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| Captain-Commando Mr. Jung Nam Lee , 1967 |
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Captain-Commando Mr. Jung Nam Lee given training
of
Taekwondo and Hapkido techniques in Vietnam, 1967
|
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Grandmaster Jung Nam Lee, 9th 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.
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Grandmaster
Van Bing, Directorof
Oh Do Kwan, School, Vietnam
|
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| 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 1st 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.
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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.
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| Military Police (M.P.) patrolling Vietnam. |
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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 1st 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.
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| Master Jimmy R. Jagtiani at the aged of 18th
years old. |
THE FALL OF (SAIGON)
VIETNAM APPEARED IMMINENT
( 1st
Nov. 1955 to 30th 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).
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| 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.”
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| 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 35th 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.
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Master Jimmy R. Jagtiani given training of Taekwondo to Police
personnel in the year 1975
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The Police Peersonnel proformed Taekwondo
Taegeuk-5 given Belt Examination in 1975
|
|
To be continued
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
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.
