List of taekwondo practitioners explained
This is a list of highly notable practitioners of Taekwondo.
Grandmasters
See main article: List of taekwondo grandmasters.
Choi H.H and Original Twelve Masters of Taekwondo
See also: Original masters of taekwondo.
- Choi Hong-hi (Chung Do Kwan → Oh Do Kwan → KTA → ITF) – Founder of International Taekwon-Do Federation. While contested,[1] [2] Choi is still regarded by many as the "Founder of Taekwon-Do".[3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
- Nam Tae-hi (Chung Do Kwan → ITF) – was a pioneering South Korean master of taekwondo[8] [9] [10] [11] and is known as the "Father of Vietnamese Taekwondo".[8] With Choi Hong-hi, he co-founded the "Oh Do Kwan" and led the twelve original masters of taekwondo of the Korea Taekwon-Do Association (KTA).[8] [12]
- Choi Chang-keun (ITF) – began his martial arts training in the South Korean army in 1956, studying taekwondo and karate.[13] Choi taught taekwondo in Malaysia from 1964, and moved to Vancouver, Canada, in 1970.[13] In 1973, he held the rank of 7th dan. Choi was promoted to 8th dan in 1981 by H. H. Choi, and attained the rank of 9th dan in 2002.[13] He is still based in Vancouver.
- Choi Kwang-jo (other/Choi Kwang Do) – Following a career in the South Korean military, he emigrated to the United States in 1970. Choi is the founder and head of the Choi Kwang Do international martial art organization, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.[14] [15]
- Han Cha-kyo (Oh Do Kwan → ITF → UTF) – Following a career in the South Korean military, he emigrated to the United States in 1971 with his wife and newborn daughter. After teaching taekwondo for many years in Chicago, he died in 1996.
- Kim Jong-chan (ITF) – based in Vancouver, Canada.
- Kim Kwang-il (ITF) – contributed to the introduction of taekwondo into West Germany.[16] He was head instructor of the ITF in West Germany, but was relieved of this duty in October 1971.[17] In 1975, Kim was ranked 6th dan. He promoted Rolf Becking, head of the ITF Germany Technical Committee, to the rank of 2nd dan in 1976 in Stuttgart, West Germany.[18] Between 1974 and 1977 Kim had a restaurant in Stuttgart and had completed training as a Brewmeister prior to 1974.
- Kong Young-il (ITF) – Following a career in the South Korean military, Kong emigrated to the United States just before or in 1968. He and his younger brother, Young-bo Kong, founded the Young Brothers Taekwondo Associates in 1968. Kong was promoted to the rank of 9th dan in 1997 by H. H. Choi in Poland. He is based in Las Vegas.
- Park Jong-soo (ITF) – In 1968, Park settled in Toronto, Canada.[19] In 1973, he held the rank of 7th dan.[20] Park and Choi went their separate ways after Choi insisted on establishing relations with North Korea during a politically sensitive period.[21]
- Park Jung-tae (ITF → GTF) – Park moved to Toronto, Canada in 1970.[22] During the 1970s, Park established the Manitoba Tae Kwon-Do Association.[23] In 1975, he was ranked 6th dan.[24] At the time, he was ranked 8th dan in the ITF[25] and in November 1984, Park was elected Secretary-General of the ITF.[26] He also held the position of Technical Chairman of the ITF.[27] Park founded the Global Taekwondo Federation (GTF) on 14 June 1990, the year after his departure from the ITF due to North–South Korean political issues.[28] [29] [30] He created six additional hyung to be practised along with the earlier ITF patterns.[27] Amongst those who affiliated with the GTF was Sabree Salleh in 1998.[31] Shortly before he died, Park promoted Salleh to 9th dan (GTF).[31]
- Park Sun-jae alias S.J. Park (ITF → WT) – a pioneer of taekwondo in Italy.[32] He introduced taekwondo to Italy around 1968.[33] In 1968, he was ranked 5th dan,[34] and in 1975, he was ranked 7th dan.[24] He was elected vice-president (Italy) in the European Tae Kwon Do Union (within the World Taekwondo Federation) at the union's inaugural meeting in 1976.[35] In 2002, he was a member of the arbitration board for the WT's World Cup Taekwondo championship in Tokyo.[36] On 15 February 2004, the Executive Council of the WT elected him as Acting President of the WT following Un-yong Kim's resignation from the presidency of the organisation.[37] He is Vice President (Italy) of the WT.[38] Park was President of the Federazione Italiana Taekwondo (Italian Taekwondo Federation) around 1998,[33] and still held the position as of 2008[39] and 2009.[40]
