Rhee Taekwon-Do (), also known as Rhee Tae Kwon-Do, Rhee Tae Kwon Do, or Rhee Taekwondo, is a martial art school in Australia teaching the Korean martial art of taekwondo. Its full name is "Rhee International Taekwon-Do (Australia)". Chong Chul Rhee, one of the original masters of taekwondo, founded the school in the mid-1960s.An interview with World Master Chong Chul Rhee, 8th Dan, the Father of Australian Taekwon-Do Australasian Fighting Arts (March 1985). Retrieved 13 June 2007. Two of Rhee's brothers, Chong Hyup Rhee and Chong Yoon Rhee, later came to assist him in the 1970s.
C. C. Rhee claims the title 'Father of Australian Taekwondo'Martial Arts section of the Yellow Pages Australian telephone directorySee the back cover of Australasian Fighting Arts since at least 1995, including volumes 17(6) from 1995, 18(4) from 1996, and 19(1) from 1997. and Rhee Taekwon-Do is widely publicised as being Australia's first and biggest taekwondo school.Rhee TaeKwon-Do Brisbane and Sunshine Coast (2009). Retrieved 1 August 2009; link updated on 6 March 2011. It has at least 294 publicly listed dojang (training halls) in Australia,Rhee Taekwon-Do Melbourne: National Listing (2005). Retrieved 17 June 2007. with perhaps around 1,400 dojang in total at its peak. Originally retrieved 15 July 2007; archived version retrieved 24 July 2009. Several Australian martial art school founders received their foundational taekwondo training in Rhee's school.
Rhee Taekwon-Do is an independent martial art organisation. It was once affiliated with the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF), but has had no relation to the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF).
Founding Chong Chul Rhee, 8th dan, was the founder and head of Rhee Taekwon-Do. He holds the title 'World Master' and claims the title 'Father of Australian Taekwondo.'Rhee Tae Kwon Do Mildura/Sunraysia (2009). Retrieved 1 August 2009. Rhee is one of the twelve original masters of taekwondo Originally retrieved 13 June 2007; archived version retrieved 7 November 2011. selected from the South Korean military to develop taekwondo under Choi Hong Hi in the Korea Taekwon-Do Association (KTA). Rhee is a former unarmed combat instructor in the Korean Marines, and helped introduce taekwondo to Southeast Asia (notably in Malaysia and Singapore) before becoming the first taekwondo master sent to Australia by the Republic of Korea.
Rhee has worked towards the reunification of Korea, serving as a member during the third through ninth terms—and as Chairman for the eighth term—of the Oceania Division of the Advisory Council on Democratic and Peaceful Unification. Originally retrieved 24 April 2003; archived version retrieved 8 November 2011. He has also served as Chairman of the Seoul Olympics Supporting Committee and founding President of the Korean Community Hall Construction Supporting Committee. The Republic of Korea awarded Rhee the Dongbaeg Medal (동백장) in 2003 for promoting taekwondo and Korean culture over the past 33 years.
Two of Rhee's brothers, Chong Hyup Rhee and Chong Yoon Rhee, also hold the title of 'Master' in Rhee Taekwon-Do and assist him in managing parts of the school. Chong Hyup Rhee, 7th dan, is in charge of operations in Melbourne.Anonymous (2005): Crunch time for students Latrobe Valley Express (29 August 2005). Retrieved 5 January 2010.Rhee Taekwon-Do (Victoria): Training centres and times (2010). Retrieved 5 January 2010. He appears on the right in the school's logo. C. H. Rhee is also one of the twelve original masters of taekwondo, and helped introduce the art of taekwondo to Malaysia and Singapore before arriving in Australia in 1970. He conducts grading examinations in Melbourne and Darwin.Rhee Tae Kwon Do Northern Territory (c. 2007). Retrieved 24 August 2007. Chong Yoon Rhee, 9th dan,Rhee Taekwondo Sydney: About the Grand Master (c. 2011). Retrieved 1 November 2011. is in charge of operations in parts of Sydney. He trained under Nam Tae Hi during the late 1950s, served as a South Korean army officer, and helped introduce the art of taekwondo to Vietnam in the late 1960s. C. Y. Rhee retired from military service at the rank of Major, and moved to Australia in January 1976.
