Videos and Photos

Ahn's Tae Kwon Do takes great pride in providing you a small glimpse into the earliest days of Moo Duk Kwan (aka, Tae Kwon Do). Visit the history page for information on how Moo Duk Kwan and Tae Kwon Do relate. This compilation footage was filmed in Seoul Korea in the early 1960s and contains demonstrations of various techniques and forms. It is low resolution, black-and-white, and contains no audio. In the video you will see demonstrations by several different Moo Duk Kwan masters. Grandmaster Ye Mo Ahn recalled when the filming occurred but this compilation video does not contain any footage of him. The video is 38 minutes long. To view the video click on the image to the left. Click here for a (minute:second) index of the video that will allow you to see what the video contains and index to a specific segment of the video.

Master Ahn in Action

Click on the image to the left to watch Master Chun Ahn demonstrate a self-held, open-handed break of four boards. Self-held breaking is one of the most difficult breaking methods, requiring unparalleled focus, speed, and precision. Very few people can match this display of power and skill.

Chronological Photographs of Grandmaster Ye Mo Ahn

1964. Grandmaster Ahn at his school in Seoul, Korea. Grandmaster is seated in the middle of the front row and is not wearing a suit.

1965. Class of South Korean military police instructed by Grandmaster Ahn. Grandmaster Ahn is far left on the back row wearing a coat.

1966. Grandmaster Ahn at his school in Seoul, Korea. If you follow the left bottom corner of the Korean flag downward, Grandmaster Ahn is wearing a white shirt and is seated next to a gentleman wearing a suit with no tie.

1965. US Army Sergeant Johnson and Grandmaster Ahn.

Sergeant Johnson played an instrumental role in Grandmaster Ahn's relocation to the United States in the late 1960s. Sergeant Johnson, while stationed in Seoul, Korea made the rounds in search of a martial arts school. Due to his large stature and aggressive nature he couldn't find a challenging school; he simply dominated any sparring match (even with senior instructors). When Sergeant Johnson walked into Grandmaster Ahn's school he realized that he had found his school. During his first sparing match with Grandmaster Ahn, Grandmaster Ahn matched Sergeant Johnson's power and aggression and unavoidably broke Sergeant Johnson's foot. Sergeant Johnson was ecstatic to find someone who could so easily handle him and at that point decided to train exclusively under Grandmaster Ahn.

1968. Grandmaster Ahn in front of his school in Seoul, Korea. Grandmaster is seated in the middle of the front row with his two year old son (i.e., Master Chun Ahn) standing to his immediate left. Most of the students seated in the front row progressed, over time, to become grandmasters.

1968. US military base class in Seoul, Korea. Grandmaster is in the front row and seated second from the right. Sergeant Johnson is also in the front row along with his wife.

1970. Grandmaster Ahn breaking three concrete slabs, with NO spacers (e.g., wooden pencils between objects), at the 1st Kim Soo Open National Tae Kwon Do - Karate Tournament in Houston, Texas. Breaking multiple objects with spacers is not much more difficult than breaking a single object. However, breaking multiple objects without spacers is significantly more difficult than breaking a single object. Do not try this at home, or anywhere else for that matter!