When I was younger I did not understand what it means to be old and be able to move. I understand now. Anyone over 50 still doing martial arts is a true lover of the art.
I don't know how much older than 50 you are. Just wait until your prostate is the size of a lemon and you'll really gain an appreciation of how important moving, amongst other activities, truly is.
I’m 68 and do Krav Maga. Started at 67. I year in. No idea if I age out before a black belt. But I’m nearing a blue belt by next year. I’ve taken a few good punches and kicks. Bruised up but otherwise I feel fine. I’m a realist though I do realize I might only go so far. If I feel I’ve maxed out I’ll stay at that belt level. And I do go to a serious school. The coach is a 5th degree bb in Krav Maga. Professionally boxed and kick boxed. He is tough on us. Minimal nonsense or excuses.
I also never really understood that either, but as a 55 year old TKD practitioner, I definitely understand now. I started in martial arts as a 7 year old boy, practiced TKD from 12-17, went to the military and learned some various other martial arts, 35 years later I returned to TKD. The awesome thing is that it’s with my original Dojang! After practicing for the last 3 years I’ve finally earned my 1st Dan! Martial arts is a passion!
at the GM level, it's no longer about how strong he is, it's more about the contributions he had done in promoting this style of martial to the public.
Lots of respect has to go to anyone that has spent the amount of time and dedication to an art they love. Regardless of how we think about different styles of martial arts. I'm sure we can all say we enjoy the beauty of the ritual and that he is definitely skilled in TWD.
@@mothergoose4231 Bruh, Taekwondo is not all about fighting. Everyone keeps saying that...Taekwondo is so much more than that. Of course you wouldn't understand.
you probably dont care at all but does someone know a method to log back into an instagram account? I stupidly forgot my account password. I appreciate any tricks you can give me!
I hope I can get around as well as him when I'm his age. Much respect for a man that dedicated his life to something great. For all the haters out there, you do not deserve nor will ever have the honor of being trained and mentored by such a great and knowledgeable man. I wish I could be so lucky. Congratulations Chief Master GK Lee!
Much respect to Master GK Lee, I remember him coming to our school when I was a young blackbelt in the late 80's/early 90's. Our instructor worked us out hard, but when any of the Lee's came to visit workouts heated up to another level. And though I've been out of the ATA for over twenty years, my root style is still Songham and I've still got a ton of respect and admiration for the ATA family, The ATA is the real deal, never forget your roots, the detractors couldn't keep up!
Serious question - How does the Songham/ATA version of Tae Kwon Do differ from the WTF or ITF versions? I've only ever trained the Main WTF version from the 80-the 90s and the old Ji Do Kwon variant.
@@danielhaire6677 H.U. Lee began his martial arts training in 1953, earned his black belt in traditional taekwondo in 1954, started teaching taekwondo to the Korean military in 1956, met with General Choi Hong Hi in 1968 who taught him the Cheon-jee forms, then over the next decade went on to develop the Songahm forms which were introduced to the ATA in 1983. Sadly, Grand Master H.U. Lee passed away in 2000 after a battle with cancer.
@@freemanchrisx does anyone know Grandmaster H.U. Lee’s lineage like whom his instructor was that awarded him blackbelt? A lot of people have said it was General Choi, but GM Lee was already a blackbelt when he met Gen. Choi and learned the forms…
@xfire I'm confused its says grandmaster testing,why would a grandmaster need to test?unless this test he became a grandmaster?I wonder how long the test was?
At 62 I attribute my lack of back, hip, and knee problems to a lifetime of doing these basic TKD warm-up stretches learned at white belt level. Just keep doing them your whole life, long past TKD formal training. BTW... LOVE the old-school judo-type uniforms.
Iam 61 and I agree with you all the stretching and training has kept many joint and muscle problems at bay and keeping your body in discipline will keep you in good form all your life
I am with you on that! I'm only 37 and the abuse my body took in the military took it's tool. However, I wouldn't be alive or made it as rapidly in my career if I hadn't learned from my times in class. I'd say it paid off, but I am just a green belt.
Old school originally meant 'short pants'. Full length appeared to help make forms appear better with the resulting 'snap' of the cuffs...which in itself takes practice.
@@mauricefaulkner455 what's the maximum number of kicks per day you guys recommend? I want to have good technique, but I don't want to injure my joints when i get older..
Yes, because when Kimmy un enters a plaza square the people are applauding him voluntarily and not out of threats of violence against them or their families.....
My grandpas old taekwondo teacher was jack hwang, he was ninth Dan. He was a legend, trained under the father of taekwondo. He was so respected that they tried to give him tenth Dan, which is only given to people who have reached ninth Dan….. except it’s when they die. They tried to give it to shim while he was still alive, but refused. Trained Bruce lee and chuck norris. Legend of you ask me.
I trained at Grandmaster Hwang's Dojo back in the early 80s in Oklahoma City. That was one tough dude. Chuck Norris came in once and went straight to his office. He didn't talk to any of us and was staying kind of incognito, but I recognized him. They were good friends. I asked him about Bruce Lee and he called him a pussy. LOL! He told me that he taught him TKD kicks. I then asked him about Chuck and he said "Chuck is the real deal."
You've been gaslighted, bub. Bruce Lee was trained in Chinese Gung-fu.. first in 'Wing Chun' then he trained for a little while with Praying Mantis, while in New York. To educate you.. When Bruce came into LA for the first time and gave a demo, Chuck was world champ Black Belt [middle weight]. Chuck went to Bruce Lee for additional training.. as did the world Black Belt Heavy weight Champ, Joe Lewis. Joe turned down Bruce's offer to star with him in a movie but Chuck accepted. THAT was Chucks smartest move as it made him a household name. With all due respect, Taekwando is a 'sport'.. Gung-fu is for badass fighting in the street.. which is why the feared Tongs [Gangs] in China use Gung-fu, NOT Taekwondo. Neither of those styles Bruce learned has kicks above the waist [except front kick (using heal) to solar plexus] as this opens one up and also creates unbalance. Therefore, Bruce [to help sensationalize his movies] asked his Taekwondo friend to show him how his style did it. That was a mans name was Jhoon Rhee. You heard of him? CZcams, 'Jhoon Rhee' and see what HE thought of Bruce Lee! Also, 'IF' Chuck said that, it was a joke.. as he knows Bruce would eat him for breakfast. To 'get better' is why Chuck went to Bruce in the first place.
A lot of people here are talking about how Grand Master Lee, Gyung Kun would do as an MMA fighter. Others criticize his technique. Therefore, I wish to give you just a little bit of information about this man. GK Lee is the 43rd generation of the Jae Gong Clan, Gyung Ju Lee family. He started his martial arts path at the age of 7 under the tutelage of his father and continued his training in the art of Tang Soo Do, eventually earning 5th dan through Kukkiwon. Before leaving Korea, he had been a Taekwondo instructor in the Korean Army, Chief Instructor at Tang Soo Do Headquarters in Seoul, and trained top level Samsung personal security personnel. Recruited by the founder of the ATA, he entered Songahm Taekwondo as a 4th degree black belt even though he was a Kukkiwon certified 5th dan. Since joining the ATA he has developed materials related to traditional martial arts and self defense for the ATA, been one of 200 licensed PPCT instructors for US Federal Agencies for 18 years, and has hosted over 400 Instructor Seminars and 100 Martial Arts Seminars worldwide. In his efforts to develop a complete integrated martial arts system, he has worked and trained with people such as Helio Gracie, Rickson Gracie, Master Bong Soo Han, Grand Master Haeng Ung Lee, Jin Wang, Bruce K. Siddle, and Guru Mike Inay to name a few. The martial arts he has explored besides Taekwondo include Hapkido, Kendo, Jiujitsu, BJJ, Tai Chi, Shaolin Martial Arts, Moodang Pa Martial Arts, and Mantis Martial Arts. Today, Chief Master G.K. Lee continues to set new goals to further integrate the Martial Arts community and he has long hoped to host open competitions across all systems, though as anyone knowledgeable of the martial arts world will know, this is a very complicated and politically sensitive undertaking. In the world today, you will find very few people, if any, with as broad a range of martial arts knowledge as this man. He is also, in spite of what this video may indicate, a very humble man. I myself have rolled with him as we both trained BJJ together. He took no short cuts, but graded slowly through the ranks starting at white belt like everyone else. After many years of training, he travelled to Brazil to test for his 1st degree blackbelt and was put through the same testing ordeal required of anyone else. In the ATA, he has long advocated an acceptance of MMA and he retains an interest in all aspects of the martial arts, whether for traditional art, sports, or self defense. Anyone who has ever worked with this man understands his depth of knowledge, his humour, and his great level of skill. I have spoken with people who train government employees for whom violence is an integral part of their work, and the respect these very serious professionals afford to this man speaks volumes. THE VIDEO This testing was a celebration of a lifetime of work. Please read about the component parts below in order to gain better insight into what was done as too many here have opinions that do not demonstrate great insight or understanding. THE TESTING - WHY SPARRING WAS OMITTED: Concerning not sparring, the ATA currently lets people test with 3 disciplines chosen from 1. traditional forms (mandatory), 2. weapons forms, 3. board breaks, and 4. sparring. One discipline must be omitted by everyone testing for rank. On this occasion, Grand Master G.K. Lee chose to omit sparring in order to do a weapons demo as he is the chairman of the PROTECH Department, which develops weapons and self defense training materials drawing on a variety of other martial arts. FORM: First of all, this 98 move form is not designed to imitate combat. Also, he is of course not as limber as he used to be (I could show you some amazing pics from his younger days). However, he is still an exceptional martial artist and as anyone knowledgeable of martial arts will quickly see, he performs this form with a high degree of power and precision. WEAPONS & SELF DEFENSE: This section of his testing was expanded slightly beyond the normal requirements so that he could showcase a variety of different aspects of PROTECH training. As some have rightly noticed, his performance with the Jahng Bong or 'Bo Staff' was indeed inspired mainly by Chinese martial arts traditions. As the Chairman of ATA's PROTECH Department, Grand Master G.K. Lee has developed a multitude of different weapons forms and training systems with different sources of inspiration, traveling all over the world to train with the very best and returning to give members of the ATA a broader perspective of the martial arts and a broader array of training options. Here, he demonstrated one of the three distinctly different styles of handling this traditional weapon that are officially taught by the ATA. Concerning the demonstration with Senior Master Sean Smith, this was meant to entertain the crowd and integrate showmanship with a variety of disciplines. Believe me when I say that Grand Master G.K. Lee is highly capable of executing an armbar. However, this was not intended to make any pretense at being actual combat, it was a rehearsed demonstration aimed at incorporating a variety of elements for the benefit of the crowd watching. Considering this man's resume (above), I think it safe to say that he has great knowledge of traditional martial arts of many styles, sports Taekwondo, and 'real combat', and he has paid his dues to earn respect to a higher degree than any of the people posting derogatory comments of this display. Trust me, he is more than capable of defending himself. BOARD BREAKS: Concerning the board break loss of balance, he chose to apply himself completely to that break, losing his balance as he powered through the boards much too easily. The result is one that I am sure he is unhappy with himself, but it is better to put too much power into it than not enough. He teaches commitment to technique, and he certainly committed to that kick. Personally, I am quite sure he was a bit angry with himself for that very uncharacteristic slip up. If you had been in a similar situation, with the hopes of so many resting on you and being at the center of such a spectacle, perhaps it is possible that you would have slipped up a little too? As for his subsequent jump shin-kick/punch combination, I thought is was beautifully done. If you want proof that he can break more, it is easily provided. Just one look at his hands and feet up close will leave little doubt that he is quite powerful and has spent many years conditioning his body. However, ATA policy for lower ranks applies to him too, and due to the risk of injury, certain types of power breaks are now discouraged at major event testings. IN SUMMARY: This man is worthy of the respect of all of you. Over the years, he has performed many feats that are truly impressive and I am sure some of the pics taken of him would blow the minds of some of the keyboard warrior know-it-alls posting here. He has also traveled the world and studied multiple martial arts like no one else I have ever heard of. This is why he has chosen to include certain elements of other systems in this demonstration. His philosophy is 'no limits', and he is open to all styles, just as he is open to self defense and sports fighting, though that is not what he was aiming to demonstrate here. As all people who have pushed themselves hard in the martial arts, he has also injured himself over the years, a few times quite severely, even though this is not something he likes to dwell on or speak of. Personally, I can say that I am not the kicker I used to be due to various injuries, surgeries, and age. The same is true of this man. However, no matter what obstacles he faced, he continued his training, and he has never stopped challenging himself and searching for new knowledge. Have respect. This was a one shot performance without double takes and this video gave you all a chance to see a truly disciplined and enormously accomplished martial artist at work. I am sure there are aspects of this testing he was not entirely satisfied with himself. I am also sure there were aspects of it he may not have been very comfortable with as he is quite a humble man. It was a display performed under very high pressure and arranged so as to be a memorable experience for the people in attendance. In many other systems, seniors get their degrees without any public testing and sometimes without any testing at all. This man stepped up in front of thousands at a testing together with blackbelts from all over the world, performing center stage when all other testings were done. He did it to set an example of continuing development even amongst the most senior and most accomplished martial artists even though he is aware that he may be outperformed by younger martial artists in their prime just as he sets an example to follow every day of his life by continuing his training and through his dedication to helping others improve themselves through the martial arts. I for one am grateful to him for that. *** As for myself (since I expect this post may lead to tons of personal attacks and claims that I am some sort of fraud), I am a student of traditional Taekwondo with some small degree of knowledge of other martial arts as well. I do not label myself a devastating fighter or warrior and I am not a coach of professional fighters either. However, I do have a reasonably good understanding of biomechanics and the human body and enjoy trying to help others learn and perfect various techniques for fighting and/or health purposes and I greatly appreciate both the system of Songahm Taekwondo and Grand Master G.K. Lee as a person and as a martial artist. Thus I am certainly not unbiased. As for the ATA, it is a large and diverse organization. Even though some common criticisms may be warranted, it has much of great value that should not be discounted as well and it continually strives to improve itself and its members.
