Grand Master J.J. Lee
Our Tae Kwon-Do Roots
The Korean martial art of Tae Kwon-Do originated from martial arts schools (known as kwans) formed at the end of the Second World War when Korea gained liberation from Japan. Among the early kwans the Chung Do Kwan was the first to be founded when it opened its dojang in 1944 in Seoul. It was in 1965 when the name Tae Kwon-Do became official as the various Korean kwans were unified under the Korean Tae Kwon-Do Association and its inaugural president, General Hong-Hi Choi. Tae Kwon-Do roughly translates as foot-hand way or the art of kicking and punching.
Our pioneering instructor, Grand Master Jae Joon (J.J.) Lee was born in Chun-Ju City, South Korea in 1944. He began studying at a Chung Do Kwan dojang when he was 13. At 19 years old he was enlisted in the Korean army. By 1963 he was instructing martial arts in the Korean military. Following his discharge from the army, he was accepted into the Korean Police as an instructor. He won the Police Championships and received top honours in the 1967 Korean National Open Tae Kwon-Do Championship. The following year, Grand Master Lee was invited to a charity demonstration in Singapore. As a result of his impressive display, the Singapore Tae Kwon-Do Association asked him to remain in the country and instruct the art. He left on a world tour two years later to teach and demonstrate Tae Kwon-Do. He was one of the first Korean masters to introduce the art in Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong. On February 13, 1970, Grand Master Lee arrived in Canada and soon settled in Calgary, Alberta to introduce Tae Kwon-Do. He is known for his Chung Do Kwan style and for introducing Tae Kwon-Do in Western Canada. Grand Master Lee passed away on April 6, 2024, at the age of 80 years.
Haechi Traditional Tae Kwon-Do instructors had the honour of training for many years with Grand Master Lee and earning their black belts from him. We continue to train in the same traditional style, focusing on the techniques passed down from Grand Master Lee’s original Chung Do Kwan roots. Our goal is to share our knowledge of Tae Kwon-Do as passed onto us by Grand Master Lee, thereby preserving and propagating his legacy of this formidable martial art.