do skills are much better than Kung-Fu.

When you established the first Taekwon-Do association, what problems did you face?

Gen. Choi: During 1959, I was working at the army headquarters in Seoul and had more time to devote to Taekwon-Do. I established the Mu Do (martial arts) section of the army and was appointed its first director.

In Seoul, one of my goals was to unite the main Taekwon-Do groups and form the Korean Taekwon-Do Federation. I originally intended to form a Korean martial arts federation. Unlike the Korean Sports Union, which emphasized competition, I wanted the Korean Martial Arts Association to focus on Asian philosophy. But the leaders of Judo and Kumdo had already joined the Korean Sports Union. I had no choice but to join the Union as well.

In order to join the Union, we had to have a single name for the art of kicking and punching because Tae Kwon Do, Oh Do Kwan, Chung Do Kwan were widely used in the military and many civilian schools still used names like Tang Soo, Kong Soo and Kwon Bub.

In the late fall of 1959, I invited the leaders of the four major clubs to my home. No Byung Jik represented Song Moo, Yoon Kwe Byung represented Ji Do, Lee Nam Suk represented Chang Moo, and Hwang Ki represented Moo Duk. I represented Oh Do and Chung Do.

I told them that we needed to unite under one name to apply for membership in the Korean Sports Union. I explained to them that Taekwon-Do was already famous in the military and that we presented it as Taekwon-Do in Vietnam and the Republic of China.

No Byung Jik and Lee Nam Suk persisted in using the name Tang Soo and Hwang Ki wanted to use Tang Soo. I told them, "I cannot understand why you insist on using the names of Japanese karate. My only intention in this meeting is to eliminate the Korean variations of the pronunciation of the Japanese karate names, Kong Soo and Tang Soo."

I raised my voice I said: "We now have our own philosophy and techniques with a Korean identity, so let's unite under the name of Taekwon-Do." Finally the masters agreed and gave birth to the Korean Taekwon-Do Association.

I was elected president of the association. No Byung Jik and Yoon Kwe Byung were elected vice-presidents and Hwang Ki was made chairman of the board of directors.

It was the first time that the leaders of the six major clubs agreed to use the name Taekwon-Do. In the course of processing our application, President Rhee's government was overthrown by the Student Uprising on April 19, 1960, and we lost our chance for admission. It took another two years before our application was accepted.

On May 16, 1961, you participated in the military coup that took control of the government and later installed Park Chung Hee as President of Korea. What led to your later distancing yourself from him?

Gen. Choi: First of all, I would like to explain the relationship between General Park and myself. I was one of the 110 founders of the Korean Army, and General Park was my subordinate and always addressed me as "Sir."

The reason I joined the coup was because one of my staff told me that the leader of the movement was General Chang, Do Young, the Chief of Army Staff. I later found out that General Park had only used General Chang's name to persuade others to join the coup. Since the coup was successful, General Park accused General Chang of being a counter-revolutionary and expelled him to the United States.

General Park first promised the Korean people that he would return to the military after the coup was over. In reality, General Park and his staff were busy preparing to take over the presidency.

I advised General Park to keep his promise to the people and return to the army as soon as possible - that way the people would respect him forever. Instead of following my advice, he forced me to step down (retire) and made me Ambassador to Malaysia.

Why did the Korean Taekwon-Do Association change its name to the Korean Tae Soo Do Association in 1962?

Gen. Choi: Along with my appointment as Ambassador to Malaysia, I tried again in 1962 to register the Korean Taekwon-Do Association with the Korean Sports Union. At that time, a new generation of masters had already entered the leadership positions of the existing clubs. I invited Eung Kyu Uma, President of Chung Do Kwan, Jong Woo Lee Chief Instructor of Ji Do Kwan, and Nam Suk Lee President of Chang Moo Kwan, to my home.

During the meeting, the discussion focused on what name should be used. I said that Taekwon-Do had already been chosen as the name, and if they wanted to discuss a new name, they should go ahead. I then left the meeting.

A few days later, the newspapers started reporting that the name of Taekwon-Do had been changed to Tae Soo Do and that I had been elected president of the Korean Tae Soo Do Association. I refused to accept the position because I didn't approve of the name change. However, I had to go to Malaysia and not return to Korea for many years. I recommended General Myung Shin Chae for the post. He got V. Dan Taekwon-Do from me.