Nils Bastedo Interesting. I’m always eager to learn about martial arts. I myself am not very far. I’m a yellow belt, but I love to learn about martial arts. I made a project about martial arts and got an A+. My school labeled my project the best they’ve ever seen. It was also the best project I’ve ever made. I hope to one day be a master and instructor. Your comment was very useful to me because I love martial arts and I always love to learn about it. Thank you.
As someone who only holds 1st Dan in Hapkido and a green belt in judo I'm a green novice. But still I can have an opinion. And here it is; traditional martial arts is as much as an "art" as it is a form of fighting, or self defense if you will. In South Korea you can't even think about opening a school until you are at least a 3rd dan. Anything beyond 5th dan (as mentioned) goes beyond skill only. It is a contribution to the arts. Organizing tournaments, writing articles and papers, defining your own particular style (not all do however) etc. Anyone that has achieved the 5th dan (legitimately) is someone who you have to recon with if you decide to fight them. There are many in MMA who would fail against a legitimate and well rounded 5th dan (and above) but surely I have seen 3rd and 5th degrees that couldn't keep up with an active MMA fighter poorly because of the conditioning. Enough said just my 2 cents!
I'm no expert either, but I feel that even a legit 5th dan wouldn't magically have the ability to compete with a high level mma fighter. Not that some can't, but those that do, are probably mma fighters themselves, or something very close to it. That said, I have a lot of respect for martial artists. Besides, one can be a world class archer, that doesn't make them a good hunter or warrior. So why why is everyone so picky about martial artists having to fight?
Wow! This is poetry in motion. What an opportunity for so many students to get to watch his belt test as well. The school owner where my son and I got our black belts just earned his 8th degree - Great Grand Master BC Kim, 1992 Olympic Gold medalist. I wish we had had an opportunity to see him test, and I'm thankful you shared Chief Master GK Lee's test.
This brings back my finest Hapkido memories of training with Grand Master Sung Soo Lee in Australia. GM Lee was 75 at the time, and everyone just starred at his belt. OMG what an experience and special shout out to Master's Gill and Tallon for making it happen. Respect 🙏
@@scarred10 yes that may be the case now but I don't think that was always the case. That was many years ago for me and I went on to get black belts in other systems and other styles but my first black belt was with the ATA.
Probably a full life of dedication to the art and still performing at his age is awesome to see and sets a fantastic example. Teaching those knife defence drills to kids or adults and making them think they’d work in real life (especially the ones with about 10 moves in the combo) is gonna get someone seriously injured or killed. Stick with the striking and weapons I say. His Jits was half decent though but easy to say in pre planned demo. That said. Still inspiring to see a 60 yr old performing like this when you think about what most even 50yr olds are doing with their lives these days
Very beautiful and I enjoyed practicing Tae Kwon Do back in my country when I was a teenager, today I am in my 50's and still with the confidence of having practiced the sport, and of course I never went around looking for brawls to show off anything. Martial arts is more about self awareness and confidence than anything else. Thanks for posting.
Excellent!Excellent!Grand Master Demonstration! I also enjoyed the drum performance! Thank you for sharing this exciting event!Man Thabata Nabata (Consistancy brings forth fruits) 😎 👍 🍵 🥭🥁🥁🥁
All men and women used to be able to do that at his age, but nowadays people dont leave their living rooms or bedrooms and it causes immobility Plus I'm sorry, but he is not a true 9th degree black belt. And those attempts at disarming the knife thrusts in real life would have gotten him killed. *Do not fight like this.. please* Go learn hand to hand combat skills from legitimately trained people, 99% of 'masters' wont even last against a well trained REAL purple belt. *and even the common purple belt students arent truly at the level that their colors claim they are* You need to learn from real experts who will show you how to train well and train SAFELY
@@jgoller I'm sorry, but he is not a true 9th degree black belt. And those attempts at disarming the knife thrusts in real life would have gotten him killed. *Do not fight like this.. please* Go learn hand to hand combat skills from legitimately trained people, 99% of 'masters' wont even last against a well trained REAL purple belt. *and even the common purple belt students arent truly at the level that their colors claim they are* You need to learn from real experts who will show you how to train well and train SAFELY
@@otterpop5551 I've seen these claims before but I think you are missing the purpose of the art. Yes, if you train in pure self defence then you will be much better prepared for that, but that is only one facet of the art. You can train for ring sparring, for fitness, for competition or just for fun. Being in a life and death situation is not the sole purpose here. The knife fighting is showing a variety of moves from wrist locks, arm bars, knee and elbow strikes. Its a display of technique knowledge, not on the practical use of that particular set in the real world. Training for knife defence is a much harder thing and not something they were looking to show. You can't jump to the conclusion that this practitioner doesn't know proper self defence when the display being put on is showing other, non-related facets. As for "he is not a true 9th degree black belt" that is just plain wrong. The grading system is clearly defined, so he must achieve many things from the knowledge of the art, Korean language, numerous patterns, board breaking, teaching others, sparring, a degree of fitness and the like. To successfully grade he has given his time and effort to help many others. You can argue that you disagree with the steps required, but if he has ticked off everything on the list then he is absolutely a "true 9th degree black belt" as codified by the martial art.
Please forgive me for not knowing the many different types of Martial Arts. But just by watching the many ways that the body is able too move, is absolutely amazing! I completely commend those who continue to practice this absolutely and completely amazing art of self defense! Many blessings to you all!
Awesome display of great skills. Form was perfectly executed as well as the weapons form. Self defense is great too.. loved the part where Chief Master G.K. Lee kicked the groin, then kicked it again and just to make sure kicked it one more time.. reminds me of Master Ken's teaching from Ameridote.. :D
I still can't believe I met a 9th degree Black Belt in Canada. A friend was doing some business with him. So we traveled to Canada. He was also the champion of Canada. It was a honor to meet him. I respect the discipline that anyone puts into any kind of Marshall Arts! The ultimate challenge you take on.
I met him when he was still a young man. I worked out in his gym and he ate in my restaurant and we would sit and talk. I didn't follow his career after leaving Little Rock but a few years ago my granddaughter was in an Irish dance competition and I saw his statue in a garden while going for a walk.
@@raymondhillman3187 Wow! You meet him! I forgot his name. Thinking my friend did some business with him. He had like a organic pasta company. I thought he was a incredible person! Kind of person that makes the world a better place to live. I also think he told me. He was going to take the test. To become a tenth degree black belt. Thank You! For being in touch.
@@dougpotosky4102 I knew him for about a year and a half but never took classes from him. I was from a boxing family but my daughter is now a black belt and my grandchildren are getting close. Small world isn't it? Take care.
@@raymondhillman3187 Even smaller! My Uncle Ruby from Paterson N.J. With my Aunt Sadie had the little diiner in the middle of the city. Ruby was a boxer for a while!!!
Agreed Indiarubberman. As in Judo, most of the fighters are mainly up to 4th Dan max, anything after that as you get older, it's for services rendered, knowledge and teaching. I'd say that with nearly all the combat arts. And to be honest, the grades have no bearing to the fights on the day either That really applies to the very lower grades. Olympians are a multitude of graded Judoka, that's why it's weights not grades.
H.U lee was The first person to create ATA and he was the first grand master until he died of cancer back in 2000 .then soon ho lee took over until G.K recently took his masters testing last year. It was so amazing to watch
Master Ken would have loved that he restomped the groin.... Great job by Chief Master G.K. Lee to become Grand Master of ATA. A great martial arts organization.
Sure, but where will most of them be in 30 years time ? czcams.com/video/lwrZJa-AF7k/video.html War Machine would have been a headcase regardless of whether he fought for a living but how many of the others will end up healthy, wealthy and wise ? We don't need a crystal ball - boxing is a perfect example of how quickly a sport can eat people alive.
We should all be so lucky to find an art to devote an entire lifetime to, and put meaningful contributions toward it moreover. Boundless respect and graditude Master Lee. *Thank you so much.*
His father was my instructor's (former world champion Ed Lawson) instructor. There's so much I see in his technique that echoes his expectations. The toes pulled back just so, the stances this deep but no deeper.
Taekwondo is the weakest martial arts on earth. It has no power and it is for people who have a tendency to become gay😂😅🤣the history of taekwondo is so poor, not good self-defense to be employed in combat.
@@thetraveller3956 clearly no awareness of what it was like in the '80's when we were training on sweaty concrete and you got three fouls per match at tournaments. At its core, it is the same stuff done by Joe Lewis and Urquidez. You lack historical perspective. It has become day care, but it was Tang Soo Do, just with Chang Hon forms.
The fact is, is that very few martial art styles have technical tests for ranks above 7th degree black belt. I think its pretty cool that not only does the ATA does it, but he actually posts it in a public forum. That being said, there is a lot of things about the ATA that I don't agree with, but the belt testing at higher ranks is not one of them.
@@brothersepicgameplay9809 There are a few things that led me to quit the whole Songahm tkd system. First, it is structured very much like a pyramid scheme - it is very expensive, for a martial art, but that's not all bad since I think it did help it grow. 2nd, I believe the Loyalty aspect is push far too hard once you start ascending the black belt ranks. In the set of books. "The Way of Traditional Taekwondo" there is a Philosophy volume which details the ceremony you go through when you become a master. Part of this entails receiving a ring which symbolizes your "marriage" to the ATA - that, along with other symbology, sounds too cultish to me. On the martial arts side, I don't agree with promoting too quick or too soon, which the ATA does, nor do I like the focus on teaching children. Don't get me wrong, I think teaching kids is great, but the focus should be learning martial arts, not providing daycare, nor trying to sell tkd to parents to get their kids in. I got my 1st degree BB back in 1995, and even then, when it seems things were tougher, I barely qualified. Now, I'm seeing ATA black belts that are literally horrible. Also, I don't like the idea of wearing the full protection gear like the WTF/KTA if you are not doing full contact.
