We haven't had the chance to write many updates during 2024 but it was a very momentous year for Chung Do Taekwondo so it's got to be noted down somewhere!

2024: A Significant Year for Chungdo Taekwondo

2024 was an important year for Chungdo Taekwondo as we celebrated our 50th anniversary, marking five decades of since GM Suh Chun Suk started teaching in Australia. It did take us until December to celebrate this milestone but it was great to get together to celebrate with old and new students plus we started some new traditions like 5,10,15 and 20 year membership awards and 500 and 1000 classes awards.

We opened two new branches (Rhodes and Manly Vale) and these are growing steadily with Rhodes especially a focus for 2025 and beyond.

Competitions
Our students performed well across various competitions, including the South Coast Open, NSW Open, Australian Open, President's Cup, Chuncheon Korean Open, KPNP Championships, NSW State Championships, and the Sydney Taekwondo Festival. We had our biggest team to date at the Australian Taekwondo Nationals with 47 players, it's a lot of hard work and effort from instructors, students and parents to get that size team up and running.

First Chungdokwan International Instructor Certification Course
We participation in the first Chungdokwan International Instructor Certification Course in Kuala Lumpur, demonstrating our commitment to advancing skills and knowledge within our club with myself, Anthony and Celine going gaining the certification.

Chungdokwan Korea 80th Anniversary and CDK yearly summer camp
We had the privilege of attending Chungdokwan Korea's 80th Anniversary celebrations in Korea during July's annual Chungdokwan Korea summer camp, the 80th Anniversary highlighted the tradition and legacy of our Kwan (school). Six of our students came to Korea on this trip (plus 2 went on a different training camp in Korea) and it really helped open their eyes to the breadth, depth and longevity that Taekwondo has to offer. Seeing the old masters in the flesh is really something else, especially when they're still doing the spilts at 70+ years old! A huge thanks to my master GM Shin and to GM Sheamus for their continued effort to bring Chungdokwan members together across the globe.

It was also during this trip that I finally met and trained with Master Kang Yujin from Namchang Dojang in person. I attribute so much of my poomsae growth to Master Yujin and after 5 years of Zoom classes it was such an honour to finally train together in real life.

2024 Poomsae World Championships
Personally 2024 has been such a year of growth.

From organising an increasingly large dojang, starting to bring more students overseas, coordinating larger and larger competition teams, competing in my first Chuncheon Korean Open then to top it all off qualifying for the Poomsae World Championships in Hong Kong and representing Australia for the first time in my 30 year Taekwondo career was almost unbelievable.

Winny asked me if I could have imagined this 10 years ago and the reality is even though I still have so much to improve on, my level and understanding of poomsae was so poor 10 years ago that World Championships wasn't even on the radar.

The club continues to grow steadily, fostering a stronger and more connected community. We are grateful to the parents, friends, and families who have supported us throughout the year, as well as to our instructors and student leaders for their consistent effort and dedication. A huge thank you to the Instructor Team at Chungdo as well for their effort and dedication to developing our students both as taekwondoin and as people!

Although Chungdo is now 51 years old, the 2020-2022 Covid period in many ways really felt like a reset back to year zero.
2025 is the third year post the Covid period, we've laid some strong foundations during 2023 and 2024 and we need to continue to build on these.

I think this is a 1999 interview

Special thanks to one of Master Suh's students for sending this through

Found this old interview with Master Suh

Transcribed by ZiChuan Lim

​The foot is a deadly weapon
 
It happened in the city of Nha Trang during the Vietnam War. A gun was pointed at Suh Chun Suk’s back, and a voice told him to hand over his wallet and watch. Suh grabbed the barrel of the gun and kicked the would be thief to the ground.
 
Suh Chun Suk is no “Dirty Harry” Callahan [?]. He is one of the world’s leading exponents of the Korean martial art form tae kwon do, in which he holds an eighth dan black belt.
 
Only four people in the world have higher qualifications. Three have a ninth dan black belt and one is 10th.
 
For the past 16 years Suh, 48, who now lives in Narrabeen, has taught taekwondo to more than 5,000 Australians.
 
Taekwondo has its origins in tae kyon, a form of foot fighting 1,393 years old. Hand techniques were introduced and the combination is now called taekwondo.
 
“Tae” is the Korean word for kicking, jumping or flying with the foot, “kwon” means punching, striking or beating of hands and “do” means technique or way.
 
“In the more advanced techniques, the use of legs is[ ] more [impactful?],” Suh said. “The legs can develop more power and reach further than the hands”.
 
Suh began taekwondo training in Korea when he was 12 years old. He won[?] his first degree black belt at 14.
 
He became an instructor in the Korean Army, and taught taekwondo to military [?] from South Vietnam, Australia and the United States during the Vietnam War.
 
He has often used his training to extricate himself from threatening situations, such as the incident with the thief in Nha Trang.
 
“Taekwondo involves mental discipline and helps confidence grow,” Suh said. “A lot of people suffer too much stress. Taekwondo helps to control[?] that.”
 
But, he says, it is for self-defence, not for people who get into brawls. “Learning to fight in the street is not good. People will get a bad attitude.”
 
If a child in one of his classes has that “wrong attitude”, Suh will try to change it. If that does not work, he will “kick him out - otherwise it will give me and my classes a bad name”.
 
Suh never fights. If somebody swears at him or gets aggressive, he just smiles.
 
He no longer takes part in competition because he is too good. Once above a fourth dan black belt, it becomes too dangerous.
 
“The professional people would kill each other,” he said.
 
It is best to start Taekwondo young - but not before the age of seven. It is certainly not an expensive sport: a 1 1/2 hour class with Suh costs $2.50.
 
But it is never to late to learn. “Taekwondo keeps you young and strong,” he said. “One 62 year old man could only last 15 minutes in the first less,” he said. “But in his third week he was able to last the full 1 1/2 hours.”
 
It is also effective for someone who wants to learn how to defend themselves from attack.