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Sun-hwan Chung

Sun-hwan Chung (born May 6, 1940), also known as James Sun-hwan Chung, is one of the highest-ranking Tang Soo Do, Hapkido, and taekwondo grandmasters in the world.[1][2] He is founder of the Moo Sool Do (Martial Arts United) form of martial arts and is president of the World Academy of Martial Arts, LLC.[3]

Sun-hwan Chung
Sun-hwan Chung
10th Dan Taekwondo Grandmaster
Born(1940-05-06)May 6, 1940
Hiroshima, Japan
ResidenceUnited States
StyleMoo Sool Do:
Taekwondo, Hapkido, Tang Soo Do,
Moo Sool Gi, Ki Gon
Teacher(s)Hwang Kee, Founder of Moo Duk Kwan
Rank  10th dan (honorary)
Moo Sool Do (Martial Arts United)
  9th dan Taekwondo
(Kukkiwon)
  9th dan Tang Soo Do
(Moo Duk Kwan)
  9th dan Hapkido
(Korea Hapkido Association)
OccupationMartial artist
WebsiteOfficial website

Early life and the Moo Duk Kwan

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Sun-hwan Chung was born in Hiroshima, Japan and emigrated as a child to Korea. He began training in the martial arts when he was eight years old under Moo Duk Kwan founder Hwang Kee, and instructors Chang-young Chong (dan #15), Jong-soo Hong (dan #16), and Jae-joon Kim (dan #38).[4] <3

He earned his first "black" belt (actually midnight blue) from Hwang Kee at age sixteen. For three years (1963-1967) Chung won the Korean Tae Kwon Do National Championships. In 1966, he won the Asian Championship. From 1966 to 1970, Chung managed Hwang Kee's main training dojang, located near Seoul Station (Jong Gu section of Dongja-dong) in downtown Seoul, Korea. Chung became proficient in several martial arts, studying Tang Soo Do, Hapkido, and Taekwondo.[5][6] He created one of the essential poomse training forms for Tang Soo Do; Kicho Hyeong Sa Bu (Basic Form 4)[7] as well as several others specific to Moo Sool Do.[8]

During the 1970s, he was a martial arts combat instructor for the Republic of Korea Armed Forces and active duty United States soldiers in Vietnam. In addition, he was a self-defense instructor to the Korean civilian police force and provided security services for the Korean national railroad system.[9]

Among the earliest U.S. masters

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Chung was sent by Hwang Kee, in the fifth wave of Korean martial arts masters,[10] to the United States on June 13, 1969.[11][12] His American sponsor was Dale Drouillard, the second American to be recognized as a Cho Dan by Hwang.[13] As a new arrival to the United States, Chung instructed at (Jae-joon) Kim's Karate School in Grand River, Michigan. As representative of the dojang, he traveled the country and sparred with Mariano Estioko (the second American to become a Cho Dan in the Moo Duk Kwan),[14] David Praim,[15] Russell Hanke, Pat E. Johnson,[16] and hundreds of others, with losing one match.[17] In addition to building a tremendous reputation worldwide as a ruthless fighter, Chung gained renown for his mental toughness, often performing demonstrations such as lifting large buckets of water using needles pierced in his arms and neck - while standing on broken glass, or having a car drive onto his chest.[9][6][17] As his reputation grew, he gained many friendships with martial arts pioneers in the United States during the 1970s, including Sang Kyu Shim, Kang Uk Lee,[18] Bong-soo Han, Jhoon Rhee, Mike Stone, and Chuck Norris.[19][20][21]

Development of the system

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In September 1972, Chung moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan where he opened a dojang, teaching his own form of mixed martial arts - combining Taekwondo, Tang Soo Do, Hapkido, Moo Sool Gi, and Ki Gon - entitled Moo Sool Do (Martial Arts United).[22] He has authored and published several training books in the Moo Sool Do system,[23][24][25] and has continued to teach in Kalamazoo, as well as through other satellite dojangs, for more than forty years.[26][27]

Chung was the third grandmaster to introduce Taekwondo, Hapkido, and Tang Soo Do to Bermuda in the early 1980s, through one of his students, David Avery.[28][29] In addition, Chung teaches Moo Sool Do martial arts physical education classes at both Western Michigan University and Kalamazoo College.[30][31]

He has served as vice president of the Michigan Tae Kwon Do Association, as a certified (Level 3) International Referee with both the World Taekwondo Federation and the United States Taekwondo Union, and as a member of the U.S.A.T. (Olympic National Governing Body) Martial Arts Commission. He has also been named Master Instructor of the Year several times by the Pan American Moo Duk Kwan Society. As one of the highest-ranking black belts in the United States, Chung was selected to serve on the testing panel and present Chuck Norris with his 7th dan black belt.[32][17] He founded and has sponsored for 22 years, the Michigan Cup International Martial Arts Championships, a competitive forms and sparring tournament held annually in Battle Creek, Michigan.[33][34]

Awards and honors

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  • 1984 - Presented with the "Keys To The City Of Miami, Florida" by Mayor Maurice Ferre, in recognition of his contributions to the martial arts.[35]
  • 1993 - 9th dan Grandmaster certification Kukkiwon - World Taekwondo Federation.
  • 2000 - 9th dan Grandmaster certification Tang Soo Do - Moo Duk Kwan.
  • 2003 - 9th dan Grandmaster certification Korea Hapkido Federation.
  • 2007 - Enshrined in the Taekwondo Hall of Fame.[1][36]
  • 2008 - Selected to the Kukkiwon Advisory Council by organization President Dr. Un Yong Kim.[37]
  • 2009 - Awarded the Outstanding Educational Leadership Award (Hall of Fame) by Martial Arts World.[38]
  • 2010 - Inducted into the U.S. Taekwondo Grandmasters Hall of Fame for Lifetime Achievement.[39]
  • 2013 - Honorary 10th dan - Moo Sool Do (Martial Arts United).