To prepare Eung Kyu Um, President of Chung Do Kwan, Tae Hee Nam, President of Oh Do Kwan, and Jong Myung Hyun, President of the Taekwon-Do Student Association, for the future of Taekwon-Do, I ordered them to establish the Korean Taekwon-Do Association. Then I went to Malaysia.

What did you accomplish as Korea's ambassador to Vietnam?

Gen. Choi: When I came to Malaysia, people didn't know much about Korea. I decided that the best way to introduce them to Korea was through calligraphy and Tae Kwon Do. I took over the patronage of an exhibition of my calligraphy, where I also displayed pictures of Taekwon-Do. The reporters bringing the news of the opening were very interested in Taekwon-Do and asked me to demonstrate some techniques. I took off my shirt and showed them some Taekwon-Do techniques. The next day, many newspapers carried articles and photos of my demonstration. However, this was not received favorably in Seoul. Demonstrating only in a T-shirt to members of the Korean government was considered unworthy of an ambassador.

But the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dung Ku Rama, praised my demonstration and asked me to give a Taekwon-Do demonstration at the Malayan Independence Day commemoration ceremony in 1963. The Taekwon-Do demonstration was televised and seen by audiences all over Malaysia and also in neighbouring countries. These countries soon requested to send Taekwon-Do instructors to teach their citizens the martial art. Now Taekwon-Do was spreading in Southeast Asia and a national Taekwon-Do association was formed in each of these countries.

In February 1964, I flew to Saigon to meet Major Joon Ki Baek, the chairman of the Korean Taekwon-Do instructors in Vietnam. The Major was a great military officer and a good Taekwon-Do instructor. He called all the Taekwon-Do instructors in Vietnam together for a seminar where I introduced the quiver I had developed. Because the seminar was organized at the last minute, the only place I could practice was on the roof of the hotel. It was terribly hot and very humid. The Korean Ambassador to Vietnam, General Sang Chul Shin, also attended the seminar and afterwards was concerned about my health under such conditions. All the instructors learned the new quiver at the seminar and then began teaching it in Vietnam.

Later, I sent the manuscript of the new tul to Lieutenant Colonel Jong Lim Woo, the chairman of Oh Do Kwan in Korea, and instructed him to teach it in Oh Do Kwan, Chung Do Kwan, and the Korean Army.

By the end of the summer of 1964, I had completed 20 patterns out of 24 and had established a solid foundation of techniques and stances for a forthcoming English Taekwon-Do textbook. During this time the new tul was becoming popular in Southeast Asia and Korea.

When you returned to Korea in 1965 you became president of the Korean Tang Soo Do Association. Soon after your return, you changed its name to the Korean Taekwon-Do Association. Please tell me what was the state of Taekwon-Do in Korea at that time.

Gen. Choi: When I returned to Korea, the Korean Tae Soo Do Association was a member of the Korean Sports Union. The rules of Tae Soo Do competitions were not very different from the rules of Japanese Karate. I knew I had to change it, and I remembered an old Korean proverb: "To catch a small tiger, you must enter the tiger's den." So I became president of the union.

Soon after, I called a general meeting and proposed to change the name from Tae Soo Do to Taekwon-Do. The motion to change the name won by one vote, I remember one delegate shouting and complaining about the name change. The reason I was able to change the name was because although I disagreed with President Park on political matters, I still had the reputation and power as a retired two-star general and ambassador.

In 1966, you created the International Taekwon-Do Federation. What was your intention in founding the organization and who helped you during this time?

Gen. Choi: In 1965, when I was serving as president of the Korean Taekwon-Do Federation, my friend, the Korean ambassador to West Germany, Gen. Duk Shin Choi, told me that he was interested in a presentation tour of the Taekwon-Do team in Europe. He arranged for an official invitation to be sent to six European and Asian countries.

I handed over the administration regarding travel expenses to the Cabinet. The name of the tour was "National Goodwill Taekwon-Do Representation Team". This was the first time I used the designation Kukki Taekwon-Do (national) in an official document.

The members of the team were Cha Kyo Han, Jong Soo Park, Jae Hwa Kwon and Joong Keun Kim. I was the team leader. We did a tour of Germany, Italy, Turkey, Malaysia and Singapore. The presentations were a great success, which eventually led to the establishment of Taekwon-Do associations in these countries.

On March 22, 1966, representatives from nine countries met in Seoul to establish the International Taekwon-Do Federation. Jong Phil Kim, chairman of the ruling party, Kong Hwa Dang, was elected honorary president and I was elected president. Han Ra Lee, Minister of Industry and Trade of Malaysia was elected as Vice President, Eung Kyu Um as Secretary General and Jong Woo Lee as Chairman of the Technical Committee. The establishment of the International Taekwon-Do Federation was the first time in the history of Korea that an international organization was formed with headquarters in Korea and with a Korean in the presidential post.

