Report by Antony Panteli IIIrd Dan

The British United Taekwon-do Federation welcomed to the UK the founder of Taekwon-do, & Nobel Peace Prize Nominee, General Choi Hong Hi, on Wednesday 11th November 1999.

After extensive efforts by Master Raymond Choy, VIIth Dan, (BUTF Chairman) over the preceding 6 months, the BUTF firmly affirmed it's position as one of the worlds leading institutions for the promotion of genuine Taekwon-do, by bringing the founder of the art to England to preside over a weekend seminar which not only would serve to clarify the finer points of the art to the Federation's members but also would promote the BUTF's unusual, enviable & autonomous position within the International Taekwon-do Federation as an organisation free from the external politics, which have all to often been a cause of conflict throughout the ITF.

The seminar commenced exactly as scheduled at 10am, Saturday. Master Choy, formally welcomed the General to the United Kingdom & to the BUTF in front of over one hundred plus BUTF students, at the Latchmere Leisure Centre in Battersea, London. Many more had applied, but due to constraints of space, had to be turned down. (It always pays to get applications for BUTF events in early, because they are always oversubscribed!). Similarly, the BUTF limited invitations to its own members, despite international applications from as far away as South Africa & the USA, for similar reasons!

The General who was received with rapturous applause, followed by thanking Master Choy and afforded him the accolade of : "One of the world's finest Masters of Taekwon-do", which again was received with an ovation from those present which included Master T. Wolf VIIth Dan, Master T. Y. Au VIIth Dan & Mr. L. Sangha VIth Dan.

The day's instruction began with General Choi reviewing & demonstrating the basic elements of Taekwon-do including his seven secrets of training. It is remarkable to note how 'sprightly' he is for an octogenarian.

Having explained to those present not to feel embarrassed about making mistakes or asking questions, he began describing basic movements & techniques, systematically explaining correct posture, positioning, parts of use & targeting. After every 'section', the general took questions from the enraptured audience. Often answering with a degree of humour to help ease the formality of the days events. Many were surprised at the General's informal & relaxed approach to teaching.

One of the most informative explanations the General gave was that of the use of 'sine wave' in the execution of Taekwon-do movements. This ideology, which is often misinterpreted, amounts to utilising the relaxed and natural physics of motion, to focus all generated power and force to the end of a movement in order to create maximum impact upon contact. The General repeated many times that the proper execution of all Taekwon-do techniques required that all body mass was utilised and arrived with maximum force at the completiton of the technique. This theory, he proffered, was implementation of the Newtonian Physics, and laws of motion.

The morning session concluded at 12pm. In the break, the members present were treated to a 'mass' sparring session conducted by Mr. Sangha VI Dan. An unusual opportunity for members from around the whole country to train with each other in a non competitive environment. Something that not only was very much enjoyed by all participating, but was also deemed to be extremely beneficial, to the extent that many requested that the sparring session be repeated the following day!

The afternoon saw the second session of the day commence where General Choi started to go through the Taekwon-do patterns. Thoroughly detailing each movement, he called upon two blackbelts to demonstrate each pattern for the captivated audience, which he asked to vote on the better performance. He then set about correcting each movement as necessary, clarifying any ambiguities or misunderstandings as he went along. A painstaking process that required intense patience on behalf of the General, and concentration on behalf of the attendees.

This was followed by the entire group performing the pattern firstly by command (movement by movement), then continuously, until the General was satisfied that all present were ready to move on.

This session concluded at 6pm having covered only the first 3 patterns!

The following day, session 3 commenced again as scheduled, this time with Grand Master Rhee Ki Ha, (Founder of Taekwon-do in the United Kingdom & vice-president of the ITF) present. Grand Master Rhee had arrived in London from his base in Scotland the previous day, but was unable to be at the first day of the seminar due to grading commitments. Following his introduction, to those present, by Master Choy, again to tremendous applause, Grand Master Rhee spoke to the Federation of his admiration for General Choi and his advocacy for unity within the ITF. In an emotional oration, he referred to his lifetime's achievements as being: 'Grandfather, Father & Master of Taekwon-do'. In reply, General Choi, congratulated the Grand Master on his continued commitment to Taekwon-do.

Session three progressed in the same way as session 2 the previous day, concluding again at midday. During the break, a photo call had been arranged giving those present the opportunity of a lifetime to have themselves photographed with the eminent figures present. The final session started soon after.

Following the conclusion of the event, Master Choy presented the General with a banner commemorating his visit to the BUTF. It was a regrettable end to an exciting and enlightening weekend of instruction, by the creator of the art, but the festivities had yet to commence, as the BUTF was that evening to play host to a celebratory banquet in honour of the General at the Forte Crest Hotel at Heathrow.

The feast was a traditional BUTF Eat-All-You-Can carvery, which gave a final opportunity for the Federation's members to discuss the weekend's events in the Generals presence. Almost inevitably, General Choi & Grand Master Rhee were inundated by requests for more photos & autographs (on the back of the commemorative invitations issued by the Federation). Magnanimously the celebrities patiently set about the task, despite the queue seemingly never decreasing, so as not to disappoint anybody. Further presentations of commemorative Waterford Crystals were made on behalf of the BUTF by Blackbelts which by Master Choy were considered to be the future of the Federation, namely the sons & daughters of its instructors, to the General, Grand Master Rhee & Master Choi Jung Hwa (which was accepted by the General as Master Choi Jung Hwa was unable to attend the event) for his assistance in the organisation of the event.

In conclusion, the event was a once in a lifetime opportunity for the members of the BUTF not only to meet and be instructed by General Choi Hong Hi, but also to impress upon him their love and enjoyment of the art that he created. In return they were rewarded with memories that only a few students of the art can boast to hold. The General's willingness to teach and impart his knowledge and his enthusiasm in so doing, served as an inspiration to all in their continuation of the promotion of genuine & unadulterated Taekwon-do. We are extremely grateful to all those involved in the organisation of the event, in particular the 'indomitable' efforts of Master Choy, of whom few will realise the numerous negotiations, late-night intercontinental phone calls and reams of 'fax-paper' expended in the many months leading up to the seminar. Finally we unequivocally salute General Choi in his efforts to continually further the cause of genuine Taekwon-do as an art, limitless in boundaries of politics, race or religion and second to none in it's scientific explanation & execution of technique.