References

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  1. ^ a b "The Official Taekwondo Hall of Fame - List of Instructors". Taekwondo Hall of Fame.
  2. ^ "The Greats of Taekwondo - Grandmaster Sun-hwan Chung". Taekwondo Hall of Fame.
  3. ^ "Sun-hwan Chung Biography - Chung's Black Belt Taekwondo & Hapkido". Archived from the original on September 7, 2014.
  4. ^ Lee, Kang Uk (1999). Tang Soo Do: The Ultimate Guide to the Korean Martial Art. London, England: A & C Black Publishers, Ltd. p. 255. ISBN 0-86568-170-8.
  5. ^ "2010 U.S. Taekwondo Grandmasters Hall of Fame Induction". U.S. Taekwondo Grandmasters Society. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
  6. ^ a b "Incredible Master Sun-hwan Chung Tells His Story (Cover Story)". Traditional Taekwondo Magazine. 5 (2). Spring 1983.
  7. ^ "Tang Soo Do Guide To Forms, New Edge Martial Arts (DVD)".
  8. ^ "Moo Sool Do - Advanced Black Belt Form - Shim Sin 5, New Edge Martial Arts (Video)".
  9. ^ a b Lewis, Forest (June 1976). "Sun-hwan Chung: Tang Soo Do's Man of Iron (Cover)". Official Karate Magazine.
  10. ^ "Taekwon-do History". Archived from the original on February 24, 2014. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
  11. ^ "Photo: Sun-hwan Chung departs for USA (Incorrect date on photo. Actually 1970)". Moo Duk Kwan.net.
  12. ^ "Photo: Sun-hwan Chung, Chung-il Kim, and Bahk-song Man at Gimpo International Airport for their USA departure, accompanied by Hueng-iyol Yoon and H.C. Whang (1970). (Photo number 1)".
  13. ^ "Dale Drouillard - Who's Who In Tang Soo Do". Tang Soo Do World. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
  14. ^ "Mariano Estioko - Who's Who In Tang Soo Do". Tang Soo Do World. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
  15. ^ "David Praim - Who's Who In Tang Soo Do". Tang Soo Do World. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
  16. ^ "Pat Johnson - Who's Who In Tang Soo Do". Tang Soo Do World. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
  17. ^ a b c Olin, Tom (2002). Indomitable Spirit (Online excerpts). Grand Rapids Press. p. 122.
  18. ^ "Kang Uk Lee - Tang Soo Do (Soo Bahk Do Federation)". Soo Bahk Do Federation. Archived from the original on January 18, 2019. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
  19. ^ "Photo: Sun-hwan Chung in Detroit with Hwang Kee and Chuck Norris - 46th Dan Shim Sa (Early black belt test-1970)". Moo Duk Kwan.net.
  20. ^ "Photo: Early Tang Soo Do Alumni in the United States (1971)". Moo Duk Kwan.net.
  21. ^ "Photo: Sun-hwan Chung with Dale Drouillard (2006)". World Class IMA. Archived from the original on August 12, 2007.
  22. ^ "Definition of Moo Sool Do". Chung's Black Belt Taekwondo & Hapkido.
  23. ^ Chung, Sun-hwan (1972). Dong Yang Moo Sool Do Textbook. Kalamazoo, Michigan: Chung's Black Belt Academy. p. 158.
  24. ^ Chung, Sun-hwan (1985). Dong Yang Moo Sool Do Textbook: Oriental Martial Arts II. Kalamazoo, Michigan: Chung's Black Belt Academy.
  25. ^ Chung, Sun-hwan (2012). Dong Yang Moo Sool Do Textbook: Oriental Martial Arts IV. Kalamazoo, Michigan: Chung's Black Belt Academy.
  26. ^ Hinkley, Justin (July 1, 2013). "Gull Lake kids get a kick out of this class". Battle Creek Enquirer.
  27. ^ "Chung's Black Belt Taekwondo Locations".
  28. ^ Edmond, Johnson (August 2010). "Bermuda Taekwondo History (Cover and story)". Totally Taekwondo Magazine (18): 49–53.
  29. ^ "Grandmaster Sun-hwan Chung". Champion Taekwondo (Bermuda). Retrieved February 8, 2014.
  30. ^ LaDuke, Alyssa (April 17, 2013). "A Martial Arts Grand Master In Kalamazoo". Western Michigan University Journal.
  31. ^ Kalamazoo College. "Physical Education Programs - PED 071". Retrieved February 8, 2014.
  32. ^ "Thoughts On Taekwondo Training". Jim Kruska.
  33. ^ "Chop, step, kick: 24th annual Michigan Cup International Martial Arts Championship come to Kalamazoo in September". Kalamazoo Gazette.
  34. ^ "Michigan Cup International Martial Arts Open".
  35. ^ "Miami Keys To The City Honor". Taekwondo Hall of Fame.
  36. ^ "Taekwondo Hall of Fame - Sun-hwan Chung". Taekwondo Hall of Fame.
  37. ^ "Sun-hwan Chung Biography - Kukkiwon Advisory Council".
  38. ^ "Sun-hwan Chung Biography - Outstanding Educational Leadership Award".
  39. ^ "2010 U.S. Taekwondo Grandmasters Hall of Fame Induction". U.S. Taekwondo Grandmasters Society. Archived from the original on 2013-02-05.
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