@@Elurin Wow, So right now, I am in ATA Martial Arts. And, have to be honest, your speaking facts. I love ATA, instructors are great, it is a high price, and your right about the daycare system which makes no sense to me and your right about the wearing gear when no full contact. That is very true, you have valid points. And I also do agree that some black belts are horrible and they just pass them, I am only a blue, almost brown lol but I see red belts or even blacks that could be white belts. So, very valid points.
9th Dan is not a test. You are beyond proving yourself and have dedicated your life. You have given so much to Tae Kwon Do that they are recognizing you as a Grand Master.
I totally agree with you, that beyond a certain level of black belt, you are getting recognized for your lifetime of service. However, in my experience, ATA has been more of a belt factory than any other martial art I have studied or done research on. When someone can get a 3rd degree black belt in 3 years with ATA when it takes anywhere from 4-10 to get a 1st degree black belt in other styles of martial arts, the "lifetime of dedication", in this instance, is suspicious...and potentially worthy of being labeled with an asterisk.
@@jamosensei Agree that belt factory achievements deserve an asterisk, but this is for 9th Dan. If they're handing those out like candy, that would be highly suspect, but as far as I know this recognition is still quite rare and reserved only for those with a lifetime of dedication.
@@intertubedude I’m just saying that if it takes 3 years to get an ATA 3rd Dan, when it takes most 3x longer minimum to reach that same goal, that ‘lifetime’ that it would take to become an ATA 9th Dan is shorter than an average martial art.
@@jamosensei I don't know what the standard is in ATA, but in most TKD schools the rule is that for each dan level you have to have 1 year of training/teaching. So while it might take only a couple of years to get a black belt, each step over that gets progressively slower. 1 year for 2nd, 2 years for 3rd, right up to 8 years to 9th. With that standard it takes 36 years to go from 1st to 9th, and only if you grade as soon as you can every time. You usually don't see high level guys any younger than 60s. The guy grading in this video certainly looks old enough to have met that standard.
I'd say what matters is how you behave, cope with life and help others rather than the physical since that deteriorates with age.As for the grades and belts they're useless nonsense due the huge amount of sheer incompetence at grandmaster level in many arts.
At first i thought I can do that , but then he came out with the Bow I said respect...... So well rounded in many ways plus the pressure isn't just on him performing in front of his peers, his peers are also nervous because one wrong move and some could get seriously hurt in the crowd should a object hit then accidentally.......
Hapkido. Since I was the big physically fit guy in the class, the Master would always use me as the "demonstration subject." The way they twist the joints is very subtle but so painful it will take your eyesight away. Then he would tell me in front of the class that I "Pain too easy." Well.. it was to demonstrate that size and menacing shape is irrelevant. Anyone can be brought down quite easily with practiced skills. The key is daily repetitive practice for years.
Not to mention the fact, that he remembers all of the forms from each rank in the ATA... plus I'm sure he knows a number of forms from the various styles he's studied over the years.
I’m a 2nd degree in ATA and today I relearned the white belt and orange belt form so I can get my red collar. I know I still need to learn the yellow belt form, but at least I’m closer that I was yesterday. This man has inspired me to keep going and just push through it.
Just realize that technology today has neutered every Martial Art form. What I mean is that like with Ninjas in all black hiding in a tree we can see them easily using thermal imaging tech! But recently lasers/laser flashlights have evolved and now are hand carried in powerful designs. My 3/5/7 watt blue lasers will instantly destroy any retina! My laser flashlight (LEP) is powered by a blue laser and project a super tight white brighter than the Sun been 1200 meters which no human can look at! Old saying...take out the eyes take out the fight! I have decades in various MA but today at 67 I carry my Acebeam W10 laser flashlight rather than even my .380 S & W! Why? Because it is non lethal, I know it works, makes no noise and no bullet can match it's light speed! And it is legal everywhere! My wife, daughter and son carry them...no better defense weapon...even against armed attackers. No Gung Fu grandmaster, Heavyweaight boxing champ, heavyweight MMA champ has a chance against these. In HK protectors forced back armed police by using most blue burning/cutting laser! David stopped Goliath with a mere rock projected at his eyes hitting him between the story says...but powerful 9'+ tall Goliath fell to his knees immediately because the eyes are an extremely weak point on every human...Gung Fu/Karate have eye strikes of course because of this FACT! Embrace tech for real defense/offense and keep MA for the discipline/physical attributes. In real world situations you never know an opponents capabilities/abilities so grab the 100% absolute advantage tech today provides.
Each form always builds on the last yet incorporates from the lower forms. The number of movements in each form also has specific meaning. Also every form works both side of the body and if you notice, ends in the same spot that he starts. Also, the form traces the outline of the Songahm Star. The symbol of Songahm TKD.
I have always understood, that grading requirements above 4th Dan are not so much about technical skill, and accumulation of techniques. Certainly, above 8th Dan is more about the individual, and his contributions to the Art/Organisation.
In practice, the way black belts work in most disciplines is 1st Dan means you've shown sufficient proficiency in the basics, and have enough understanding, commitment, and reliability that you could be relied upon as an instructor if needed. 1st-4th Dan are about perfecting what you already know in that discipline, and expanding/diversifying your skillset with more advanced techniques. By time you get past 4th or 5th Dan, the promotions/tests are largely ceremonial, and are more about you contribute to the school than what you're physically capable of doing. Do you help teach? Do you help organize events? Do you take care of finances and/or fundraising? 8th and 9th Dan are more about your impact on the martial arts community as a whole. By this time you've probably started your own chain of schools, written a few books on tkd (or whatever your style is), collaborated with other styles, stuff like that. The highest I've ever seen anyone test for in person was 7th, and they were treated as a big deal because that's realistically probably as high as they're ever going to get. I've only met a handful of 8th dans and one 9th Dan in person. 8th and 9th dans are rare, since the rank means their contribution is REALLY above and beyond.
Don’t even get me started on paper black belts… I’ve been training in hapkido for 15 years, and I seen that many of my previous students would go learn test for the black belt, and after they receive their black belt, I never see them again
I'm not a fan of the ATA but i am shocked by the lack of knowledge displayed in the comments for this video, all of the dans above 5th dan are honorary - they are bestowed for services rendered and time served rather than actual physical ability.
yes thats true...or it is supposed to be true, .but then why was this video of the "grading" not a man submitting an essay, why was it a physical demonstration?
Whoever likes this s*** is soft and don't know how to fight I'll kick his ass anytime any boxing could kiss stupid ass all this for nothing self-defense my ass you can self defend against nothing with this this is bulshit soft s*** I don't know where you get all these people coming in and applauded for an you put a lot of people you must come from
Christian Robinson let's get real mate... one Hangook martial artist to another. ... The omympic TKD is girls shit. Hyungs are girls shit. The guy in this video is so desperate for TV time he literally abandons traditional hangout mudo and this in some JAPANESE techniques on the ground!? All girls shit. There isn't ONE SCRAP of merit to any of this shameless(slow motion to dramatic music...) showmanship. Not an ounce.
steve mac, JUST SO YOU WON'T BELIEVE ALL THAT DRIVEL YOU'RE SPOUTING,THIS MAN WOULD KILL YOU IN SECONDS,USING DEATH BLOWS, YOU'D BE NOTHING MORE THAT A PRACTICE DUMMY,DUMMY-----------MY NEPHEW IS 5TH DEGREE TKD AND 4 TH DEGREE HAPKIDO AND HE'D PUNCH A HOLE IN YOU,HE'S UNDEFEATED
Yes, in most MA the exams are up to 4th or 5th degree black belts. All higher ranks are givve by different reasons (spread the styles to more countrys, bring the style further, these kind of a thing). A 9th degree black belt must not be faster/stronger or better than a 5th degree. maybe thats a cause why so many 10th degree GM are not so great his rank shows to others.
I started karate when I was about 13 y.o. my father made me quit. Said it was a waste of time and money. It was a passion I had at the time and wished I had continued like some friends who became instructors, police, correction officers, ...me I drifted through life, with no focus. He pretty much discouraged me from everything I wanted to do.
This man deserve an outmost respect! I have a question, does ATA Martia Arts training include Hoshinsul? If I am not mistaken, I see the grand master did a joint manipulation techniques in the video. Please correct me if I am wrong!
Taekwondo is the weakest martial arts on earth. It has no power and it is for people who have a tendency to become gay😂😅🤣the history of taekwondo is so poor, not good self-defense to be employed in combat.
I keep seeing in the comment section where Americans keep roasting him for his slow and weak ass moves. The higher the dan, doesn't mean stronger. The higher the dan is, the more you know about the sport and practiced it. 9th dan means he did it for most of his life. So don't fkn say he's wank.
Hi there tkd blackbelt and he is ar his no dan level suppost to execute his level of skill without mistake and he has made loads here . I wouldn't have given him.his promotion either
@@kathrynpowell7913 it's not a grading,its a demo, you dont grade for 9th dan,its given for services and time in grade ,its a formality the grade was decided by committee long beforehand, that's how it works at that level and it's not related to ability in the least.
FYI, you have to be at least 55 years old and you have to do tkd for 44 years to get that. Also, ya gotta climb up the dan first. Basically, you gotta spend half of your lifetime to get 9th dan.
just an fyi, for the people saying "this was easy", the real belt tests usually happen the week before the public showing of "a belt test". That is where you run, fight the whole class, and borderline throw up, then do all your forms/ techniques/ breaks when fatigued. When you pass that, then you do this ceremonial version of a belt test.
Then he should do it front of everybody to show what skills he has..why is it so secret ? In BJJ the head coach all ways roll with the top students with everybody else ..no secret ..no hide bullshit ..This keeps the head instructor honest about his skill and abilities !
+Kelly T so when I trained, they had tkd, hapkido, american kickboxing, international, and muay thai. a majority of students were the vanilla students, but we had a group of about 6-8 hardcore18-35 year olds that were the fighters who would do smokers, and tournaments, olympic, point, kickboxing. so i do know what you mean about the difference between tkd hand attacks, like back fist to temple vs say a boxers right cross to face. I trained in the ghetto, usually those dojangs/dojos have to train reality self defense cuz of the neighborhood. we trained one on one. by like blue belt two on one and red black. poom and black sometimes three on one sparring. throwing up wasn't rare.
Este é o esporte da minha vida amo muito,pratico a mais de 25 anos fui formado por um norte coreano que mora no Brasil e me apresentou o taekwondo ele é o grande mestre TE BOO LEE ,me ensinou tudo que eu sei e me fez ser um filho melhor ,um pai melhor e um cidadão melhor ,muito obrigado ao povo norte coreano......🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷
@@cgomidi poxa Caio que prazer te conhecer meu irmão,eu comecei com o mestre em 1994 então com 14 anos de idade mas pelo visto és muito mais experiente e tens muito mais tempo de preta que eu ,meu total respeito ao senhor ,realmente foi um prazer lhe conhecer que jesus lhe abençoe mestre.
I really enjoyed how he showed his self defense slowly first, then went back and did it at full speed. I also really enjoyed his blending of Taekwondo, Hapkido, Judo, and Jiu Jitsu. Obviously the forms were excellent as can be expected. I've also never seen board holders wearing headgear and chest protectors, but I really like that as a nice safety precaution. I would have liked to see some sparring though. Cool performance.
abc you are probably correct. One of the reasons I started cross training in bjj 5 years ago was I wanted to have a complete full knowledge of martial arts. But most of the older masters are not looking for that. They want a few techniques they can use in their self defense while focusing the majority of their effort on striking. Many TKD practitioners won’t even go that far and turn a blind eye to ground defense or just aren’t interested in it. I still feel like he did a good job of blending it in to his one steps to punctuate the finishing technique.
abc I couldn’t agree more. I’ve talked about this in several of my videos that one of my biggest pet peeves is TKD instructors who teach stuff they do not understand just because they got a dvd on some bjj techniques. They do it with Krav Maga, kickboxing, and anything else they think they can make a buck on. It is absolutely inappropriate and risks someone getting hurt. It also makes the instructor lose credibility
abc on a demo I don’t have issue with it, but if he’s trying to teach it then it needs to be called out. That’s why when i do videos that even touch on bjj, I put a disclaimer in that says I’m only a blue belt and that you should talk to a qualified instructor on the bjj portion.
