THE KWAN 'JANG
(THE GRANDMASTER OF MASTERS)

written by Grandmaster Edward B. Sell

used with permission, excerpted from TaeKwonDo Times Magazine

What is a Kwan'Jang? In Taekwondo terms Kwan means school, Jang means a Grandmaster who is the Director, Head Master, or Head Dean. Our school, or Kwan, is US Chung Do Kwan which I developed and organized in 1967.

To explain the various evolutionary stages of this ancient Korean martial art, I wish to take you back in time during my early years as a student Black Belt. I was serving my last two years of my second enlistment in the U.S.A.F. at Osan, Air Force Base, in Pyong Teak Kun, Korea when the political structure of Taekwondo began to change. In 1965, I was a member of the Tae Soo Do Chung Do Kwan Association, training for a 4th Degree Black Belt. I found this school (Kwan a particular system of training) to be a strong and very disciplined martial art, which was the reason it appealed to me. I soon discovered that there were at least sixteen different training systems of Taekwondo being taught throughout various parts of Korea at that time. Each school was called a "Kwan" (pronounced "Kwon"). The largest and most common that I can remember were Chung Do Kwan (my school's system), Ji Do Kwan, Sang Do Kwan, Moo Duk Kwan, Chang Moo Kwan, and Kang Duk Kwan. The founder or surviving Grandmaster of each of these schools were called the "Kwan'Jang." Each Kwan'Jang was looked at with the highest esteem.

After many rumors and false starts to form a unity among all the Kwans, the Korean Government decided to assist the many different Taekwondo schools with finances and special administrative assistance that would give Taekwondo national and international recognition. I can remember the pros and cons felt among many of the leading Korean Master Instructors about the government's support. At this time the word "Taekwondo" was accepted as the official name of this ancient Korean martial art. Problems began when the Korean Government decided only to recognize five Kwans: Chung Do, Ji Do, Moo Duk, Chang Moo, Kang Duk. This caused a split in many of the schools. It also caused hard feelings, jealousy and animosity within the ranks of the Masters and Instructors. The problems and poor attitudes began to reach new heights when the order came down that all Instructors had to be "re-certified."

In 1967, the president of South Korea declared Taekwondo as a national sport. For several years, the transformation of Taekwondo into an international martial art went relatively smooth with each Office of the Kwan'Jang governing it's own school and handling all the internal problems. Taekwondo was also introduced to the world as an "international sport" with the production and outstanding organization of the "1st World Taekwondo Championship" held in the newly built "Kukkiwon" building in Seoul, Korea. It placed Taekwondo among the elite sports of the world and I was extremely proud to participate in it as a Team Coach of one of three American teams that entered. I was also present when each of the participating countries approved the organization of the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) and voted Dr. Un Young Kim as President. I felt that such actions were indeed historic events for the art, science and sport of Taekwondo.

When I was awarded the position of Kwan'Jang, I thought I had to be legalistic and tough. I really felt that the higher the martial arts position was, the more distant I should be from those under my authority. There is an old saying, "familiarity breeds contempt." Through the years I've discovered that is not true! God gives us wisdom as we look to Him. I realize now that people flock to excitement, but stay where they are loved. The life of a Kwan'Jang should be simple. He should teach others by example emphasizing that strength comes through humility.

Love is a word that has been very abused and distorted in our modern day society. Love is really an attitude that we develop that is as genuinely concerned about the welfare of others as much as we are ourselves. Love requires commitment and discipline, two of the key principles of Taekwondo. People flock to excitement, but stay where they are loved. Taekwondo is not abusive and neither should it's role models or leaders be abusive. We should be role models that cause others to search for the development of the spirit man, making us a whole person as explained on in Chapter 10 of this textbook. However, we can not be into ourselves, nor so heavenly minded that would prevent us from being down to earth to touch peoples lives. Respect is something you earn, not something you demand.

