WISCONSIN NATIONAL KARATE FOR ALL AGES!
In 1945, Chung Do Kwan, Korea's first post war dojan (school) is opened by Master Won Kook Lee. Jhoon Rhee would later become a student and then instructor at the Chung Do Kwan.
Then in 1955, Korean Martial Arts leaders unify several kwans (schools) and adopt the term "Tae Kwon Do" as created and submitted by General Choi Hong Hi, the President of the Korean Tae Kwon Do Association.
In 1956, Jhoon Rhee moves to the United States and attends San Marcos Southwest Texas State College and opens a "Karate Club" at the college.
Jhoon Rhee is now known as the "Father of American Tae Kwon Do" because he is the first person to bring Tae Kwon Do from Korea to the United States. As Mr. Rhee's students become Black Belts, the little known sport of martial arts begins to grow.
Because of this growth under Master Rhee's tutelage, Texas becomes one of the most important and prolific martial arts areas in the country. The American style of Tae Kwon Do practiced there soon became nationally recognized for its bruising style of fighting and was often referred to as "Tex Kwon Do" reflecting its Texas roots.
It was in this hard-hitting environment that Chuck Norris, John Worley, Larry Carnahan and others of that era earned their stripes and would eventually spread martial arts across the country.
Some of Mr. Rhee's first Black Belts, Allen Steen and J. Pat Burleson open the first commercial martial arts schools in Texas.
It was at the 1964 Long Beach Karate Championships where Bruce Lee first met taekwondo master Jhoon Rhee. The two developed a friendship — a relationship from which they both benefited as martial artists.
Jhoon Rhee taught Lee the side kick in detail, and Lee taught Rhee the "non-telegraphic" punch. John Worley, the founder of the National Karate Schools would later perform Karate demonstrations with Bruce Lee in the 1970's.
IIn 1960 Jhoon Rhee departs Texas and moves to Washington D. C. and opens the professional chain of martial arts schools known as the Jhoon Rhee Institute.
He asks John Worley to join him to manage and instruct at one of his schools and later that year Larry Carnahan joins them. They soon become the Institutes top instructors. Master Rhee becomes a very successful businessman and in addition to his prosperous chain of martial arts schools, he invents the first line of martial arts protective gear.
Mr. Worley tells the humorous story of how he and the other Jhoon Rhee instructors would be asked to test Master Rhee's first prototypes of martial arts gloves and footpads made of foam rubber and duct tape. When the instructors were asked what they thought of the new pads the universal answer was almost always, "They need more padding Mr. Rhee!" Jhoon Rhee finally perfects the sparring equipment, which is very similar to the equipment that we still use today.
Grand Master Rhee is one of the few true 10th Degree Black Belts in the United States (the highest possible rank in the martial arts). He now spends his time training U.S. Senators and Congressmen and other famous students.
Both Mr. Worley and Mr. Carnahan have a very storied history in shaping martial arts in America. Here are some highlights:
In 1973, Mr. Worley and Mr. Carnahan decided that Middle America was ready for the martial arts. With Master Rhee's blessing they and some associates moved to Minnesota and opened Mid-America Karate, what eventually became known as The National Karate Schools. (Even though National Karate teaches Tae Kwon Do, Karate, Kickboxing and other blends of martial arts, the name "Karate" was chosen because it was the most recognized label for martial arts in the 1970's.) In those days, karate was not well known and most landlords were not willing to lease to a bunch of out-of-town guys who wanted to open a karate school. So after being rejected by landlords at all their desired locations they instead had to eventually settle for the one place that was willing to rent them space. Even though they didn't get to open in their most desired location it didn't matter because through their hard work, determination and passion, they eventually grew their organization to be the market leader in their region. As of this writing the Minnesota National Karate Schools have 23 full time locations.
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