I'm still trying to understand some of the demonstration. The slow parts reminded me of White Crane Hard Gong. Seems to serve multiple purposes to cultivate energy and to manifest it later on at full speed.
He's doing 9th grade black belt and to do so he demonstrated some basic Aikido techniques for 6/5th kyu aikido exam, like shi-ho nage, kote-gaeshi and snkyo :-) I trained both, tkd and aiki and both were fun :-D
He did that kata in text book form. He has excellent posture and balance. Every technique was executed with precision and snap. A very dangerous man. Congrats to him.
Show this True Grand Master respect, as he deserves it. When I was young full of energy, fast, good joints, no pain, I was judging others too. But as I grew up, gained knowledge, and sense, I tended to not judge people. You just wait, train for 30 years, your body wears out much faster doing martial arts each day, or let's say 5 to 6 days a week, if you own a school. Then the joints go, lots of pain to do much movement. Getting the higher rank is not that you can go in the ring, fight, & beat a top MMA fighter. As most these young MMA guys are young, quick, and that's all they got. Now look how the much older Boxer beats the top younger Champion MMA fighter. He beat him stupid. He barely lasted 4 to 5 rounds, and could not keep his hands up to protect himself. I have seen many MMA fighters dance around the ring, and do nada. From standing, or a fighting stance, I could jump across a ring 6 foot, and kick a guy in the head before he could get his hands up. All us Korean Tang Soo Do stylist train like this from white belts, if you have a Great Master instructor, you will get great if you put the time in each week, and many years at it. Take Chuck Norris as a example, he trained in Tang Soo do also while stationed in Korea, and he still does today, along with training others to be Great like him. I started in the mid 70s, and it was tough being a student, as our instructors were kind of mean, but this made us tough, well that is the ones that did not quit. As no snow flakes back then. I wish they had started this MMA sooner, as I would have liked to get in the ring, and beat the snot out of guys before they could touch me, and show people what real Martial Arts is. This MMA, is mainly just wrestling, other than punching, and kicking. Most the fighters are not that good at martial arts, or they would knock the other fighters out with speed kicks to the head. Plus, I think this is now a crooked sport, and fighters are being paid to take the fall. Just as Pro boxing. Sure there's some good fights, but it's mainly a grappling sport. I would like to see what a monkey Steven Segal would make of these MMA fighters as them trying to grab him. But a very well trained 30 year old Black belt, thats trained 5 + years should be able to hit a MMA fighter three to four times before he knew what happened. Many times in these MMA fights, they hit a opponent in the head a time or two, and the fight gets stopped. As they spend most of their time grappling, and wrestling on the mat, if not getting knocked out first. Our training is very dangerous, and we can seriously hurt people. You MMA guys need to go to let's say Pat Johnson's Karate dojo, or Chuck Norris, and fight a Real Black belt fighter, before you judge a older Master that mainly just Teaches, has a worn our body, and joints. Plus we live in lots of pain from the many years of training, and it's hard to do allot of the high Lightning fast kicks we could do until we were around 40 years old. I think they need to start up Pro kick boxing again, and then Many people from many martial arts would step in the ring, and show people what they can do. So until you have trained for 30 to 50 years in the martial arts you should not judge or disrespect any Masters that gave their lives to helping others, as training people to defend themselves, and built confidence in their students. A friend of mine went from being a real nobody of a Tom boy 5'7" 130 ,that liked to play B Ball, and she started training in Tang Soo Do. In time, She wanted to be Great, so she found and joined another school that she could train up to 6 days a week. She went on to being on the State Nationals Team, and then on the Olympic team. She was rated 1st through 3rd in the World in fighting for many years in her weight division. She is now a Top Master or Grand Master at the Olympic Taekwondo committee in Colorado. If she had not got into the martial arts, she would still be loading, and unloading stuff on Airplanes at our local airport, and truly never lived much of a life. I hear she owns, and operates a 80,000 square foot training facility for many things, as numourus martial arts styles, weightlifting, and aerobics. She has helped build strong personas, trained people to be way more than they would have been, had they not met her, and She changed thousands of peoples lives for the better. Show me one MMA fighter that's done that. So you show respect for your elders, and do not judge others, as until you have walked in their shoes for 50 years. TANG SOO...
Thank you for the history lesson on Respecting Martial Artist. It won't take me a full page of text you answer your comments, only a few lines. (1). I have been in the martial arts for 51 years this year. (2).I have seen and judged hundreds of lower rank and advanced black belt testings over the years (3). On that same note, I have met some of the best Masters and Grandmasters from around the world and have the greatest RESPECT for (ALL) martial artist regardless of style/system, who have traveled on the path to physical and spiritual excellence. Master Lee's performance (despite his age and wear and tear on his body after years of training) left much to be desired on this test (for me). Very BASIC test and mediocre performance at best. This is the reason you see the negative comments regarding this video. Not that a person has to walk in his shoes to understand what they saw, but most people watching this video, especially martial artist, expect to see something more from a 9th degree Master of the martial Arts.
No respect to someone that "freezes" time and performs a 3 sec combo while the attacker is somehow "frozen" I wonder if he would stay cool and still if i would go attacking him with 5 swings of a knive per second. i guess he d stop time for me too. Damn i think he might be Hit from Dragonball Super. ok mb.
I was like ok. But then you started the same thing that you are telling the people are doing. MMA is MMA. You know what that means ? It's not only wrestling. Man wtf ? You are no different than those people.
Estoy de acuerdo con usted amigo, pero sólo le voy a agregar algo como refuerzo, "NO SE HAN DADO CUENTA, CUANTOS ALUMNOS HAY ALLÍ, FORMADO Y ENTRENADO POR ÉL, QUIÉN LE MULTIPLICO LA AGILIDAD Y HABILIDAD A CADA UNO CON TÉCNICAS Y QUE HOY POR HOY LOS PRESENTES ALUMNOS SON GRANDES PROFESIONALES DE LAS ARTES MARCIALES EN EL MUNDO, GRACIAS AL MAESTRO LEE... YO SI VEO SU LEGADO Y CON MUCHA ADMIRACIÓN LE BRINDO MI RESPETO..."
35yrs ago at meadow Bank stadium edinburgh jun suzuki did a exhibition of karate . The man was amazing. Never forget that day. Hamish Adams was my instructor and he was a superstar in my eyes but mr suzuki was a imortal 😆
His kicks have good power. I’d rather have this old master on my side than the experts on here who claim that he’s nothing. I’ve been in dozens of real fights, including one with a guy armed with a knife, and a two on one situation where one guy tried to break my arm while his 250 lb baby brother tried to kick me in the head. I’m no black belt but I can fight when necessary. I have no broken bones to prove it.
Even back in the 90s, WTTU (and ATA by extension) have crossed trained their students in other styles once you reach 1st degree black belt, or at least you had the option. I remember learning some basic BJJ and wrestling techniques after I got my BB.
A ton of school require demonstrations in secondary martial arts to test for your higher belts. When I tested for my 2nd and 3rd degree I had to show proficiency in 2 arts other than tkd
When I was younger I did not understand what it means to be old and be able to move. I understand now. Anyone over 50 still doing martial arts is a true lover of the art.
Exactly! I’m 54 and I train 5 to 6 days a week! It’s like finding the fountain of youth!
I don't know how much older than 50 you are. Just wait until your prostate is the size of a lemon and you'll really gain an appreciation of how important moving, amongst other activities, truly is.
I’m 68 and do Krav Maga. Started at 67. I year in. No idea if I age out before a black belt.
But I’m nearing a blue belt by next year. I’ve taken a few good punches and kicks. Bruised up but otherwise I feel fine.
I’m a realist though I do realize I might only go so far.
If I feel I’ve maxed out I’ll stay at that belt level. And I do go to a serious school. The coach is a 5th degree bb in Krav Maga. Professionally boxed and kick boxed. He is tough on us. Minimal nonsense or excuses.
I also never really understood that either, but as a 55 year old TKD practitioner, I definitely understand now.
I started in martial arts as a 7 year old boy, practiced TKD from 12-17, went to the military and learned some various other martial arts, 35 years later I returned to TKD. The awesome thing is that it’s with my original Dojang! After practicing for the last 3 years I’ve finally earned my 1st Dan!
Martial arts is a passion!
at the GM level, it's no longer about how strong he is, it's more about the contributions he had done in promoting this style of martial to the public.
you right..mike can knock out with one single punch....he goes back to korea
I’m sure he’s really good. Look at his kata it’s amazing
yes i met him in ata owensboro ky under mike jones
GM level ????this guy is a beginner.
@@mortgagefinancing5558 no Master. He’s very good
you are only as good as you train, in anything. huge respect to this man
i guess he trained enough to earn his yellow belt
@@mortgagefinancing5558i guess you train enough to earn your white belt keyboard warrior
I train enough to know he is a beginner
@@mortgagefinancing5558 You're right. A black belt is basically a white belt that never quits.
@@lemonjuicegaming6551 In this case though black is only the color
Lots of respect has to go to anyone that has spent the amount of time and dedication to an art they love. Regardless of how we think about different styles of martial arts. I'm sure we can all say we enjoy the beauty of the ritual and that he is definitely skilled in TWD.
Skilled in memorizing. But not fighting
@@mothergoose4231 Bruh, Taekwondo is not all about fighting. Everyone keeps saying that...Taekwondo is so much more than that. Of course you wouldn't understand.
you probably dont care at all but does someone know a method to log back into an instagram account?
I stupidly forgot my account password. I appreciate any tricks you can give me!
@Grayson Ruben Instablaster ;)
Why? It's not like he hasn't made a career out of it.
I hope I can get around as well as him when I'm his age. Much respect for a man that dedicated his life to something great. For all the haters out there, you do not deserve nor will ever have the honor of being trained and mentored by such a great and knowledgeable man. I wish I could be so lucky. Congratulations Chief Master GK Lee!
Much respect to Master GK Lee, I remember him coming to our school when I was a young blackbelt in the late 80's/early 90's. Our instructor worked us out hard, but when any of the Lee's came to visit workouts heated up to another level. And though I've been out of the ATA for over twenty years, my root style is still Songham and I've still got a ton of respect and admiration for the ATA family, The ATA is the real deal, never forget your roots, the detractors couldn't keep up!
Serious question - How does the Songham/ATA version of Tae Kwon Do differ from the WTF or ITF versions? I've only ever trained the Main WTF version from the 80-the 90s and the old Ji Do Kwon variant.
@@danielhaire6677 H.U. Lee began his martial arts training in 1953, earned his black belt in traditional taekwondo in 1954, started teaching taekwondo to the Korean military in 1956, met with General Choi Hong Hi in 1968 who taught him the Cheon-jee forms, then over the next decade went on to develop the Songahm forms which were introduced to the ATA in 1983. Sadly, Grand Master H.U. Lee passed away in 2000 after a battle with cancer.
@@freemanchrisx Thanks for the information!!
@@freemanchrisx does anyone know Grandmaster H.U. Lee’s lineage like whom his instructor was that awarded him blackbelt? A lot of people have said it was General Choi, but GM Lee was already a blackbelt when he met Gen. Choi and learned the forms…
@xfire I'm confused its says grandmaster testing,why would a grandmaster need to test?unless this test he became a grandmaster?I wonder how long the test was?
At 62 I attribute my lack of back, hip, and knee problems to a lifetime of doing these basic TKD warm-up stretches learned at white belt level. Just keep doing them your whole life, long past TKD formal training.
BTW... LOVE the old-school judo-type uniforms.