It is now my perspective that the position as an American Kwan'Jang should be carried by a Grandmaster who has been consistently loyal, dedicated, experienced in Taekwondo and has exercised wisdom in his leadership abilities through Godly counsel. He is a man who has studied and trained in one system of teaching principles within the structure of Taekwondo for more than 20 years and been loyal to only one Kwan (school) all his life and confronts and successfully battles evil principles that continue to threaten the well-being of mankind. The Kwan'Jang desires to lead others to peace by creating harmony within the ranks of black belts and instructors; he is an arbitrator when needed. He strives to teach by example that strength comes through humility. Perhaps the most modern day translations for the position of Kwan'Jang would be the Head Dean of a university.

A true master is a servant. He doesn't demand respect, he earns it. He tries to touch peoples lives in a way that will help them to overcome the limitations that they themselves or others have put on them. He knows that a person needs to be strong in mind, body and spirit. I remember three distinct students who have taught me these valuable lessons. The following are only a few examples of the many experiences that I have been faced with:

A sixteen year old boy walked into my office with his father one cold winter day. His father sat next to him and began to tell me about his rotten, no good for nothing son. He said "the only thing my son wants to do is martial arts, so here he is, let's see what you can do with him." He had quit school and his father had basically thrown him out in the street. The boy had extremely low self-esteem and a stuttering problem. When he wasn't stuttering, he was mumbling. He was the kind of young man that carried a chip on his shoulder and was labeled a bully. I saw something in him, and took him on as a personal challenge. He was hungry for someone to love him, to care about him. I took him under my wing. He made black belt in 4 years. His life changed as he began to realize that his attitude determined his future, not his environment. He began to have a desire to change, and to swallow his pride in search of something better than what he had. One day, he came to me and said, "Grandmaster Sell, I've come a long way, but something is missing. Can you tell me what it is?" I handed him a Bible and told him to read the book of Proverbs to find wisdom. He carried his Bible in a brown paper bag with him wherever he went. He began to grow spiritually as he searched for wisdom. Today, he is married with a beautiful family, and an officer in the U.S. Air Force.

A young oriental man approached me at church one Sunday and asked if he could come by my office and talk with me. He came the next day. He was adopted by an American military family and raised in Germany. He felt rejected by all races and had just lost his sister to suicide. He was ready to give up. We sat and talked for several hours. Soon he began to train at my school. He finally found acceptance. He trained hard. Very few people thought he would make it. Many people became very critical about his mannerisms. I knew that deep inside him there was a key to unlock all of the hurt and rejection he felt. I not only trained him but I encouraged him to become a "whole man" (see Chapter 10 in Forces of TaeKwonDo). I began to watched him as he developed strength in his mind, body, and spirit. He became a new person. Today, he is married to a wonderful lady, owns his own Taekwondo school and is one of my dedicated students.

Two young brothers walked into my office wanting to learn Taekwondo. They were green belts in a Japanese system and had just moved to Florida. They had rented a room together and were both suicidal. I took them in as students in an attempt to help them to discover that their life had a purpose. Through our Sell Team Ministry, my wife and I give crusades in prisons. I asked these two brothers to go with us. When I gave an opportunity for those who wanted a change in their life and to come forward and let me pray for them, they were the first ones to ask for prayer. Many prisoners followed them. When we returned home, they began to grow spiritually too. One moved away, and the other stayed. The one who stayed had at one time been on drugs, divorced with a small child, and had suffered with epilepsy. I began to treat him with respect and love, using the three F's talked about on page 33 of Forces of TaeKwonDo. Soon, he began to respond and I took him under my wing as a personal challenge to help him. Today he is married to a beautiful lady, who also became one of our Black Belt Instructors, has 5 children, earned his GED, completed trade school, teaches Taekwondo to underprivileged kids, and is a youth minister at his church. He found that the key to a balanced and stable life is to be a whole man; strong in mind, body, and spirit.
A good leader never gives up on a person, even when everyone else does. In these three cases, many people considered these people losers. There have been hundreds of stories such as these. Many of my experiences with my students have touched my life in a very special way making me a better person and a better leader.

It is my desire to encourage all martial arts leaders, whether they be an Instructor, Master, Grandmaster or Kwan'Jang to learn the lesson that I did, "It is very difficult to touch and change peoples' lives perched high above them!" We must meet them at their level in order to influence them in a positive way. After all, isn't that what life is all about, leaving a positive impact that will motivate people towards becoming a better person and to be all that God wants them to be?