Volume XXVI N1 IKKF Newsletter Spring 2009 Text Box: # BLACK & BROWN BELT PROMOTIONS The annual winter Kojosho Black & Brown Belt Testing was held on Saturday, January 10, 2009 at the Kojosho Moon School Dojo in Albuquerque. Mr. Absher conducted the event, assisted by the Kojosho Board of Regents. The day-long test covered basics, hard-line forms, Kojosho Forms, self defense, and sparring. Mr. Absher announced the following (spectacular) promotions at the traditional awards banquet that evening: HACHIDAN Eighth Degree Black Belt Terry Gearey SHICHIDAN Seventh Degree Black Belt Dona Absher Gary Vaughn Richard Levin SHODAN First Degree Black Belt Ed Bame Craig Bullock Bud Dissette Sho Dan Ho Javier Marrujo Josh Cutler Alex Grant Kevin Brogy First Kyu Brown Belt Jason Stow Katie Sinclair Second Kyu Brown Belt Mateo Agueo Daniel Castillo Mylinda Murphy Third Kyu Brown Belt Conner Morrison Congratulations from the Kojosho Board of Regents CHUNG DO KWAN Chung Do Kwan, a school of Korean Karate formed in 1944 by Lee Wok Kim, was in its day one of the most prestigious schools of Karate and the premier source of ranking in Korea. Before the split that separated Okinawa, Japanese and Korean Karate into different arts, they all shared similar kata, and most claimed similar historical lineage to China. For the most part, they were the same art divided only by national or regional borders. Even after political and nationalistic bickering scattered this once global Karate family, many Koreans continued to teach Japanese/ Okinawa styles. Chung Do Kwan was one such school. It was founded by Lee Wok Kim in Seoul Korea when Korea was still under Japanese rule. Lee studied under the great Gichin Funakoshi while attending Chuo University in Japan. Upon returning to Korea, he started the very first Karate school in that country. His school was almost totally Shotokan Karate. Unlike others who would start schools and mix old Tae Kyon technique with Karate to give it a more Korean flavor, Lee taught only the Shotokan style in almost every detail. Lee called the art Tang Soo Do in Korean, copying the Okinawa (Toud Te Jutsu) and Japanese (Karate Jutsu) phrases, both of which translate to ìChina Handî. Other Japanese styles like Shito Ryu followed. No long afterward, the famous five Kwans (schools) of Japanese Karate were established in Korea. The original five were soon expanded into a total of nine Kwans. These nine schools formed national organizations and promoted Korean Karate along- side Japanese Karate globally. Organizations like the Korean Tae Soo Do Association, and later the Tae Kwon Do Association of Seoul Korea were amongst the largest and most prestigious in the world. In 1957 General Choi Hong Hi founded the International Tae Kwon Do Federation and created a series of new kata, providing the real impetus for a separate national art/sport of Korean Karate. In 1972, the principals of the Tae Kwon Do Association formed the World Tae Kwon Do Association, built the Kukiwon headquarters and created additional new kata. This group also petitioned President Park Chung Hee to adopt Tae Kwon Do as the national sport of Korea and to disband the older Kwans. Even though the Korean government acquiesced to this request and disbanded the nine original Kwans, the Tae Kwon Do Chung Do Kwan continues to flourish in almost every other country, and it remains one of the largest Tae Kwon Do organizations in the world.

FIFTY YEAR KOJOSHO HONOR RING AWARD

The Kojosho Honor program was designed in 2003 to recognize those System members who have honored the System with their extraordinary loyality, On January 10, 2009 the Kojosho Board of Regents awarded the first Fifty Year Kojosho Honor Ring to Mr. Fred Absher for his 50 year commitment to Kojosho. His unique 50 year Honor Ring was designed and crafted by Ron Striegel, and it includes rare Chinese turquoise. Itís impossible to describeóask Mr. Absher to show it to you.