GM Leong Wai Meng

Grandmaster Leong Wai Meng, PhD, a IX Dan (9th Degree) Black Belt, the Pioneer of Taekwon-Do in Greenland, was officially inducted in the category for International Lifetime Achievement. The presentation was made by the Prime Minister of Greenland, himself a former student of Grandmaster Leong. Also in attendance at this special ceremony was the Minister of Finance, a former Minister of Health, now a current Member of Parliament, and the President of the Greenland Sports Confederation, all students of Taekwon-Do under Grandmaster Leong. During their time touring, the ITF delegates were also introduced to the youngest Member of Parliament and two former Deputy Prime Ministers.

At the young age of six, Leong Wai Meng was introduced to the martial arts. From there, he only continued to flourish under the light that martial arts cast upon him. Grandmaster Leong Wai Meng began studying Taekwon-Do back in the 1960s in Malaysia, which has been referred to as the 2nd Home of Taekwon-Do. He trained under such legends as Pioneer Grandmasters Kim Bok-Man, Woo Jae-Lim, Han Cha-Kyo, Lee Byung-Moo and Rhee Ki-Ha. He was instrumental in introducing Taekwon-Do to Sweden, Denmark, Greenland and Poland.

This Grandmaster has been involved in all aspects of the Art, as a student, instructor, competitor, coach, umpire and administrator on local, national and international levels. As a young Black Belt, the future Grandmaster Leong was a strong competitor in the late 60s and early 70s, winning top awards in tournaments, including the 1st ITF World Championships, held in Montreal Canada in 1974. He has been part of leading Teams from Malaysia, Singapore, Sweden, Denmark, Greenland, India, and the Faroe Islands to every type level of competition.

His first international teaching assignment was to Sweden in 1975, being dispatched there by the ITF on a 2-year contract basis. Soon thereafter he made a trip to Greenland in 1976 to visit a friend. It was on that trip that he would be set on the illustrious path of being a Taekwon-Do pioneer to the country of Greenland. But it all began with an odd stroke of luck. The arctic weather was bad, and since there are no roads in Greenland to travel from town to town, the customary travel by helicopter was grounded. So Leong Wai Meng was forced to take a boat. It was on this ferry that he was approached by a man in a tuxedo and asked to dinner, as it was rare to see an Asian man in Greenland. This man was the Prime Minister of Greenland. That evening, Leong Wai Meng ate dinner with the Prime Minister, Speaker of the Parliament, the Minister of Sport and the President of the Sports Council. It was this dinner that started Leong Wai Meng’s incredible journey to establishing Taekwon-Do,in Greenland. In 1977 he began teaching the Korean Art of Self Defense in Greenland, cementing his place in history as the Pioneer of that Arctic Country.

By 1979, Leong Wai Meng formed the Greenland Taekwon-Do Federation (which celebrated its 40 year anniversary in October 2019). At that time, he organized the 1st Greenlandic National Championships and hosted a visit from General Choi Hong Hi, Grandmaster Kang Suh-Jong, then the ITF Vice President (of Brooklyn, NY) and Master Rhee Ki Ha. Since establishing TKD 40 years ago in Greenland, Dr. Leong Wai Meng has set up 24 schools, with over 1,700 active members (about three percent of the population of Greenland today.)

Grandmaster Leong Wai Meng was a beloved student of General Choi Hong-Hi, who tasked him with creating a self defense competition category for ITF tournaments. General Choi selected him to be part of the historic 5th ITF Demonstration Team that introduced Taekwon-Do to Eastern Europe in 1978. In 1983 he reintroduced ITF Taekwon-Do to India. He also was part of a group that assisted General Choi with compiling the 15 Volume Encyclopedia of Taekwon-Do for 24 days in California, USA. General Choi nominated him as a Director of the ITF and Vice Chairman of the ITF Expansion Committee in 1984 and 1985 respectively. In 1986 he was appointed by the ITF to help refine their tournament rules. That same year Grandmaster Leong authored what remains the most comprehensive book on ITF syllabus and examination criteria. In 1990 he was appointed Chairman of the ITF Umpire Committee.

In 2009, Grandmaster Leong was awarded the title of Dato, the equivalent to a Sir in England, by the King of Malaysia. Dr. Grandmaster Leong Wai Meng was also honored with a Professorship in Pyongyang, DPR Korea, by the Academic Degrees and Titles Awards Committee. He was awarded a Doctor’s of Sports Science Professorship by Mr. Kwak Pom Ki. Also a Vice President in the ITF, it is easy to see why Grandmaster Leong’s accomplishments, both in Greenland and the world, deserve recognition.

ITF Vice President Grandmaster Leong Wai Meng serves as Chairman of important committees such as Promotion and Consultative Committees. A truly global leader, he is a citizen of Greenland and Denmark, maintaining residences in Australia, Greenland, India and Malaysia. His frequent travels for Taekwon-Do have him constantly globetrotting the planet.

Certified as: International Instructor #203 and Class “A” International Umpire/Examiner #156A June 16, 1979 – (Text by GM George Vitale, Ph.D)