- Chong-chul Rhee (KTA → Rhee Taekwondo) – South Korean master of taekwondo who arrived to Australia in the 1960s.[41] He is the founder of Rhee Taekwon-Do, which is widely publicised as Australia's first and biggest taekwondo school.[42] [43] [44] Rhee holds the title 'World Master' and the rank of 8th dan in taekwondo.[41] [42] [43] [45]
- Rhee Chong-hyup alias C.H Rhee (KTA → Rhee Taekwondo)– In the mid-1960s, he contributed to the introduction of taekwondo to Malaysia and Singapore. He arrived in Australia in 1970 and settled in Melbourne, Australia. Rhee is in charge of Rhee Taekwon-Do operations in Melbourne.[46] [47]
- Rhee Ki-ha (ITF) – widely recognised as the 'Father of British Taekwon-Do' for introducing the martial art to the United Kingdom since arriving in 1967.[48] He is also considered the 'Father of Irish Taekwon-Do'.[49]
Other notable grandmasters
Olympic medalists
All the practitioners listed in this section are part of World Taekwondo.[58] [59] [60]
Kickboxers and Mixed Martial Artists
Celebrity practitioners
- Chuck Norris - while primarily known as Tang Soo Do practitioner, as well as having devised his own martial arts system,[80] Norris was awarded 8th Dan Black Belt in Taekwondo in 1997 - being the first American to receive such honor.[81]
- Michael Imperioli - American actor, writer, director and musician, best known for his role as Christopher Moltisanti in the HBO crime drama The Sopranos (1999–2007). He and his family are avid practitioners of Taekwondo.[82]
- Jean-Claude Van Damme
- Sarah Michelle Gellar
- Jessica Alba
- Criss Angel
- Phil Mickelson
- D'Brickashaw Ferguson - former American football offensive tackle who played ten seasons for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He is a brown belt in taekwondo.[83] [84]
- Dave Mustaine - American musician. He is the co-founder, lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and primary songwriter of the thrash metal band Megadeth. Mustaine holds a black belt in taekwondo and was made a Goodwill Ambassador of the World by the World Taekwondo Federation in 2007.[85]
- Eric Roberts
- Michael Jai White - has studied various martial arts, including Taekwondo.[86] [87]
- Joe Rogan - According to Black Belt Magazine, Rogan started competing in taekwondo tournaments at 15 and claimed his U.S. Open title four years later.[88] [89]
- Katheryn Winnick[90]
- Sean Patrick Flanery
- Rick Yune
- Will Yun Lee
- Evan Rachel Wood
- Willie Nelson
- Patrick Swayze
- Ryan Phillippe
- Lorenzo Lamas
- Emmanuel Lewis[91]
- Mackenzie Foy[92]
- Noah Ringer
- Jerry Trimble
- Young Kun Kim (alias Y.K Kim) – received a taekwondo black belt at age 13, making him among the youngest in Korea to do so. At first he studied and taught taekwondo in Korea. In 1976 he moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina and taught taekwondo there. In 1977 he moved to New York City. In 1978 he moved to Orlando, Florida and opened Y.K. Kim's TaeKwon-Do, his first taekwondo school.[93] Known also for the 1987 cult movie Miami Connection, which Y.K Kim produced and starred in.[94]
- Phillip Rhee - South Korean-American martial artist, actor, director, screenwriter, and film producer, most famous for his role in the Best of the Best movie series.[95] [96] While primarily known as a Hapkido practitioner, he also holds a black belt in Taekwondo.[97]
- Simon Rhee
- Gary Daniels[98] [99]
- Scott Adkins
- Dick Wei
- Donnie Yen - Hong Kong martial artist and actor. As the son of a Chinese martial artist, he primarily trained Kung Fu in his youth however learnt Taekwondo as well as other martial arts in his teenage years. He has achieved a 6th Dan Black Belt[100]
- Adrian Paul
- Brenda Song
- Akshay Kumar - obtained a black belt in Taekwondo while in India.[101]
- Ariel Winter[102]
- Tiger Shroff[103]
- Sun Chien - Taiwanese actor and martial artist worked in Hong Kong known for his Taekwondo kicks (earning him a nickname "Korean Kicker" despite the fact being not a Korean) and his career as a member of Venom Mob, a group of actors-martial artists who starred in 1978 Shaw Brothers film Five Deadly Venoms, in which he plays as Gao Ji/the Scorpion, as well as other films from that studio both with and without Venom Mob.
