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The Grand Master
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Grand Master Kim has been involved in Taekwondo for nearly 60 years. He is a first generation 9th Degree Grand Master trained under Grand Master Lee Nam Suk (Korea) who was head of Chang Moo Kwan and one of the original co-founders of the World Taekwondo system. When Taekwondo was in it's infancy and there were few schools across Canada, Grand Master Kim was one of the first to pioneer this new martial art. After moving to Canada, Grand Master Kim opened his first Canadian Taekwondo School in Ontario in September of 1971 and subsequently a school in Alberta in 1974. He later moved to B.C. and was a resident of the Comox Valley for six years, establishing the Courtenay Taekwondo School in September of 1977.
Gil Woo Kim
Senior Grand Master of Woo Kim Taekwondo Association
Grand Master Kim has served as the Director of the Canadian Taekwondo Association, President of the B.C. Taekwondo Federation and is Past Chairman of the Master's Advisory Committee for the B.C. Taekwondo Federation. He currently conducts Woo Kim Taekwondo Schools in Surrey, Langley, Victoria, Comox, Parksville, Nanaimo, and Errington. Other former locations include Cumberland and Denman Island. Grand Master Kim maintains an active interest in his schools and their students holding regular grading tests and seminars and oversees all activities within his association.
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School Masters
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Master Steve Large started Taekwondo in January of 1978 with Grand Master Kim as his instructor in Courtenay and after 46 years remains the most senior active student in the Woo Kim Association. Master Steve trained for six years in Courtenay under Grand Master Kim until Kim relocated from the Comox Valley to live in the lower mainland. Master Steve moved to Nanaimo in 1986 but did not become active in TKD again until he started the club up in May of 1988. With only six members from an original International TKD club, Master Steve established the Woo Kim Nanaimo Taekwondo School. Over the years Master Steve has graduated many students to their Black Belt rank and beyond. Today after 35 years, Nanaimo Taekwondo is still going strong thanks to the dedication of the Student Executive and Master Steve working in cooperation to make it one of the best schools around. Personal Information and Dan Certification Master Stephen William Large - 68 Years old (2024) Started Taekwondo with Grand Master Gil Woo Kim in January 1978. First Dan Certificate: (Chang Moo Kwan), Oct 06, 1982 First Dan Certificate: (Kukkiwon), Oct 12, 1982 Second Dan Certificate: (Kukkiwon), Dec 23, 1985 Third Dan Certificate: (Kukkiwon), Jul 20, 1990 Fourth Dan Certificate: (Kukkiwon), April 05, 1998 Fifth Dan Certificate: (Kukkiwon), April 20, 2002 Sixth Dan Certificate: (Kukkiwon), April 20, 2007 Seventh Dan Certificate (Kukkiwon), April 20, 2014 Teaching History Became assistant instructor with Peter Speers September 1983 and helped teach for five hours a day three days a week at the Woo Kim Courtenay Taekwondo School. Competed on a local level in tournaments in the Comox Valley and Vancouver over a period of several years. In 1988 assumed instruction of the remaining members of Kwon’s International Taekwondo School in Nanaimo. Converted Kwon’s Nanaimo Taekwondo over to a non-profit club in 1988 and converted their style over from International to World Taekwondo under supervision of Grand Master Gil Woo Kim. With the remaining 6 members of the old school progressed and promoted Taekwondo to over 100 members. After spending a combination of roughly 7 years in a two story school house and later in a local sports complex, Master Steve helped to established an independent school where money could be raised for equipment and our dojang could be designed to suit the needs of the members. This school has existed in its present location for over 25 years. The combined age of the school from all locations will be 35 years as of May 2023. Accomplishments Established Woo Kim Nanaimo Taekwondo School as the longest running Taekwondo School on Southern Vancouver Island (35 Years), Promoted and spread Taekwondo through many demonstrations in both local malls and public venues over the 33 year span of the school. The promotion of over 125 students to black belt and beyond. Instrumental in the instruction and/or promotion of the following students that have attained Master level: Master Brett Fee (Cascadia Parksville Taekwondo) Master Dustin Fee (Cascadia Parksville Taekwondo) Master Murray Fee (Cascadia Parksville Taekwondo) Master Dan Thornton (Vortex Taekwondo Surrey) Master Harry Sese (Belleview Washington) Master Mike Bossa (British Columbia Interior) Master Ruth Rowe (Adelaide Australia) Master Revelina Lukashuk (Woo Kim Errington Taekwondo) Master Mike Lowe (Woo Kim Nanaimo Taekwondo) Master Adam Hall (Woo Kim Nanaimo Taekwondo) Original instructor through color belt levels to black belt for former Canadian National Champions – Ruth Rowe, Harry Sese, and Jeffrey Cromack Presented with Kukkiwon Commendation No. 09887 for contribution to the promotion of Taekwondo culture. Revelina started her training with Master Steve Large at the Woo Kim Nanaimo Taekwondo School in 2004. Revelina achieved her first degree black belt in 2007 and began teaching the Little Tigers class. She later achieved her second degree black belt in 2009 and shortly after founded the Woo Kim Errington Taekwondo School. Revelina is now a fifth-degree black belt and continues to train and teach learning both from her students and her peers. She has been an active coach in tournament competition and has helped many students to realize their goals and improve their skills. Through Revelina's efforts many of her students that have achieved their goal of reaching a black belt continue to train and have become instructors themselves.
Master Steve Large
Master of Woo Kim Nanaimo Taekwondo
Some of the students that have been taught by Master Steve in the past have progressed on to become Master Instructors as well. This group includes Master Murray Fee, and Master Brett Fee (Woo Kim Parksville), Master Harry Sese (Bellview Washington), Master Dan Thornton (Woo Kim Surrey), Master Ruth Rowe (Adelaide Australia), Master Revelina Lukashuk (Woo Kim Errington), and most recently, Master Mike Lowe, and Master Adam Hall also with the Woo Kim Nanaimo School.
Master Revelina Lukashuk
Master of Woo Kim Errington Taekwondo
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Fourth Degree Black Belts
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Master Adam Hall
Master Mike Lowe
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Third Degree Black Belts
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James Whyte
Jeffrey Ng
David Brionnes
Michael Brionnes
Merrick Butterworth
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Second Degree Black Belts
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Carl Butterworth
Joel Roszmann
Jane Wodlinger
Kaleb Okeley
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First Degree Black Belts
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Mali Munroe
James Bates
Robyn Bartle
Chuck Saffin
Ben Kalina
Kevin Stedmon
