Grandmaster Kim: General Choi's Visit, 1977

Grandmaster S.J.Kim

General Choi came to NYC in the fall of 1977 for a political campaign--an anti Park campaign as usual. The location was at Master Kwang Duk Chung's TKD school on 34th Street--I remember clearly it was on 3rd floor. There were some college professors, former politicians, pro N. Korea and TKD masters, GM Suh Chong Kang (Tae Sun Kang's father, GM T.S Kang has a successful TKD school in downtown NYC today) and his followers (I was one of them), and GM Kang was Vice President of ITF then, and president of ATA. There were at least 8-9 TKD masters and I believe I was the youngest.

After the political meeting, Gen. Choi asked if anyone of us brought 'Do Bok'--I was the only one, and I still don't know why I said "I have it, Sir."  He simply said "very good, now go and change"--I ran down to my beat up car, got my 'do bok'.

Then he says, "do Chon Ji" and I think I did it very well. Gen. Choi responded with a smile, "very good, but you just did Karate" and he then taught all of us up to Won Hyo that evening and asked us to come again next day.  Now I was confused, those days I thought I was pretty good in TKD, kind of reckless, too. But I did pride myself being very fast and strong, 5'8' 160 lbs, I wasn't afraid of anyone or anything.  I didn't go home that night, instead came straight to my TKD school in Bergenfield NJ, and tried to prove that my method is better than what Gen. Choi just corrected me on.  It took me about an hour and I realized breathing was extremely important; it made difference in power by moving slightly down at the strike. The next day I did patterns up to Choong Moo front of Gen. Choi, just as he told me to do.  The rest is history.

That location on 34th Street is the very same place where Master Yang's TKD school is today.

Suk Jun Kim, 9th Dan

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