C. C. Rhee and C. H. Rhee are listed as pioneers in Asia (1950s and 1960s) and Australia (1970s) in Chang Keun Choi's list of taekwondo pioneers,Choi, C. K. (2007): Tae Kwon Do Pioneers. Retrieved 15 March 2008. while C. Y. Rhee came to Australia some time later.
Significance
Rhee Taekwon-Do occupies a prominent place in Australian taekwondo history. This is reflected in three key claims: (1) Chong Chul Rhee is the Father of Australian Taekwondo, (2) Rhee Taekwon-Do is the first taekwondo school in Australia, and (3) Rhee Taekwon-Do is the biggest taekwondo school in Australia. The school has widely publicised these claims since at least the 1980s.
Father of Australian Taekwondo Numerous claims have been made on who was the father of Australian Taekwondo by other martial art masters:
Chan Yong Kim, 9th dan, was the first tang soo do instructor in Australia.Ta'kody, J. (2001): "Jack Rozinsky: The art of a lifetime (Part 1)." Australasian Taekwondo, 10(1):8–11. He arrived in the early 1960s,No's Taekwondo (c. 2007). Retrieved 15 June 2007.Stone, B. (2003): "Man of honour: Master Ke Hyung No." Australasian Taekwondo, 12(3):14–17. sponsored by the Silvertop Taxi Karate ClubAnonymous (2007): "Jack Rozinsky." In S. Morelli (Ed.), Taekwondo: Special collector's edition 2007 (pp. 54–55). Mulgrave, Australia: Blitz Publications. or the Judo Federation of Australia, Originally retrieved 15 June 2007; archived version retrieved 8 November 2011. and stayed for one or two years before moving overseas. Kim might be considered the first taekwondo instructor in Australia if tang soo do were recognised as taekwondo retrospectively, and so might lay claim to the title. Kim did not establish a taekwondo school in Australia. Jack Rozinsky, 9th dan ( Kukkiwon ) and (Jidokwan), founded the Shuto Karate Club in 1963;Rozinsky, J. (1996): "Fighting frames." Australasian Taekwondo, 4(4):53. it later became the Melbourne Taekwondo Centre. As Rozinsky taught tang soo do there, he might be considered the first taekwondo school founder in Australia (again, if tang soo do were recognised as taekwondo retrospectively), and so might lay claim to the title. Rozinsky did not introduce taekwondo outside Victoria. Ke Hyung No, 8th dan (WTF), was invited to Australia by the Victoria Judo Federation in 1965, and taught taekwondo alongside judo.No, S. (2015): No's Taekwondo: The History of Taekwondo in Australia. Retrieved 9 September 2015.No's Taekwondo: Grandmaster Ke Hyung No (c. 2015). Retrieved 9 September 2015. If tang soo do were not recognised as taekwondo retrospectively, No might lay claim to the title. He travelled back to South Korea for further training, returned to Australia in 1971, and established his own martial arts centre at that time. As with Rozinsky, No did not introduce taekwondo outside Victoria. Terence Walsh, 8th dan (World Kido Federation), claims to have introduced taekwondo to New South Wales in 1969.Walsh, T. F. (1999): "Grandmaster Kwang Sung Hang: Taekwondo pioneer." Australasian Taekwondo, 8(3):48–50.Walsh Martial Arts Australia (c. 2007). Retrieved 14 June 2007. If he was the first to introduce taekwondo to Australia's most populous state, then he might lay claim to the title. Walsh did not introduce taekwondo outside the eastern states. Young Ku Yun, 8th dan (ITF), has been described as having introduced taekwondo to Sydney in 1971.Anonymous (1997): "Grandmaster Yun: The changing face of martial arts." Australasian Taekwondo, 6(2):9–12. If he was the first to introduce taekwondo to Australia's largest city, then he might lay claim to the title. Yun arrived around five years after Rhee, however, and himself claimed to be the first ITF instructor (rather than the first taekwondo instructor) in Australia.Yun Jung Do (c. 2007). Retrieved 21 June 2007; link updated on 6 November 2011. Wee Hin (Steven) Cheah, 9th Dan. Sent by the ITF to Australia in the 1960s, opened his first school in Melbourne. In 1969 was promoted to Queensland Chief Instructor and opened a school in Townsville, Cheah is also considered to be one of the fathers of Australian Taekwon-Do. Having trained under General Choi and C.K Choi in Malaysia. Grand Master Cheah holds the rank of 9th Dan and runs his own federation. Cheah Advanced Taekwondo Australia.
