Email exchanges from then Master John Tompkins

After many years in the ITF and all of the seminars, world
championships etc, my instructor, Grand Master Park formed the GTF and
I did the only thing possible; I remained true to my instructor. I
remained that way until his illness precluded him from running the GTF
in reasonable manner. It was after Grand Master Parks death and
several months of watching the ITF that I went to Master Choi, Jung,
Hwa’s house and met him personally. It was at that time I decided to
plant the feet of the Phoenix Group in his back yard and wait for the
ITF to grow around him. I have found him to be a man of his word and
to be easy to work with.

When I first met “Grand Master” Kong (his title, I noticed the ITF
expelled him as a 6th degree.) his main concern was how soon I could
organize a seminar and how big it would be. When he found out, we were
all small clubs spread out all over the USA; it was the last of his
interest in our group except for the normal amenities. (If he would
have just waited, he could have been part of the 100-person seminar we
just had for Master Choi) I was not surprised when he turned his back
on Master Choi and neither am I surprised at this sudden burst of
piety.

Phoenix Group students have purchased many uniforms from Mr. Cariati’s
“Cazzoto” and it was just recently I received my first martial arts
phone call from him. He said he was just calling as a friend although
he did not have many good things to say about Master Choi and actually
relayed some rather nasty comments made in the inner circle of
administrators about me in a private meeting when Master Choi’s ITF
had their first convention. At first I thought it was just a friend’s
good intentions whose mouth was running a little loose. Now after
seeing the letter campaign, trying to get us to switch over I know
differently; I am truly disappointed in this type of conduct.

Students of the ITF, If you are happy where you are, then stay there.
Master Choi will be the first to tell you to stay in your organization
if you are happy with it. Always discuss things with your
instructor/president at length before you do anything. I can tell you
I always call where a student or club comes from to find out why they
left.

Some persons are jumping ship for a phony rank advancement. The
promoting Master will assure you deserve the promotion just as much as
his or her bank account does. While it certainly will fell good to get
your next promotion, it will not help your reputation.

This business of trying to recruit from among other ITF organizations
with letter writing campaigns is beneath the normal standards of
dignity and decorum. If you get any kind o letter such as this from
some one in Master Choi’s group, I would like to know about it.

Getting an honest inquiry from a club in other groups is a different
case then what I am discussing in this letter.

In closing, there can only be my request to the so called ICTF to
cease this shabby method of recruiting students, quit besmirching the
good name of others by referring to your selves as the “True Pioneers”
and leave the Phoenix Group out of this type of recruiting.

Master John Tompkins

8th Degree

President

Phoenix Group

We will continue to teach, promote and preserve the art of Taekwon-do in
the matter that was taught to us by our late founding father General Choi
Hang Hi.

If you would like know more about the ICTF the following link will take you
to our website where further information can be acquired.
http://www.ictf-web.com/

Respectfully,

Membership Committee
—————————————————————————-
—–
Seems to me to be just an email informing taekwon-do peeps of their presence
on the world scene of TKD, it doesnt even invite them to join, just links
them to more information!

Having been ‘touched/burnt’ by so called demoncratic ITF organisations of
the past, I was intrigued but cautious of this organisation! So I went to
the source, Master Kong, and interviewed him for the UK Martial Arts press.
Although I can`t release the actual interview until its been in the MA mags,
I will tell you the following:

Your emails seem to name drop a lot of people, slagging the ICTF off (of
which I am not a member btw), but the names you drop, I (and most other
people probibly) have never heard of!!! In reply to a reply of his I asked:
Whose idea was it to form the ICTF?

Grand Master Kong, Yong Il: Grand Master CK Choy and Grand Master JC Kim
(both from Vancouver, Canada) and Grand Master Nam Tae Hi (presently living
in LA, USA) and I all felt that the existing organizations were not “true”
to its members. As pioneers of TAEKWON-DO and all members of the original
TAEKWON-DO Demonstration Team with General Choi, we felt it was time to form
an organization for the members to carrying on the General’s legacy.

Another good friend of mine from Spain, Master Kim Mu Won, who was my
student in the 60s, also came on board along with Grand Master Park Bu Kwan
from Texas and Master Kong, Young Bo (from Pennsylvania – who was the first
ITF World Champion in 1974). Together we had to tools and experience to
ensure a very strong organization which focused on its members and further
Taekwon-Do techniques.

We all got together and had a meeting in February 2003 and formed the WITF
and then went on to change the name to the International Ch’ang-Hon
Taekwon-Do Federation. It was officially established on October 23, 2003.

