__NOTOC__ Cho Hee-il (born October 13, 1940) is a prominent

Korean-American Korean Americans are Americans of Korean ancestry (mostly from South Korea). In 2015, the Korean-American community constituted about 0.56% of the United States population, or about 1.82 million people, and was the fifth-largest Asian Americans ...

master Master or masters may refer to: Ranks or titles * Ascended master, a term used in the Theosophical religious tradition to refer to spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans *Grandmaster (chess), National Master ...

taekwondo ''Taekwondo'', ''Tae Kwon Do'' or ''Taekwon-Do'' (; ko, 태권도/跆拳道 ) is a Korean form of martial arts involving punching and kicking techniques, with emphasis on head-height kicks, spinning jump kicks, and fast kicking techniques. T ...

, holding the rank of 9th ''

dan Dan or DAN may refer to: People * Dan (name), including a list of people with the name ** Dan (king), several kings of Denmark * Dan people, an ethnic group located in West Africa **Dan language, a Mande language spoken primarily in Côte d'Ivoir ...

'' in the martial art.Action International Martial Arts Association: Grandmaster Hee Il Cho
Retrieved on 27 January 2010. He has written 11 martial art books, produced 70 martial art training videos, and has appeared on more than 70 martial arts magazine covers. Cho won several national and international competitions as a taekwondo competitor, and has appeared in several films, including ''

Fight to Win Combat ( French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent conflict meant to physically harm or kill the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed ( not using weapons). Combat is sometimes resorted to as a method of self-defense, or ...

'', ''

Best of the Best Best or The Best may refer to: People * Best (surname), people with the surname Best * Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer Companies and organizations * Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain * Best Lock Corporation ...

'', '' Bloodsport II'', and ''

Bloodsport III ''Bloodsport III'' is a 1997 action film produced and directed by Alan Mehrez. It is the third film in the ''Bloodsport'' franchise. It was released direct-to-video in 1997 and starred Daniel Bernhardt for the second time as Alex Cardo. Plot ''B ...

''. He founded the Action International Martial Arts Association (AIMAA) in 1980,Action International Martial Arts Association
Retrieved on 27 January 2010. and is its President. Cho is a member of both ''

Black Belt Black Belt may refer to: Martial arts * Black belt (martial arts), an indication of attainment of expertise in martial arts * ''Black Belt'' (magazine), a magazine covering martial arts news, technique, and notable individuals Places * Black B ...

'' magazine's Hall of FameInverclyde Cho's Taekwondo: About Grandmaster Cho
Retrieved on 27 January 2010. and ''

Tae Kwon Do Times __NOTOC__ ''Tae Kwon Do Times'' is a magazine devoted to the martial art of taekwondo, and is published in the United States of America.

Early life

Cho was born in Pohang,Kahele, R. (c. 2006)
Grandmaster Flash
''Hana Hou! The magazine of Hawaiian Airlines'' (c. 2006). Retrieved on 27 January 2010. Korea, on 13 October 1940,
Retrieved on 30 January 2010.Internet Movie Database: Master Hee Il Cho
Retrieved on 27 January 2010. during the period of Japanese occupation. He was the eldest of three brothers.Fraguas, J. (c. 1990)
Taekwondo's Hee II Cho values the stability of tradition, but recognizes the need to move forward
Retrieved on 30 January 2010. He began training in the martial arts when he was around 10 years old.Young, R. W. (c. 2007)
Hee Il Cho: The martial arts were different then
''Black Belt'' (archive). Retrieved on 27 January 2010. In an interview, he commented on his childhood in

Pohang Pohang () is a city in the province of North Gyeongsang, South Korea, and a main seaport in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region. The built-up area of Pohang is located on the alluvium of the mouth of the Hyeongsan River. The city is divided into two wa ...

, Korea: "Although they were not really gang members, young people used to roam from town to town and beat up kids and take away their toys. One time, I was beaten up by some boys around 12 or 13 years old. At the time I thought it was pretty bad, so I wanted to protect myself." Cho attained the rank of 1st ''dan''

black belt Black Belt may refer to: Martial arts * Black belt (martial arts), an indication of attainment of expertise in martial arts * ''Black Belt'' (magazine), a magazine covering martial arts news, technique, and notable individuals Places * Black B ...

by the age of 13, and had reached 4th ''dan'' by the age of 21. In addition to taekwondo, he also trained in

boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...

for two years.Cho, H. I. (1981): ''The complete martial artist'' (Vol. 1). Los Angeles: Author ().

