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Wonik Yi entered Dae-Yeon temple at the age of five in 1964. He lived
at the temple until the age of nineteen and trained in traditional
Moosul (Martial Arts) until he joined the South Korean Special Foreces.
In addition to his training in Moosul, Yi also trained in Shaolin (Kung
Fu) style martial arts. In 1979 he competed in the World Martial Arts
tournament and became the World Champion. At this point, Yi's
commander, Chang Ki Oh, and the Korean Government noticed his
prominence in Martial Arts and asked him to devise a more modern,
powerful, and effective fighting martial arts for the South Korea
Special Forces. The military version of Tukong Martial Arts was born in
February of 1978, and there are now over 300,000 soldiers training each
year in Tukong Martial Arts.
Wonik Yi came to America in 1982 and has been teaching Tukong Moosul in Austin, Texas,
since then. The Tukong Moosul taught by Yi in the USA is traditional
and taught in the same styles and forms that originated in South Korea
under the guidance of his Master, Eun Kwang Bup Sa, at the temple.
While Grandmaster Wonik Yi entered the Dae
Yeon Sa Temple at the age of five in 1964, his roots to the temple can
be traced back many generations. Master Kiwan Yi is the great
grandfather of Grandmaster Wonik Yi. He was the teacher of Master Eun
Kwang Bup Sa before he went into the temple. Master Kiwan Yi also
taught his son Master Jayoung Yi who was the grandfather of Grandmaster
Wonik Yi. Master Eun Kwang Bup Sa and Master Jayoung Yi were friends.
When Master Eun Kwang Bup Sa had gone to the temple, Master Jayoung Yi
asked him to take Grandmaster Wonik Yi into the temple for training.
Master Kiwan Yi won the World Judo Championship
in Japan when Korea was occupied by Japan. He was one of the greatest
Judo masters at that time. He was also the last Shogun for the Korean
Emperor. He later became the Korean State Governor and continued to
teach Judo to Koreans. Grandmaster Yi's grandfather, Jayoung Yi, was
also a Judo Master who opened the first Yun Moo Kwan Judo School in
Korea. He was also Mayor of Young Wol City in Korea.
This is the heritage of Grandmaster Wonik Yi and
it explains where his abilities and talents came from, as well as how
tradition is carried on from one generation to the next generation.
Grandmaster Wonik Yi teaches and trains at his school in Austin, but does make trips to the Kerrville school for some belt tests, anniversaries, and other special occasions.