Grand Master Tae Zee Park
– 9th dan – World Tae Kwon Do Federation
– National Tae Kwon Do Champion – Korea 1963 – 1968
– Captain of Korean Army Tae Kwon Do Team
– Instructor of National Teachers College – Korea
– Member of Korean National Tae Kwon Do Demonstration Team
– Captain of Sung Kyun Kwan University Tae Kwon Do Team
– Founded Tae Park Tae Kwon Do 1974
– Vice Chairman of the U.S. Tae Kwon Do Chung Do Kwan Association
– General Secretary of the Sung Kyun Kwan University Tae Kwon Do Alumni Association
When Grand Master Park was sixteen, he became one of the youngest first-degree black belts in Korea. At his first-degree test, he was rewarded the highest points in forms and free
fighting, but his goal was to become even better. He left home and went to the central studio to practice and study. After earning his second degree, Grand Master Park entered his first
tournament.
Each Tae Kwon Do school sent their top one or two fighters to compete. Each fight consisted of three three-minute rounds. As long as a competitor won, he could progress to the next round.
If he lost, he went back home. In addition to being very good, tournament fighters had to be very strong and in excellent shape. Sometimes a competitor would have fought for five days
in a row to qualify for the final rounds.
Grand Master Park completed his formal education at Sung Kyun University, where he graduated with a major in Government. In addition to his scholastic pursuits, this very special school allowed him to study Tae Kwon Do up to five hours a day. All 350 people in his freshman class were black belts. Grand Master Park was one of the only two or three students picked for special training as part of the university team. He and the other team members worked very hard and received many high honors. In 1964 and 1965, Grand Master Park was the top tournament fighter in all of Korea.
The once shy boy had grown into a strong and brave young man.
After army service, Grand Master Park taught for one year at the Korean National Teachers College, where he earned his sixth dan. He had loved practicing Tae Kwon Do and now he loved teaching it to others.
Grand Master Park changed his style and concentrated on the basics when he reopened his school in Jackson and soon thereafter expanding to Hillsdale College. As the Tae Park Institute grew, Grand Master Park focused on building a strong supportive organization that would produce black belts with solid leadership skills. As the years passed, Grand Master Park opened schools in Springport, Grand Rapids, Hillsdale, Jackson, and Ypsilanti. In 1976 Tae Park Institute conducted it’s first Black Belt testing. Although many students studied under Grand Master Park only these 19 students were part of that first testing.
There were 18 testing for 1st Dan:
Tandy Amburgy, Mike Ascuitto, Lynn Bernard, Steve Burnett, John Carey, Jeff Duane, Mark Good, Thomas Hallin, Wendy Hauser, Gary Jones, Steve Molden, Bruce Park Sr, Ronnie Parker, Leroy Pegler, Ed Rugh, Madeline Matthews-Rugh, Richard Warren, Mike Wittum
There was one testing for 2nd Dan:
Richard Weatherford
Grand Master Park has gone on to create World Class Tae Kwon Do, a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion and advancement of taekwondo.
In 2011 Grand Master Park and WCTKD were privileged to host a very special guest at the Championships held on November 12. Grand Master Woon Kyu Uhm arrived from Korea and attended the event.
Grand Master Park’s students speak of him with great pride and respect. He is viewed as a father figure and mentor. As one of Grand Master Park’s master instructors stated ” The Tae Park Institute will survive a long time because of Grand Master Park’s high caliber physical ability, intelligence, compassion, and family-like loyalty toward his pupils.”
Grand Master Park and his wife, Mrs. Hwy Park, currently live in the Ann Arbor area. His daughter Na Lee graduated from the New York University Law School and is working in Washington, D.C. and daughter Na Na, a University of Michigan Law School graduate, works for the Federal Government in Washington, D.C.. Grand Master Park’s son, Won Hee, is a graduate of Harvard University and now resides in Arizona.
Edited by
Master Michael Madden 5th Dan.
Re-written with permission from Grand Master Park and Northern Michigan Tae Park Tae Kwon Do, NMTPTKD