HISTORY OF TAEKWONDO IN INDIA

GRANDMASTER JIMMY R. JAGTIANI,
FATHER OF TAEKWONDO IN INDIA

GRANDMASTER JIMMY R. JAGTIANI, FATHER OF TAEKWONDO IN INDIA

In my teen age, I was an emaciated youth, who preferred to stay aloof from the strong thought of violence. I never got involved in squabble and fisticuffs with any one even in the war ravaged blood soaked in South Vietnam. When I was born, my parents were running a very successful business. The life was comfortable and they also preferred to stay away from violence and nuisance people in order to lead a peaceful life.

In Saigon, Vietnam, I was a student in the International School, but frequently faced humiliating situations created by the street urchins, who used to roam in the campus undeterred. They picked up a target and got busy in raging business, which also included physical harassment. One fine day, in a relaxed mood, I was passing by a street side. Suddenly a group of unfriendly people appeared right in front of me with malafide intentions. They playfully took me into a restaurant and mischievously forced me to sip some distasteful soup like stuff. I had no alternative but to refuse. Thereupon their leader snatched the bowl and poured the sticky and spicy soup on my head spoiling my hair, clothes and books. All of them laughed and enjoyed the plight of their latest prey.

Vietnamese fighting in soup stall

I returned home with a heavy heart and sobbed in extreme disgust for hours, but soon there after a bizarre spirit begin to surge within. It began to build up my confidence and instill fearlessness. I was determined to become a strong person who could easily beat back the physical harassment single-handedly. I did not cry thereafter. On one auspicious day (1967), I came across Mr. Kim Young Chil and Mr. Jung Nam Lee who used to visit my Father shop (India Tailor) Mr. Kim Young Chil is having 4^th Dan Black Belt in Taekwondo & Budo) and Captain-Commando

Mr. Jung Nam Lee is having 4^th Dan and expert in Taekwondo and Hapkido, they are the Korean soldiers in Vietnam. They were so generous and supporting persons, we developed a lasting friendship. Mr. Kim trained me Taekwondo techniques and Budo for self-defense against Arms and un-arm combat, and Captain-Commando Mr. Jung Nam Lee agreed to teach me the  highly effective self defense Taekwondo and Hapkido techniques to fit to my ambitions. The schedule included rigorous training in kicking style, punch & hand techniques, sparring and art of self defense, locking throwing using arms & un-arm combat etc. In fact, they have become my benefactors and inspiration more over the first “MASTERS” who introduced Taekwondo and Hapkido to me. Gradually, I developed obsession for these arts and it subsequently became my way of life since then.

Korean Soldier in Vietnam with Tiger in 1969.

Mr. Kim 4^th Dan Black Belt in Taekwondo & Budo
showing the techniques of self-defense
and locking systems, 1967

Captain-Commando Mr. Jung Nam Lee , 1967

Captain-Commando Mr. Jung Nam Lee given training 

of Taekwondo and Hapkido techniques in Vietnam, 1967

                Grandmaster Jung Nam Lee, 9^th Dan Black belt in

               Taekwondo and Hapkido, now settled in Auckland, 

               President of New Zealand Taekwondo Federation. 

One evening Mr. Kim, my brother and myself, were strolling in the down-town, Saigon, Vietnam in a business center and suddenly a group of about six people started abusing me and Mr. Kim and suddenly they attacked us. Mr. Kim, than sprung into lightening action and in no time the group was mauled by us. They disappeared without looking back. This was the most impressive applicability of self-defense techniques on the streets, which impressed me the most. After some time had passed, Mr. Kim was posted to another city of Vietnam and Captain-Commando Mr. Jung Nam Lee was appointed by the Vietnamese Government to train specially to the Vietnamese Army & U.S. Army troops and he left Vietnam.

So, I make up my-mine and decided to formally join Taekwondo and Hapkido coaching, and requested my father accordingly, but my Father being a businessman did not like fighting and preferred to stay away from the nuisance and troublemakers. He told me to go to school and study further and refused to admit me in any Martial Art school or any related activity. Somehow with the help of my brother Mike and my Mother for financial support, I could manage to join and registered my name in a reputed Central Martial Art “OH DO KWAN”, School” (Saigon), Vietnam in 1968 under Master Nguyen Van Phat, 3rd Dan Black Belt under  Master Van Bing, 4th Dan Black Belt, Director of the School of “Oh Do Kwan” Vietnam, without the knowledge of my father.