Career

In 1962, at the age of 22, Cho entered the Korean army for compulsory military service; during that time, he taught taekwondo to special forces in the Korean, Indian, and US armies. In 1968, Cho emigrated from South Korea to the United States of America. At the time, he held the rank of 6th ''dan''.Corcoran, J. (1978)
Hee Il Cho ... man of contrast: Here's one Korean instructor who stands above the crowd
''Inside Kung Fu'' (January 1978). Retrieved on 30 January 2010. He initially moved to Chicago, but did not stay for long, moving through

South Bend South Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total of 103,453 residents and is the fourt ...

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

, and

Providence Providence often refers to: * Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion * Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in Christianity * Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...

, before settling in Los Angeles in 1975.Sfetas, G., & Howell, N. (1981)
Hee Il Cho: Man of contrasts
''Combat'' (February 1981). Retrieved on 30 January 2010. Cho was based in Los Angeles for around 25 years, before moving to

Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

, and a few years later, to Hawaii. During the early days of teaching in the US, there were at least two incidents in which challengers attacked Cho, and in one of these incidents, the challenger later sued Cho for injuries he received as a result of attacking Cho.Zimmerman, R. (1978)
Karate and the automatic response: Can a karateka utilize his skill in a self-defense encounter without betraying the spirit of the arts?
''Black Belt'' (October 1978). Retrieved on 30 January 2010. Cho later commented in an interview: "All this has created a great conflict within me, for if I cannot use my skill to protect myself from any person who walks in off the street and demands a fight, how can I hope my students will retain confidence in my ability to teach them this skill? And yet, if I use my skill and hurt someone, even in self-defense, have I not betrayed the spirit of what martial arts are all about?" Cho's books include ''Man of Contrasts'' (1981), ''The Complete Martial Artist'' (1981; two volumes),Cho, H. I. (1981): ''The complete martial artist'' (Vol. 2). Los Angeles: Author. ''The Complete Tae Kwon Do Hyung'' (1984; three volumes covering the Chang Hon patterns), ''The Complete Tae Geuk Hyung WTF'' (1988), and ''The Complete One & Three Step Sparring'' (1988).Cho, H. I. (1988): ''The complete one & three step sparring''. Albuquerque, NM: Author (). During the late 1980s, Cho was also Senior Grading Examiner of the Tae Kwon-Do Association of Great BritainCornwall Tae Kwon-Do Instructor Profiles
(c. 2010). Retrieved on 23 March 2010.Murray's Taekwondo: Andy Murray
(c. 2005). Retrieved on 23 March 2010. and of Ireland, and was subsequently involved in Global Tae Kwon-Do International in the early 1990s.

Action International Martial Arts Association

Cho founded the Action International Martial Arts Association in 1980. This

martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...

organization specializes in

, with schools in cities throughout the United States and Europe. The association sponsors various championships in Europe. Notable students include Philip Ameris and John D'arcy.

Personal life

Cho has two brothers, Kuy-ha Cho (Vice-President of AIMAA) and In-kyu Cho (Chairman of AIMAA), who are also martial art masters. Cho's first wife was Sally Walsh, who demonstrates self-defence techniques in the second volume of Cho's ''Complete Martial Artist'' books. His second wife is named Mihyun. Cho has one son and one daughter: Jacob, 2nd ''dan'', based in

Laguna Beach Laguna Beach (; ''Laguna'', Spanish for "Lagoon") is a seaside resort city located in southern Orange County, California, in the United States. It is known for its mild year-round climate, scenic coves, environmental preservation efforts, and a ...

, California Cho's Academy: Mr. Jacob Cho – Head Instructor
Retrieved on 27 January 2010. and Jasmine, who also trains in taekwondo. Cho underwent open-heart surgery in 2006,Cho, J. (2008)
Grandmaster Hee-il Cho: Just as strong at 67
''Tae Kwon Do Times'' (May 2008). Retrieved on 27 January 2010. and currently lives and teaches in Honolulu, Hawaii.

References

External links