http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0722223/

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0722221/

looks like philip rhee's been laying low for the last 10 years while simon's been busy on the screen.  i like simon's parts as an actor - asian gangster #4, asian villan #7, asian thug #2...  haha. 

Philip Rhee, is the younger brother of Simon Rhee,  not to be confused with the father of American TKD Jhoon Rhee ... "Rhee" is a common last name

GM Rhee is 76 year old ... here is a current pic of him

http://www.army.mil/-images/2008/05/12/15489/

And the kids that appear at the end of this commercial for his school .... are his kids

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7PEMGuA6tw&feature=related

Grand Master Rhee actively participates in the belt promotion of students and oversees the training of every Chief Instructor in the Jhoon Rhee Network.

Hee Il Cho apprently has a credible organization.

How big it is, is not a concern, even the large organizations these days are really breaking down into smaller factions.

I'd say from the outside looking in, it's not a 'powerhouse' organization, but by that same token, that actually is a strength of it.  By appearances, it's fairly tight knit.  It won't put all the other organizations out of business, but it seems to serve its membership, while providing martial artists with yet another option for affiliation. 

Phillip Rhee... he's been kind of quiet the last few years.  Simon Rhee is still actively running his school and doing various production and training projects.  

From what I remember now of Hee Il Cho, I didn't view him as 'the bad guy' in the Best of the Best movies I saw.  He appeared to be quite the animated and intense coach of the Korean team in Best of the Best 1... I don't believe he appeared in Best of the Best II... and the only other Best of the Best movie I saw was "Final Warning".  (I think that was the fourth one)

(Whichever one it was, it was the one where Phillip put on a nice Hap-ki-do demonstration with what appeared to be trainee police officers in sweats in a training setting, during the closing credits.)

Good movies... That's something I always liked about Phillip's movies... they stayed within a good philosophical attitude toward fighting and life.  The Tommy Lee character very aptly defined for film, the character of the contemporary martial arts warrior... someone who cherishes and finds pleasure in life and in other people in peace, but can step up to the plate when necessary to deal with the uglier side of life.

Grand Master James S. Benko... that's correct.  Here's what he runs...

International Hapkido Federation™

Korean Martial Arts Federation™

World Shim Soo Do Federation™

Korean Martial Arts Institute™

That's in addtion to the International Taekwondo Association™

I do not know Mr. Benko personally, and have never met any of those in any of his organizations.

As a future school owner, I have to seriously question whether I'd be fast to affiliate with someone who clearly has a TON of irons in the fire with 'all' of those organizations to keep tabs on.  Just ordering all the patches for those different organizations must be a real pain in the butt.

I reviewed the promotional requirements, from white belt, to white belt with one yellow tip...(which, is probably just a nice piece of yellow electrical tape, or an iron-on yellow bar patch.) 

He's got two page essay as a requirement, along with 'self defense for holds'...  

Okay...

And he's got breaking listed also... 1 inch pine board.  Hold it right there.

I began martial arts study in 1981.  I have 'never' seen personally, any organization who had white belts breaking boards as a testing requirement.  Breaking is an activity that requires correct technique, that has been properly developed.  Time and training hours are what achieve that development.

A white belt, with less than a year of training, should not be breaking, anymore than a boxing student with 1 week of training should be in the ring sparring freely with the gym's best boxer. 

My personal feeling?  I wouldn't affiliate my school with any of Mr. Benko's listed organizations.

Some folks might feel differently about that... and that's fine.

But my first duty is to look after my students and protect them from preventable harm.  Having white belts breaking boards before they've had adequate time to develop their techniques to a proficient level, is asking for trouble. 

My advice... caveat emptor...  Regardless of association... DO YOUR HOMEWORK on the school, and the instructor.  Watch some classes personally.  Visit more than one school... buy nothing... just mine for information... that's all you're doing... getting information.

Let me ask you something.  You mentioned Hee Il Cho's video training program... (BTW... to test for black belt, you MUST test in person in one of the AIMAA's affiliated schools)  And now you've mentioned Mr. Benko's veritable "Baskin Robbins" of associations that he runs....

Are you looking for distance learning, in the art of Taekwondo? 

Yes sir.  He sure does.

And interestingly enough, both gentlemen have websites.

www.philliprhee.com

www.simonrhee.com

For those who would like some sparring and philosophy tips, Phillip has some on his official fan site.  (I think that fan site is actually run by a couple of his biggest fans.)

2008/5/13th

Ranger1100ky,

Glad to see you had more patience in reading up on that Grandmaster Benko's website.  For me my eyes blurred over after about five minutes of perusing some of the background on 'his' teacher....forgot that gentleman's name.

As for their requirements and his organizations, it did not dawn on me until after you mentioned that such a feat is surely going to cause him problems with the patches alone.  LOL.  Breaking boards at white belt level?!   odd indeed.

On to my situation:

To answer your question, it is peculiar to someone reading my posts, that I'm inquiring here, about Hee Il Cho's AIMAA and also Benko's 'baskin robbins' association:

• I was contemplating them only in so far as an alternative.  Your kind opinions about Benko's has caused me to immediately cross his off the list.

• An alternative because the local WTF dojang got to be a financial issue for me with their every-other-month belt grading.  They conducted separate fees, understandable, and fair.  This was an escalating fee, relevant to the belt-level.  It became an issue for my wallet.

• Lastly, not a big deal either, but I rarely received assistance from the main teacher but from high school aged black belts.  Granted they seemed knowledgeable and in no way, shape, or form did this school resemble the 'Sport Taekwondo' down the road. 

• Overall, the local WTF school is head-and-shoulders above the 'Sport school', but I felt a little overwhelmed by the financial burden the belt fees caused.

*None of this is worst than if I had decided to join Hee Il Cho's distance training alternative, but, embarassingly I was considering it.  In hindsight: it would cost just as much financially or more now that I've had time to ponder it.  Like you noted, they require in-person grading, expensive given the flight to their AIMAA dojangs!

Sadly I am not at the WTF dojang presently, but hope to rejoin them when bills and such as corralled a little more. 

Home training is not as efficient, but it is "something".  Past experience in WTF (only 2003 to 2005), as well as some years of another martial art under my belt (1989 to 1994) has garnered some insight as to 'how' to train.

kind regards,
Eric