Iam 61 and I agree with you all the stretching and training has kept many joint and muscle problems at bay and keeping your body in discipline will keep you in good form all your life
I am with you on that! I'm only 37 and the abuse my body took in the military took it's tool. However, I wouldn't be alive or made it as rapidly in my career if I hadn't learned from my times in class. I'd say it paid off, but I am just a green belt.
can you give examples of those stretches
Old school originally meant 'short pants'.
Full length appeared to help make forms appear better with the resulting 'snap' of the cuffs...which in itself takes practice.
@@mauricefaulkner455 what's the maximum number of kicks per day you guys recommend? I want to have good technique, but I don't want to injure my joints when i get older..
You know your a master when about 100 black belts stand up to bow to you for respect
Bullshido
philip coffman who hurt you, philip
Yes, because when Kimmy un enters a plaza square the people are applauding him voluntarily and not out of threats of violence against them or their families.....
It
Facts 💪 ❤️💯
Congratulations GM Lee.You as well as others are a great example for the ATA organization.
One of the best TKD Form demonstrations I have seen. Filled with intent.
he moves like a color belt
My grandpas old taekwondo teacher was jack hwang, he was ninth Dan. He was a legend, trained under the father of taekwondo. He was so respected that they tried to give him tenth Dan, which is only given to people who have reached ninth Dan….. except it’s when they die. They tried to give it to shim while he was still alive, but refused. Trained Bruce lee and chuck norris. Legend of you ask me.
I trained at Grandmaster Hwang's Dojo back in the early 80s in Oklahoma City. That was one tough dude. Chuck Norris came in once and went straight to his office. He didn't talk to any of us and was staying kind of incognito, but I recognized him. They were good friends. I asked him about Bruce Lee and he called him a pussy. LOL! He told me that he taught him TKD kicks. I then asked him about Chuck and he said "Chuck is the real deal."
@@TakoNekko that’s hilarious I go to the one in okc too you might not know him but my grandpas name is Tulio and the Bruce lee thing is hilarious
@@TakoNekko maybe cannot beat bruce?
@@amyalong6399 We will never know. ;)
You've been gaslighted, bub. Bruce Lee was trained in Chinese Gung-fu.. first in 'Wing Chun' then he trained for a little while with Praying Mantis, while in New York. To educate you.. When Bruce came into LA for the first time and gave a demo, Chuck was world champ Black Belt [middle weight].
Chuck went to Bruce Lee for additional training.. as did the world Black Belt Heavy weight Champ, Joe Lewis.
Joe turned down Bruce's offer to star with him in a movie but Chuck accepted. THAT was Chucks smartest move as it made him a household name.
With all due respect, Taekwando is a 'sport'.. Gung-fu is for badass fighting in the street.. which is why the feared Tongs [Gangs] in China use Gung-fu, NOT Taekwondo. Neither of those styles Bruce learned has kicks above the waist [except front kick (using heal) to solar plexus] as this opens one up and also creates unbalance. Therefore, Bruce [to help sensationalize his movies] asked his Taekwondo friend to show him how his style did it. That was a mans name was Jhoon Rhee. You heard of him? CZcams, 'Jhoon Rhee' and see what HE thought of Bruce Lee!
Also, 'IF' Chuck said that, it was a joke.. as he knows Bruce would eat him for breakfast. To 'get better' is why Chuck went to Bruce in the first place.
A lot of people here are talking about how Grand Master Lee, Gyung Kun would do as an MMA fighter. Others criticize his technique. Therefore, I wish to give you just a little bit of information about this man.
GK Lee is the 43rd generation of the Jae Gong Clan, Gyung Ju Lee family. He started his martial arts path at the age of 7 under the tutelage of his father and continued his training in the art of Tang Soo Do, eventually earning 5th dan through Kukkiwon. Before leaving Korea, he had been a Taekwondo instructor in the Korean Army, Chief Instructor at Tang Soo Do Headquarters in Seoul, and trained top level Samsung personal security personnel. Recruited by the founder of the ATA, he entered Songahm Taekwondo as a 4th degree black belt even though he was a Kukkiwon certified 5th dan. Since joining the ATA he has developed materials related to traditional martial arts and self defense for the ATA, been one of 200 licensed PPCT instructors for US Federal Agencies for 18 years, and has hosted over 400 Instructor Seminars and 100 Martial Arts Seminars worldwide.
In his efforts to develop a complete integrated martial arts system, he has worked and trained with people such as Helio Gracie, Rickson Gracie, Master Bong Soo Han, Grand Master Haeng Ung Lee, Jin Wang, Bruce K. Siddle, and Guru Mike Inay to name a few. The martial arts he has explored besides Taekwondo include Hapkido, Kendo, Jiujitsu, BJJ, Tai Chi, Shaolin Martial Arts, Moodang Pa Martial Arts, and Mantis Martial Arts.
Today, Chief Master G.K. Lee continues to set new goals to further integrate the Martial Arts community and he has long hoped to host open competitions across all systems, though as anyone knowledgeable of the martial arts world will know, this is a very complicated and politically sensitive undertaking.
In the world today, you will find very few people, if any, with as broad a range of martial arts knowledge as this man. He is also, in spite of what this video may indicate, a very humble man. I myself have rolled with him as we both trained BJJ together. He took no short cuts, but graded slowly through the ranks starting at white belt like everyone else. After many years of training, he travelled to Brazil to test for his 1st degree blackbelt and was put through the same testing ordeal required of anyone else. In the ATA, he has long advocated an acceptance of MMA and he retains an interest in all aspects of the martial arts, whether for traditional art, sports, or self defense.
Anyone who has ever worked with this man understands his depth of knowledge, his humour, and his great level of skill. I have spoken with people who train government employees for whom violence is an integral part of their work, and the respect these very serious professionals afford to this man speaks volumes.
THE VIDEO
This testing was a celebration of a lifetime of work. Please read about the component parts below in order to gain better insight into what was done as too many here have opinions that do not demonstrate great insight or understanding.
THE TESTING - WHY SPARRING WAS OMITTED: Concerning not sparring, the ATA currently lets people test with 3 disciplines chosen from 1. traditional forms (mandatory), 2. weapons forms, 3. board breaks, and 4. sparring. One discipline must be omitted by everyone testing for rank. On this occasion, Grand Master G.K. Lee chose to omit sparring in order to do a weapons demo as he is the chairman of the PROTECH Department, which develops weapons and self defense training materials drawing on a variety of other martial arts.
FORM: First of all, this 98 move form is not designed to imitate combat. Also, he is of course not as limber as he used to be (I could show you some amazing pics from his younger days). However, he is still an exceptional martial artist and as anyone knowledgeable of martial arts will quickly see, he performs this form with a high degree of power and precision.
WEAPONS & SELF DEFENSE: This section of his testing was expanded slightly beyond the normal requirements so that he could showcase a variety of different aspects of PROTECH training. As some have rightly noticed, his performance with the Jahng Bong or 'Bo Staff' was indeed inspired mainly by Chinese martial arts traditions. As the Chairman of ATA's PROTECH Department, Grand Master G.K. Lee has developed a multitude of different weapons forms and training systems with different sources of inspiration, traveling all over the world to train with the very best and returning to give members of the ATA a broader perspective of the martial arts and a broader array of training options. Here, he demonstrated one of the three distinctly different styles of handling this traditional weapon that are officially taught by the ATA. Concerning the demonstration with Senior Master Sean Smith, this was meant to entertain the crowd and integrate showmanship with a variety of disciplines. Believe me when I say that Grand Master G.K. Lee is highly capable of executing an armbar. However, this was not intended to make any pretense at being actual combat, it was a rehearsed demonstration aimed at incorporating a variety of elements for the benefit of the crowd watching. Considering this man's resume (above), I think it safe to say that he has great knowledge of traditional martial arts of many styles, sports Taekwondo, and 'real combat', and he has paid his dues to earn respect to a higher degree than any of the people posting derogatory comments of this display. Trust me, he is more than capable of defending himself.
BOARD BREAKS: Concerning the board break loss of balance, he chose to apply himself completely to that break, losing his balance as he powered through the boards much too easily. The result is one that I am sure he is unhappy with himself, but it is better to put too much power into it than not enough. He teaches commitment to technique, and he certainly committed to that kick. Personally, I am quite sure he was a bit angry with himself for that very uncharacteristic slip up. If you had been in a similar situation, with the hopes of so many resting on you and being at the center of such a spectacle, perhaps it is possible that you would have slipped up a little too? As for his subsequent jump shin-kick/punch combination, I thought is was beautifully done. If you want proof that he can break more, it is easily provided. Just one look at his hands and feet up close will leave little doubt that he is quite powerful and has spent many years conditioning his body. However, ATA policy for lower ranks applies to him too, and due to the risk of injury, certain types of power breaks are now discouraged at major event testings.
IN SUMMARY: This man is worthy of the respect of all of you. Over the years, he has performed many feats that are truly impressive and I am sure some of the pics taken of him would blow the minds of some of the keyboard warrior know-it-alls posting here. He has also traveled the world and studied multiple martial arts like no one else I have ever heard of. This is why he has chosen to include certain elements of other systems in this demonstration. His philosophy is 'no limits', and he is open to all styles, just as he is open to self defense and sports fighting, though that is not what he was aiming to demonstrate here. As all people who have pushed themselves hard in the martial arts, he has also injured himself over the years, a few times quite severely, even though this is not something he likes to dwell on or speak of. Personally, I can say that I am not the kicker I used to be due to various injuries, surgeries, and age. The same is true of this man. However, no matter what obstacles he faced, he continued his training, and he has never stopped challenging himself and searching for new knowledge.
Have respect. This was a one shot performance without double takes and this video gave you all a chance to see a truly disciplined and enormously accomplished martial artist at work. I am sure there are aspects of this testing he was not entirely satisfied with himself. I am also sure there were aspects of it he may not have been very comfortable with as he is quite a humble man. It was a display performed under very high pressure and arranged so as to be a memorable experience for the people in attendance. In many other systems, seniors get their degrees without any public testing and sometimes without any testing at all. This man stepped up in front of thousands at a testing together with blackbelts from all over the world, performing center stage when all other testings were done. He did it to set an example of continuing development even amongst the most senior and most accomplished martial artists even though he is aware that he may be outperformed by younger martial artists in their prime just as he sets an example to follow every day of his life by continuing his training and through his dedication to helping others improve themselves through the martial arts. I for one am grateful to him for that.
***
As for myself (since I expect this post may lead to tons of personal attacks and claims that I am some sort of fraud), I am a student of traditional Taekwondo with some small degree of knowledge of other martial arts as well. I do not label myself a devastating fighter or warrior and I am not a coach of professional fighters either. However, I do have a reasonably good understanding of biomechanics and the human body and enjoy trying to help others learn and perfect various techniques for fighting and/or health purposes and I greatly appreciate both the system of Songahm Taekwondo and Grand Master G.K. Lee as a person and as a martial artist. Thus I am certainly not unbiased. As for the ATA, it is a large and diverse organization. Even though some common criticisms may be warranted, it has much of great value that should not be discounted as well and it continually strives to improve itself and its members.
Nils Bastedo Interesting. I’m always eager to learn about martial arts. I myself am not very far. I’m a yellow belt, but I love to learn about martial arts. I made a project about martial arts and got an A+. My school labeled my project the best they’ve ever seen. It was also the best project I’ve ever made. I hope to one day be a master and instructor. Your comment was very useful to me because I love martial arts and I always love to learn about it. Thank you.
I think thats a bit too much info.
As someone who only holds 1st Dan in Hapkido and a green belt in judo I'm a green novice. But still I can have an opinion. And here it is; traditional martial arts is as much as an "art" as it is a form of fighting, or self defense if you will. In South Korea you can't even think about opening a school until you are at least a 3rd dan. Anything beyond 5th dan (as mentioned) goes beyond skill only. It is a contribution to the arts. Organizing tournaments, writing articles and papers, defining your own particular style (not all do however) etc. Anyone that has achieved the 5th dan (legitimately) is someone who you have to recon with if you decide to fight them. There are many in MMA who would fail against a legitimate and well rounded 5th dan (and above) but surely I have seen 3rd and 5th degrees that couldn't keep up with an active MMA fighter poorly because of the conditioning. Enough said just my 2 cents!
