“Creator of the Foam Safety Equipment”

Jhoon Rhee 1932 –

“Creator of the Foam Safety Equipment”

Jhoon Rhee, is a South Korean master of taekwondo who is widely recognized as the 'Father of American Taekwondo' for introducing this martial art to the United States of America since arriving in the 1950s.

He began training in the martial arts at the age of 13, without his father's knowledge. Rhee received martial art training under Nam Tae Hi and graduated from the Chung Do Kwan. During the 1960s, Rhee befriended Bruce Lee—a relationship from which they both benefited as martial artists.

Rhee was inducted into the Taekwondo Hall of Fame in 2007, and he is listed as both the 'Pioneer of American Taekwondo' and the 'Pioneer of Taekwon-Do in Russia.

He created 'Martial Ballet' which is a martial art form that is conducted to music. Martial Ballet has been performed by different people in different ways and was incorporated in Rhee's school curriculum.

Jhoon Rhee also starred in a feature film in 1980. It was entitled Return of Rhee in Korea and for the Asian and international markets. It was renamed Rampage for U.S. distribution, but never got released in America. Rhee's protégé Jeff Smith and student Randy Anderson co-starred in the picture which was filmed on location in Seoul and Busan, South Korea.

He was well connected in the political avenues of Congress and his many students were both Congressmen and Senators as well.

He created a daily routine called the daily dozen which are series of 12 exercises that should be done daily no matter what age you are..

But perhaps his greatest accomplishment so far is the creation of the now famous foam Safety equipment used in karate and TKD.