Tuksu Suryon Training in Honor of Grandmaster Yoon, Byung-In

Grandmaster Yoon, Byung-In
1920-1983

Flowers for Grandmaster Yoon

Kysanim, Melissa L. Nichols
Photography, Sabeomnim Syd Moen

On Saturday, May 17th, Grandmaster Kim Soo led a special Tuksu Suryon to commemorate the birthday of our senior founding Grandmaster, Yoon, Byung-In. All students were asked to wear white gloves and bring flowers in his memory.

Grandmaster Yoon's story was told to the class by Grandmaster, his journey to study martial arts, and the mystery of his disappearance during the Korean War era.

 Grandmaster Yoon Byung-In was the first Korean national to bring the martial art of chu'an fa (commonly called kung fu in the U.S.) back to Korea after studying in Manchuria and Shanghai, China.

During World War II, he went to Nihon University, Tokyo, where he studied karate with Toyama, Kanken. (See Byung In Yoon: Another Story)

In 1950, during the Korean War, Grandmaster Yoon went to North Korea and all contact with him was lost. 

For over 50 years Grandmaster Kim Soo sought to solve the mystery of what had happened to Grandmaster Yoon. Grandmaster Kim Soo was finally contacted by members of Grandmaster Yoon's family in 2005 and traveled to South Korea in Dec. of 2005 to meet with them. You can see photos and learn about his trip here.

In May of 2006 Grandmaster Kim Soo was contacted by Grandmaster Yoon's son, Yoon Tae-won, that Grandmaster Yoon Byung-In died of lung cancer on April 3, 1983. 

Grandmaster Kim Soo led the training which began with meditation and deep breathing, fundamentals, basic movements and forms. He spoke about teaching method, the scientific method of Chayon-Ryu which combines art, science and philosophy utilizing natural body movements and the natural laws of the universe. "I did not create a new martial art, " Grandmaster said, "I created a scientific teaching method. Chayon-Ryu."