I'm no expert either, but I feel that even a legit 5th dan wouldn't magically have the ability to compete with a high level mma fighter. Not that some can't, but those that do, are probably mma fighters themselves, or something very close to it. That said, I have a lot of respect for martial artists. Besides, one can be a world class archer, that doesn't make them a good hunter or warrior. So why why is everyone so picky about martial artists having to fight?
Excellent point!
Wow! This is poetry in motion. What an opportunity for so many students to get to watch his belt test as well. The school owner where my son and I got our black belts just earned his 8th degree - Great Grand Master BC Kim, 1992 Olympic Gold medalist. I wish we had had an opportunity to see him test, and I'm thankful you shared Chief Master GK Lee's test.
Poetry in motion. Well said. This expression makes me smile.
This brings back my finest Hapkido memories of training with Grand Master Sung Soo Lee in Australia. GM Lee was 75 at the time, and everyone just starred at his belt. OMG what an experience and special shout out to Master's Gill and Tallon for making it happen. Respect 🙏
Excellent technique! Well done! My first Black Belt was with the ATA. That was many years ago and I still train to This day! Much respect!
The ATA is a complete joke in terms of training typical mcdojo.
@@scarred10 yes that may be the case now but I don't think that was always the case. That was many years ago for me and I went on to get black belts in other systems and other styles but my first black belt was with the ATA.
@@scottyg5403 it's all gone to shit in the last 30 yrs,only caters to kids now.
Probably a full life of dedication to the art and still performing at his age is awesome to see and sets a fantastic example. Teaching those knife defence drills to kids or adults and making them think they’d work in real life (especially the ones with about 10 moves in the combo) is gonna get someone seriously injured or killed. Stick with the striking and weapons I say. His Jits was half decent though but easy to say in pre planned demo. That said. Still inspiring to see a 60 yr old performing like this when you think about what most even 50yr olds are doing with their lives these days
At 49 I can still do the full splits, and 6-foot-high kick. It never really leaves you.
that jits was actually pretty bad, just calling a spade a spade.
knife defense works when you learn it from authentic dojangs
I love the power he puts in as he does each and every technique
That is not power. Relaxation and speed equals power.
Power????? lol you have to be kidding
There is no power at all
LOL There is no power what so ever..
The drums strike pure passion and dedication in my heart
We were blessed to be in the audience when H. U. Lee rested for his 9th degree BB several decades ago in Little Rock
I studied under then 4th degree Robery "Bob" Hardin. A great ATA instructor in Hot Springs AR. He changed my life for sure.
Very beautiful and I enjoyed practicing Tae Kwon Do back in my country when I was a teenager, today I am in my 50's and still with the confidence of having practiced the sport, and of course I never went around looking for brawls to show off anything. Martial arts is more about self awareness and confidence than anything else. Thanks for posting.
The lady drummers stole the show.
Excellent!Excellent!Grand Master Demonstration! I also enjoyed the drum performance! Thank you for sharing this exciting event!Man Thabata Nabata (Consistancy brings forth fruits) 😎 👍 🍵 🥭🥁🥁🥁
Respect to the massively talented drummers too!!
more so to the guy testing
it was more interesting than the Taekwondo 🥱🥱🥱
@@KhanhNguyen-cp7fg have some respect 🥱
Just imagine being able to move that way at his age
63 is not that old I move as well at the same age and probably can do more.
All men and women used to be able to do that at his age, but nowadays people dont leave their living rooms or bedrooms and it causes immobility
Plus
I'm sorry, but he is not a true 9th degree black belt. And those attempts at disarming the knife thrusts in real life would have gotten him killed.
*Do not fight like this.. please*
Go learn hand to hand combat skills from legitimately trained people, 99% of 'masters' wont even last against a well trained REAL purple belt. *and even the common purple belt students arent truly at the level that their colors claim they are*
You need to learn from real experts who will show you how to train well and train SAFELY
@@jgoller I'm sorry, but he is not a true 9th degree black belt. And those attempts at disarming the knife thrusts in real life would have gotten him killed.
*Do not fight like this.. please*
Go learn hand to hand combat skills from legitimately trained people, 99% of 'masters' wont even last against a well trained REAL purple belt. *and even the common purple belt students arent truly at the level that their colors claim they are*
You need to learn from real experts who will show you how to train well and train SAFELY
@@otterpop5551 I've seen these claims before but I think you are missing the purpose of the art. Yes, if you train in pure self defence then you will be much better prepared for that, but that is only one facet of the art. You can train for ring sparring, for fitness, for competition or just for fun. Being in a life and death situation is not the sole purpose here. The knife fighting is showing a variety of moves from wrist locks, arm bars, knee and elbow strikes. Its a display of technique knowledge, not on the practical use of that particular set in the real world. Training for knife defence is a much harder thing and not something they were looking to show. You can't jump to the conclusion that this practitioner doesn't know proper self defence when the display being put on is showing other, non-related facets.
As for "he is not a true 9th degree black belt" that is just plain wrong. The grading system is clearly defined, so he must achieve many things from the knowledge of the art, Korean language, numerous patterns, board breaking, teaching others, sparring, a degree of fitness and the like. To successfully grade he has given his time and effort to help many others. You can argue that you disagree with the steps required, but if he has ticked off everything on the list then he is absolutely a "true 9th degree black belt" as codified by the martial art.
@@Wertbag99 if it's not a good representation of stopping a knife attack, then why use a knife instead of a wooden rod
Very nice form. Excellent control and power and balance. TKD at its best.
Whatever this gentleman is or isn’t, definitely achieved much more than some angry mortgage salesperson
Please forgive me for not knowing the many different types of Martial Arts.
But just by watching the many ways that the body is able too move, is absolutely amazing!
I completely commend those who continue to practice this absolutely and completely amazing art of self defense!
Many blessings to you all!
Thank you, someone who understands this. That man has worked for most of his life to get to that point, and it is insanely impressive.
It's the level of control. Really really good.
Awesome display of great skills. Form was perfectly executed as well as the weapons form. Self defense is great too.. loved the part where Chief Master G.K. Lee kicked the groin, then kicked it again and just to make sure kicked it one more time.. reminds me of Master Ken's teaching from Ameridote.. :D
I judge a TKD test by the side kick. He had a perfect knife edge. Refold was 8 outta 10, but good. His wheel kick also impressive. Nice job.
I still can't believe I met a 9th degree Black Belt in Canada. A friend was doing some business with him. So we traveled to Canada. He was also the champion of Canada. It was a honor to meet him. I respect the discipline that anyone puts into any kind of Marshall Arts! The ultimate challenge you take on.
I met him when he was still a young man. I worked out in his gym and he ate in my restaurant and we would sit and talk. I didn't follow his career after leaving Little Rock but a few years ago my granddaughter was in an Irish dance competition and I saw his statue in a garden while going for a walk.
@@raymondhillman3187 Wow! You meet him! I forgot his name. Thinking my friend did some business with him. He had like a organic pasta company. I thought he was a incredible person! Kind of person that makes the world a better place to live. I also think he told me. He was going to take the test. To become a tenth degree black belt. Thank You! For being in touch.
Raymond? Do you know about the person in Boston. Had a fighting school.Or he still mite have it. Another person who receives a lot of respect.
@@dougpotosky4102 I knew him for about a year and a half but never took classes from him. I was from a boxing family but my daughter is now a black belt and my grandchildren are getting close. Small world isn't it? Take care.
@@raymondhillman3187 Even smaller! My Uncle Ruby from Paterson N.J. With my Aunt Sadie had the little diiner in the middle of the city. Ruby was a boxer for a while!!!
Agreed Indiarubberman. As in Judo, most of the fighters are mainly up to 4th Dan max, anything after that as you get older, it's for services rendered, knowledge and teaching. I'd say that with nearly all the combat arts. And to be honest, the grades have no bearing to the fights on the day either That really applies to the very lower grades. Olympians are a multitude of graded Judoka, that's why it's weights not grades.
Free Penny protest! czcams.com/video/bvBu2Cd0bj0/video.html i swore my oath as a father! Help me keep my word as a
Knight Of Malta!
H.U lee was The first person to create ATA and he was the first grand master until he died of cancer back in 2000 .then soon ho lee took over until G.K recently took his masters testing last year. It was so amazing to watch
Master Ken would have loved that he restomped the groin.... Great job by Chief Master G.K. Lee to become Grand Master of ATA. A great martial arts organization.
Amazing…the hours of training and perseverance to get on this Dan…remarkable
Much respect! Excellent technique! So much practice, and dedication! Beautiful form! Kudos!
terrible looks like a beginner
Terrible technique looks like a color belt
he moves like a color belt
We were there this year 2019! 50th anniversary and met this wonderful person! ATA strong 💪🏽
Sure, but where will most of them be in 30 years time ?
czcams.com/video/lwrZJa-AF7k/video.html
War Machine would have been a headcase regardless of whether he fought for a living but how many of the others will end up healthy, wealthy and wise ? We don't need a crystal ball - boxing is a perfect example of how quickly a sport can eat people alive.
Great self defense sir yrs of practice shows what can be achieved tae Kwon sir
Trying to relearn my Kata at the moment (Karate). Always so suprised at the similarities of styles.
This guy looks solid as a rock,
My take is that he did a great job testing. Kinda made me wish I had stayed the course and not stopped training after 20+ years.
e daí????????????????
We should all be so lucky to find an art to devote an entire lifetime to, and put meaningful contributions toward it moreover. Boundless respect and graditude Master Lee. *Thank you so much.*
Useless bullsh..t, old dumb people cheering, hilarious 😂😂👍
“Real men don’t beat drums before they hunt tigers.”
Qui Chang Cain
men run from tigers and then die
some men go to the bar before their ears bleed.
His father was my instructor's (former world champion Ed Lawson) instructor. There's so much I see in his technique that echoes his expectations. The toes pulled back just so, the stances this deep but no deeper.
Taekwondo is the weakest martial arts on earth. It has no power and it is for people who have a tendency to become gay😂😅🤣the history of taekwondo is so poor, not good self-defense to be employed in combat.
@@thetraveller3956 clearly no awareness of what it was like in the '80's when we were training on sweaty concrete and you got three fouls per match at tournaments. At its core, it is the same stuff done by Joe Lewis and Urquidez. You lack historical perspective. It has become day care, but it was Tang Soo Do, just with Chang Hon forms.
The fact is, is that very few martial art styles have technical tests for ranks above 7th degree black belt. I think its pretty cool that not only does the ATA does it, but he actually posts it in a public forum. That being said, there is a lot of things about the ATA that I don't agree with, but the belt testing at higher ranks is not one of them.
What about ATA don't you agree with?
@@brothersepicgameplay9809 There are a few things that led me to quit the whole Songahm tkd system. First, it is structured very much like a pyramid scheme - it is very expensive, for a martial art, but that's not all bad since I think it did help it grow. 2nd, I believe the Loyalty aspect is push far too hard once you start ascending the black belt ranks. In the set of books. "The Way of Traditional Taekwondo" there is a Philosophy volume which details the ceremony you go through when you become a master. Part of this entails receiving a ring which symbolizes your "marriage" to the ATA - that, along with other symbology, sounds too cultish to me. On the martial arts side, I don't agree with promoting too quick or too soon, which the ATA does, nor do I like the focus on teaching children. Don't get me wrong, I think teaching kids is great, but the focus should be learning martial arts, not providing daycare, nor trying to sell tkd to parents to get their kids in. I got my 1st degree BB back in 1995, and even then, when it seems things were tougher, I barely qualified. Now, I'm seeing ATA black belts that are literally horrible. Also, I don't like the idea of wearing the full protection gear like the WTF/KTA if you are not doing full contact.
