Roots

Grandmaster Won Kuk Lee

With thanks and appreciation we give honor to the memory of modern Chung Do's founder, Great Grandmaster Won Kuk Lee, who passed away February 2, 2003 in Arlington, Virginia.  Great Grandmaster Lee was born in what is now South Korea andgraduated from law school in Japan.  While living in Japan he studied several martial arts forms including Okinawan karate and kung fu, and at one time trained under martial arts Grandmaster Gichin Funakoshi, founder of modern Shotokan karate.  He returned to his home country in 1944 to found what became the first tae kwon do school in Korea, leaving only during the Korean War of the 1950's to live in Japan.  Great Grandmaster Lee immigrated to the United States in 1976 with the aid of one of his students, U.S. Army General William C. Westmoreland.  He lived in Arlington, Virginia the remaind of his life, where he served as a martial arts ambassador throughout the Mid-Atlantic States.  Great Grandmaster Lee is survived by his wife, son, two grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sabu Nim Yong Taek Chung

Sabu Nim is the title he prfers and it simply means "Teacher".  To us, however, he is much more.  A 9th degree black belt, Yong Taek Chung has devoted his entire life to the mastery and teaching of Tae Kwon Do.  After spending many years in Korea as a member of the original Chung Do Kwan and, having acted as an instructor for the Korean National Police Force, Master Chung left Korea for Tokyo, Japan.  He quickly established himself as a major figure in Japan's martial arts community, acting as President of the All Japan Tae Kwon Do Association and Headmaster of the Tokyo Chung Do Kwan.  In 1959, while still in Tokyo, Headmaster Chung won the prestigious tournament of Masters.

It is our good fortune that in 1971 he decided to bring his expertise to the United States.  He settled in Kansas City and taught there for the next 15 years.  It was in 1984 that Grandmaster Chung received a 9th Degree designation from his teacher and the founder of Chung Do Kwan, Won Kuk Lee.  From that point on Grandmaster Chung was the director of the Chung Do Kwan worldwide.