The founding countries of the International Taekwon-Do Federation were Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, West Germany, the United States of America, Turkey, Italy and Egypt. The organization quickly grew to thirty members in just two years.

How did Taekwon-Do become so popular and widely used during the Vietnam War?

Gen. Choi: Vietnam was the first foreign country where Taekwon-Do was taught so widely. As I mentioned earlier, President Go Dinh Diem was very impressed by the 1959 Taekwon-Do demonstration and asked instructors to teach Vietnamese soldiers. The first group of Taekwon-Do instructors was led by Major Tae Hee Nam and arrived in Vietnam in 1962. These instructors taught Taekwon-Do to Vietnamese soldiers and citizens and to Korean and other foreign soldiers stationed in Vietnam.

As the war escalated, the number of instructors sent to Vietnam grew. By 1973, 647 Taekwon-Do instructors had been sent to Vietnam. With them, soldiers made progress in techniques and a new tul was invented. The intensity of the Korean soldiers' Taekwon-Do training had a psychological impact on the Viet Cong. Through Taekwon-Do training, Korean soldiers developed excellent physical form, strong willpower, and superior fighting techniques. Viet Cong leaders advised their troops to withdraw rather than fight if they came into contact with Korean soldiers.

Ironically, Taekwon-Do experienced great growth because of the war. Many foreign soldiers who learned Taekwon-Do in Vietnam later invited their instructors to visit them in their home country. Because of Vietnam, many instructors were given the opportunity to teach Taekwon-Do all over the world.

General Choi, I will ask you one difficult and personal question, what is behind your exile from Korea?

Gen. Choi: Gen. Chung Hee Park's power in Korea was strengthened after he was elected Korean president for the second time. The political climate in Korea led me to believe that if I stayed and did not support his policies, I would either be placed under house arrest or thrown into prison. I saw what he did to his political opponents. Under these circumstances, I would not be able to promote Taekwon-Do or run the International Taekwon-Do Federation. And Taekwon-Do is my life.

After the election, President Park sent Un Yong Kim, Deputy Director of the Presidential Security Service, to take over the Korean Taekwon-Do Federation. Shortly after that, the Korean Taekwon-Do Association began to interfere in the affairs of the International Taekwon-Do Federation.

In August 1971, I chaired a meeting of the position committee of the International Taekwon-Do Federation. At that meeting I said: "My dear members, the president of the International Taekwon-Do Federation is a Korean, but that does not mean that the ITF should be controlled or directed by the Korean government. It is an international organization that cannot allow any country to influence our decisions through unacceptable pressure." Then I started making plans to leave Korea secretly.

Was there any particular reason you chose to go into exile in Canada?

Gen. Choi: Yes. First, Canada may be considered a Western Bloc country, but it maintains a neutral position in international affairs. In Canada, I felt that I would be able to travel freely to Western and Eastern Bloc and Third World countries to spread the art of Taekwon-Do.

Secondly, geographically Canada is located midway between Europe and South America, so it is easy to travel to these continents.

The third reason was that my dear student, Jong Soo Park already had a strong Taekwon-Do base established in Canada and was running a very successful school. This made it easier to move the leadership of the International Taekwon-Do Federation to Canada.

In conclusion, I knew that the 1976 Olympic Games were being held in Montreal, Canada, and with my background in Canada, I felt that this would be a good opportunity to promote Taekwon-Do as an Olympic discipline.

What was the reaction of the Korean government when they found out that a retired two-star general was now in exile in Canada?

Gen. Choi: President Park sent many leading members of the National Assembly to try to convince me to return to Korea. I was told that the President promised me a ministerial post, such as Foreign Minister or Ambassador to the country of his choice.

After I made these first attempts, he sent many close friends to try to persuade me to return. When this failed, the President kidnapped my son and daughter and threatened their lives if I did not return. I replied, "I will choose Tae Kwon Do over my son."

President Park, knowing my character and determination, ordered Un Yong Kim to establish the World Taekwon-Do Federation to fight the International Taekwon-Do Federation.

What hardships did you face after 25 years in exile?

