Chosun Taekwondo Academy hosts tribute to martial arts legend

On Sunday, November 10, over 40 students from five schools across the tri-state area assembled for the 2024 Grandmaster Richard Chun Tribute Seminar held at the Chosun Taekwondo Academy at 60 Galloway Road in Warwick. The annual event was created to commemorate an icon of the Korean martial arts. This year marks the seventh anniversary of his passing.

Taekwondo pioneer and legend Grandmaster Richard Chun, ninth-degree black belt and one of the highest-ranking master instructors within the borders of the United States, passed away on November 15, 2017. He was known for his landmark textbooks, “Tae Kwon Do: The Korean Martial Art” and “Advancing in Tae Kwon Do,” which serve as a blueprint for traditional taekwondo schools worldwide.

Grandmaster Doug Cook, owner of the Chosun Taekwondo Academy and president of the United States Taekwondo Alliance — the organization founded by Chun in 1980 — was a senior student of Richard Chun for over 25 years.

The program opened with a video retrospective depicting Chun’s contributions to taekwondo, followed by four, one-hour sessions taught by various USTA masters in tandem with Cook. Physical training consisted of martial meditation, flexibility exercises, basic technique, self-defense drills, and execution of “poomsae,” the choreographed, dance-like formal exercises unique to taekwondo.

Grandmaster Cook, ninth-degree black belt, commented by saying, “It was humbling to see so many martial artists from various institutes pay their respect to the legacy of Grandmaster Chun. My teacher was a giant in the martial arts community. I am just honored that that I was accepted by him as a disciple decades ago and have endlessly benefited from his wisdom even to this day.”

For information on the programs offered by the Chosun Taekwondo Academy, or membership in the USTA, visit chosuntkd.com, ustaweb.com, call 845-986-2288, or email the school at info@chosuntkd.com.