Grandmaster Myung Kyu Kang
Early Years - in Asia
Master Myung Kyu Kang was born in a village
on the plains of Manchuria (now called Shim Yang, China) in the
early 1930s. Practically everyone practiced fighting arts (self
defense) and he started training with his grandfather - the
village self defense leader - at age 3.
With the looming war his family moved to Seoul, Korea where he
started his training under such famous masters as: Sam Yun Nam,
Kye Yoon Lee, and Chang Young Chung. Master Kang also attended and
holds a degree from the University of Korea Yudo College.
In Korea he taught Tae Kwon Do at the Korean Air Force Academy
for 8 years and taught special techniques to the
Korean Air Force 23rd Intelligence School, a very elite special
forces unit.
Master Kang established
many schools including the first Moo Duk Kwan Tae Kwon Do schools in
Seoul, In Chun City, Gin Hae City, and Sachun City. The largest was
Young Don Po school in Seoul, the school attended by the 5 young
masters sponsored by Master Kang to come to the United States in
1968.
Later Years - in United States
Officers of the 728th U.S. Armed Forces,
where Master Kang was teaching, officially invited him to America
and in 1964 he finally made the decision to come. Tae Kwon Do was
under the jurisdiction of the education department of Korea, after
getting approval he came over as a national athlete.
Initially coming to teach at the United States Air Force Academy in
Colorado his desire to study in America grew, after much research
Master Kang moved to Sacramento, CA. Here he attended and taught at
Calif. State University Sacramento, getting both a BA degree in
physical education and a Masters degree in physiology. He retired
from CSUS in 1999 after teaching 29 years as a professor of physical
education focusing on Tae Kwon Do and Judo.
Master Kang was instrumental in getting Tae Kwon Do accepted into
the Amateur Athletic Union.
His rank is 10th degree in Moo Duk Kwan Tae Kwon Do, one of only 3
living 10 degree Grand Masters. Master Kang has taught over 70,000
students and over 5,000 black belts.
In 1989 Master Kang became first foreigner invited to communist China to teach martial arts. He taught for six months as a liberal arts professor at Shanghai University teaching physical education and martial arts.
Class
at Shanghai University
Students at Shanghai University
Young
Don Po School - Seoul, Korea
Teaching at
the Korean Air Force