Gen. Choi: No one can know how lonely the life of a displaced person is. I don't have money or the type of friends to laugh and joke with. But I never regret my decision to leave Korea because I had the opportunity to spread Taekwon-Do all over the world. And I taught Taekwon-Do regardless of race, religion, nationality or ideology. From this point of view, I am the luckiest person in the world and I am proud to have left my mark in this world.

Spreading Taekwon-Do in the world is a very difficult job. I was always traveling and doing seminars, giving presentations and presiding over championships. I did this even when my life was threatened by Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) officers and Korean diplomats.

Korean government agents told airport officials that I was the head of a terrorist organization that was trying to assassinate the Korean president and that I should be denied entry into the country. They forced the gym owners to deny us facilities for seminars. We often had to hold seminars in public parks.

They sent some of my former students to try to kidnap me on many occasions. There were also several attempts on my life by armed assassins. KCIA officers would threaten the parents of Taekwon-Do instructors teaching overseas if the instructors continued to have contact with me. These officers also told ITF instructors in exile that their passports would not be renewed if they continued to associate with me. And so, as time went on, most of my overseas instructors left me.

The pressure I felt from the Korean government made me stronger than ever and I focused all my energy on discovering new Taekwon-Do techniques. I teach the same Taekwon-Do system all over the world.

General, you held the First World Taekwon-Do Championship in Montreal, Canada in 1974. Is this championship still going on today?

General Choi: Yes, in September 1999, the 11th championship will be held in Argentina. In 1969, the International Taekwon-Do Federation had thirty member countries. I had planned that the first championship would be held in Korea, but it never came to fruition.

By the time I arrived in Canada, I found that I had more freedom to prepare and organize the championships. The first one was held in Canada, other championships were held in the United States, Argentina, Scotland, Greece, Hungary, again in Canada, North Korea, Malaysia, Russia and again in Argentina this year (1999). At the World Championships there were competitions in sparring, tules and breaking.

I heard from many people that you were involved in political activities against the Korean government. Could you comment on these accusations?

General Choi: People need to understand the difference between anti-government and anti-authoritarian. I fought against the dictator Chung Hee Park and his supporters.

I knew Chung Hee Park better than anyone else. I did not think Park was competent to be president, and I never thought he was a legitimate president. He graduated from the Japanese Military Academy and fought against the Korean Revolutionary Army during the occupation. After Korea was liberated from Japan, he joined the Korean army and then organized an uprising against the Korean government. When he was court-martialed, I was one of the judges who sentenced him to death.

I participated with him in the coup d'état because I thought the movement was led by General Do Young Chang, the army commander-in-chief. But Park only used the general's name and deceived many generals who participated in the coup. General Chang and I were among the judges who had previously attended Park's court martial. When Park faced opposition to his presidential candidacy from many generals, including me, he forced us to leave the military and sent General Chang into exile in the United States.

After Park became president, he changed the Korean constitution so many times that he almost became "president for life." And using the KCIA, he fully controlled the freedom of the Korean people.

Eventually, the political climate forced me to go into exile in Canada. I tried to inform the world about what was happening in Korea. And then, through the media, I urged the Korean military to overthrow the dictator Park and restore democracy in Korea.

Park's dictatorship lasted 18 years, from 1961 to 1979. But what didn't happen General Park lost his life by trusting his KCIA director, General Jae Kyu Kim.

Park's death did not end the totalitarian rule. General Doo Hwan Chun and General Tae Woo Ro seized power and continued the military regime until early 1990. Under these conditions, I kept fighting against the dictatorship, not the Korean people.

When and why did you visit North Korea? How did this visit change the fate of the International Taekwon-Do Federation?

Gen. Choi: One of the reasons I went into exile in Canada was to spread Taekwon-Do in the world regardless of ideology, race, religion or nationality. In Canada, I felt it would be wise to teach Taekwon-Do in North Korea and train instructors to do the job. I felt that because of North Korea, Taekwon-Do could spread to other communist and third world countries.

In the capitalist countries, I saw many unqualified instructors who opened schools just to make money. My mind was flattered that I would raise Taekwon-Do instructors in North Korea who would not be infested with Western commercialism. I thought that in this way the true philosophy and techniques of Taekwon-Do could be developed. And I thought this move would stimulate and motivate instructors in the free world.

Most of the Taekwon-Do instructors who were raised by me and taught overseas began to leave me when the World Taekwon-Do Federation was formed. By 1980, there were only three instructors with me. When my loyal students left me, I felt pain in my heart. But these events gave me the opportunity to develop new techniques and seek new instructors.