- Dev Patel - a British actor known for Slumdog Millionaire and The Last Airbender, started to train in Taekwondo when he was a teenager and competed in both national and international championships, including the 2004 AIMAA (Action International Martial Arts Association) World Championships in Dublin, Ireland competing as a red belt fighting against red belt and other black belts in junior division, winning a bronze medal after losing to an Irish black belt named Niall Fitzmaurice in "a very close and tough fight" in the semifinals. Patel later earned a first degree black belt in 2006.[104]
- Ho Chung Tao Taiwanese Martial artist and retired actor famous from the Hong Kong Bruceplotiation era of martial arts movies.
Honorary Black belts
- Barack Obama – studied taekwondo from 2001 to 2005, when he served as a junior senator in Illinois. In 2009 Obama was awarded honorary black belt by then-South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak.[105] [106]
- Arnold Schwarzenegger[107]
- Vladimir Putin (WT) – Was awarded 9th Degree Black Belt by World Taekwondo in 2013.[108] World Taekwondo stripped Putin's Honorary belt after the instigation of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[109] [110]
- Donald Trump (WT) – was presented with the honor by Lee Dong Seop, the president of Kukkiwon, on November 22, 2021. This event drew public derision, due to Trump's general negative image and his generally perceived lack of fitness required for the martial art.[111] [112] [113]
- Zlatan Ibrahimovic – was awarded an honorary black belt in 2010.[114]
Notes and References
- http://www.wtf.org/wtf_eng/site/about_taekwondo/present_day.html Present Day Taekwondo (WTF)
- Son, D. S. (1959): Letter in Seoul Shinmoon newspaper (16 June 1959) Retrieved on 20 September 2007.
- http://itfline.org/about-us/ International Taekwon-Do Federation
- http://www.itf-administration.com/ International Taekwon-Do Federation
- http://www.tkd-itf.org/pub_web/ver_eng/organisation.html International Taekwon-Do Federation
- http://msplhs02.bon.at/~admin190/index.php?id=12 International Taekwon-Do Federation
- http://www.itfnz.org.nz/what/profile.html General Choi (ITFNZ)
- http://wtaonline.net/namtaehi.htm World Taekwon-Do Alliance: Grand Master Nam Tae-hi
- http://www.tkd-center.net/grandmaster_vanbinh.htm Grandmaster Van Binh Nguyen, IX degree
- Burdick, D. (1990): A history of Taekwondo Retrieved on 8 January 2010.
- http://www.vanbinhsda.com/taekwon-do_history Van Binh Self Defense Academy: History of Taekwon-Do
- http://www.itfnz.org.nz/ref/documents/masters.htm A tribute to the original masters
- http://www.taekwondopioneers.com/grand_master.html Tae Kwon Do Pioneers: Grand Master C. K. Choi
- Choi, H. H. (1972): Taekwon-Do: The Korean art of self-defence. Mississauga: International Taekwon-Do Federation.
- http://www.itfnz.org.nz/ref/documents/masters.htm A tribute to the original masters
- http://www.ksc-dojang78.de/ego.htm Kampfsportclub Dojang 78: Wir über uns
- http://www.taekwondo-homepage.de/hintergrundwissen/geschichte-des-taekwondo/ Taekwondo Homepage: Geschichte des Taekwondo
- http://www.itf-d.de/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=143 International Taekwon-Do Federation Deutschland: Rolf Becking
- http://www.jongpark.com/jongsoopark_biography.html Grand Master Jong-soo Park: Biography
- http://tkd-gorenjske.si/en/index.php?subpage=2 International Taekwon-Do Association Slovenia: ITF history
- Gillis, A. (2003): Tiny master Toro, June–July 2003:100–107. Retrieved on 31 January 2010.
