Son Song Gun is a 9th-dan instructor, or grand master, of the instructors’ corps of the Korean Taekwon-Do Committee.

At the age of 61, he took part in the demonstration at the 22nd ITF World Taekwon-Do Championships held in Kazakhstan in August last year. He smashed all boards by using his hands and feet, winning admiration of spectators and relevant officials from around the world.

It has been almost four decades since he took up Taekwon-Do in his early years. Over the years, he has made a tangible contribution to the promotion of Taekwon-Do at home and abroad.

He is versed in politics, foreign languages, common knowledge of the world, folk customs, sports scientific theory and somatology. With tremendous fortitude, perseverance and spiritual strength, he has put his heart and soul into practising the traditional martial art to win its top dan.

He has refereed major domestic sports festivals and Taekwon-Do tournaments, and disseminated Taekwon-Do skills and provided technical guidance to practitioners in industrial establishments, farms, schools, provincial Taekwon-Do sports teams and Taekwon-Do colleges, and schoolchildren’s palaces and halls, thus contributing to the promotion of Taekwon-Do across the country.

His fortes are one step sparring, sparring against a dagger, flying triple kick, flying 360 degree reverse turning kick, and breaking with hand and foot combination techniques.

In addition, he has played his part in the promotion of Taekwon-Do across the world.

He shot to fame after performing a demonstration at the 6th ITF Taekwon-Do World Championships held in Budapest, Hungary in 1988. Since then, he has taken part in demonstrations for different events, and trained many practitioners from Russia, China, Mongolia, Germany, Belgium, Canada, Cuba, Zimbabwe, Austria, Iran and other countries.

Many foreign experts and practitioners admired his activities, saying that as befits a practitioner from the home of Taekwon-Do, he has something for others to learn from in skills and personal virtues.

“Taekwon-Do is a historical wealth created by the Korean people,” he said. “Our Taekwon-Do is necessarily powerful as it is loved and practised by an increasing number of people and supported by the government. I am proud of being a Taekwon-Do instructor of its home country.”

He is now a member of the executive committee and chairman of the jury of the Asian Taekwon-Do Federation.

He still works hard to add brilliance to the dignity of the country with Taekwon-Do.

Yang Ryon Hui