Pin # 38
1929 – 2007

Grandmaster Jae Joon Kim was born August 15, 1929 in Seoul, Korea, the son of a world champion sumo wrestler. He died January 9, 2007 in Brandon Florida at the age of 77.

He began training directly with Grandmaster Hwang Kee in 1945 and in 1947, earned his 1st Degree Black Belt.

In 1952, he assisted in the formation of the Korean Tang Soo Do (Soo Bahk Do) Association. He served as a top master instructor from 1955 to 1959, and in 1961 was appointed Vice-President of the Association.

From 1967 to 1968, he was the Chief Master Instructor of Korean, U.S. and Vietnamese Special Forces in Vietnam.

At Grandmaster Hwang Kee’s request, he brought Moo Duk Kwan to the United States and founded the Moo Duk Kwan Tang Soo Do Association in Detroit, Michigan. In 1969, Grandmaster Kim was awarded 8th Dan and appointed president of the US Chapter by Grandmaster Hwang Kee.

In the 1970’s, Grandmaster Kim founded his own organization, the World Traditional Tang Soo Do Federation, (formerly the World Moo Duk Kwan Tang Soo Do Federation) and in 1987, moved the world headquarters and his family to Brandon, Florida.

He was inducted into the Tae Kwon Do Times Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Grandmasters Society Hall of Fame in 2006.

The world’s martial art community considered Grandmaster Jae Joon Kim a Master’s Master.