Who is Kim Bok Man?

Answer 1

Kim Bok Man (aka Bok Man Kim) is a tenth degree black belt who has pioneered the international development of traditional taekwondo. Black Belt magazine once called him the "father" of taekwondo, and he has been instructing for more than 50 years. Over the course of his career he has taught and performed for presidents and royalty in Southeast Asia and Europe.


In 1959, Kim visited Saigon at the invitation of the South Vietnamese government to popularize and promote taekwondo to members of the police, military and paramilitary establishments. At the invitation of the government of Taiwan, he performed before the Formosan Police Contingents and members of the National Armed Forces.


In 1963, he arrived in Malaysia with other high-ranking Korean instructors, performing demonstrations throughout the Malaysia peninsula, including command performances for the King of Malaysia and the prime minister. Kim organized the Malaysian Tae Kwon Do Association. For the first time, Kim brought Korean instructors abroad under the name of Tae Kwon Do. During that same year Kim traveled to Singapore. Through public displays he and six other black belts organized a strong following, which led to the birth of the Singapore Tae Kwon Do Association. In 1965 Kim returned to Korea and revamped the entire structure of Tae Kwon Do.


From 1966-1969, Kim based himself in Hong Kong and traveled extensively throughout Asia and Europe. During those years he organized the International Tae Kwon Do Association, the Hong Kong Tae Kwon Do Association and the Brunei Tae Kwon Do Association. He also helped the infant Thai Association in Bangkok get off the ground.
Outside of Asia he established Tae Kwon Do Associations in the United Kingdom, France, Holland, Poland, Portugal, Uganda, Kenya and Australia.


In 2007 Grandmaster Kim Bok Man was inducted into the Taekwondo Hall of Fame in an historic ceremony along with Grandmasters Nam Tae Hi, C.K. Choi, Cho Sang Min, Dong Keun Park, Kim Pyung Soo, Joseph Hayes and members of the first USA Team that competed in the 1st World Championships in Korea (1973), and others. See related links below.