Final Quilt by Wendy Kuhse

Throughout the world, history has documented numerous styles of hand and foot fighting, each reflecting the varying historical and cultural background of the originating country. Tae Kwon Do, as practiced today, was founded by General Choi Hong Hi, a leader in South Korea, on April 11, 1955. On December 29, 1971, a young Woo Jin Jung left his home in South Korea and traveled to the United States. Initially Grand Master Jung worked at a gas station while pursuing his dream of practicing and teaching Tae Kwon Do. Tae Kwon Do is an art. Tae means feet, Kwon means hand and Do means the way; the art and hand and foot fighting. Students train in TaeKwon Do for a variety of reasons; self defense, individual growth and development, exercise and stress relief. Like TaeKwon Do, quilting has existed around the world and the history can be traced back to medieval times. The tradition of quilting in North America likely came across the ocean with the first immigrants. And, like TaeKwon Do, quilt making is an art form. The word quilting defines the act of stitching together two layers of fabric between a padding. In the early days, quilts were made to serve a purpose; to provide warmth at night, to cover doors and windows to help reduce the cold. More current purposes include to decorate homes, to express political views or to remember a loved one. For many, quilting is considered to be a way to maintain tradition and heritage. Quilts help us keep in touch with our inner voices and provide opportunities for inner peace. Regardless of the colors and fabrics used, quilts reflect the passion and love that the quilter has for life itself. The shapes and colors unite to form a harmonious whole. Similarly, each TaeKwon Do “form” is a series of prearranged sequence of martial art techniques uniting to make a whole. The Quilt of Valor program began in 2003, with awarding a “quilt of valor” to a Service Member or Veteran who has been touched by war. The Quilt says unequivocally, “Thank you for your service and sacrifice in serving our nation.” In late 2014, with Grand Master’s birthday quickly approaching, Master’s Lanny and Wendy Kuhse were searching for a way to “give back” and thank Grand Master Jung for his years of teaching TaeKwon Do. Together, with the history and art of TaeKwon Do and quilt making and the mission of the Quilts of Valor program, the Kuhse’s decided to construct a quilt that would tell the story of Grand Master Jung’s Tae Kwon Do journey. TaeKwon Do students were asked to donate t-shirts, patches and old doboks. The project evolved over several months; planning where to place each piece, sewing pieces together and adding some hand stitched pieces. An inner white border was added to the finished quilt to signify a beginning white belt student, and an outer black border, signifying a black belt student. The back of the quilt has the signatures of many of Grand Master Jung’s students. The original quilt was presented to Grand Master Jung on February 14, 2015 and resulted in a very emotional Grand Master. Initially, he suggested a few more “blocks” be added that were significant events and/or memories in his journey. Eventually the number of additions’’ grew to the point that the original quilt was disassembled slightly and remade. The final quilt was re-presented to Grand Master Jung on the 250th test date, June 6, 2015. The quilt hangs in Grand Master Jungs dojang in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and occasionally Grand Master Jung will add another pin or patch. The quilt is a representation of Grand Master Jung’s TaeKwon Do history and a constant reminder of his humble beginnings and journey. The quilt symbolizes his ongoing goal of “one day, one Korea, one TaeKwon Do.”

submitted by Master Wendy Kuhse