AIMAA & Grandmaster Hee Il Cho

**Roidie McDouchebag** · Posted On: 12/27/2006 8:04am

His 60+ body is in better shape than my 27 y.o one.

Not that that's anything to brag about...

**sempaiman** · Posted On: 12/27/2006 8:43am

Originally Posted by DerAuslander108

His 60+ body is in better shape than my 27 y.o one.

Does that also include is 60+ wiener?

**fubar** · Posted On: 12/27/2006 9:19am

I was one of his instructors for a few years here in Boston's North Shore , Salem Ma. We also taught Sitnarong Muay Thai under Phil Nurse of New York & Master Sken of Scotland.

Cho's schools ( individually owned ) were each a bit different , the older ones being more hard core than the newer ones. Cho started here ( East Coast ) with the blue collar fighting crowd but moved to L.A for better weather , richer clients , movie industry etc ... the old timers expected people to puke from overwork and bleed from fighting , the newer ones were more into tournament point fighting nonsense.

I went to a big ass international promotion test there for 3rd Dan under his AIMAA deal and passed , met Bong Soo Han ( who graded my test ) and trained for 3 weeks. This was like 1995-ish I guess. LA / Venice was cool , except for the gunfire after dark every night. Weird town.

I am personally burnt out on TKD's suicidal determination to become a joke , and no longer play. I switched to filipino/indonesian knife games. More suited for a 42 year old carpenter who can't work well with broken toes and bruised ribs.

**Spezza** · Posted On: 12/27/2006 4:03pm

^^Bong Soo Han was my hapkido teacher in the 80s and Cho's school was just down the street from us (on Santa Monica Blvd.) I had two friends who got their red belt from him in Jr. High. We had a little rivalry between us, but honestly they were much better than me and my two Hapkido buddies.

I once watched Cho do one of his "private" work-outs, because I had stopped by at an odd hour with one of my friends from Bong Soo Han. (We were tired of the Hapkido school and were thinking about trading schools).

I never made the switch to Cho's, but to this day, twenty-something years later, I STILL remember watching him hit the bag. Honestly... he was just awesome.; fast, graceful and extremely powerful. He had a bunch of weight equipment in his dojang too. Not something I saw in ANY of the many local martial arts schools back then.

Very progressive and ahead of his time in the TKD world for sure.

These days, Cho's school here in L.A. is run by his son Jacob, who is a nice guy, but yes, the school is definately NOT a full-contact school. It is a "regular" TKD school.

**fubar** · Posted On: 12/27/2006 4:58pm

There were two other guys I liked in the Association Phillip Ameris , who I think was in Philly maybe ... and Alex Ziwak in Conneticut. Both of them were high ranks and real fighters. Looked like they were being groomed to take over some day ... I don't remember his son , but his daughter was there every day i visited doing her homework ... she was just a little kid then.

Cho had just moved down the same street to a nicer facility that had a sort of loft room for weight training, showers in the locker room , huge hardwood floor . Same trip we visited a Gracie Jiujitsu gym by accidentally running across it. Very different. Holes in the wall , blood on the mat. ... it left an impression on me for sure.

**Spezza** · Posted On: 12/28/2006 1:17pm

That was one of the two school he had (at different times) on Pico Blvd.

I think Phillip Ameris is in Pittsburgh, PA. actually.

I know he was the one who added the "ground fighting" to the AIMAA curriculum. I don't think he was a great grappler or anything, but I heard from friends that he was very good on his feet.

***DerAuslander*** · Posted On: 12/28/2006 2:45pm

I believe GM Cho had people studying with the Machado's for quite a while. I know Master Ameris studies Judo with Eugene Kim, having attended a Judo/MMA self-defense seminar at his dojang in Pittsburgh. I never rolled with Master Ameris personally, so I couldn't tell you exactly how good he is, but I was impressed with what was covered during the seminar.

Also, Eugene Kim is a beast. A beast I tell you.

**fubar** · Posted On: 12/28/2006 2:52pm

Yup , Pittsburgh. My bad. ... he was at the big LA test I was at but just did the obligatory breaking **** demonstrations. The other guy I mentioned , Alex Ziwak , seems to have parted company. I googled him and no mention of Cho's org on his site.

It's been like forever since then anyway. There must be new hotshots by now ... unless TKD just sucks everywhere.