Modern Taekwondo bagan in 1955 when a group
of the leading martial arts schools, or "kwans,"
in Korea were unified and adopted the name "Taekwondo."
Soon after the organization of modern Taekwondo,
instructors from Korea began emigrating all over
the world, taking with them their knowledge of
Taekwondo. Notable martial arts pioneers Jhoon Rhee,
Richard Chun, Dae Shik Kim, S. Henry Cho, and Kyung
Ho Min, among others, provided the introduction of
Taekwondo to the United States. They were soon followed
by servicemen returning from Korea and later
generations of Korean-born immigrants with Taekwondo
training.
Dr. Ken Min
One of the earlier clubs in the United States was
established in 1966 when Dr. Kyung Ho (Ken) Min arrived in
Missoula, Montana where he initiated Taekwondo and Judo
instruction, as well as teaching and coaching wrestling at
The University of Montana. A graduate of the Korean Yudo
College, Dr. Min brought a diverse and knowledgeable
martial arts background to the university. After
establishing the Taekwondo and Judo programs at The
University of Montana, Dr. Min left in 1967 to teach
at Eastern Montana College in Billings where he
founded the North-West Taekwondo Association.
In 1969, Dr. Min accepted a postion at the
university of California at Berkeley to develop and
improve one of the oldest martial arts programs in the
country, which had been given national prominence by
martial arts pioneer Henry Stone. The UC program
subsequently developed into a broad-based martial arts
program which provides leadership for martial arts
programs throughtout the country. In addition, Dr.
Min developed Taekwondo on the national level, first as
founder of the Amateur Athletic Union Taekwondo
Committee, and later at the founding president of the
United States Taekwondo Union. The U.S.T.U. is the official
national governing body for Taekwondo throughout the world,
the World Taekwondo Federation. In a sense the University
of Montana club, through Dr. Min, has had an historic role
in the remarkable development of Taekwondo in Montana as
well as in the United States.
Mr. Larry Foust
After Dr. Min's departure from Missoula, Mr. Larry Foust
continued the Taekwondo club until the arrival of Richard Soon
Il Choi, who led the Taekwondo and judo programs during the
1970-1971 school years. After Mr. Foust, who continued to teach
at The University of Montana through 1981. During that period,
many University of Montana students first studied Taekwondo and
several of the first organized Taekwondo tournaments held in
Montana were sponsored by the University program.
In August, 1977, the University of Montana was host to
the first Korean Martial Arts Summer Camp, on the UM campus.
Larry Foust was the first camp director and Dr. Ken Min served
as technical director. In 1978, the University of Montana,
jointly with the UC Berkeley Martial Arts Program, sponsored
the second Korean Martial Arts Summer Camp at Seeley Lake,
Montana, which was attended by participants from California,
Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.
Mr. Steve Capener
When Mr. Foust retired from teaching martial arts in 1981,
the university Taekwondo club was led briefly by instructors
Mike Peretti and Mark Anderson, and then affiliated with Toushi
Kan Academy in Great Falls, Montana. Subsequently, the club was
Known for several years as the University of Montana Toushi
Kan Club, though still studying Taekwondo. During this time
Mr. Steve Capener was chief instructor.
Mr. Capener, who served as chief instructor of the
University of Montana Taekwondo Club from 1985 to 1988, won
several national championships and was the first male
American Taekwondo competitor to win a gold medal at the
Pan-American Games.
Mr. Jaydes Warwick
Mr. Jaydes Warwick of Bozeman, Montana, served as United
States National Taekwondo Team Co-Captain from 1985 through
1988. He won eight national championships, two Pan-American
championships, and a bronze medal at the 1988 Olympic Games
held in Seoul, Korea.
In the fall of 1984, Mr. Warwick, sensinbg a need for
an organization devoted strictly to the development of Taekwondo
in Montana, organized a club using the Big Sky name, and in
May, 1985, the University of Montana club affiliated with the
Bozemen organization becoming once agaqin the University
of Montana Big Sky Taekwondo Club.
Since then, combined membership of Big Sky Taekwondo has
exceeded 200 participants. Many of these participants have
enjoyed competition outside the traditional martial arts
environment, and under Mr. Warwick's tireless and enthusiastic
leadership, Big Sky members have been able to participate in a
wide variety of martial arts experiences, and has become one of
the prominent orghanizations in the United States...
The list of gold, silver, and bronze medal winners at Us
Nationals, Us Collegiate Nationals, Us Junior Nationals, the
Montana State Championships, and many international events are
well-sprinkled with the names of Big Sky Taekwondo competitors
have probably won more national and international medals than
any other club or school in the United States, and such a
record speaks for the quality of instruction and training
under Big Sky President Jaydes Warwick and UM instructor
Mr. Steve Capener.
In 1986, the UM club was host to the first annual Big
Sky Invitational Tournament, and such tournaments have been
held ever since. The UM club has also hosted a number of
qualifying tournaments for Junior US Nationals and has hosted
Montana State Taekwondo Championships, during which senior and
junior competitors are selected to represent Montana at US
National, ever since 1989.
Although Taekwondo has been a part of the University of
Montana Department of Recreation since the mid-1970's, it
was first offered as a course for credit as part of the
physical Education Department currriculum in 1990 with 50
students filling two sections.
In August, 1990, the University of Montana Big Sky
Taekwondo program hosted the 12th Korean Martial Arts Summer
Camp in cooperation with the University of California at
Berkeley Martial Arts program, again at Seeley Lake, Montana,
under the overall direction of Dr. Ken Min. The camp
included training under Kumdo Master Inkee Lee from Los
Angeles, Olympic Taekwondo gold medalist Jimmy Kim from
Berkeley, California, and Hapkido training under Dr. Min.
With over 80 participants, the camp was one of the largest
in the succession of such camps and participant enthusiastically
trained in a traditional outdoor setting as well as
studied Korean culture, exchanged ideas, and got to know
other martial artists from around the country.
In 1991, the University of Montana Big Sky Taekwondo
program celebrated the 25th anniversary of its founding
by Dr. Ken Min. As one of the oldest Taekwondo programs
in the country, it has also been one of the most successful.
Although formally affiliated with the University of Montana
Department of Campus Recreation, classes are also offered
through the university's Departmant of Physical Education
for credit, and also to non students throught the Campus
Recreation, program and the children's program. Combined
enrollment through the two departments often exceeds 200
participants, making the University of Montana Big Sky
Taekwondo program the largest martial arts program of any
kind in Montana.