@@Elurin Wow, So right now, I am in ATA Martial Arts. And, have to be honest, your speaking facts. I love ATA, instructors are great, it is a high price, and your right about the daycare system which makes no sense to me and your right about the wearing gear when no full contact. That is very true, you have valid points. And I also do agree that some black belts are horrible and they just pass them, I am only a blue, almost brown lol but I see red belts or even blacks that could be white belts. So, very valid points.
9th Dan is not a test. You are beyond proving yourself and have dedicated your life. You have given so much to Tae Kwon Do that they are recognizing you as a Grand Master.
I totally agree with you, that beyond a certain level of black belt, you are getting recognized for your lifetime of service. However, in my experience, ATA has been more of a belt factory than any other martial art I have studied or done research on. When someone can get a 3rd degree black belt in 3 years with ATA when it takes anywhere from 4-10 to get a 1st degree black belt in other styles of martial arts, the "lifetime of dedication", in this instance, is suspicious...and potentially worthy of being labeled with an asterisk.
@@jamosensei Agree that belt factory achievements deserve an asterisk, but this is for 9th Dan. If they're handing those out like candy, that would be highly suspect, but as far as I know this recognition is still quite rare and reserved only for those with a lifetime of dedication.
@@intertubedude I’m just saying that if it takes 3 years to get an ATA 3rd Dan, when it takes most 3x longer minimum to reach that same goal, that ‘lifetime’ that it would take to become an ATA 9th Dan is shorter than an average martial art.
That being said...I know those forms, and there is no question he performs them well.
@@jamosensei I don't know what the standard is in ATA, but in most TKD schools the rule is that for each dan level you have to have 1 year of training/teaching. So while it might take only a couple of years to get a black belt, each step over that gets progressively slower. 1 year for 2nd, 2 years for 3rd, right up to 8 years to 9th. With that standard it takes 36 years to go from 1st to 9th, and only if you grade as soon as you can every time. You usually don't see high level guys any younger than 60s. The guy grading in this video certainly looks old enough to have met that standard.
Love the arm bars and the transitions from triangle.
His form and movement are beyond precise.
The knowledge behind the belt is what matters you can have many different kinds of belts and styles but what matters most is your knowledge to execute
I'd say what matters is how you behave, cope with life and help others rather than the physical since that deteriorates with age.As for the grades and belts they're useless nonsense due the huge amount of sheer incompetence at grandmaster level in many arts.
At first i thought I can do that , but then he came out with the Bow I said respect...... So well rounded in many ways plus the pressure isn't just on him performing in front of his peers, his peers are also nervous because one wrong move and some could get seriously hurt in the crowd should a object hit then accidentally.......
I've never known there was a style of twd with a ground element (arm-bars, triangle choke, omoplata, etc), it was truly amazing
Hapkido
@@ziztv9890 its not actually hapkido...kinda between those two
There isnt any groundwork in tkd,he obviously studied some other horseshit for show purposes
I wouldn't call it impressive at all.
Hapkido. Since I was the big physically fit guy in the class, the Master would always use me as the "demonstration subject." The way they twist the joints is very subtle but so painful it will take your eyesight away. Then he would tell me in front of the class that I "Pain too easy." Well.. it was to demonstrate that size and menacing shape is irrelevant. Anyone can be brought down quite easily with practiced skills. The key is daily repetitive practice for years.
@@scarred10 You're wrong. There is in Songahm TKD
This guys awesome you see others going for their gm and there is no comparison 👍👍
Great Fighter! Amazing! Worthy a Master indeed! God bless
Are u serious 🤣🤣, test this against MMA fighters
he moves like a color belt
I’m just gonna ignore the fact that he remembered a 4 minute form
Not to mention the fact, that he remembers all of the forms from each rank in the ATA... plus I'm sure he knows a number of forms from the various styles he's studied over the years.
to test for 9th degree you must practice the 8th degree for for 8 years at the minimum so
@@dylanadams4619 Testing for a high Dan takes extreme dedication and hard work, so yeah, it makes sense.
@@tekkitbeasting604 and u still get ur ass kicked in a fight lol
I dont get into fights, but I'd probably do pretty well.
I saw H.U. Lee himself perform the 9th degree form around 30 years ago. It was impressive to say the least
미국태권도의 레전드! 품새는 말할것도 없고 심사장 매너도 너무 훌륭하시네요. 역사적인 장면 입니다!
Hats off for the dedication
I’m a 2nd degree in ATA and today I relearned the white belt and orange belt form so I can get my red collar. I know I still need to learn the yellow belt form, but at least I’m closer that I was yesterday. This man has inspired me to keep going and just push through it.
Just realize that technology today has neutered every Martial Art form. What I mean is that like with Ninjas in all black hiding in a tree we can see them easily using thermal imaging tech! But recently lasers/laser flashlights have evolved and now are hand carried in powerful designs. My 3/5/7 watt blue lasers will instantly destroy any retina! My laser flashlight (LEP) is powered by a blue laser and project a super tight white brighter than the Sun been 1200 meters which no human can look at! Old saying...take out the eyes take out the fight! I have decades in various MA but today at 67 I carry my Acebeam W10 laser flashlight rather than even my .380 S & W! Why? Because it is non lethal, I know it works, makes no noise and no bullet can match it's light speed! And it is legal everywhere! My wife, daughter and son carry them...no better defense weapon...even against armed attackers. No Gung Fu grandmaster, Heavyweaight boxing champ, heavyweight MMA champ has a chance against these. In HK protectors forced back armed police by using most blue burning/cutting laser! David stopped Goliath with a mere rock projected at his eyes hitting him between the story says...but powerful 9'+ tall Goliath fell to his knees immediately because the eyes are an extremely weak point on every human...Gung Fu/Karate have eye strikes of course because of this FACT! Embrace tech for real defense/offense and keep MA for the discipline/physical attributes. In real world situations you never know an opponents capabilities/abilities so grab the 100% absolute advantage tech today provides.
@@thomascole2031 that's badass! Ninjas carry chili powder for blinding, but this sounds like a fantastic non-lethal.
he is already a master on his GI ! i see mysel in decade, walking with my portable air conditioner and knowing self defence technics!
I recognize a couple of those moves from when I tested for yellow belt.
Each form always builds on the last yet incorporates from the lower forms. The number of movements in each form also has specific meaning. Also every form works both side of the body and if you notice, ends in the same spot that he starts. Also, the form traces the outline of the Songahm Star. The symbol of Songahm TKD.
I have always understood, that grading requirements above 4th Dan are not so much about technical skill, and accumulation of techniques. Certainly, above 8th Dan is more about the individual, and his contributions to the Art/Organisation.
In practice, the way black belts work in most disciplines is 1st Dan means you've shown sufficient proficiency in the basics, and have enough understanding, commitment, and reliability that you could be relied upon as an instructor if needed. 1st-4th Dan are about perfecting what you already know in that discipline, and expanding/diversifying your skillset with more advanced techniques. By time you get past 4th or 5th Dan, the promotions/tests are largely ceremonial, and are more about you contribute to the school than what you're physically capable of doing. Do you help teach? Do you help organize events? Do you take care of finances and/or fundraising? 8th and 9th Dan are more about your impact on the martial arts community as a whole. By this time you've probably started your own chain of schools, written a few books on tkd (or whatever your style is), collaborated with other styles, stuff like that.
The highest I've ever seen anyone test for in person was 7th, and they were treated as a big deal because that's realistically probably as high as they're ever going to get. I've only met a handful of 8th dans and one 9th Dan in person. 8th and 9th dans are rare, since the rank means their contribution is REALLY above and beyond.
he moves like a color belt
I was watching his stance work and it was spot on! Strong work!
What a pleasure this would be to watch. -2nd Dan from Redding, USA
이 사범님 우연히 유튜버에서 뵙네요,,, 반갑습니다. 정말 오래간만에 옛날 생각이 납니다
At least he tested...There are a lot of paper tigers out there.
EXACTLY!!!
Don’t even get me started on paper black belts… I’ve been training in hapkido for 15 years, and I seen that many of my previous students would go learn test for the black belt, and after they receive their black belt, I never see them again
Very impressive amount of people attending this degree testing. Respect to Master GK Lee.
Felicidades Luis buenas katas buen Bunkai y excelente demostración.
I'm not a fan of the ATA but i am shocked by the lack of knowledge displayed in the comments for this video, all of the dans above 5th dan are honorary - they are bestowed for services rendered and time served rather than actual physical ability.
yes thats true...or it is supposed to be true, .but then why was this video of the "grading" not a man submitting an essay, why was it a physical demonstration?
Whoever likes this s*** is soft and don't know how to fight I'll kick his ass anytime any boxing could kiss stupid ass all this for nothing self-defense my ass you can self defend against nothing with this this is bulshit soft s*** I don't know where you get all these people coming in and applauded for an you put a lot of people you must come from
Christian Robinson let's get real mate... one Hangook martial artist to another. ... The omympic TKD is girls shit. Hyungs are girls shit. The guy in this video is so desperate for TV time he literally abandons traditional hangout mudo and this in some JAPANESE techniques on the ground!? All girls shit. There isn't ONE SCRAP of merit to any of this shameless(slow motion to dramatic music...) showmanship. Not an ounce.
steve mac, JUST SO YOU WON'T BELIEVE ALL THAT DRIVEL YOU'RE SPOUTING,THIS MAN WOULD KILL YOU IN SECONDS,USING DEATH BLOWS, YOU'D BE NOTHING MORE THAT A PRACTICE DUMMY,DUMMY-----------MY NEPHEW IS 5TH DEGREE TKD AND 4 TH DEGREE HAPKIDO AND HE'D PUNCH A HOLE IN YOU,HE'S UNDEFEATED
Yes, in most MA the exams are up to 4th or 5th degree black belts. All higher ranks are givve by different reasons (spread the styles to more countrys, bring the style further, these kind of a thing). A 9th degree black belt must not be faster/stronger or better than a 5th degree. maybe thats a cause why so many 10th degree GM are not so great his rank shows to others.
I thought you were pretty badass I was very impressed on the staff
It couldn’t be possible without drums.
SRB
good work ,... it's a farr. journey /. ... lets see your progress /. let the test begin
Love both the demo & drumming girls
I love the fan move at the end ! Great demo !
Definitely respect earned and contributions given.
Brilliant choreography right there.
major respect. I cant even remember my taeguk under 1 min
That great determination
I started karate when I was about 13 y.o. my father made me quit. Said it was a waste of time and money. It was a passion I had at the time and wished I had continued like some friends who became instructors, police, correction officers, ...me I drifted through life, with no focus. He pretty much discouraged me from everything I wanted to do.
This man deserve an outmost respect! I have a question, does ATA Martia Arts training include Hoshinsul? If I am not mistaken, I see the grand master did a joint manipulation techniques in the video. Please correct me if I am wrong!
Master Lee, when you get a chance you should post a video of yourself doing the 9th degree form, love to see it.
IF ITS THE MASTER LEE I KNOW,HE WALKS THRU WALLS OR KICKS THEM DOWN,HE IS ONLY AFRAID OF GOD,ONLY
In Goju Ryu 9th dan is around 50 years of dedicated training. This guy is impressive!
Taekwondo is the weakest martial arts on earth. It has no power and it is for people who have a tendency to become gay😂😅🤣the history of taekwondo is so poor, not good self-defense to be employed in combat.
A Chief and a Master, wow look at all the patches on his gi...
I keep seeing in the comment section where Americans keep roasting him for his slow and weak ass moves. The higher the dan, doesn't mean stronger. The higher the dan is, the more you know about the sport and practiced it. 9th dan means he did it for most of his life. So don't fkn say he's wank.
Hi there tkd blackbelt and he is ar his no dan level suppost to execute his level of skill without mistake and he has made loads here
. I wouldn't have given him.his promotion either
@@kathrynpowell7913 it's not a grading,its a demo, you dont grade for 9th dan,its given for services and time in grade ,its a formality the grade was decided by committee long beforehand, that's how it works at that level and it's not related to ability in the least.
