Grandmaster Taek Ho Nam
8th Dan
Pin # 8015
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Grandmaster Nam, 8th Dan joined a local club in
Korea in 1959 at age six and began the study of Tang Soo Do under
Master Young Y. Min and Master Ki Yun Yi that lasted approximately
18 years.
He achieved black belt when he was nine years old
and began teaching as an assistant instructor at age thirteen. He was
also the Korean Air Force Champion from 1969 to 1972.
In 1979 he received his 5th Dan from Grandmaster Hwang Kee
and in 1884, his 6th Dan from
Grandmaster Jae C. Shin of the World Tang Soo Do Association. In July of
1999, he received his 8th Dan from Grandmaster Song Ki Kim, founder of
the World Dang Soo Do Union.
He was a past Treasurer of the U.S. Moo Duk Kwan
Federation and a former World Tang Soo Do Association Testing Committee
Chairman. He appeared on the 1993 cover of Tae
Kwon Do Times, a magazine for which he also served as a Special Correspondent. In that issue's article,
Grandmaster Nam stated that one of his fondest memories was having Tang Soo Do's founder,
Grandmaster Hwang Kee, officiate at his wedding in 1977.
That same year
he emigrated to the U.S. at the request of Grandmaster Ki Yun Yi, his brother-in-law
and the founder of
the International Martial Arts Association.
He settled in New Jersey and then later moved to Pittsburgh, PA where
in 1979 he opened
Nam's
Korean Karate.
Grandmaster Nam is the co-founder and current Chairman
of the
Pan-Am
Tang Soo Do Federation.