- http://www.taekwondotimes.com/index.php?PAGE_ID=678 TaeKwonDo Times: Taking the Wheel – More with Grandmaster Linda Park
- http://www.members.shaw.ca/globalwinnipegtkd/about.htm Global Winnipeg Taekwon-Do: About Our Club
- http://www.derbytkd.co.uk/40-years-of-taekwondo/ Derby School of Taekwon-Do: Forty years of Taekwon-Do in the United Kingdom
- http://www.mastersblackbelt.com.au/profile_berniekorent.html IIMA: Bernie Korent
- http://www.taekwondo-legacy.com/founder-bio9.php Taekwondo Legacy: The Founder – Biography (p. 9)
- http://web.mac.com/gtftaekwondo/GTF/Style.html Global Taekwon-Do Federation: Style
- Younglai, R. (2002): Obituary of Grand Master Park Retrieved on 14 February 2009.
- http://web.mac.com/gtftaekwondo/GTF/GTF.html Global Taekwondo Federation: GTF
- http://nptaekwondoacademy.com/page5.htm NP Tae Kwon Do Academy: History of Global Tae Kwon Do Federation
- Web site: World of Grand Master Dato' Dr. Sabree Salleh: Chronology in Martial Arts and Taekwon-Do Training . 2009-02-17 . bot: unknown . https://web.archive.org/web/20080822084016/http://www.geocities.com/taekwondo_mgtf/chron.html . August 22, 2008 . Retrieved on 17 February 2009.
- Lee, K.-M. (2000): Taekwondo on the world stage Koreana: A quarterly on Korean art and culture, 14(4):20–23. Retrieved 18 January 2010.
- Fumarola, M. (c. 1998): Taekwondo Magazine: Il Taekwondo in Italia . Retrieved 18 January 2010.
- http://www.smsportnet.com/sport/taekwondo_croatia.php Sport & Recreation in Croatia: Taekwondo
- Anonymous (1977): "European Tae Kwon Do Union inaugurated at first European meet." Black Belt, 15(1):11.
- http://www.wtf.org/wtf_eng/site/hall/01_international_championships/03-World%20Cup_Taekwondo/WorldCup_2002.html World Taekwondo Federation: 2002 World Cup Taekwondo
- http://www.wtf.org/wtf_eng/site/about_wtf/history.html World Taekwondo Federation: History
- http://www.wtf.org/wtf_eng/site/about_wtf/executive.html World Taekwondo Federation: Council
- http://www.roma2008tkd.it/home.php Roma 2008: European Taekwondo Championships
- Kang, S.-W. (2009): Choue re-elected as WTF head The Korea Times (14 October 2009). Retrieved 20 May 2010.
- http://www.rheetkd.com/master_rhee_interview.html An interview with World Master Chong-chul Rhee, 8th Dan, the Father of Australian Taekwon-Do
- See the Martial Arts section of the Yellow Pages telephone directory from any Australian state capital city since at least the 1980s.
- See the back cover of Australasian Fighting Arts since at least 1995, including volumes 17(6) from 1995, 18(4) from 1996, and 19(1) from 1997.
- http://www.rheetaekwon-do.com/home.htm Rhee Taekwon-Do: Brisbane and Sunshine Coast Regions
- http://www.rheetkd.info/ Rhee Tae Kwon Do: Mildura/Sunraysia Region
- Anonymous (2005): Crunch time for students Latrobe Valley Express (29 August 2005). Retrieved 5 January 2010.
- http://rhee-tkd.blogspot.com/2005/08/training-centres-and-times.html Rhee Taekwon-Do (Victoria): Training centres and times
- http://www.ukta.com/gmr.php Grand Master Rhee Ki-ha, 9th Dan
- http://www.rita-itf.org/student-gmrhee.htm Republic of Ireland Taekwon-Do Association: Grand Master Rhee Ki-ha, 9th degree black belt
- Web site: The Official Taekwondo Hall of Fame – List of Instructors. Taekwondo Hall of Fame.
- Web site: The Greats of Taekwondo – Grandmaster Sun-hwan Chung. Taekwondo Hall of Fame.