In 1982, Yo Soon Kim, the president of the Sports Union of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, invited me to come to North Korea with a Taekwon-Do presentation team. Deputy Prime Minister Joon Ki Chung and many other high government officials met the 15-member representative team at the airport in Pyeongyang.

Our two-week tour took us to many cities and the demonstrations were a great success. So successful, in fact, that before we left, Minister Chung told me: "We have decided to teach Taekwon-Do in our country, please send us instructors."

After my return from Pyeongyang, I trained Master Jung Tae Park in the basement of my house for six months and removed the habits from my karate moves.

Master Park went to North Korea and began teaching Tae Kwon Do in February 1982. He received a salary of $2,000 a month and taught for seven months. In September 1982, I returned to North Korea and conducted a two-day seminar teaching the fine details of tulu and techniques.

Forty-four students were tested. Nineteen of them passed the IV dan examination and the rest passed the III dan examination. After the test, Master Ki Ha Rhee was very happy and asked me how they had learned so many tulus and techniques in such a short time. This was a Taekwon-Do miracle. I was very excited myself and told Masters Rhee and Park, "Now I have enough instructors to spread Taekwon-Do all over the world!"

With the newly promoted instructors, we made presentations in Pyeong Yang in the cities of Nam Pho and Chung Jing. They were received with great enthusiasm. I praised Master Park for his excellent techniques in North Korea and promoted him to VIIIth Dan.

Today in North Korea, Taekwon-Do training is held in school gymnasiums from elementary schools to universities. The level of Taekwon-Do training in North Korea is among the best in the world and many instructors from North Korea have traveled overseas to teach Taekwon-Do.

Throughout history, the peoples of Korea, China and Japan have exchanged cultures and fought each other. When was Taekwon-Do first introduced in China? What was the significance of introducing Taekwon-Do to China?

Gen. Choi: As you know, Korea and China are geographically very close. China, as a big country, treated Korea as an older brother would treat a younger brother. Taekwon-Do has changed this. The government of the Republic of China invited a Taekwon-Do presentation team to come to Taipei in 1959, after a three-week tour of Vietnam.

We demonstrated Taekwon-Do in Dae Buk and Dae Nam. The demonstrations in Dae Buk were watched by many high ranking officers from the Chinese government, including Kyung Kuk Chiang, son of the President and the second most powerful man in the country.

In 1967, during a state visit to the Republic of China, Prime Minister Il Kwon Jung was asked by President Kai Sek Chiang to send Taekwon-Do instructors to teach the Chinese military. I selected five leading Taekwon-Do instructors and sent them to China under the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel Sung In Hong. When I visited Taipei a year later, Lieutenant Colonel Hong told me: "Now Korea has become a nation of teachers and China is a nation of students." Taekwon-Do has changed the relationship of elder and younger brother into a student-teacher relationship.

Introducing Taekwon-Do to the People's Republic of China was no easy task. Mainland China believed that all martial arts originated in China. They wished to learn martial arts from other countries. In 1982, I gathered an abundant number of instructors and asked Deuk Joon, the vice-president of the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) Sports Federation, to contact mainland China on our behalf.

Eventually the two countries agreed on a martial arts exchange program and in 1986 I led a group of 30 North Korean instructors on a goodwill tour in Beijings. We were warmly received by the President of the Chinese Wu Shu Federation, Mr. Suh Jae. Demonstrations were held in Beijing and Sian City. The arena was packed with spectators and the success of the demonstrations led to China agreeing to teach Taekwon-Do with tacit unofficial approval.

The following year, Professor Bong Ki Choi of Yun Byun University invited me to teach 70 students. Gradually, Taekwon-Do began to be taught all over China.

General, when did you introduce Taekwon-Do to Japan? What is the significance of introducing Taekwon-Do to Japan?

Gen. Choi: One of the biggest reasons I created Taekwon-Do was to distinguish it from Japanese Karate. I wanted to show the superiority of Taekwon-Do over Karate in terms of techniques and philosophy. Since 1960, I dreamed of opening a Taekwon-Do school in Tokyo, but I had to wait patiently for another twenty years.

In 1981, I was invited to demonstrate Taekwon-Do at the Korean Unification Conference in Tokyo. Masters Jung Tae Park, Suk Joon Kim and Young Suk Jong made a brilliant presentation of Taekwon-Do. Later, one of the spectators, Jin Shik Jun, approached me and urged me to build a Taekwon-Do school in Tokyo. He was a leading Korean businessman in Japan and offered to take care of all the finances. In September 1982, we opened the school in Tokyo.

