The highly prestgious KIM IN SUK” Trophy presented to Grand Master CHONG SU KIM
KIM IN SUK
“Pioneer of Moo Duk Kwan”
Kim In Suk was a close associate of HONG SOO CHONG, with both men beginning their martial arts training under HWANG KEE during the same period. Hong later attained 10th Dan, while Kim In Suk achieved 12th Dan. When Hong Chong Soo left in 1965 to promote Taekwondo, Kim In Suk followed him. After Hong became president of Moo Duk Kwan Tae Kwon Do, Kim In Suk served as vice president of the organization.
Born on December 18, 1925, Kim In Suk began his formal martial arts training under Hwang Kee in 1945. During the Korean War, he relocated to Busan and assisted in opening a school in the Choryang district, training approximately eighty dedicated students, many of whom were high school and university age.
After the war, Kim In Suk completed military service and later opened his own martial arts school in Anyang City with support from his family. By 1959, his school became recognized as the Moo Duk Kwan headquarters for the Anyang region. He emphasized moral character and discipline alongside physical technique, particularly through consistent practice of forms.
Kim In Suk later reflected on the challenges faced by Soo Bahk Do and Tang Soo Do in Korea, noting that government institutions recognized other martial arts systems more readily, which influenced student enrollment nationwide. Throughout his life, he spoke with deep respect for his instructor Hwang Kee, crediting him as a strong and influential leader in Korean martial arts history.
Acknowledgment:
The United States Taekwondo Museum® extends its sincere thanks to Grandmaster Chong Su Kim for providing this rare and historically significant artifact, allowing it to be preserved and shared with the global Taekwondo community.
© United States Taekwondo Museum®