Taekwondo Pioneers:

Haeng Ung Lee (Part 3)

By Craig Willits

The 1970s were a difficult time for South Korea, and for Korean martial arts in the U. S. It is out of the scope of
this article to discuss the shifting political landscape and the alliances and loyalties that were established and
broken during that turbulent time. By 1978, the ATA appears to have broken with the ITF. Suh Chong Kang left
the ATA to become ITF Vice President, taking a number of the remaining seniors with him. Haeng Ung Lee
assumed the office of president.

About the time he took over the ATA presidency, Lee sold his school in Omaha to one of his students, and moved
to Little Rock. When asked why he chose that particular city, Lee replied that the geography reminded him
where he grew up in Korea, but without the cold winters. He purchased a building on the south side of town that
became what is today the original wing of the ATA Headquarters facility.

In the 1980s, Lee's innovations continued. For example, he established a computerized database containing the
student records of all ATA members, which one of the first automated records systems to include color belt
students as well as black belts. The most significant innovation, however, was the establishment of the new
Songahm form system. Lee had long felt the Ch'ang Hon system of form patterns did not sufficiently emphasize
kicking in the lower belt forms, and that there were too many complicated hand techniques. He also wanted
forms that could be matched with step sparring and sparring combinations that used similar kicks; this would
form a unified curriculum for each belt, something not possible under the Ch'ang Hon system at the time.

By the late 1980s, Lee was eligible for promotion to ninth degree black belt. Rather than simply assuming the
rank as so many other organization leaders had done, he wanted to demonstrate that he was worthy of the
promotion and the grand master title that came with it. There had been some controversy when he became ATA
president, and he likely wanted to avoid the same difficulties with an elevation to the grand mastership. So Lee
outlined a nine step process to become grand master. The first of these steps was acceptance by the ATA
membership; and overwhelming percentage of ATA members signed the petition to grant him promotion. With
the membership's loyalty confirmed, Lee completed the remaining eight steps in the process, and was acclaimed
Grand Master in 1990.

For the next ten years, Lee presided over an ATA that was experiencing explosive growth. The number of active
ATA schools grew from the 200s in 1989 to over 1,000 by the year 2000. Such additional innovations as weapons
training for black belts, an early childhood martial arts program, and a book and DVD series on the Songahm
forms were examples of the ATA leading the industry with its innovations.

Unfortunately, by the late 1990s Lee began to experience health problems. He was eventually diagnosed with
cancer, and underwent treatment. For a time, his health improved, but the cancer returned in March 2000. This
time, the prognosis was poor, so he began to set his affairs in order, including planning for a transition in ATA
leadership. On October 5, 2000, Lee lost his battle with cancer.

In June 2001, Lee was memorialized with a posthumous promotion to tenth degree black belt, with the title
"Eternal Grand Master." The promotion documents were signed by a number of legendary practitioners of
Korean martial arts, such as Jhoon Rhee and Bong Soo Han.

The legacy of this extraordinary man is a testament to the taekwondo tenets of perseverance and indomitable
spirit. In the space of forty years, his vision of a multitude of schools in the U. S. grew from a mere idea to the
reality of the modern ATA. The politics of martial arts and post-war Korea and fluctuations in the U. S. economy
did not prevent him from bringing that vision to reality. In this, he was well served by his extraordinary
charisma and humanity. He had the ability to make complete strangers feel as though he had known them for
years. Because of the great personal loyalty he had built with so many, he was genuinely mourned on a deeply
personal level by those he had touched.

And so to honor the tenth anniversary of Haeng Ung Lee's passing, we say, "Suseung-nim, khamsa hamnida."

Craig Willits has been teaching traditional martial arts since 2001 and reality-based self-defense since 2003. He is the owner and chief
instructor at Spotsylvania Martial Arts in Fredericksburg VA. Spotsylvania Martial Arts offers training in the following areas:

 Tiny Tigers (Martial Arts Pre-Skill Program for Ages 4-6): Physical and Mental Agility, Focus, Awareness, Child Safety
 Martial Arts for Children (Ages 6-12): Better Grades, Self-Discipline, Respect, Enhanced Focus, Kids' Self Defense
 Martial Arts for Teens & Adults (Ages 13 and Up): Self-Discipline, Physical Fitness, Goal-Setting, Self Defense

Spotsylvania Martial Arts Training Facility

4100 Lafayette Blvd, Fredericksburg VA 22408
Commerce Center Plaza (across from Spotswood Baptist Church)
Phone: 540-891-9008 Website: spotsybba.com

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