Chang Moo Kwan: The Source

1976 Grandmaster Jon Wiedenman Teaches a youth class a Supreme Grandmaster Chungs Rowland Heights Studio

1979 Grandmaster Jon Wiedenman, then a Pomona High developmental reading teacher lines up with his founding members of the High School Chang Moo Kwan team.

1983 Grandmaster Jon Wiedenman on far right and Master George Fullerton on far left:  The beginning of Grandmaster Wiedenman's youth programs through Chang Moo Kwan. 

1984 Gary High School Chang Moo Kwan team swept the Inter High School Chang Moo Kwan Championships under the direction of Grandmaster Wiedenman.

1986 In December of the year, Grandmaster Jon Wiedenman brought together his High School Chang Moo Kwan teams for a New Years party.  This group shows the rich ethnic and cultural diversification that has always typified Grandmaster Wiedenman's Chang Moo Kwan groups.  "As I recall, there were 7 languages spoken in this group."  Grandmaster noted.

1993 Grandmaster Jon Wiedenman stands proudly with his San Pedro Boys and Girls Club Junior Belts.  Grandmaster Wiedenman is on the far right, Kyo Sa Claudia Montez is on left.  Center is Master David Johns and Kyo Sa Eliseo Martinez.

1996 Grandmaster Jon Wiedenman and his San Pedro Boys and Girls Club fighting team bring home the trophies from an Inter-School Championship held that year.

2000 The San Pedro YMCA youth class.  Head Instructor Jon Wiedenman on far Right.  On far left is Master David Johns.

2010 Grandmaster Jon Wiedenman joins with 3 generations of black belts for a "family portrait."  Seated center is Grandmaster Jon Wiedenman.  Interesting to note to his left is Master George Fullerton and 2nd to the left standing is Cho Kyo Joseph Hernandez.  Both appear in the 1983 photo above...almost 30 years later.  Grandmaster Wiedenman's 16 year old son, Ian, is almost the same age as Joe's daughter.   Time passes, but strong bonds of friendship do not.

1964 So much is different yet so much is the same.  The youthful students still grapple with a set of new skills.  Grandmaster Wiedenman had no idea at this time what a journey his love for martial arts would take him.  Here, with fist half closed, he practices basic form with a much larger  student.

1978 West Coast Open Tae Kwon Do Championship Grandmaster Jon Wiedenman faces off his opponent on his way to being ranked in the US Top 10.Heavyweight Black Belt Divisions.

1978 West Coast Open Tae Kwon Do Championships the "eye of the tiger" is why Grandmaster Jon Wiedenman emerged from his tournament career of over 70 fights with the nickname "The White Tiger."  Grandmaster Wiedenman stated: "The world could be falling down around the ring, and all I saw was my opponent, his opening and his weaknesses.  A fighter is defined by his eye contact, his gaze, and it must be so definitively piercing it is if you can pull the spirit from the other fighter through his own eyes."

1983 Philippine Islands, Manila Master Hong Tae Kwon Do Studio in Metro Manila.  He was a great teacher and Grandmaster Wiedenman met Tonnet "The Tiger" Lacson, who became a great friend.  Grandmaster Jon Wiedenman recalls:  "Master Hong was a great, humble teacher.  His dojo was on the second floor, and in the hot, humid summer where would sweat like crazy and watch the geckos raced across the ceiling chasing insects.  Master Hong would line all the students up facing each, and we would fight every student in the class one on one.  It was incredible training.  I miss him and Tonette."

1983 Philippine Islands, Grandmaster Wiedenman was asked to help referee the Philippine championships.  Grandmaster recalls "I loved the laid back attitude everybody had...there was no pretense...just raw ability and compassion.  Everybody worked hard for themselves and the team. 

1984 Taipei, Taiwan, Grandmaster Wiedenman helps instruct a group of students in a Taipei dojo.  This school was highly recommended by Supreme Grandmaster Nam Suk Lee.  They were one of the few schools Grandmaster found which recognized Chang Moo Kwan by virtue of the fact they flew the Chang Moo Kwan Shied in their studio.  (See Below)

Taipei, Taiwan outside the dojo training area an instructor stands beside the traditional Chang Moo Kwan Logo in the form of a flag.

