I studided with Master Eric and his brother Gandmaster Taejoon (Henry) back in Downey in 1989.He was magnificent and the best forms man I'd seen in life up to that time.
Wow, this takes me back! In the 80's, we performed demos in front of several hundred onlookers outdoors on campus, or in basketball gyms and community centers. This was state-of-the-art showmanship back then - truly trendsetting! Eric Lee was only twelve at the time ... Taejoon, then in his early 20's, went by the anglo name "Henry". Yes, everything was choreographed for maximum sales effect -- Taejoon Lee is a very smart businessman and was very focused on building the membership of the World HRD Assn. But make no mistake, at that time Eric Lee was very likely the toughest 12-year old in the United States (no, really!) ...and, at only 135 lbs dripping wet, pound-for-pound Taejoon Lee was was perhaps the most athletic and well rounded fighter in Southern California, and very likely would rank high in the top 100 worldwide at the time -- across ALL fighting disciplines. Remember, in the 80's -- in the days before BJJ and UFC-style MMA -- you were either a striker, a Judo player, an Aikido-style joint-control / submission practitioner or a traditional wrestler -- but rarely more than one or two of these. Hwa Rang Do offered a compelling mixture of the first three. HRD was, at that time, the state-of-the-art in MMA. Admittedly, the Lee Brothers (of the 80's) would not fare well against today's UFC fighters, simply because in those days there was less emphasis on cardio fitness in our training, and fighting arts have evolved tremendously in the past 30 years to include the very critical grappling / ground-work elements (not an HRD core component at the time). Similar to the build of the legendary, Bruce Lee, the twenty-something Taejoon was worthy of comparison. While Bruce Lee perhaps possessed more speed and agility, Taejoon Lee's striking and spinning kicking power was phenomenal, and moreover, he (Taejoon) had mastered the additional martial skills of joint manipulation, throws / take-downs and more advanced weaponry. Even today -- now in their 40's and early 50's respectively -- the Lee Brothers would be formidable opponents for anyone -- and I would warrant, are two of the best fighters in the world in their age range and weight class.
I studided with Master Eric and his brother Gandmaster Taejoon (Henry) back in Downey in 1989.He was magnificent and the best forms man I'd seen in life up to that time.
Wow, this takes me back! In the 80's, we performed demos in front of several hundred onlookers outdoors on campus, or in basketball gyms and community centers. This was state-of-the-art showmanship back then - truly trendsetting!
Eric Lee was only twelve at the time ... Taejoon, then in his early 20's, went by the anglo name "Henry". Yes, everything was choreographed for maximum sales effect -- Taejoon Lee is a very smart businessman and was very focused on building the membership of the World HRD Assn.
But make no mistake, at that time Eric Lee was very likely the toughest 12-year old in the United States (no, really!) ...and, at only 135 lbs dripping wet, pound-for-pound Taejoon Lee was was perhaps the most athletic and well rounded fighter in Southern California, and very likely would rank high in the top 100 worldwide at the time -- across ALL fighting disciplines.
Remember, in the 80's -- in the days before BJJ and UFC-style MMA -- you were either a striker, a Judo player, an Aikido-style joint-control / submission practitioner or a traditional wrestler -- but rarely more than one or two of these. Hwa Rang Do offered a compelling mixture of the first three. HRD was, at that time, the state-of-the-art in MMA. Admittedly, the Lee Brothers (of the 80's) would not fare well against today's UFC fighters, simply because in those days there was less emphasis on cardio fitness in our training, and fighting arts have evolved tremendously in the past 30 years to include the very critical grappling / ground-work elements (not an HRD core component at the time).
Similar to the build of the legendary, Bruce Lee, the twenty-something Taejoon was worthy of comparison. While Bruce Lee perhaps possessed more speed and agility, Taejoon Lee's striking and spinning kicking power was phenomenal, and moreover, he (Taejoon) had mastered the additional martial skills of joint manipulation, throws / take-downs and more advanced weaponry.
Even today -- now in their 40's and early 50's respectively -- the Lee Brothers would be formidable opponents for anyone -- and I would warrant, are two of the best fighters in the world in their age range and weight class.
I use to train at their school in Downey CA BACK IN 1988 TO 1990 WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO Eric Lee?
What am I watching? Pro wrestling Asian style?