Grandmaster Yi Visits and Names Master Dave a Grandmaster

This spring, our dojo welcomed a very special guest. Grandmaster Tae Hee Yi, the first true martial arts mentor of our own Grandmaster Dave Wheaton, came to Santa Barbara to visit our school. Back then we were known as Martial Arts Family Fitness.

His visit fell on our black belt stripe testing day, so the mat was full of students, black belts and families.

Grandmaster Dave's first teacher

Long before our dojo existed, a young Dave Wheaton began training under Grandmaster Yi. Grandmaster Yi had been a Taekwondo combat instructor with the Tiger Division during the Vietnam War, where he taught soldiers an intense hand-to-hand style called Chung Do Kwan. Dave trained, taught and helped open schools for Grandmaster Yi in Connecticut before his path led him to Hawaii, to Hapkido and, eventually, to Santa Barbara.

This visit meant Grandmaster Yi could finally see his legacy carried on in a school his student had built.

A demonstration and a surprise

Our black belts put on a demonstration, and Grandmaster Yi was very impressed. He told us our black belts were good enough to work with the Secret Service, whom he had trained earlier in his career.

Then, during the belt promotion ceremony, Grandmaster Yi surprised everyone by awarding Master Dave the certificate of Grandmaster. It was a powerful and humbling moment for our whole school, and even more so for Grandmaster Dave.

Why lineage matters

We believe a martial art is passed from person to person. Every technique our students practice has a line of teachers behind it, each one adding care and detail before handing it on. Watching Grandmaster Yi sit beside the students of his student was a living picture of that line.

Every student who ties on a belt at our dojo becomes part of it, too.

Have questions or want to learn more? Contact us using the form below, and we'll be glad to help.