I am very grateful to Mr. Jun, who passed away a few years later. With his help, thousands of Japanese are learning Tae Kwon Do every day. When I see Japanese students bowing to the Korean flag and Korean instructors, my mind goes back to the days of the Japanese occupation of Korea. I pay tribute to those who were sacrificed when they tried to regain Korea's independence.

You and Mas Oyama once worked together to try to develop Taekwon-Do, but that partnership was not successful.

Gen. Choi: In 1966, when I was returning from a visit to the United States, I stopped in Tokyo. My friend told me that Mas Oyama was in the process of obtaining Japanese nationality. As you know, Mas Oyama was born in Korea. He left his home at an early age and spent most of his life in Japan as a Korean national.

I decided to visit him and try to stop him from becoming a Japanese citizen. First I appreciated his achievements in karate and then I told him about his brother's life in Korea. I told him that Korea needs men like him and that he should go back to Korea. We were to work together to promote Taekwon-Do. And if that happened, his name would be known to Korean history. Master Oyama told me he understood what I was saying and then went home with a promise to see me the next day.

The following morning I heard from Sung Woo Lee, a good friend of Master Oyama: Master Oyama visited Mr. Lee after we had talked the previous evening and told Mr. Lee, "I was born in Korea, but I came to Japan at an early age. And then, with the help of Prime Minister Sato, I achieved the success I have today. The Prime Minister encouraged me to become a Japanese national."

After speaking with Mr. Lee, I had the impression that Master Oyama was procrastinating in his decision to become a Japanese national. So he invited Master Oyama to Korea. We visited Seoul and the DMZ(?). I arranged a Taekwon-Do presentation for him. Then we went to his hometown where he was reunited with his brother and relatives. I also arranged an interview for him on KBS TV.

Before returning to Japan, Kimpo told me at the airport: "I don't think I could survive in this environment as a simple man." And then he left Korea.

Although we went separately, we promised to be blood brothers, I being the older brother and Mas Oyama being the younger brother.

Why do you think Taekwon-Do has spread so quickly around the world?

Gen. Choi: First of all, I give credit to the revolution in transportation. Since 1959, I have traveled thousands and thousands of miles to demonstrate, conduct seminars and championships. Without the jet plane, it would have been impossible to travel the world.

Secondly, I also give credit to the printing and electronics industry. Millions of instructors and students of Taekwon-Do have learned it from my books, videos and CD-ROMs.

And the third reason is that Taekwon-Do contains much better quality techniques than other martial arts. The philosophy is based on my own personal experiences and on Asian wisdom. The techniques are based on precise movements (movements based on science). Finally, I give credit to all my students who teach Taekwon-Do all over the world.

Do you think that the unification of the International Taekwon-Do Federation and the World Taekwon-Do Federation would help unify North and South Korea?

Gen. Choi: Yes, North Korea is a member of the International Taekwon-Do Federation and South Korea is a member of the World Taekwon-Do Federation. The unification of Taekwon-Do would encourage various groups, including political groups, to work for the unification of Korea. Taekwon-Do instructors in Korea do not have the same freedom of opinion as instructors overseas. So instructors overseas should play a bigger role and serve as a bridge between North and South Korea.

In order to open a gateway between the two sides, overseas instructors should attend and participate in seminars, presentations and championships of both federations. Frequent contact between the instructors of both groups would eliminate mistrust. Creating this kind of environment would be a very important step in unifying Korea.

When you return to Korea, what would you like to do first?

Gen. Choi: The first thing I would do is to go visit my mother's grave and pay my respects to her. I owed her a lot all my life, but I couldn't see her last day in this world because I was in Malaysia.

Next, I would like to visit some of my old friends. We would reminisce about the good old days when we were in the army. And finally, I would like to visit my Taekwon-Do students to see how they live today.

General, you know you're in excellent health. I was amazed to see you teach six hours of seminar every day. But when you leave this world, where would you like to be buried?

General. Choi: Yes, I am over eighty, but my health is perfect now. But who knows what will happen tomorrow. I don't want to be buried in North Korea even though I was born there. I also don't think I can be buried in South Korea, even though I spent most of my youth there. I am left with Canada, my third country of birth, as an alternative where I could be buried.

Thank you for telling me about your life's work dedicated to Taekwon-Do.

Gen. Choi: You're welcome.


Kontakt: Ondřej Vrábel, tel.: 777-011-692, sonkal@taekwondo.cz
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