Widely known as the father of America Taekwondo, Jhoon Rhee, taekwondo grandmaster, actor and public speaker, took the spotlight at the Jurong East Sport Hall on 4 December 2011 when he charmed the crowd with his talk on simply the purpose of life. He also shared briefly in his own inimitably way some of his philosophies in life which would be featured in his book due to be launched shortly.
The event, the third in the series of Taekwondo Spectacular, attracted more than a thousand spectators comprising taekwondo and non-taekwondo members. It was graced by Dr Lily Neo, MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC as the Guest of Honor, Mr Oh Joon, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea and Mr Kris Wiluan, President of Asean Taekwondo Federation.
Following Jhoon Rhee’s inspiring talk, more than 200 children (Acme TKD – 58, Shota – 32, St Teresa TKD – 30, J H Kim TKD – 25, Induk Academy – 22, Anglican TKD – 14, Akirax – 10, Springfield Sec Sch – 10 and Dragonix TKD – 9) gave a mass performance of taekwondo poomsae, a set of basic defensive and attacking movements.
The national demonstration team took over from the young performers. And they demonstrated the skills honed over the years and drew applause from the appreciative crowd. Their flashy stunts were indeed a visual treat for the spectators.
Not to be outdone, the World Taekwondo Federation Team showed why they were among the world’s top taekwondo performers. Their breathtaking aerial moves simply defied gravity, aptly ended the show and left the crowd wanting more.
Said Mr Tan Kok Heng, the Organizing Chairman of the event, “It is amazing that we are able to put the show together in such short notice. I am delighted that the event was successfully organized.”