Master Lee Bio
Master Lee was born in 1958 in Seoul, South Korea, and began studying taekwondo at the age of 11. He moved to Hawaii in 1971 with his family. Master Lee graduated from Moanalua High School in 1977 and obtained a bachelor's degree from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 1987, double majoring in political science and physical education.
Master Lee is a nine-time US National Champion (1979–1987), a ten-time US National Team Member (1979–1987, 1989), and has won medals at the World Taekwondo Championships, World Games, International Collegiate Taekwondo Championships, Pan American Games, and Pan American Taekwondo Championships. Master Lee served as an assistant taekwondo coach for the USA in the 1988 and1992 Summer Olympics, and as Taekwondo coach for the USA in the 1992 Summer Olympics. He was also head coach of the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center's Resident Athlete Program for Taekwondo from 1988 to 1993. Master Lee has operated the US Taekwondo Center in Aina Haina since 1993, and has trained over ten thousand students.
Master Lee was also very active in the United States Taekwondo Union, holding positions on the Athlete's Advisory Committee as well as serving as Chairman of the USTU's Tournament Committee and Junior Olympic Committee.
Master Lee was also a founding member of the United States Taekwondo Committee, which was created in August 2007. He presently serves as Secretary General of this organization.
In 2007, Master Lee was approached by the Chinese Taekwondo Association to coach the Chinese Olympic Taekwondo Team for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Master Lee accepted and relocated to Beijing, China for the one year period leading up to the Beijing Olympic Games. Master Master Lee has served as the Chinese Team's Head Coach at the 2007 World Taekwondo Championships, the 2007 Korea Open Taekwondo Championships, the Good Luck Beijing 2008 International Taekwondo Invitational Tournament, and the Beijing Olympic Games.
On February 24, 2009, Master Lee was inducted into the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame as a long time contributor to taekwondo in Hawaii.
Master Lee is a nine-time US National Champion (1979–1987), a ten-time US National Team Member (1979–1987, 1989), and has won medals at the World Taekwondo Championships, World Games, International Collegiate Taekwondo Championships, Pan American Games, and Pan American Taekwondo Championships. Master Lee served as an assistant taekwondo coach for the USA in the 1988 and1992 Summer Olympics, and as Taekwondo coach for the USA in the 1992 Summer Olympics. He was also head coach of the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center's Resident Athlete Program for Taekwondo from 1988 to 1993. Master Lee has operated the US Taekwondo Center in Aina Haina since 1993, and has trained over ten thousand students.
Master Lee was also very active in the United States Taekwondo Union, holding positions on the Athlete's Advisory Committee as well as serving as Chairman of the USTU's Tournament Committee and Junior Olympic Committee.
Master Lee was also a founding member of the United States Taekwondo Committee, which was created in August 2007. He presently serves as Secretary General of this organization.
In 2007, Master Lee was approached by the Chinese Taekwondo Association to coach the Chinese Olympic Taekwondo Team for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Master Lee accepted and relocated to Beijing, China for the one year period leading up to the Beijing Olympic Games. Master Master Lee has served as the Chinese Team's Head Coach at the 2007 World Taekwondo Championships, the 2007 Korea Open Taekwondo Championships, the Good Luck Beijing 2008 International Taekwondo Invitational Tournament, and the Beijing Olympic Games.
On February 24, 2009, Master Lee was inducted into the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame as a long time contributor to taekwondo in Hawaii.
His competition record includes:
- 1989: US Taekwondo Team Trials (Fin): gold
- 1988: US Taekwondo Team Trials (Fin): silver
- 1987: World Taekwondo Championships (Fin): bronze; Pan American Games (Fin): gold; US Taekwondo Team Trials (Fin): gold; US Taekwondo National Championships (Fin): gold[2]
- 1986: World Cup Taekwondo Championships (Fin): bronze; US Taekwondo National Championships (Fin): gold
- 1985: World Taekwondo Championships (Fin): silver; World Games Taekwondo (Fin): bronze; US Taekwondo National Championships (Fin): gold
- 1984: Pan American Taekwondo Championships (Fly): gold; US Taekwondo National Championships (Fly): gold
- 1983: International Collegiate Taekwondo Championships (Fin): gold; US Taekwondo National Championships (Fin): gold
- 1982: Pan American Taekwondo Championships (Fin): gold; World Taekwondo Championships (Fin): bronze; US Taekwondo National Championships (Fin): gold
- 1981: World Games Taekwondo (Fin): silver; US Taekwondo National Championships (Fin): gold[3]
- 1980: AAU Tae Kwon Do National Championships (Fin): gold[4]
- 1979: World Taekwondo Championships (Fin): bronze; US Taekwondo National Championships (Fin): gold
- 1977: US Taekwondo National Championships (Fly): bronze
His international coaching record includes:
- 2008: Beijing Olympic Games; Good Luck Beijing 2008 International Taekwondo Invitational Tournament
- 2007: Korea Open Taekwondo Championships; World Taekwondo Championships
- 2003: World Taekwondo Championships; US Open Taekwondo Championships
- 2002: US Open Taekwondo Championships
- 2001: World Taekwondo Championships; US Open Taekwondo Championships
- 2000: US Open Taekwondo Championships
- 1999: World Olympic Qualification Tournament; World Taekwondo Championships; US Open Taekwondo Championships
- 1998: US Open Taekwondo Championships
- 1997: World Taekwondo Championships; US Open Taekwondo Championships
- 1996: US Open Taekwondo Championships
- 1995: World Taekwondo Championships; US Open Taekwondo Championships
- 1994: US Open Taekwondo Championships
- 1993: World Taekwondo Championships; US Open Taekwondo Championships
- 1992: Barcelona Olympic Games; US Open Taekwondo Championships
- 1991: World Taekwondo Championships
- 1989: World Taekwondo Championships
- 1988: Seoul Olympic Games