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Oh Do Kwan is one of the original martial arts schools ("kwans") that opened in Korea after the end of World War II.

TKD Panorama

NamTaeHi young

Nam Tae Hi, fourth from left on the bottom row, sits next to Choi Hong Hi, fifth from left.

General Choi Hong Hi with support from Nam Tae Hi founded the Oh Do Kwan in 1954[1] as part of the Republic of Korea Army's Physical Training Program. Though initially founded as a school for military training, the kwan soon developed a civilian annex as well. The primary civilian annex was called Dae Han Taekwon-Do Oh Do Kwan Jung Ang Bon Kwan. The civilian annex was located in Seoul, as were all the major kwans at that time. Oh Do Kwan also taught Korean Police throughout South Korea, and instructed at some universities as well.

The first people to instruct the army in martial arts were Nam Tae Hi, Kim Bok Man, Woo Jong Lim, Ko Jae Chun, Kim Suk Kyu, Baek Joon Ki, Kwak Keun Sik, Kim Bong Sik, Han Cha Kyo, and Chung Jang Keun, almost all of whom were originally Chung Do Kwan members. Chung Do Kwan members brought into Oh Do Kwan by senior Chung Do Kwan members Nam Tae Hi and Han Cha Kyo.

The first documented patterns to be unique to Taekwon-do were taught at Oh Do Kwan. These were the Chang Hun tul; these were designed primarily by General Choi, with assistance from Kim Bok Man, Han Cha Kyo, and Nam Tae Hi. These patterns were spread throughout the world by General Choi upon his creation of the International Taekwon-Do Federation in 1966. 

When General Choi left the Korea Taekwondo Association in 1966, in order to form the ITF, about half of the Oh Do Kwan masters under him joined the ITF. The rest of the Oh Do Kwan stayed within the KTA, and eventually participated in the creation of Kukki Taekwondo.

Today the Oh Do Kwan still exist in Korea as a social club and sub-style of Kukki Taekwondo, and has an annual celebration every year in Seoul. It is now known as World Taekwondo Oh Do Kwan[1], and adopted the Kukkiwon style of taekwondo in 1972. However, it also continues to promotes the pre-sinewave Ch'ang Hun curriculum.

Currently World Taekwondo Oh Do Kwan works closely with the World Combative Taekwondo Union via Grand Master Jeong In-Chul (7th. dan Kukkiwon, 8th. dan Oh Do Kwan), and issues dan certificates on the basis of demonstrated proficency in either Kukkiwon Poomsae or (pre-sinewave) Chang Hon hyung. World Taekwondo Oh Do kwan also offers an instructor certification program, with focus on teaching the old Oh Do Kwan curriculum.

Oh Do Kwan's current president is Han Myung Hak.

Timeline[]

  • Founder: General Choi Hong Hi
  • 1954: began teaching Taekwondo to the Korean Army
  • July 1959: opened to the public

See Also[]

References[]

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