Our story begins with big dreams and dedication.
Grandmaster Kee S. Ha, 9th Dan, arrived in Regina, Saskatchewan, October 8, 1973, to establish the first Kee's Taekwondo School. Two and a half years later, the founder of Kees Tae Kwon Do Canada decided to move to Saskatoon. When he opened the Kees Tae Kwon Do School in Saskatoon, he did so with little more than a powerful dream and an amazing capacity for dedicated work. His high principles and clear values attracted dedicated students willing to work hard and to learn.
Prior to coming to Canada with his young family, Grandmaster Kee S. Ha was already recognized in Korea for his exceptional skill as an Instructor. He combined excellent physical training with the principles of Taekwondo philosophy. This tradition of joining the physical and mental aspects of training is the firm foundation upon which Kees grows and develops martial arts excellence to this day. Grand Master Kee S. Ha is internationally recognized for his contributions to the development of Taekwondo. He is both the founder and the foundation of Kees Canada.
Over the years, Grandmaster Kee S. Ha has influenced many young people to become outstanding Taekwondo instructors.
One of these people is his younger brother, Grand Master Kee Ha, 8th Dan. (The brothers share the generational name, Kee, which means foundation.) After coming to Canada, Grandmaster Kee Ha lived with his older brother and his family in Saskatoon until 1982. During the time he learned many of the skills and values from his brother. When he decided to follow his own dream of becoming a top ranked coach and to teach everyone with a desire to learn the art of Taekwondo by moving to Vancouver, Grandmaster Kee Ha continued to receive the benefit of his older brother's support and wisdom. He has an extraordinary career, due in part to his own efforts and in part to his brother's example.
Among the other outstanding instructors are Grandmaster Kee S. Ha's two sons and his daughter. His sons, Master Yoon Sang Ha, 6th Dan of Calgary and Master Duk Sang Ha, 5th Dan of Saskatoon began training with their father, as small children. They are both former Canadian National Champions and dearly love the sport of Olympic-style Taekwondo. Their talents go far beyond the competition ring, however. They are recognized for their extraordinary technical proficiency, their dedication to their students and their innovative teaching techniques. Their teaching excellence is a powerful resource for their students and to all Kees Instructors.
In 2000, Master Yoon Sang Ha moved to Calgary to established Alberta's first Kees Tae Kwon Do School. It has quickly become one of Alberta's most established martial arts schools. Master Duk Sang Ha carries on the tradition of excellence established by his father and contributes his own brand of creative teaching in his role as Head Instructor in Saskatoon. Vancouver is lucky enough to have the teaching services of their sister, Jane Ha, as a Senior Professional Instructor.
Grandmaster Kee S.Ha's inspiration goes far beyond his immediate family members. The other Kees Masters, Head Instructors, Instructors and Staff are examples of the dedication, commitment and loyalty he evokes. Their stories are all part of the Kees Story. To find out more about them, please go to the Who's Who and the Locations sections.
A powerful aspect of the Kees Story is that everyone has a sense of belonging to the Kees Family. This atmosphere of belonging is directly attributable to Grandmaster Kee S. Ha's strong character and sense of values. Together, Kees people combine their collective wisdom, energy and expertise to offer the on-going development of a Taekwondo system that is a synergistic blending of traditional and contemporary martial arts.
This is an evolving story with other chapters yet to come.