@UCoagJ4i2V71KXvEH6DZqL3A You're full of shit.
FYI, you have to be at least 55 years old and you have to do tkd for 44 years to get that. Also, ya gotta climb up the dan first. Basically, you gotta spend half of your lifetime to get 9th dan.
There is nothing "weak" about Grand Master G. K. Lee....
A strong man can defeat many men, but a wise man can defeat himself.
The most important fight in Life is inside you
just an fyi, for the people saying "this was easy", the real belt tests usually happen the week before the public showing of "a belt test". That is where you run, fight the whole class, and borderline throw up, then do all your forms/ techniques/ breaks when fatigued. When you pass that, then you do this ceremonial version of a belt test.
Steve Keenan i would rather see that than this pretender bs
Then he should do it front of everybody to show what skills he has..why is it so secret ? In BJJ the head coach all ways roll with the top students with everybody else ..no secret ..no hide bullshit ..This keeps the head instructor honest about his skill and abilities !
Probably because of complete focus. In my dojang, we do not graduate on front of an audience either.
Michael Sifu 81 H b
+Kelly T so when I trained, they had tkd, hapkido, american kickboxing, international, and muay thai. a majority of students were the vanilla students, but we had a group of about 6-8 hardcore18-35 year olds that were the fighters who would do smokers, and tournaments, olympic, point, kickboxing. so i do know what you mean about the difference between tkd hand attacks, like back fist to temple vs say a boxers right cross to face. I trained in the ghetto, usually those dojangs/dojos have to train reality self defense cuz of the neighborhood. we trained one on one. by like blue belt two on one and red black. poom and black sometimes three on one sparring. throwing up wasn't rare.
Este é o esporte da minha vida amo muito,pratico a mais de 25 anos fui formado por um norte coreano que mora no Brasil e me apresentou o taekwondo ele é o grande mestre TE BOO LEE ,me ensinou tudo que eu sei e me fez ser um filho melhor ,um pai melhor e um cidadão melhor ,muito obrigado ao povo norte coreano......🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷
Legal, Giovanni, tb estudei com mestre T.B. Lee, final dos anos 1970. Mas se não estou enganado, ele era de Seul. Abs.
@@cgomidi poxa Caio que prazer te conhecer meu irmão,eu comecei com o mestre em 1994 então com 14 anos de idade mas pelo visto és muito mais experiente e tens muito mais tempo de preta que eu ,meu total respeito ao senhor ,realmente foi um prazer lhe conhecer que jesus lhe abençoe mestre.
The drumming is awesome
I really enjoyed how he showed his self defense slowly first, then went back and did it at full speed. I also really enjoyed his blending of Taekwondo, Hapkido, Judo, and Jiu Jitsu. Obviously the forms were excellent as can be expected. I've also never seen board holders wearing headgear and chest protectors, but I really like that as a nice safety precaution. I would have liked to see some sparring though. Cool performance.
abc you are probably correct. One of the reasons I started cross training in bjj 5 years ago was I wanted to have a complete full knowledge of martial arts. But most of the older masters are not looking for that. They want a few techniques they can use in their self defense while focusing the majority of their effort on striking. Many TKD practitioners won’t even go that far and turn a blind eye to ground defense or just aren’t interested in it. I still feel like he did a good job of blending it in to his one steps to punctuate the finishing technique.
abc I couldn’t agree more. I’ve talked about this in several of my videos that one of my biggest pet peeves is TKD instructors who teach stuff they do not understand just because they got a dvd on some bjj techniques. They do it with Krav Maga, kickboxing, and anything else they think they can make a buck on. It is absolutely inappropriate and risks someone getting hurt. It also makes the instructor lose credibility
abc on a demo I don’t have issue with it, but if he’s trying to teach it then it needs to be called out. That’s why when i do videos that even touch on bjj, I put a disclaimer in that says I’m only a blue belt and that you should talk to a qualified instructor on the bjj portion.
I'm still trying to understand some of the demonstration. The slow parts reminded me of White Crane Hard Gong. Seems to serve multiple purposes to cultivate energy and to manifest it later on at full speed.
Respect !!
I love the demo. So cool seeing this master practice his art. But the incesant drums i could have done without
he moves like a color belt
He's doing 9th grade black belt and to do so he demonstrated some basic Aikido techniques for 6/5th kyu aikido exam, like shi-ho nage, kote-gaeshi and snkyo :-) I trained both, tkd and aiki and both were fun :-D
Aikido or hapkido ?
Traditional Martial Arts...so much honour and respect and perfection of the art.
He did that kata in text book form. He has excellent posture and balance. Every technique was executed with precision and snap. A very dangerous man. Congrats to him.
dangerous how so.... lol its all a dance
@@arnonabuurs7297 Learn to control your ego.
@@DualAxer I think it's under control perfectly, 6 years of bjj training will make u be able to do that. (And 25 years of taekwondo as well)
@@arnonabuurs7297 ok.
@@DualAxer don't confuse confidence with ego, happy new year 💪💥
That drumming was 🔥🔥
As a 5th Dan in Goju Ryu Karate this man totally gets my respect even if it is a different discipline to mine. Respect to all Martial Artists ❤
Excellent job, sir. The ATA is an incredible organization. Many of our Shotokan students are also students of the ATA. Outstanding combination.
Its commonly thought to be useless in american martial arts,a laughing stock.
Show this True Grand Master respect, as he deserves it. When I was young full of energy, fast, good joints, no pain, I was judging others too. But as I grew up, gained knowledge, and sense, I tended to not judge people. You just wait, train for 30 years, your body wears out much faster doing martial arts each day, or let's say 5 to 6 days a week, if you own a school. Then the joints go, lots of pain to do much movement. Getting the higher rank is not that you can go in the ring, fight, & beat a top MMA fighter. As most these young MMA guys are young, quick, and that's all they got. Now look how the much older Boxer beats the top younger Champion MMA fighter. He beat him stupid. He barely lasted 4 to 5 rounds, and could not keep his hands up to protect himself. I have seen many MMA fighters dance around the ring, and do nada. From standing, or a fighting stance, I could jump across a ring 6 foot, and kick a guy in the head before he could get his hands up. All us Korean Tang Soo Do stylist train like this from white belts, if you have a Great Master instructor, you will get great if you put the time in each week, and many years at it. Take Chuck Norris as a example, he trained in Tang Soo do also while stationed in Korea, and he still does today, along with training others to be Great like him. I started in the mid 70s, and it was tough being a student, as our instructors were kind of mean, but this made us tough, well that is the ones that did not quit. As no snow flakes back then. I wish they had started this MMA sooner, as I would have liked to get in the ring, and beat the snot out of guys before they could touch me, and show people what real Martial Arts is. This MMA, is mainly just wrestling, other than punching, and kicking. Most the fighters are not that good at martial arts, or they would knock the other fighters out with speed kicks to the head. Plus, I think this is now a crooked sport, and fighters are being paid to take the fall. Just as Pro boxing. Sure there's some good fights, but it's mainly a grappling sport. I would like to see what a monkey Steven Segal would make of these MMA fighters as them trying to grab him. But a very well trained 30 year old Black belt, thats trained 5 + years should be able to hit a MMA fighter three to four times before he knew what happened. Many times in these MMA fights, they hit a opponent in the head a time or two, and the fight gets stopped. As they spend most of their time grappling, and wrestling on the mat, if not getting knocked out first. Our training is very dangerous, and we can seriously hurt people. You MMA guys need to go to let's say Pat Johnson's Karate dojo, or Chuck Norris, and fight a Real Black belt fighter, before you judge a older Master that mainly just Teaches, has a worn our body, and joints. Plus we live in lots of pain from the many years of training, and it's hard to do allot of the high Lightning fast kicks we could do until we were around 40 years old. I think they need to start up Pro kick boxing again, and then Many people from many martial arts would step in the ring, and show people what they can do. So until you have trained for 30 to 50 years in the martial arts you should not judge or disrespect any Masters that gave their lives to helping others, as training people to defend themselves, and built confidence in their students. A friend of mine went from being a real nobody of a Tom boy 5'7" 130 ,that liked to play B Ball, and she started training in Tang Soo Do. In time, She wanted to be Great, so she found and joined another school that she could train up to 6 days a week. She went on to being on the State Nationals Team, and then on the Olympic team. She was rated 1st through 3rd in the World in fighting for many years in her weight division. She is now a Top Master or Grand Master at the Olympic Taekwondo committee in Colorado. If she had not got into the martial arts, she would still be loading, and unloading stuff on Airplanes at our local airport, and truly never lived much of a life. I hear she owns, and operates a 80,000 square foot training facility for many things, as numourus martial arts styles, weightlifting, and aerobics. She has helped build strong personas, trained people to be way more than they would have been, had they not met her, and She changed thousands of peoples lives for the better. Show me one MMA fighter that's done that. So you show respect for your elders, and do not judge others, as until you have walked in their shoes for 50 years. TANG SOO...
Thank you for the history lesson on Respecting Martial Artist. It won't take me a full page of text you answer your comments, only a few lines. (1). I have been in the martial arts for 51 years this year. (2).I have seen and judged hundreds of lower rank and advanced black belt testings over the years (3). On that same note, I have met some of the best Masters and Grandmasters from around the world and have the greatest RESPECT for (ALL) martial artist regardless of style/system, who have traveled on the path to physical and spiritual excellence. Master Lee's performance (despite his age and wear and tear on his body after years of training) left much to be desired on this test (for me). Very BASIC test and mediocre performance at best. This is the reason you see the negative comments regarding this video. Not that a person has to walk in his shoes to understand what they saw, but most people watching this video, especially martial artist, expect to see something more from a 9th degree Master of the martial Arts.
youre an idiot
No respect to someone that "freezes" time and performs a 3 sec combo while the attacker is somehow "frozen"
I wonder if he would stay cool and still if i would go attacking him with 5 swings of a knive per second. i guess he d stop time for me too.
Damn i think he might be Hit from Dragonball Super. ok mb.
I was like ok. But then you started the same thing that you are telling the people are doing. MMA is MMA. You know what that means ? It's not only wrestling. Man wtf ? You are no different than those people.
Estoy de acuerdo con usted amigo, pero sólo le voy a agregar algo como refuerzo, "NO SE HAN DADO CUENTA, CUANTOS ALUMNOS HAY ALLÍ, FORMADO Y ENTRENADO POR ÉL, QUIÉN LE MULTIPLICO LA AGILIDAD Y HABILIDAD A CADA UNO CON TÉCNICAS Y QUE HOY POR HOY LOS PRESENTES ALUMNOS SON GRANDES PROFESIONALES DE LAS ARTES MARCIALES EN EL MUNDO, GRACIAS AL MAESTRO LEE... YO SI VEO SU LEGADO Y CON MUCHA ADMIRACIÓN LE BRINDO MI RESPETO..."
35yrs ago at meadow Bank stadium edinburgh jun suzuki did a exhibition of karate . The man was amazing. Never forget that day. Hamish Adams was my instructor and he was a superstar in my eyes but mr suzuki was a imortal 😆
His kicks have good power. I’d rather have this old master on my side than the experts on here who claim that he’s nothing. I’ve been in dozens of real fights, including one with a guy armed with a knife, and a two on one situation where one guy tried to break my arm while his 250 lb baby brother tried to kick me in the head. I’m no black belt but I can fight when necessary. I have no broken bones to prove it.
Ofc
Why u tellin ur stats? 🤣🤦🏽♂️
internet tough guy
Wow!! Great!! Taekwondo on his best version I have seen!
Damn. When did taekwondo start implementing triangle transition to arm bar? 👏
Even back in the 90s, WTTU (and ATA by extension) have crossed trained their students in other styles once you reach 1st degree black belt, or at least you had the option. I remember learning some basic BJJ and wrestling techniques after I got my BB.
A ton of school require demonstrations in secondary martial arts to test for your higher belts. When I tested for my 2nd and 3rd degree I had to show proficiency in 2 arts other than tkd