In Cheol Yoo

Our Grand Master is Master Incheol Yoo.

When he arrived in Australia in 1987, Master Yoo started a Taekwondo School in Hurstville and Castle Hill. Under Master Yoo’s supervision and tutelage, Taekwondo World has since grown to 3 Full-Time Centres, 5 Part-Time Branches and 3 school outreach programs, along with school holiday clinics and other extra-curricular activities. Under Master Yoo’s leadership, Taekwondo World has run extracurricular sports programs in a number of Sydney high schools, including a 30-year program at Pymble Ladies College and an ongoing program at Tara Anglican School for Girls.

In his many years of teaching in Australia, Master Yoo has coached thousands of students, who have fallen in love with Taekwondo. We are now seeing 2nd and 3rd Generation students come through our doors, to learn under the same tutelage as their parents and grandparents before them.

To this day, Master Yoo’s goal is to promote health and wellbeing in all our students through practice of the philosophical values of Taekwondo. These values of respect, restraint, commitment, strength, patience and loyalty are taught to all our students, from our Little Tigers to our Adults.

Master Yoo’s Qualifications and Experience Include:

• 9th Dan Black Belt from the Kukkiwon – This is the highest level of any Black Belt in Australia, and is among the highest ranks available to members of the World Taekwondo Federation.
• Over 58 years’ experience as a Taekwondo Instructor in Korea and Australia, including coaching 2 World Champions and 20 National Champions.
• 35 years as a National and International World Taekwondo Federation-recognised referee.
• Masters Degree, Diploma and PhD in Physical Education, Majoring in Taekwondo.
• Attended Yong- In University, a prestigious Korean university that specialises in producing Taekwondo Master Instructors
• Currently an Honorary Professor at Chungbuk Health and Science University in Korea

Throughout his career, Master Yoo has also held a number of important roles in the national and international Taekwondo community.

These roles include:

• Co-ordinating the Broadcast of the Taekwondo Event for the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000
• Head Coach of the Australian Team at the Kyonggi International Taekwondo Championship
• Chairman of Sports Taekwondo Australia NSW Inc.
• Kukkiwon World Taekwondo Headquarters International Advisory Committee Member
• Member of the Sports Taekwondo Australia Grand Masters Advisory Committee
• Chosen by the Korean Government (Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism) as the Australia/Oceania Representative for the first ever Taekwondo Global Grand Masters Development Meeting.
• Secretary General of the United Taekwondo Organisation

Master Yoo continues to ensure that his knowledge and skill are passed down to our Instructors by regularly attending and participating in seminars, in both Korea and Australia. In the future, he hopes to continue the growth of Taekwondo in Australia and throughout the world. To further the growth of Taekwondo internationally, Master Yoo recently attended the Taekwondo Global Grand Masters Development Meeting to discuss with other Grand Masters from around the world. A total of 14 of the highest-ranked Grand Masters were chosen to attend this meeting.