Logo by USATMA artist Tammy Papa.

Traditional Tae Kwon Do at The Citadel

1992 - 2013

 

The end of the year 2013 was also the end of this class. Therefore, some of the information below is obsolete.

Other parts of this site are still of interest to students of Traditional Tae Kwon Do, including cadets taking RPED149.

 

Class organization

Useful info for new club members

Photos

Tournaments

Sparring scheme

USATMA Southeast

 

 

 

The Citadel's Traditional Tae Kwon Do

for faculty and staff

Contents of this page:    What is Tae Kwon Do?     *What is the traditional style?    The instructor's background     Organization of this class

Organization of this class

 

Time and location:

 

 

Practice twice a week. If one of the times listed doesn't fit your schedule: you may split your memberships with other Charleston area USATMA classes.

Instructor: Dr. Peter Greim, 5th DAN

Open to: Citadel faculty and staff

Questions: about the organization of this particular class? Call Dr. Peter Greim at 883-9661 or email greimp at citadel.edu.
Unsure about Tae Kwon Do's impact on your health? Concerned about a possibly adverse physical condition? We will direct your questions to Dr. Jack Emmel, M.D.

More about "The Citadel Class" later in this document.

The following is for a first quick reading. For more information about the place of Tae Kwon Do in martial arts and about the USA Tae Kwon Do Masters Association classes in the South-East, click here.

What is Tae Kwon Do?

"Tae Kwon Do" stands for the "study of kicks and punches". It is a martial art with the obvious purpose of self-defense. However, a more valuable aspect of Tae Kwon Do is the improvement of physical and mental fitness and health.
Regular practice develops

    • balance
    • strength
    • focus
    • self-control
    • social skills.

As the positive effects of Tae Kwon Do cover a wide range, people of all ages and genders can benefit.

What is the traditional style?

The traditional non-contact style emphasizes a strictly non-violent attitude and promotes safety through self-control and precision. In order to break several inches of wood, punches and kicks have to be sharply focused. "Non-contact sparring" means that, in sparring, they are delivered so as to not touch the target but stop shortly before it - inches or millimeters, depending on the degree of proficiency.

The instructor's background *)

a) Grandmaster Duk Sung Son

Duk Sung Son (1922-2011), founder and first president of the World Tae Kwon Do Association, 9th degree black belt, introduced Tae Kwon Do to the United States. He has directed the Tae Kwon Do instruction of the South Korean army, of the Korean Military Academy, and of colleges and high schools throughout South Korea. During the Korean war he instructed the 8th U.S. Army. He has taught cadets at West Point and given classes at many American universities and colleges, including Princeton, Brown, and Fordham. His students, and in turn, their students, are now teaching hundreds of classes in the country. Grandmaster Son retired in 2009 and passed away in 2011.

b) The USA Tae Kwon Do Masters Association

After Mr. Son's retirement, the four highest-ranking active members of the WTA established the USA Tae Kwon Do Masters Association to carry on the tradition of Mr. Son's Tae Kwon Do and his teaching: Master Rubino from Texas, Master Emmel from South Carolina, Master Geoffrion from New Mexico, and Master Cahill from New York.

c) The Southeastern division

Dr. Jack Emmel, M.D., 8th DAN, studied Tae Kwon Do under Mr. Son for more than 30 years. He is the director of the Southeastern Headquarters of the USATMA, in the Greater Charleston area. Hundreds of his local students have been promoted to black belt by Mr. Son during his previous annual visits to Charleston. Beginning in 2010, black belts are promoted by the four masters. Dr. Emmel's students are teaching classes in the Charleston area, in Columbia, in Georgia, and in North Carolina. Others of his students have moved to other regions and are teaching classes in New Jersey, California, and Colorado.

d) The Citadel class

Dr. Peter Greim, Professor (now Emeritus) at The Citadel, and his son Hannes founded the class in 1992. They have been studying Tae Kwon Do under Dr. Emmel since 1985. They are sixth degree black belts, have competed and won prizes in many tournaments, and are experienced Tae Kwon Do instructors.

In all USATMA classes, teaching is individualized:

    • everybody is taught according to his or her abilities and will benefit from practice;
    • we do not concentrate our efforts on the fittest students at the expense of those who take longer to succeed.

Higher belts help lower belts, and teaching is part of the learning experience.

We take our students to tournaments **) :

    • we help organize and participate in the Southeastern Annual USATMA Tournament on the Isle of Palms in the Spring,
    • and some of us participate in the USATMA tournament in New York.


**)  We  compete as individuals, not as a group. To us, tournaments are part of our learning experience, a motivation to intense practice before and a stimulant to intense practice afterwards. In this sense,  participation in tournaments serves the martial art  --  not vice versa.

There are additional local workshops and a summer camp for higher belts.

*) Disclaimer: The views and statements contained in this page are solely the author's and not intended to represent official positions of any of the organizations mentioned.


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