Traditional martial arts offer centuries-old training for mental focus, personal integrity, discipline and perseverance, all on a foundation of humility in the quest for inner harmony and healthy human relationships.

At 83 years of age, Grandmaster Hee Ill Cho, former world champion and ninth-degree black belt in tae kwon do, is a living treasure whose mind and body models his art. His students range from 3 years old to adults past retirement.

High school students who achieve their black belt under his tutelage typically have top grades and find their way to quality colleges. There is much to be gained for all those who engage in training. For me, tae kwon do has been a lifelong journey and integral to my practice as a physician.

Cho came from humble beginnings and grew up in post-World War II Korea, where the land had been decimated. He endured hard winters, temporary shelters and little to eat. He started training at age 10. He had been beaten up by a gang of boys and resolved to learn to defend himself. By the time he entered military service in Korea, he was a fourth-degree black belt and graduated first in his class at the military Tae Kwon Do Academy. He helped train the Korean army and then the Indian army before moving to the U.S.

In the 1990s he formed the Action International Martial Arts Association, which now has thousands of students worldwide. After 73 years of training and teaching, the grandmaster embodies a rare combination of humility, calm, kindness and a remarkable presence.

My own journey with the grandmaster began 47 years ago, and I have continued to train with him since he moved to Hawaii nearly 20 years ago. Whether it is the study and practice of medicine, arduous medical missions in the Himalayas, a marathon, a triathlon or long blue-water voyages on the Hokule‘a’s worldwide voyage, there is a pervasive sense that the grandmaster saves my life each and every day.

What is most unusual is that at his advanced age the grandmaster continues to teach every class, including tiny panthers (ages 3 to 5), children and adults. He is rarely absent, and class is held even during most holidays. It seems counterintuitive that despite his fierce discipline, remarkable stamina, speed, strength, dexterity and complex skill set, he is always gentle and respectful and has an uncanny ability to intuit what each student needs most in the moment.

Tae kwon do is considered a “hard” form. It’s not like tai chi. It involves a great deal of jumping and kicking in addition to hand work. It can be rigorous. Is it useful for self- defense? Most definitely.

Although we train in ground work and boxing techniques, tae kwon do is best described as a striking art. Is it difficult? Of course. For me there were years when tae kwon do felt like a burden that I gladly carried, but after some time tae kwon do carried me.

One of tae kwon do’s core tenets is to develop mind and body as one. In contrast, a strong, quick, agile body that carries a wandering mind is both useless and dangerous. On the other hand, a finely honed mind carried around by a weak, toxic or obese body is also quite limited. If we can forge a fluid relationship between mental strategy and physical instinct in response to a given situation, we are at our best.

Traditional martial arts are a world away from obligatory jogging, counting steps or working the elliptical at the gym. It is about so much more than burning calories or maintaining cardio.

Perhaps not surprisingly, though, several top students in their late teens spend much of their time surfing when not training or doing schoolwork.

After three years of COVID-19, an unstable economy and ructions in the global arena not seen since WWII, so many in society are adrift, depressed, alone and feeling powerless.

Traditional martial arts, taught well, gradually build a deep resilience within the dedicated practitioner. This is the practice of freedom.

The grandmaster recent- ly relocated to a beautiful, freshly renovated training studio, Cho’s Tae Kwon Do Academy, in the Koko Marina Shopping Center, Suite G-100.

For inquiries, call 808-396-8900 or email aimaahq@aol.com. The academy website is chostaekwondo.com.

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Ira “Kawika” Zunin is a practicing physician and medical director of Manakai o Malama Integrative Healthcare Group and Rehabilitation Center: www.manakaiomalama.com. Submit questions to info@manakaio malama.com. His column appears the first Wednesday each month.