Grandmaster Ah Po - Dan # 10187 - Korean Soo Bahk Do Association (Hwang Kee)

Grandmaster Ah Po began his martial arts training early in his youth in Hawaii. At age 6 he began studying Sil Lum Gung Fu. During his early school years in the islands he achieved Black Belts in Jiu Jitsu, Aikido, and Japanese Karate. He left the islands in 1959 to join the U.S. Air Force.
Over the years, Grandmaster Ah Po has conducted hundreds of seminars throughout the United States as well as in Hawaii, Germany, Australia and Great Britain. He is a world-renowned martial artist and was inducted into the World Karate Union's Black Belt Hall of Fame in 1999.
Grandmaster Ah Po is well known for his demonstrations involving the utilization of "Ki" or internal power, which are unique to him and him only. Practitioners from a variety of styles often seek him out for his martial arts expertise. He has also received many awards over the years from several martial arts organizations which not only continue to recognize him for his martial arts skills and expertise but which also acknowledge his integrity and contributions to the martial arts community.
The year 2007 marks Grandmaster Ah Po's 60th year in the martial arts and his 48th year as a Tang Soo Do practitioner, having begun training in the art in 1959. He opened his own martial arts studio in Carmichael, California in 1966 and continues to teach at his current studio in Sacramento.
During the 1960's and 70's, Grandmaster Ah Po held several national and international championship titles in both forms and free-fighting competition including the California and Northwestern United States Heavyweight Championship titles and a Grand Champion title in the prestigious Long Beach International Championships that was sponsored by the legendary Ed Parker.

He retired from competition in 1972 and has gone on to train and coach other National and International Tang Soo Do Champions including his son, Master Anthony Ah Po, his daughter, Master Annette Ah Po, Master Sandra Russell, and Master Curtis Mata. He has also coached several California Tang Soo Do teams that have on several occasions successfully brought home the "gold" in team fighting and team forms at national and international competitions.
His educational accomplishments include as Associate of Arts degree in General Education, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Communications, and a Master of Arts degree in Public Administration.

Grandmaster Ah Po is one of only five practitioners who have been granted 8th Dan by the Founder Grandmaster Hwang Kee. Being the Founder's security escort through the seventies and a part of the TAC and latterly SAC who instigated the legendary eight day KoDanJa test Grandmaster Ah Po carries with him a wealth of Moo Duk Kwan history. A specialist in the internal side of our art Grandmaster Ah Po is known for leaving his seminar attendees with 'homework formulas' to improved their Ki flow through revised breathing timing during hyung practice.

Grandmaster Ah Po was a Charter Member of the U.S. Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan Federation, formerly the U.S. Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan Federation and for over 27 years, served the Federation as a member of the Board of Directors in the capacity of Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer. He also served as Regional Examiner as well as a member of the Technical Advisory Committee, as an appointee of Grandmaster Hwang Kee, founder of the Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan.
In the year 2000, Grandmaster Ah Po was promoted to 8th Degree Black Belt by Grandmaster Hwang Kee, making him one of only 5 individuals who were promoted to that Dan rank by the late Grandmaster himself. In 2002, The Tang Soo Do Mi Guk Kwan Association, Inc. awarded Grandmaster Ah Po with a 9th Dan Tang Soo Do certification in that system.
In 2002, Grandmaster Ah Po founded his own organization, the Tang Soo Do Martial Way Association, Inc. (formerly known as the Tang Soo Do Moo Do Kwan Assoc. Inc.). He also serves as the personal instructor and senior advisor to Grandmaster Charles Ferraro, founder of the Tang Soo Do Mi Guk Kwan Association, Inc. Grandmaster Ah Po is an active member of The Educational Martial Arts System (TEMAS) and serves as the personal instructor and advisor to its founder, Grandmaster Brian Manna. He is also currently affiliated with The Universal Tang Soo Do Alliance and its founder, Grandmaster Darryl Khalid.

As a Tang Soo Do practitioner, Grandmaster Ah Po is highly respected and often referred to as "The Godfather" of Tang Soo Do. He has always been known to take his role as a Tang Soo Do Senior very seriously and continues to stress this philosophy. He believes that as a Tang Soo Do Senior his primary role is to serve his juniors and his students. At a recent Ko Dan Ja Shim Sa (testing) ceremony, Grandmaster Ah Po stated,

"The greatest of all gifts that we have to offer as human beings is to serve others."

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