17/03/2025
Tribute to Grandmaster Ooi
I’d like to take a moment to honor one of the greatest teachers of unarmed combat you’ve probably never heard of, my first Taekwondo instructor, Grandmaster Ooi; who passed away suddenly a few days ago.
He was a pioneer for Taekwondo, helping to spread this uniquely Eastern Martial Art outside of Korea in the 1970’s.
I met him as a young teenager at a Karate club in East London where he was demonstrating Taekwondo and blew me away with his dynamic flying kicks!
He was sensational and, in my opinion, one of the world’s most complete Martial Arts Instructors.
I eventually joined his club where the training was tough mentally and physically and demanded heavy discipline from all.
Looking back, his students were mostly disenfranchised young boys, in need of structure and leadership which we found in abundance in his classes and for many of us we also found a life-long passion for martial arts.
Although I am filled with grief and regrets, I wish I could have visited him one last time. I am proud to call myself a student of Grandmaster Ooi; he will be missed.
For a more detailed account of Grandmaster Ooi, please visit my website at www.taekwondolondon.com/tribute
