My three Stories with General Choi Hong Hi.
In the year 1986, on one of Gral. Choi Hong Hi travels to Argentina, he was invited to an interview at a very important TV program in A.T.C. .
Three Taekwon-Do instructors and I were invited to accompany the General and to perform a brief demonstration during the chat. We were asked to be at 2 P.M. but due to some technical reasons, it was postponed to 5 P.M. When we were waiting at a great living sitting with the General and wearing the dobok, we asked for permission to do the warming up and a practice of the patterns, he allowed us and we went to the back of a great room to train. Some minutes later we were surprised when he came to us and said: -“To the Taekwon-Do practice there is no time neither place” and started to guide and correct us during almost three precious and unforgettable hours.
Another of the great moments with the General was in 1990 at the IIC held in Argentina.
During his staying I asked GM Marano for the possibility to invite the General to my city, La Plata, and to my great surprise the General accepted. We welcomed him with a big exhibition including more than 200Black Belts and 500 Gups at a place called Palacio Dardo Rocha.
It was absolutely emotive to all of us when on getting in the place, the General moved said: “I will keep this precious moment in my mind forever”.
Over the end of the visit, we shared a majestic dinner with him and his companions GM Héctor Marano, GM Tran Trieu Quan, GM Pablo Trajtenberg and Who was the FETRA President at that moment, Manuel Luque, all together with students and instructors.
My last great story was in the year 2001 on the last IIC of General Choi in Argentina.
I invited again the General to my city and he accepted too; it was a great honor to have him for second time.
During the student demonstration we prepared to him, the Mayor of Ciudad de la Plata declared him “Ciudadano Ilustre de la Ciudad de la Plata” ( Illustrious Citizen of the City of La Plata).
On that occasion he was accompanied by GM Héctor Marano, GM Phap Lu, GM Benny Rivera y GM Javier Dacak.
Over the end, during the dinner with more than one hundred people, in one occasion he asked if all of the attendants practiced Taekwon-Do and when he was answered that everybody was Black Belt and instructors, he stood up holding his cup of wine and walked from table to table to cheer with all of the astonished students.
This was the last meeting with General Choi Hong Hi and kept engraved with fire in my heart and in my memories forever!!!
GM Jorge Condomí
1st World Open E-Tournament 2020
This is a Wonderful story, you are a lucky man G.M Condomi. Taekwon!!