Grandmaster  Van Bing, Directorof Oh Do Kwan, School, Vietnam

Grandmaster  Van Bing, 9th Dan Black Belt,now settle in Houston USA. Running Van Binh Self Defense Academyafter he arrived in Houston from Vietnam in 1971   

Early in the morning, I used to climb down from the balcony through the pipe of the second floor at 5:30 a.m. and return back the same way at 7:30 a.m. before my father woke-up at 8:30 a.m. Then I go for my education (International School) in front of him at 9:00 a.m. In this way, days, months and years passed and I managed to reach high level of Taekwondo techniques and became tough and strong with qualification of 1^st Dan Black Belt in Taekwondo in 1970.

One day during the festival Durga-pooja, me and my family were returning home after the visit to the Durga-Ma’s Temple in Saigon. Suddenly five persons appeared and started shouting on us. They asked my brothers to take out the money and what so-ever they had in their pockets including wrist watch. Later when they came to me for the same, with the close-ranged opportunity, I clinched into action and knocked out three of them down and the rest two run away. 

I clinched into action and knocked out three 

of them down and the rest two run away.

My father was surprised and astonished by this act; he asked me how I could do this? Then I told him that, how I had join Taekwondo with the help of my brother Mike and Mother. He then allowed all my brothers, Mike, Ram & Lachman to learn Taekwondo for self-defense with me.

My brothers, from left Mr. Ram me
Mr. Mike, and Mr. Lachman 

In the year 1972, I was picked-up by the Military Police (M.P.) during the patrolling; unfortunately, I did not carry my passport/document etc. (to proof that I am a bonafide Indian) on that day, I was force to join the military training and remained there for more than 3 months (according to Vietnamese law all youth by the age of 18 years old are compulsory to join the Army and serve the Country (Vietnam), one has to enroll in military schools at the age of 17 years, or else the Military Police can pick them up anytime & anywhere for the same. After 4 months, my Father and my Brother Mike could trace me out from the Da Nang Military Camp (600 Kilometers from Saigon), through the Indian Embassy in Vietnam and I was released being an Indian Citizen. During this four month of “Military and Commando Training” had made me an iron-man.

Military Police (M.P.) patrolling Vietnam.

Gm. Jimmy R. Jagtiani was in Military Camp in Da Nang, 

                                    Vietnam  in 1972

After the Military Camping, I continue with my rigorous training session under the most competing guidance of Master Phat & Master Van Binh at Oh-Do Kwan, Saigon, Vietnam, I was award 1^st Dan Black Belt In Hapkido and again awarded 2nd Dan Black Belt in Taekwondo  in 1973. During this period, I realized that Taekwondo and Hapkido was not only an art of self-defense, but also full of philosophy and spiritualism. It transforms me to an absolute personality free from the worldly evils.

Master Jimmy R. Jagtiani at the aged of 18^th years old.

            THE FALL OF (SAIGON) VIETNAM APPEARED IMMINENT

                                   ( 1^st Nov. 1955 to 30^th April 1975 )  

The final and most brutal phase of the Vietnam (Saigon, city) war had begun. The fall of Saigon appeared imminent. We had no alternative left but to pack up and return to our motherland, India, during March 1974. We finally settled at Lucknow (UP) in 1974 and aspired to practice Taekwondo, but here, people were unaware of Taekwondo. There was no training center in the city, so I practiced the techniques which I learned in Vietnam and maintained myself at my hometown, Lucknow (India).

One Sunday evening, I was returning home after watching a movie at Aminabad, Lucknow. I was waiting for the bus at the bus stop. One bus came but the driver did not stop the bus, I had to chase the same running bus. Incidentally there were many people running after the same bus. I entered first and the rest were behind me. The bus was now over crowded. One of the guy stepped on my foot. Since there was no space, I did not say anything, but as the bus speeded further many passengers moved out. Now there was enough space, but the same person who was standing on my foot did not move his foot at all. I told him in my broken Hindi language “AAP, MERA PAIR KA UPPER KHARA HAIN, MEHARBANI KAR KE HATAOO” (You are standing on my foot, kindly move your leg). As I was born and brought up in Vietnam did not know Hindi language properly so they started making fun of my language and started teasing me more. One of them said “NAHI HATAYENGA KYA KAR LOGAE” (I am not going to remove it now tell me what you are going to do). 

 There were so many people running after the same bus.I entered first and the rest were behind me.

