On Saturday October 19th, 2019 Grandmaster Suk Jun Kim, Founder and President of Taekwon-do International attended the prestigious World Martial Arts award ceremony hosted by the World Grandmaster’s Federation and was awarded the Growth of Martial Arts Medal. The ceremony was held at George Mason University’s Science and Technology campus in Manassas, VA in honor of many martial arts greats and pioneers.
Master Chris Malarkey of Complete Taekwon-Do in Bergenfield, NJ accompanied Grandmaster Kim and had this to say: "Upon entering a sea of mostly black belt practitioners, I took notice of the many banners throughout showing the late General Choi, the creator and founder of Tae Kwon Do, Bruce Lee, Grandmaster Hee Il Cho, John Rhee, Chuck Norris, and more. I quickly found myself in the auditorium’s main room where I easily stood a foot shorter in the collection of Grandmasters from all over the country and the world. Walking into this large gathering I was able to pinpoint Grandmaster Kim happily seated with a number of fellow practitioners/friends collected in the front seats with flowers and decorative sashes to commemorate the Highest Medal of Honor they were set to receive in mere moments. "When his name came across the big screen in the front of the room, I stole myself away to follow him into a narrow corridor where again, he seemed happy but still very humble to this recognition that is well-earned--a lesson I took without even having to put on my uniform or belt. He was still teaching me even in that moment of some of the highest recognition out there without formally conducting a class. "Grandmaster Kim’s name was called and the whole room applauded with a standing ovation and seemed to feel the same way I’ve come to about this extraordinary instructor and mentor. I then realized not only how vast the martial arts world really was but also the lasting impact Master Kim has left on the entire discipline itself. "Adding this honor to his Hall of Fame induction, Grandmaster SJ Kim has left his mark on the world of Taekwon-do, all the while straddling the present state and forward thinking of the Taekwon-do of the future, the Taekwon-do that was, and the Taekwon-do as it was intended; the Korean art of self-defense. "Congratulations Grandmaster Kim!" Comments are closed.
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