Tae Kwon Do - Korean Karate
Tae Kwon Do (Korean Karate) is
a modern term first coined in 1955 by Grand Master Duk Sung Son, 9th
degree Black Belt, founder and President of the World Tae Kwon Do
Association (WTKDA). Tae Kwon Do taught in Traditional fashion utilizes
non-contact sparring to ensure safety and teach non-violence. Grand Master
Duk Sung Son is the author of two texts, Korean Karate: the Art of Tae Kwon
Do (1968) and Black Belt Korean Karate (1983). He has been seen from time to
time in Martial Arts magazine interviews. Grand Master Duk Sung Son
personally taught all classes at the WTKDA Headquarters’ in NYC until his
retirement. The WTKDA was the oldest and largest Martial Arts Association in the United
States. His organization had grown to a level of over 450 schools.
There
were many Martial Art schools in Korea and the largest of the Kwan's was the Chung Do Kwan
Institute with a membership of over 5,000. The other Kwans at that
time were: Moo
Duk Kwan,
Yun
Moo Kwan, Chang Moo Kwan, Oh Do Kwan,
Ji
Do Kwan, Chi Do Kwan and Song Moo Kwan.
On June 25, 1950 war broke out and Grand Master Won Kuk Lee appointed
Master Duk Sung Son
as the
second Headmaster of the Chung Do Kwan. Grand Master Won Kuk Lee's instructor in Japan was
Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of
Shotokan Karate. This is the origin of
Traditional Tae Kwon Do.
Grand Master Duk Sung Son retired in 2009.
<More
History>
Five Points Karate
Five
Points Karate, Master Bob Heckmann, 7th
Degree Black Belt started studing Kempo Karate in 1973. Tae Kwon
Do in 1976, studying directly under Grand Master Duk Sung Son for Thirty
Five years until GM Son retired. Then followed by Grand Master Dong
Hoon Kim.
In 1987 earning a 3rd Degree
Black Belt in Moo Duk Kwan - Tae Kwon Do under Grand Master Pong Ki Kim of
the World Tae Kwon Do Federation.
Bob
started Tae Kwon Do with Grand Master Duk Sung Son at the Queens School in
1976, attending classes six days a week. In addition, Bob attended Wednesday
afternoon classes at Fordham University in the Bronx with GM Son. As a Brown
Belt, students were required to attend Friday classes at the World Tae Kwon
Do Association Headquarters’ as a requirement for their 1st Degree
Black Belt Test. In the
90’s, Bob attended Wednesday classes taught by GM Son in
Poughkeepsie and Saturday classes in Westchester, in addition to
classes at Headquarters’ in New York City.
During
the early years, Bob joined GM Son on Sunday’s for a 7:00am jog around the
Central Park Lake, followed by a session of kicking The Oak Tree with Side
Kicks and Round House Kicks. On occasion, this was followed by Three Step
and Blocking Techniques. This is an integral part of Bob's routine.
It is a
Way of Life!
All classes and testing are still in accordance to strict
guidelines set by Grand Master Duk Sung Son.

Master Bob Heckmann at Headquarters' &
70's Tournament
Karate is more than
self-defense, It is a Way of Life!
- Never Quit!
- Learn Self-Defense.
- Reduce stress and fatigue.
- Don't allow anyone to bully you anymore.
- Combat Obesity and the lack
of physical activity.
- Build
Confidence in the mind and body, inner peace and balance in daily life.
- Compete in
Tournaments and
participate in our Black
Belt
Summer Camp.
- Start now with the world's most popular Martial Art,
TAE KWON DO.
Daily
workouts consist of: warm ups,
basics, forms,
sparring, three step
and warm downs. No
contract.
No
yearly Fees. Family discounts available.
click to enlarge
Tae Kwon Do Times - September 2011
Grand Master Duk Sung Son
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