- Web site: Sun-hwan Chung Biography – Chung's Black Belt Taekwondo & Hapkido. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140907024726/http://www.chungsunhwan.com/default2.asp?active_page_id=206. September 7, 2014.
- https://www.manilatimes.net/2013/10/12/sports/monsour-del-rosarios-legend-lives-among-filipino-jins/44216/44216/ Master Monsour under GM Hong's tutelage
- https://sports.inquirer.net/192959/senator-poe-blackbelter Young Senator Poe under GM Hong
- https://www.olympic.org/sung-chon-hong Born on 03 MAY 1945
- http://theseoultimes.com/ST/?url=/ST/db/read.php?idx=1012 Grand Master Jhoon Rhee returns home to serve as Youngsan Univ.'s Chair Professor
- Kang, S.-W. (2008): Taekwondo grandmaster lectures at Yonsei University The Korea Times (10 January 2008). Retrieved on 26 January 2010.
- Web site: Hartman . History of Taekwondo: Road to the Olympics . TKD Tutor . 2000 . 2009-04-25 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090307005702/http://tkdtutor.com/02Taekwondo/TaekwondoHistory/16Olympics01.htm . March 7, 2009 . (Link has expired, as at 28 February 2010.)
- Web site: Breakthrough deal to allow N. Koreans to compete in Olympic taekwondo competitions . English.yonhapnews.co.kr . 29 December 2014.
- Web site: introduction . World Taekwondo Federation . 29 December 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141216022837/http://www.worldtaekwondofederation.net/about-the-federation . 16 December 2014 . dead . dmy-all .
- Web site: Saei Bonehkohal, Hadi.
- Web site: 18th ATU Championships -Zheng Zhou, China – April 26–28 . August 23, 2008 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080514033945/http://www.taekwondoiranfed.com/english/index.asp . May 14, 2008 .
- Web site: Yousef KARAMI. 2021-09-24. Olympics.com.
- Web site: Jade Jones gives Britain first taekwondo gold. The Times of India. 8 August 2012. 19 June 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200619172930/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/london-olympics-2012/news/Jade-Jones-gives-Britain-first-taekwondo-gold/articleshow/15428759.cms/. dead.
- Web site: Rousseau . Robert . Anthony Pettis, Lyoto Machida, and More Proving That The Traditional Martial Arts Can Help In The Cage . Fighters.com . December 26, 2010 . February 28, 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20141006111603/http://www.fighters.com/12/26/anthony-pettis-lyoto-machida-and-more-proving-that-the-traditional-martial-arts-hold-worth-in-the-cage/ . October 6, 2014 .
- Web site: Hernandez. Jose. UFC 211: Yair Rodriguez – 2017 Is My Year. https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/VwJciYmZ1NE. 2021-12-11 . live. Youtube. UFC – Ultimate Fighting Championship. May 11, 2017.
- News: Nomeado embaixador, Anderson Silva mostra arrependimento por deixar modalidade. ahe!. pt. Francisco Junior. 4 June 2012. 26 January 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150202155129/http://www.ahebrasil.com.br/noticias/2012/05/28/taekwondo/nomeado+embaixador+anderson+silva+mostra+arrependimento+por+deixar+modalidade.html. 2 February 2015. dead.
- Web site: Biography. FIGHT! Magazine Staff. FIGHT! Magazine. 8 July 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20131021003328/http://madeira.hccanet.org/project1/cassidyp1/biography.html. 21 October 2013. dead.
- Web site: 'Ajde Mirko, dosta je bilo, 11 je sati. Do kad ti misliš udarati?' . 24sata. . 6 January 2021.
- Web site: Rose Namajunas UFC. UFC.com. 14 September 2018. June 4, 2021.
- Web site: Rose Namajunas: To survive is to find meaning in the suffering. MixedMartialArts.com. 2013-02-10. 2013-06-11. 2015-11-10. https://web.archive.org/web/20151110034114/http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/news/435804/Rose-Namajunas-To-survive-is-to-find-meaning-in-the-suffering. dead.
- Web site: Valentina Shevchenko Talks Cross Sport Success; Signing to Legacy MMA. Wombat Sports. February 10, 2015. February 10, 2015.
