Grand Master Chong Chul Rhee, an 8th Dan Black Belt - one of the highest ranking martial art masters, the father of Taekwondo in Australia, is regarded as one of the world’s finest master instructors. Grand Master Rhee is renowned for his great leadership. His total dedication and tireless devotion to the art, combined with his boundless enthusiasm makes him the most respected and highly recognised of practitioners. Grand Master Rhee is one of the leading martial artists on the international scene and has had wide experience before residing in Australia.

Grand Master Rhee made Rhee Taekwondo the most popular and accepted art in Australia and New Zealand. Many thousands of Australians are reaping the benefits of the tremendous skills offered by the Grand Master of international standards. As a result of this wealth of experience, the organisation has reached a high standard and consequently a well satisfied membership. Grand Master Rhee has developed this ancient art of Taekyon, founded during the Silla Dynasty in Korea approximately 1300 years ago, to one of today’s most progressive and dynamic art forms of the 90’s and beyond.

Rhee Taekwondo is rapidly becoming the fastest growing martial art form. This is of no surprise considering the high standard and good discipline provided by the organisation. Rhee Taekwondo is literally booming throughout Australia and is today the biggest and most professional organisation of its kind in Australia, due mainly to the great effort and leadership of Grand Master Rhee.

Grand Master Rhee rarely give extensive interviews. On this occasion Martin Daley from the Saturday Review of the Advertiser was fortunate to be able to do so. Here are some exerts from his article:-

This man is the Master of The Art - some say the perfect embodiment of mind over matter and matter over mind.

In Australia he’s one in 17 million.

His name is Chong Chul Rhee, a name uttered with deference and a respectful bow in the abbreviated form of “Mr Rhee” by thousands in Australia and NZ.

Mr Rhee has been photographed in mid air executing a flying kick, and has been headlined the “Flying Jimmini” because of his ability to hang, suspended almost, with no aid other than the force behind his powerful limbs.

In the martial arts world there are many forms of self-defence and in many cases the exponents claim their respective forms are the best, the most effective form of self-protection.

However for Mr Rhee there is no doubt on that score: “There’s fried chicken and fried chicken, but Kentucky fried chicken means something special. It’s the same with Rhee Taekwondo compared with other martial arts” he said.

Even then Chong Chul Rhee remains” Mr Rhee” the former martial-arts instructor of the Korean “Demon Hunter” marines, the elite Korean commandos underwater demolition unit, and the infantry and police. He also ran martial art school in a number of countries including Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Brunei.

He started the art as a diffident 10 year old because his father said he, like all boys, needed discipline. He went on to become what his students consider to be the greatest modern-day exponent of the ancient art of self-defence.

He feels that Australians must first be educated that the art is “not chop-chop, kick-kick”, but a state of mind and body which gives precedence to discipline and respect for others.

Mr Rhee believes that the impression of many people is that martial arts teaches nothing more than how to break blocks or kick somebody in the groin. “That’s bad - bad for the art, bad for the person involved and bad for the community, because people might not understand that martial arts is also humility and respect”.

Mr Rhee has lived in Australia since the late ‘60’s and established one of his first schools in Adelaide - “my favourite city in Australia” - where he lived for many years. He moved to Sydney several years ago because the isolation of Adelaide made it difficult to travel to other States and overseas, which he does often to examine his students, particularly the top group of black belts and instructors.

His favourite technique is “kicking and flying” but after 30 years of constant physical and mental training, he looks back on his early days as the most exciting.

“Any school in the world will teach you how to punch and kick. That can be dangerous if the instructors are no good, and if the character of the person is not built up well. A good student will be humble if the instructor is good. If he is bad, the student, might lack respect, humility and might misuse the art”. He agrees martial arts can, under those circumstances, be dangerous. “We are very strict, therefore no student after he has achieved some rank will go out and try to hit somebody. It has not happened.”