1985 Korea, Seoul:  That summer Grandmaster Jon Wiedenman found himself in Grandmaster Nam Suk Lees office and the Chang Moo Kwan headquarters.  He asked Supreme Grandmaster to please find him an instructor who was more traditional and not into the sport Tae Kwon Do.  He was introduced to Master Lee.  (In photo to Grandmasters left)  For more than two months Grandmaster followed Master Lee from dojang to dojang often hitting seven to ten different classes per day.  Some of the styles he trained in were: Hapkido, including wall walking, Korean Kung Fu--with a class filled with two dozen actresses learning movie kung fu, kul so do or the art of knife warfare, military techniques with the ROK, and then Master Lee's own eclectic style called "The Eagle/Tiger Way."  Master Lee would meet Grandmaster at his hostel early in the morning, and drop him off late at night.  Grandmaster Wiedenman recalls: "It was unbelievable.  Master Lee was the vision of eclecticism.  He could do it all and really well.  He had a great heart and connected with many people, yet he was not into the politics.  I really grew as a martial artist during these hard but enjoyable weeks."

1985 Korea, Gong Ki Do:  Towards the end of Grandmaster Wiedenman's training with Master Lee they took a long bus ride to a suburb of Seoul.  The destination was a friend of Master Lee's dojang.  (Above)  In broken English Master Lees friend politely asked "What forms do you do."  " In all the time I had trained with Master Lee, we only dappled in forms once. He had me try and learn the new WTF forms and I failed miserably.  From then on we did not do forms at all, just lots of techniques."  Grandmaster tried to explain his forms were traditional forms, not the new ones.  master Lee's friend simply asked Grandmaster Wiedenman to perform the forms.  It was 9:00 PM, and Grandmaster was wearing what he is wearing in the photo above.  "I just shook my head and said yes sir.  I could not make excuses.  I have no time to stretch out.  Both the masters and several black belt students sat down and watched.  I performed 12 traditional Chang Moo Kwan forms as taught to me by my teacher Supreme Grandmaster Chung.  The sat quiet, riveted, not saying a word.  I did all the black belt forms...4 that I knew.   When I finished I faced the masters and bowed.  Both masters stood, walked over to me, bowed and shook my hand.  Master Lee's friend articulated as best he could...We have not seen those forms in many years, nobody know them anymore, that was unreal."  Grandmaster recalls being very proud, and Master Lee looked at him different in the time they had left together.  Looking at the photo...I don;t know how I did all the moves with those tight pants on...ouch."

1990 Grandmaster Jon Wiedenman executes a perfect step side kick.   Everything lining up with precision Grandmaster looks past his rigid heel like the site of a gun.  It is rare a camera taker can capture the true apex of articulation.  This photo was done prior to digital phtography.  Agueably, it may be one of the most perfect kicks caught on camera.

1992 Grandmaster Jon Wiedenman breaks a concrete block while executing a step side kick.  Master Richard Hill holds the block in foreground.  Master Hill has also defined himself as an expert in Kendo, the are of the sword.

2010 Masters Gene Hahn, George Fullerton, and David Johns surround Grandmaster Jon Wiedenman at a recent photo shoot. 

2010 Grandmaster Jon Wiedenman (Right) and Master George Fullerton have worked hard at promoting traditional Chang Moo Kwan for over 40 years.   

2010 The three Traditional Chang Moo Kwan martial artist who trained with Supreme Grandmaster Nam Suk Lee the most in modern times still proudly stand side by side.  Left to right:  Master George Fullerton, 7th Dan Grandmaster Jon Wiedenman, 9th Dan, and Master David Johns, 5th Dan.  All three are active, energetic in promoting Traditional Chang Moo Kwan and the teachings of Supreme Grandmaster Nam Suk Lee.

2010 Grandmaster Jon Wiedenman is surrounded by three generations of Traditional Chang Moo Kwan students and instructors at Master Wilson Wong's Ontario Studio.  Grandmaster Jon Wiedenman is seated in the middle with Masters Rome Saura, George Fullerton, David Johns and Wilson Wong also seated from left to right.  "This is more than just a Chang Moo Kwan tradition, it is an extended family."  Grandmaster Jon Wiedenman