Grandmaster T. K. Loh
Chief Instructor and Chairman of the Traditional Taekwondo Association, Grandmaster T. K. Loh practiced under a variety of top taekwondo grandmasters and masters. Coming from a strong martial arts family background, Grandmaster Loh has acquired considerable knowledge and skills in a variety of martial arts ranging from karate to kung fu as well as lesser known arts like silat and pulculan.
Grandmaster T.K. Loh is a Specialist Orthopaedic Physiotherapist. He has a vast amount of experience in sports medicine as well as an acupuncturist (both body and auricular).
Grandmaster Loh started taekwondo in his childhood years at the time when taekwondo was first spread from Korea. During his early days, his fame spread as a fighter as he would test his skills against all the other martial arts. He was also a great innovator, one of the first in Malaysia to do the double front kick as well as fourth in the world to do the split kick.
By the time he left Malaysia, as a 2nd Dan, he had learnt all the patterns required in the whole of the taekwondo syllabus as well as being recommended for the post of International Instructor. He had been the founder and instructor of the TengKu Abdul Rahman (Prime Minister) College Tae Kwon Do Club. He has been the instructor to the armed forces as well as the special branch.
In the UK, he had trained the R.A.F. in the West Country as well as establishing Tae Kwon Do clubs. In 1977, he was the English Champion, followed by the European Champion in 1979 and 1980. He was appointed Academy instructor by Grandmaster Ki Ha Rhee 9th Dan (then 7th Dan). Grandmaster Loh was then appointed as Chief Instructor and Chief Examiner for the World Tae Kwon Do Federation (WTF) in Britain. He was also in executive committee for the B.T.C.B. (1982 – 1990).
Grandmaster Loh was Head Coach for the 2nd World Games Demonstration Team as well as coach for the 2nd World Games and the 7th World Tae Kwon Do Championships in Seoul, Korea. He was the first person in the world to perform a five target aerial break. Grandmaster Loh was the first in both the UK and Ireland to test for 5th Dan on the floor instead of gratuitous promotions.
He subsequently tested for his 6th Dan and 7th Dan in Seoul, Korea under Grandmaster Park Hae Man, 9th Dan. Grandmaster Loh is also the first in the UK and Ireland to have reached the 7th Dan. He is the only person in Europe to perform a Jumping Back Kick through 6″ of Pine as well as the first in the UK to perform the Aerial Triple Front Kick.
Grandmaster Loh was promoted to 8th Dan in July 2000 by Grandmaster Park Hae Man, see July 2000 issue of Taekwondo magazine. In July 2000, on a trip to Korea, he was conferred Grandmaster status by Great Grandmaster Um Un Kyu, vice president of Kukkiwon.
Grandmaster Loh, with his experience and knowledge, has maintained the true way of taekwondo in the form of the Traditional Taekwondo Association. He has never devalued the journey a student has to make, the hardships, the joy as well as the steadfast attitude the student has to cultivate in favour of commercialism and sport. Coupled with his medical knowledge and taekwondo expertise, training in the Traditional Taekwondo Association has been most effective in producing the highest quality of taekwondo student.
In April 2004, Grandmaster Loh coached the TTA to win the Overall Champions Trophy in the 8th World Chung Do Kwan Championship, which was held in Singapore. The team took a total of 6 gold, 2 silver and 5 bronzes. The team members also set the record for the highest jumping front kick at 9.5 feet and the longest flying sidekick at 12 feet. These are feats which will be extremely difficult to beat.
