Published in the Taekwon-Do Times September 2000
In 1946 a young Korean named Nam Tae Hi began his martial arts training. He would leave school at 3:30 p.m. and go to the Dojang and train, not returning home until midnight. This was a 5 day a week regimen. Tang Soo Do training continued under Won Kuk lee at the Chung Do Kwan, and classmates included, Sun Duc Son, and Uhm Woon Kyu (the current head of the Chung Do Kwan in South Korea.)
In those days the only belt colors were White, Brown, and Black. There were eight levels or “Gups” of colored belt before reaching Black Belt. Promotion tests were held every six months and students usually tested and were promoted two gup levels at a time. It therefore took him about two and one half years to reach first degree Black Belt. His junior students then included the late Grandmaster Han Cha Kyo, and Jhoon Rhee.
In 1954 there was a military demonstration before the President of South Korea, Syng Man Rhee. This demonstration included Artillery, other weaponry and martial arts. Nam Tae Hi, then a second degree Black Belt Broke 13 roofing tiles with a downward punch. President Rhee was so impressed by the demonstration that he asked for it to continue after the planned program was over. Since nothing was planned, Nam Tae Hi and Han Cha Kyo assembled materials and did a variety of breaks. President Rhee even examined Nam Tae Hi’s hands to see how he was able to perform the breaks.
After the demonstration which so impressed President Rhee, he ordered all military personnel to receive this martial arts’ training. General Choi recruited instructors from the different Kwans to train people. This was the impetus for creating the new military gym, the Oh Do Kwan.
I asked Grandmaster Nam the meaning of the term Oh Do Kwan (widely translated as “The Gym of My Way”) and why this name was chosen. His answer was very interesting. He told me that since there were instructors from various established Kwans, if an established name was used an instructor may have been reluctant to train or teach at another Kwan and their could be some confusion. (For instance, a Chung Do Kwan instructor may not want to teach his art at a Moo Do Kwan gym.) So the name Oh Do Kwan meant our gym, or the gym for all of us. (Books on Korean translation substantiate this meaning. ) Or perhaps, it reflects someone speaking in the first person whereby each person could consider it the gym of their way. (My idea.)
Although somewhat inactive from teaching Taekwon-Do for the last few years, Grandmaster Nam accepted my invitation to teach a class, (April 6, 1998) during which he reflected on the days of his training preceding the formation of Taekwon-Do, and the early days of Taekwon-Do. These reflections included the introduction of the Blue Belt by General Choi (later leading to the current 10 Gup Color Belt system), and how he performed the physical part of the new patterns as General Choi was mapping them out. He made an analogy saying that it was as if General Choi wrote the script and was the director, and he was the actor. Perhaps that is why he is referred to as “General Choi’s right hand man” in the General’s books.
I could not help but think that a certain amount of credit goes to Grandmaster Nam for the art we practice today. Had he and the others performing the demonstration for President Rhee been unimpressive, the president would not have ordered instructing the troops in martial arts, Taekwon-Do would never have been formed and the Korean government would not have been so supportive of Taekwon-Do spreading throughout the world. All of us practicing Taekwon-Do might very will be doing another Martial Art (or none at all) right now.
Students from the International Taekwon-Do Federation, Universal Taekwon-Do Federation (Founded by the late Han Cha Kyo) and students with no large organizational affiliations took advantage of an opportunity to hear some history of Taekwon-Do from someone who lived it. It is not often that many people can listen to someone whoes martial arts’ experience spans over 50 years.
