Jidokwan, as meaning of the «way of wisdom», has developed through the root of Chosun Yun Moo Kwan. Jidokwan, especially took a main role for the Kwan unity act, the new executive committee drove the act positively.
Initiative role for the Kwan Unity
For myself, for the Kwan, for the country, based on these three words, Jidokwan was founded in March 3rd of 1946. The Jidokwan was first titled as Cho Sun Yun Moo Kwan.
The Cho Sun Yen Moo Kwan first founded by Sang Sub Chun, the first grandmaster of Jidokwan. Master Chun, Sang Sub first started his martial arts career in Judo duringhis high school years, then he attended Dong Yang Chuck Sik College in Japan where he mastered Karate.
Founded by Sang Sub Chun
After graduating from college, Sang Sub Chun returned to Korea, and started to teach Taekwondo to black belt Judo trainees in the Yun Moo Kwan, which was located in Soo Song Dong, Seoul at the time. Kyung Suk Lee was the grand
master of the Yun Moo Kwan during that time and Cho Sun Yen Moo Kwan was a Judo dojang.
After the surrender of Japan in world war II in August 15th, 1945, Cho Sun Yun Moo Kwan moved there location from the Soo Song Dong to So Gong Dong, where the Japanese Gang Duk Kwan used to be located, and officially announced the opening of the Cho Sun Yun Moo Kwan as branch of the Korea Taekwondo.
At that time, Taekwondo was called Kwon Bop Boo. The first trainees of the new Cho Sun Yen Moo Kwan were, Ill Sub Chun, brother of Master Sang Sub Chun. Young Ki Bae, Bok Nam Kim, Chong Woo Lee, Hyun Jong Pak, Byung Lo Lee, Jin Dong Chung, Chun Sun Kim, later became members of the Jidokwan.
Ill Sub Chun first popularized the Taekwondo to the state of north Jun-La (Cholla Buk Do), Young Ki Bae served 3rd Grandmaster term for the Jidokwan, and Chong Woo Lee served 2nd and 4th grandmaster terms and they became the main leaders of the Jidokwan.
Yet, Hyun Jong Pak gained the strength of Jidokwan from the reign in Pusan City and Kyo Yun Lee from Han Moo Kwan joined the Ji Do Kwan and founded the Han Guk gymnasium and acted as master while he was working for the police communications department.
The title Jidokwan first used from Pu San in 50′
Young Ki Bae had the earlist relation with Cho Sun Yun Moo Kwan. he started his first training from the Soo Song Dong period Yoon, Byung In, the founder of Chang Moo Kwan, also worked as master for one
year in the Cho Sun Yun Moo Kwan in 1947. Later he went to the YMCA and then
founded the Chang Moo Kwan.
With appointment of new master Gae Byung Yoon, who was known as a great master among the Karate field (trained with Shito ryus Kenwa Mabuni in Japan), Cho Sun Yun Moo Kwan became very active. In June 25th 1950, the Korean war started and the Grandmaster Sang Sub Chun, founder of Cho Sun Yun Moo Kwan, was abducted to North Korea. And during the evacuation period in Pusan, the Cho Sun Yun Moo Kwan changed their name to Jidokwan. Chong Woo Lee first suggested the change of the Cho Sun Yun Moo Kwan’s title and with the agreement of Gae Byung Yoon, Cho Sun Yun Moo Kwan became Jidokwan.
«After the abduction of master Sang Sub Chun during the Korean war, I have
suggested to Gae Byung Yoon for the change of the title and with his
agreeement, I suggested the appointment of Gae Byung Yoon as the grand
master», said Chong Woo Lee.
Jidokwan became realy active and gained their strength in 1953, when Jidokwan extended their organization on the Han Guk Gymnasium’s Taekwondo Department. During that period, once or twice a year, they taught self defense and bonesetting from special sessions. But Jidokwan started to have disruption over the Kwan unity act.
During the development of the Korea Tae Soo Do Organization, Hwang Kee and his followers from Moo Duk Kwan and Gae Byung Yoon and his followers from the Jidokwan stood in opposition to the Kwan unity act.
Training thru contest
And that was the start of the disruption of Jidokwan. Chong Woo Lee drove the Kwan unity act without Gae Byung Yoon and became 2nd Grandmaster of the Jidokwan with the support of the national committee.
Chun Sun Kim (council of Jidokwan), Yong Dae Cho (president of Austrailia’s committee), Sang Chul Lee (president of USTU), they are also alumni from Jidokwan.
Jidokwan, a long with Moo Duk Kwan, acted as main role models of modern Taekwondo in Korea. Especially Jidokwan’s unique and intensive training, one would have to defeat three straight competitors to have belt promotion, made the birth for the great athletics for this period.
History of grand master
Founder: Sang Sub Chun
1st Grandmaster: Kwye Byung Yoon
2nd Grandmaster: Chong Woo Lee
3rd Grandmaster: Young Ki Bae
4th Grandmaster: Chong Woo Lee
5th Grandmaster: Sueng Wan Lee (current president)
Above text is from the translated korean book «A modern history of Taekwondo» written by Kang & Lee – translated by Glenn Uesugi & students.