### Hows that for name dropping 🙂 Are you sure CK Choy, JC Kim, Nam Tae
Hi, Park Bu Kwan & Kong Young Bo have all made bad decisions, considering
they are all famous in their own right in the first play & don`t actually
need to be part of anything except their own organisations!!!

On the other issues of fees: The ITF charge $550 + the NGB fees for a 6th
degree grading, where as the ICTF charge $50 (registration) & the examiners
(ie. Master Kong himself) get $50, thats $100 total….. so whos clocking
the big bank account!!!!

Finally, on the issue of switching/joining associations to up-grade grades
etc. This is wrong and I cant say whether it has happened or not as i dont
know, but neither General Choi, nor his son were/are above this, as I know
of many examples!

Also, how can Choi Jung Hwa de-promote Kong Young Il, who was graded 9th
degree by General Choi himself & is higher than Choi Jung Hwa!!!! It sounds
as if Kong left & someone was annoyed, hence the de-promotion words on the
web site!!!! Can one of your students de-promote you?

As for me, I am still undecided if I want to join another big organisation
yet! But from those letters you posted, all I got was that the ITF is
running scared & the usual bitching & back stabbing is going on! Same as
always, but this one, cos of the names involved & its `every member votes`
policy is a bigger threat than most!

Dont get involved is my opinion, let the big boys play, why we train!!!

Just thought a fair & equal/unbiased view was needed after those strong
letter!!

Stuart
www.raynerslanetkd.com

“Grasshopper” <Grasshopper@KungFu.net > wrote in message
news:CRmdc.5091$Yh4.2453@newssvr31.news.prodigy.com…
> TRUE-ITF wrote:
> > Through it all I was the chief country bumpkin.
>
> Impressive title. How does that pay?
>
> > I rode into town on a
> > load of pumpkins
>
> What does that have to do with Taekwando?
>
> <snip of lots of disparaging comments about someone or another?
>
> > Master John Tompkins
> > 8th Degree
> > President
> > Phoenix Group
>
> Wow. I have never in my life seen a more critical and slanderous TKD
Master
> in my life. How old are you, 14? Any Master I know (a few) would not
> write such an hostile and insulting open letter on Usenet, whether or not
> your rants and raves were true. The fact that you did not substantiate a
> single claim of yours also does not add to your credibility.
>
> —
> ____________________________
> Ah, Young Grasshopper.
> Sometimes it is eyes that blind a man.
>
>

Mr. Kong, Young Il ITF VIth Dan has been expelled from the
International Taekwon-Do Federation for conduct unbecoming a member of
the International Taekwon-Do Federation and causing embarrassment to
those qualified Dan Holders and Masters around the world, thereby
denigrating the martial arts in general.

For continued lack of moral and ethics s a “senior” practitioner and
alleged repeated questionable and illegal business practices in the
name of the International Taekwon-Do Federation, thereby causing
confusion and harm to ITF-Korea.

For further details ITF-Korea can be contacted.

http://www.kitf.org/
—-

September 14, 2003

The Following ITF Member has been expelled from the International
Taekwon-Do Federation

Mr. Kong, Young Il ITF 6th Dan

For any Questions or concerns contact the Headquarters of the
International Taekwon-Do Federation

http://itf-online.com

http://itf-admin.com/

Ps. Does your instructor know/endorse you are using his letters/posts to
slag of masters on usenet!!!!! Im sure he`d be patting you on the back for
that!

“TRUE-ITF” <trueitf@starmail.com > wrote in message
news:9253062f.0404100451.44dde5f1@posting.google.com…
> September 18, 2003
>
> Regarding the recent expulsion of Mr. Kong, Young Il VIth Dan
>
> Mr. Kong, Young Il ITF VIth Dan has been expelled from the
> International Taekwon-Do Federation for conduct unbecoming a member of
> the International Taekwon-Do Federation and causing embarrassment to
> those qualified Dan Holders and Masters around the world, thereby
> denigrating the martial arts in general.
>
> For continued lack of moral and ethics s a “senior” practitioner and
> alleged repeated questionable and illegal business practices in the
> name of the International Taekwon-Do Federation, thereby causing
> confusion and harm to ITF-Korea.
>
> For further details ITF-Korea can be contacted.
>
> http://www.kitf.org/
> —-
>
> September 14, 2003
>
> The Following ITF Member has been expelled from the International
> Taekwon-Do Federation
>
> Mr. Kong, Young Il ITF 6th Dan
>
> For any Questions or concerns contact the Headquarters of the
> International Taekwon-Do Federation
>
> http://itf-online.com
>
> http://itf-admin.com/