- Web site: Jung Chan Sung profile . Sengoku-official.com . ja . March 20, 2009 . March 14, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090314151235/http://www.sengoku-official.com/pc/fighters/j/jung_chansung/index.html . dead .
- Web site: Technique Talk: Michael 'Venom' Page goes from freestyle to 'Six30' kickboxing. mmafighting.com. 2 November 2014.
- Web site: Venom Page Tells 411: "I'm Hungry For My Bellator 140 Fight". 411mania.com. 17 July 2015.
- Web site: Michael Venom Page: The UK'S Breakout MMA Star Takes Point-Fighting to the Cage. fightland.vice.com. 12 August 2016.
- Web site: Bellator 144's Michael Page: The Real MVP. combatpress.com. 21 October 2015.
- Web site: Thanh Le exclusive: ONE Featherweight champ talks taekwondo having a 'bad rep'. Jake Skudder. 5 July 2022 . GiveMeSport. 22 November 2022. One of the biggest elements of Le’s combat sports history is his time training in his father’s taekwondo gym, and we discussed his love of the discipline and how he wants to change perceptions of it..
- Web site: Cung Le's Roots are in Taekwondo. Marc Zirogiannis. 1 July 2019 . Taekwondo Life Magazine. 4 February 2024.
- News: Body Watch; Kicking Old Habits; Chuck Norris found he couldn't eat just anything after he hit his mid-30s. These days, TV's top ranger feasts on veggies, fowl and fish. And he tries to keep his distance from peanut clusters. . . Candace A. . Wedlan . October 2, 1996 . February 20, 2020 . September 19, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180919193557/http://articles.latimes.com/1996-10-02/news/ls-49498_1_chuck-norris . live .
- Book: Haney-Withrow. Anna. 2012. Tae Kwon Do. 18 . Cavendish Square Publishing, LLC. 9780761449409. One of the most famous practitioners of taekwondo is an American, Chuck Norris. In 1997, Norris became the first American to be awarded an eighth degree black belt in taekwondo.
- Web site: Imperioli: Tae Kwon Do Changed His Life. VERENA. DOBNIK. 28 January 2007. washingtonpost.com.
- Web site: Board of Directors.
- News: D'man Behind D' Name . Sports Illustrated. April 10, 2006. June 11, 2010.
- Web site: "Taekwondo Changed My Life" Says Megadeth Leader Dave Mustaine . wtf.org . 2021-06-07 . 2016-03-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160322192055/http://www.wtf.org//bbs/bbs.php?&bbs_cate=&bbs_code=10004&bbs_no=1222&bbs_num=35&keyword=&page=3&search=&symode=view . dead .
- "Male Celebs Who Practice Martial Arts", Jet magazine, Sept. 24, 1903, at pp. 38-39.
- News: Michael Jai White Ignites Black Dynamite. Pollard. Edward. Black Belt Magazine. 2009-12-27. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20100102132306/http://blackbeltmag.com/michael_jai_white_black_dynamite/archives/816. January 2, 2010.
- Web site: Joe Rogan Owes His Success to Taekwondo, Thai Boxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu – Black Belt Magazine . Blackbeltmag.com . 21 January 2019. 2022-06-25.
- Web site: Hyson . Sean . The Martial Arts-Inspired Joe Rogan Fighting Workout | Men's Journal . Mensjournal.com . 2022-06-25.
- News: Vikings – Katheryn Winnick Conference Call . SpoilerTV . March 1, 2013 . March 1, 2015 .
- News: Emmanuel Lewis: As the Pint-Size Webster, He Reached New Heights. People. 28 November 1994. 2012-10-10. 2012-10-14. https://web.archive.org/web/20121014062023/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20104500,00.html. dead.
- Web site: Mackenzie Foy's Instagram is Proof She Was Destined to be a Disney Princess .
- News: Smith. Denise L.. Grand master of daring moves Y.K. Kim keeps coming back when odds seem to mount against him. 23 April 2018. Orlando Sentinel. Central Florida Business p. 13. Orlando Sentinel. 12 September 1988. orlandosentinel1988.
- "Milestones: At age 13, was among youngest in Korea to achieve black belt in TaeKwon-Do. Studied and taught TaeKwon-Do in Korea until 1976, when he moved to Buenos Aires to teach the martial art. Moved to New York in 1977 and then to Orlando in 1978, where he opened his first school, Y.K. Kim's TaeKwon-Do."
