Grandmaster Saejin “Jack” Hwang, age 85, died peacefully on June 29, 2017, with his loving family, friends, and students by his side.
Grandmaster Hwang was born in South Korea with the family name of Hwang Sae Jin. He began his martial arts training in Korea at a very young age and achieved proficiency in kendo, judo, karate, hapkido, and in later life he eventually reached 9th dan in taekwondo. Grandmaster Hwang gained extensive education as a martial arts instructor and military officer in the South Korean army. His experience in fighting and self-defense was honed during the heat of the Korean War where he served as a guerrilla fighter who worked behind enemy lines.
After the war, Grandmaster Hwang came to the United States in 1957 as a foreign exchange student to pursue formal education. He received a bachelor’s degree from Wisconsin State College and completed graduate studies at Sam Houston State University in Texas and the Southwest Police Institute at the University of Oklahoma.
Grandmaster Hwang opened his first school in Oklahoma City in 1960. During this time he also gained a reputation as a fighter on the karate competitive circuit in its “glory days”. His personal tournament, the All American Open, was held for the 53rd year this past April 2017, and is the longest running tournament in the United States.
Hwang was president of the International Martial Arts Federation and a prominent figure in martial arts in the United States and throughout the world. He was certified as an International Master Instructor by the World Taekwondo Federation in 1972. He selected, directed, and coached the first U.S. taekwondo team for the World Taekwondo Championship in Seoul, South Korea in 1973. He also hosted another World Taekwondo Championship in Oklahoma City. As an award-winning coach and referee, Grandmaster
Hwang coached American teams in international competition and officiated major international taekwondo events in the U.S. and Mexico. He staged many demonstrations in national venues and provided leadership to fundraising campaigns for charitable causes such the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the March of Dimes.
Grandmaster Hwang is considered a pioneer of taekwondo in the United States, being one of the first Koreans to bring martial arts to the country he loved, and he received the Pioneer Award from the US TKD Grandmasters Society in 2008. He spent approximately sixty years supporting the advancement and spread of taekwondo all over the United States, as well as Mexico and Europe.
Grandmaster Hwang will be remembered for his humility, his selfless giving of knowledge and inspiration, his
Jack is survived by his wife of 32 years, Ricki, and their seven children: Zinna, Kristina, Erena, Cia, Stacy, Jason, and Tyler. He will also be fondly remembered by his seventeen grandchildren Saejin, Alec, Gabrielle, Selah, Morgan, Dane, Jade, Jordan, Taylor, Preston, Kadia, Matthew, Alyssa, Isabella, Ryan, Mia, and Chris, and his five great grandchildren Saejin, Scarlett, Sutton, Paxton, and Zayden.
Jack’s memorial service will be held on Monday, July 3, 2017, which would have been his 86th birthday, at Capitol Hill Baptist Church located at 304 S.W. 134th, in Oklahoma City, at 4:00 p.m. Dinner will be served following the service.
On August 26th, 2017, there will be a Celebration of Life event held in his honor. Details will be announced at a later date.