Cheah, Kim and No would have been in the lower dan ranks, and would not yet have held the title of 'Master,' when they were invited to teach in Australia. A biography of No indicates that he had four years' training when he arrived. Rozinsky and Walsh would have held 1st dan ranking in the 1960s. Both Rhee (KTA) and Yun (ITF) would have been in the middle dan ranks and held the title of 'Master' when they arrived, as they were sent to Australia by their respective Korean governing bodies.
First taekwondo school in Australia Rhee Taekwon-Do was the first Australian martial art school founded by a Korean master and using the name of taekwondo. Rhee's school was also the first nationwide taekwondo school in Australia, having operated in South Australia from its founding in the mid-1960s, Western Australia from at least 1970,Fricke, H. J. (2004): Rhee International Tae Kwon Do Australia 1970–1979 Originally retrieved 1 January 2005; new version retrieved 24 July 2009. Victoria from at least 1970,Rhee Tae Kwon-do Victoria - Caulfield North - Vic 3161 - Goguide (c. 2017). Retrieved 25 May 2017. the Australian Capital Territory from 1971,Muyot, J. (1993): "The A.C.T. celebrates 21st anniversary." Rhee Taekwondo, Autumn 1993:12–13. Queensland from at least 1973, Originally retrieved 30 August 2007; archived version retrieved 8 November 2011. New South Wales from 1973, and Tasmania from at least 1983.Southern ITF Taekwon-Do (c. 2007). Retrieved 14 June 2007; link updated on 14 February 2009. The first Rhee Taekwon-Do class was held in the Adelaide YMCA centre.Rhee Taekwondo: South Australia – History of Rhee Taekwondo (c. 2007). Retrieved 3 November 2007.
Rhee Taekwon-Do's position as the first taekwondo school in Australia might be challenged by the Melbourne Taekwondo Centre (originally the Shuto Karate Club), as tang soo do was one of the arts taught there. Such status would, however, involve recognising tang soo do as taekwondo retrospectively. The Melbourne Taekwondo Centre incorporated taekwondo into its name in the 1970s.Melbourne Taekwondo Centre: All about MTC (c. 2013). Retrieved 19 February 2013.
Biggest taekwondo school in Australia Rhee Taekwon-Do's position as the biggest taekwondo school in Australia is supported by independently verifiable listings of dojang. It has at least 294 publicly listed dojang in Australia, with perhaps around 1,400 dojang in total at its peak. The claim might be disputed if the Australian member schools of the ITF and the WTF were considered as 'schools' as a whole, whether in terms of numbers of dojang or numbers of members. Rhee Taekwon-Do is, however, a single school under the direct leadership of Rhee while both the ITFInternational Taekwon-Do Federation Constitution (28 April 2007) (ITF-NK, Chang). Retrieved 26 August 2007; link has expired, as at 6 November 2011. International Taekwon-Do Federation Constitution (ITF-C, Choi). Retrieved 26 August 2007. and WTFWorld Taekwondo Federation organizational chart (c. 2007). Retrieved 26 August 2007; link updated on 8 November 2011. are groups of schools (each with its own head) under a larger governing body.
Ex-Rhee members
At least 25 founders of Australian martial art schools (and at least one in New Zealand) received their foundational taekwondo training in Rhee Taekwon-Do or are former Rhee Taekwon-Do instructors. Of these ex-members, the highest-ranked was a Rhee Taekwon-Do 6th dan instructor when he left Rhee's school.