With Grandmaster Yoosun Lee
Join us for a two-day seminar with Taekwon Do legend and pioneer, Yoosun Lee. These day-long trainings will include self-defense, sparring, hand and foot techniques, and patterns. It will be an intensive physical workout, but includes insights into Taekwon Do history and the making of the patterns.
Each attendee will receive a certificate of completion, and some 3rd Dan and higher participants may qualify to receive instructor certificates. If you attended the New Jersey training in December 2023, this will also count toward your Instructor Certificate.
Itinerary for the seminar:
Day 1 – Thursday, April 18
7:00 am: Meditation and Stretching with
Grandmaster Eddie Minyard
7:00 am: Breakfast (included)
8:00 – 11:00 am: Morning Training Session
11:00 am – 1:00 pm: Lunch (included)
1:00 – 4:00 pm: Afternoon training session
Day 2 – Friday, April 19
7:00 am: Meditation and Stretching with
Grandmaster Eddie Minyard
7:00 am: Breakfast (included)
8:00 – 11:00 am: Morning Training Session
11:00 am – 1:00 pm: Lunch (included)
1:00 – 4:00 pm: Afternoon training session
6:00 – 8:00 pm: Dinner (on-site at the hotel)
Cost: $125 per day
Breakfast and lunch are included each day
Location: Delta Hotel
110 E. 120th Avenue, Northglenn, CO (Directions)
For those traveling from outside Colorado, special hotel rates are available.
Delta Hotel
This seminar also marks the 22nd Anniversary of the last instructor course personally taught by General Choi, with the event taking place on the same date and location as that memorable moment.
About Grandmaster Yoosun Lee
Yoosun Lee is one of Grandmaster Bok Man Kim‘s colleagues in Korea, and the leader of ITF Home. He helped take Taekwon Do worldwide, and worked closely with the Founder, General Choi Hong Hi.
Grandmaster Yoosun Lee began his martial arts training at 15 in Chung Do Kwan, taught by Masters
Choi Bong Gip and Hong Ei Jung. Later, after joining the Korean military, he began training under the direction of General Choi and the senior Oh Do Kwan military instructors. He was drafted into the 26th Infantry Division, being singled from the outset – to both teach and be taught the fundamental movements of Oh Do Kwan Taekwon-Do. Although still in its infancy, he began to learn the new Tuls, Hwa Rang, Ul Ji and Choong Moo, replacing the previously taught Japanese forms of Karate.
Commenting on teaching in the military under General Choi, Yoosun Lee states: “I believe even at this time he [Choi Hong Hi] had a vision for Taekwon-Do and could see into the future. He truly wanted to establish a martial art that characterized Korea. Therefore it had to be different from Japanese Karate … This helped create pride and patriotism, which was essential in the military at this time.”
After leaving the military, Yoosun Lee continued to train with General Choi, often at the general’s residence in Seoul. During this time he also trained alongside other early pioneers Park Jong Soo and Kim Jung Chan.
In November 1966, at the request of General Choi, Yoosun Lee joined Grandmaster Kim Bok Man in Hong Kong. Grandmaster Kim had traveled to Hong Kong in 1965 to be the resident instructor and was successfully evangelizing Taekwon-do, making it an increasingly popular and well-known art. Lee provided support for Grandmaster Kim’s efforts, “We performed many demonstrations to promote Taekwon-Do, as it was still relatively new. Our demos were well received and in a short space of time our membership grew significantly.”
This generated some controversy and competition, and Grandmaster Lee received many challenges to fight and prove his skills. Recounting one incident at his school in Hong Kong, “A Karate practitioner walked into my Do Jang and in front of my students, he issued a challenge. I knocked him out with a single turning kick.”
In 1967 Lee stepped in to replace Park Jong Soo as the lead instructor in residence in Holland, providing support for the early Dutch Taekwon-do Association. He also attained his 6th Dan in 1968 in Holland.
Later, Lee traveled to France and participated in the CISM Demonstration in Paris, which was a prestigious military demonstration. This event brought together some of the most influential pioneers at that time: General Choi; Rhee Ki Ha from England; Park Sun Jae from Italy; Kim Kwang Ill and Kwon Jae Hwa from Germany; and Lee Kyung Myung from Austria. Together the group performed a very successful demonstration. Lee mentioned, “I recall that we cut up an old ammunition case for our destruction material … This was also the first time I had heard Taekwon-Do and the Olympics mentioned in the same breath.”
After this event, Lee again returned to Korea for family, and to continue to train under General Choi. In 1970 he attended the ITF Instructors Course held in Seoul. While running his do jang in Seoul, he had an opportunity to be in the photo sessions for General Choi’s in-progress Taekwon-do book. After the ITF moved to Canada, he became affiliated with the WTF and stayed in Korea until 1975. Over time he also acquired certificates from Chung Do Kwan, Oh Do Kwan, KTA, ITF and WTF.
1975 saw Lee move to the US and locate in Chicago, Illinois, joining former students Park Sun Boo and Choi Chun Mung. It also enabled him to rejoin the ITF and receive his 7th Degree. A few years later, Lee relocated to Midland, Texas, and by the early 1980s created a chain of Taekwon Do schools, with a main Dojang of 300 students and six satellite do jangs with over 120 students in each. Lee attributes his success to, “a good standard of technique and organization at this time.”
Lee then moved to Houston in 1990, continuing to teach Taekwon Do, but also building his own business. In his spare time, he occasionally was also able to do some bodyguard service for the Korean President. In 1991, Taekwon Do Master Van Binh Ngyuen hosted a seminar, where many masters reunited with General Choi, including Masters Park Bu Kuang, Park Jung Hi and Yoosun Lee.
From the 1990s-present, Grandmaster Lee has attained the rank of 9th Dan, and continues to promote General Choi’s legacy and the art of Taekwon Do. Speaking of his feelings for the art he has devoted his life to, “Taekwon-Do has taught me so much. It has also given me lasting friendships, especially with Masters Park Jong Soo, Choi Chan Keun and Kim Jong Chan.”