I was very upset but kept calm as I knew Taekwondo very well, I thought of teaching them a lesson. I just pressed his inner-muscular thigh and lifted his leg to push him, but unfortunately the bus, at the same time took a U-turn and we both fell down on the street. The rest of three of them were very annoyed and stopped the bus to get down. Four of them and I were standing in the middle of the Aminabad crossing Lucknow. They were using abusive language to me and all I could say was “SAME TO YOU”. The public and the passengers were trying to convince them to avoid the quarrel, but they were determined to beat me. One of them took out the knuckle-duster and came forward and punched on my left eye. Thanks God! I could defend myself otherwise I would have lost my left eye. The knuckle duster was so sharp that it cut the skin below the eye and it started bleeding heavily. Even then it was not good enough for them. Another guy tried to attack me on my head, now with no any other alternative; I had to defend myself with my hand covering the left eye. I started using kicking techniques with all sorts of kicks (since in  those days the bell-bottom pants was very much in vogue and I was wearing them, so I could lift my leg upto 180 degrees or any direction) on them i.e. Front kick, Round Kick, Back Kick, Straight Front Kick and Elbow blow. With all these techniques applied on them, I turned and saw all four of them were flat on the street.

The whole crowd who was watching as fighting were amazed to see our stunt and started clapping wondering how it could be done within few seconds. The police turned up and took all of us to the Aminabad’s police station, Lucknow. Luckily some of the passengers had reached there. They supported me and told the inspector that I was innocent and those boys were trying to harass and beat me with the knuckle-duster  and in return I had only used Taekwondo techniques  for self defense. I was released and four of them remained in the custody.

After two days I received a message from the same inspector. He told me that he had narrated my story to his friend Mr. K.D. Singh Babu, the famous renowned personalities in Hockey, who was also the director of the U.P. Khel Bhawan, Lucknow and the director wanted to meet me. I met him on the third day. Mr. Babu wanted to confirm and asked me, “I heard you knocked four people down in a few seconds, is it true? How could you do it” He thought I must be a giant or some kind of Muscle-man, but here I was so tiny in front of him only  5“7” inches with hardly weighing 60 kilograms. I answered him, yes I have learned martial art, called “Taekwondo.” 

Mr. K.D. Singh Babu

Mr. K.D. Singh Babu could not understand and asked “What?” I said “Tae-kwon-do”. He still could not understand and asked me again, “what did you say?” “In short”, I told him “Judo-Karate” and he understood. “Still, I cannot believe you can handle four people at the same time” he said. I understood that he wanted to test me. I asked him what you wanted me to do exactly. So he told me to come in the evening when he taught hockey to his students. I agreed,  me and my brother Mike reached the Lucknow stadium at 5=00 p.m. while he was on the ground making the boys and girls to practice Hockey. When he saw us, he told his students to sit down on the ground and introduced me to them. He then requested me to show some of my techniques. I showed kicking, jumping and punching one by one. Suddenly he asked me whether I could beat one of his boys with a hockey stick. I told him that I didn’t mind two persons at a time. Two of them got up with hockey sticks and attacked me.

With no other alternative, I knock them down with my special kicks. Not only Mr. Babu was surprised but his students including the trainers were also surprised with my techniques. Later, I told Mr. K.D. Singh Babu that, I wanted to start teaching Taekwondo in the stadium. He then advised me to teach the police first. He then introduced me to the 35^th Battalion P.A.C., (police line)  Mahanagar, Lucknow and Railway Protection Forces,  Alambagh, Lucknow. I started training them in the Art of Taekwondo in 1975.

Master Jimmy R. Jagtiani given training of Taekwondo to Police
personnel in the year 1975

The Police Peersonnel proformed Taekwondo
Taegeuk-5 given Belt Examination in 1975

To be continued

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Then the illustrious history of Taekwondo in India begins with its formal induction of Taekwondo in 1975 founded by Grandmaster Jimmy R. Jagtiani. On 2nd Aug. 1976 he formed the Taekwondo Federation of india "TFI" and established as a National Body of Taekwondo in India.

The 1st Anniversary of TFI was organised at K.D. Singh Babu Indoor Stadium on 2nd Aug. 1977. which was inaugurated by the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea, His Excellency Bum Suk Lee and Babu Banasi Das was the Chief Guest, Mr. K.D.Singh Babu was the Guest of Honour.   

Then the illustrious history of Taekwondo in India begins with its formal induction of Taekwondo in 1975 founded by Grandmaster Jimmy R. Jagtiani. On 2nd Aug. 1976 he formed the Taekwondo Federation of india "TFI" and established as a National Body of Taekwondo in India.