- Ayers, Mike. "'Miami Connection' goes from flop to fame." CNN. November 8, 2012. Retrieved on December 1, 2012.
- News: Plot Defeats 'Best' Karate Sequences. The Los Angeles Times. 2011-01-13.
- News: A BLEND OF TWO GENRES FOUND IN 'NINJA TURF'. The Los Angeles Times. 2011-01-13.
- Up-and-Coming Martial Arts Movie Stars . 22 . 32 . 5 . 0277-3066 . Black Belt. Terence . Allen. 1 May 1994. Active Interest Media, Inc.. Google Books. A black belt in both taekwondo and hapkido, Phillip Rhee burst onto the martial arts movie scene in Best of the Best... Rhee followed up that role in 1993, show-casing his kicking and joint-manipulation skills in Best of the Best II..
- . February 1, 1995. Daniels' "North Star" Set for '95 Release. Black Belt Magazine (February 1995 issue). 69. March 9, 2023. ... A black belt in taekwondo, Daniels has 23 years of martial arts training, including background in kickboxing, ninjutsu, aikido and shaolin kung fu..
- Terrence Allen. Meet the Martial Arts Movie Stars of the Next Century . Black Belt Magazine (Jan 1996 issue) . 57. Beginning his martial arts studies at the age of 8, he has a black belt in taekwondo.... January 1996. March 9, 2023.
- https://www.mixedmartialarts.com/vault/top-5-highest-ranking-black-belts-hollywood
- Web site: AS . Sashidhar . Akshay obtained a black belt in Taekwondo . The Times of India . 8 September 2012 . 29 November 2015 . 7 January 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160107054738/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/telugu/movies/did-you-know-/Akshay-obtained-a-black-belt-in-Taekwondo/articleshow/16312135.cms . live .
- News: 10 Fun Facts About Ariel Winter's Life Before Modern Family. thethings.com. September 21, 2020.
- Web site: July 30, 2014 . Tiger Shroff's 'Heropanti' earns him 5th degree black belt . August 13, 2022 . The Indian Express.
- News: Mumbai millionaire . 26 March 2009 . Dwyer, Michael . 10 January 2009 . The Irish Times .
- Web site: Obama Presented with Taekwondo Outfit. 19 November 2009.
- Web site: S.Korea presents Obama with taekwondo 'master' belt. www.asiaone.com.
- Web site: The Ultimate List: Celebrity Black Belt Martial Artists. 9 April 2015.
- Web site: Putin Earns 9th Degree Black Belt, Because He's Putin. HuffPost. 13 November 2013.
- Web site: World Taekwondo strips Russia's Vladimir Putin of his honorary black belt. 2 March 2022. 3 March 2022. NPR. Jaclyn. Diaz.
- Web site: Official Announcement from World Taekwondo. . February 28, 2022. World Taekwondo Official Site. September 26, 2022. World Taekwondo strongly condemns the brutal attacks on innocent lives in Ukraine, which go against the World Taekwondo vision of “Peace is More Precious than Triumph” and the World Taekwondo values of respect and tolerance. In this regard, World Taekwondo has decided to withdraw the honorary 9th dan black belt conferred to Mr. Vladimir Putin in November 2013. In solidarity with the International Olympic Committee, no Russian or Belarusian national flags or anthems will be displayed or played at World Taekwondo events. World Taekwondo and the European Taekwondo Union will not organise or recognise Taekwondo events in Russia and Belarus. World Taekwondo’s thoughts are with the people of Ukraine and we hope for a peaceful and immediate end to this war..
- Web site: Ex-President Trump given ninth-degree black belt in taekwondo. Shirin. Ali. November 23, 2021. TheHill.
- News: Trump awarded honorary ninth-degree black belt in taekwondo – CNN Video. edition.cnn.com.
- News: Trump mocked after being made honorary taekwondo black belt. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220526/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-taekwondo-black-belt-martial-arts-b1962283.html . 2022-05-26 . subscription . live. November 22, 2021. The Independent.
- https://www.goal.com/en/news/does-zlatan-ibrahimovic-have-black-belt/d6ue7eahgw671ovx0849h3o7v – retrieved Sept 26th, 2022