Christopher Gantner

Early Training

I started training in Taekwon-Do in 1973 at the age of 11. My father, Mr. Jay Gantner, also started at the same time. Our first instructor was Mr. Steve Cooper in Manchester, New Jersey.

Mr. Cooper served in the United States military during the mid-1960s and learned Taekwon-Do while stationed in South Korea. Although his instructor was from the Mon Moo Kwan, Mr. Cooper received his degree certification from General Choi Hong Hi and the ITF.

I was trained by Mr. Cooper in the very strict military format learned from his instructors in Korea. The training was very serious and, by today’s standards, would be considered brutal. However, this demanding training forged in me a solid foundation in the fundamental techniques and a training ethic that would guide me in my future endeavours in the martial arts.

In 1977, Mr. Cooper closed the dojang and relocated to another state. My father and I were forced to look for a new place to practise.

Over the course of several years, we enrolled at and trained in several martial arts schools in our area. We practised Japanese Karate, Kempo, Judo, Hapkido, and Tang Soo Do. These systems were interesting, and a few instructors were excellent teachers, notably Master H. J. Kim and Master Art Bains. However, the training we received under Mr. Cooper continued to form the core of our techniques, and our hearts remained in Taekwon-Do.

In 1980, we started training in Tang Soo Do, and in 1981 we tested for 1st Degree.

In 1982, I travelled to South Korea with Master Kum Sung, our Tang Soo Do instructor at the time. The purpose of the trip was for Master Sung to join the WTF. We met with Dr. Un Yong Kim, President of the WTF, in his office at the Kukkiwon and visited local schools for training.

Soon after returning from Korea, my father and I decided to open our own dojang. However, we never felt at home in either the WTF or Tang Soo Do.

Returning to the ITF

In 1983, determined to advance our training, we rejoined the ITF.

At that time, there were no properly certified ITF Taekwon-Do instructors in New Jersey, as all the Korean instructors had left the ITF to join the WTF due to tremendous pressure from the South Korean government.

After contacting Master Chuck Seriff and the USTF, we were instructed to travel to Mr. Jim Murray’s Taekwon-Do school in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Mr. Murray was then the Regional Director for the USTF-ITF under Master Chuck Seriff.

We made the two-hour trip every week to learn the updated techniques and recertify our ranks. Mr. Jay Gantner was a 2nd Degree, and I was a 1st Degree at that time.

Mr. Jay Gantner soon became the New Jersey State Director for the USTF-ITF.

During 1983, 1984, and 1985, I travelled frequently and became a seasoned competitor while participating in ITF championships throughout the United States and Canada.

In my quest to learn from and model myself after the best competitors, I travelled often to northern New Jersey and Brooklyn, New York, to practise with other seasoned competitors in the United States.

In July 1986, I tested for 2nd Degree under Mr. Jim Murray in Pottstown, Pennsylvania.

Meeting Grand Master Park Jung Tae

In 1987, I attended my first International Instructor Training Course conducted by Grand Master Park Jung Tae.

This was a nine-day seminar and marked the beginning of my close relationship with Grand Master Park. I was awestruck by Grand Master Park and knew I would follow this man to the ends of the earth—and I did.

By this time, I had become a seasoned competitor, earned many medals, and was selected as a member of the United States Team to represent the USA at the ITF World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, in 1987. I won the Gold Medal in Power Test.

Our team then continued to participate in the ITF 20th Anniversary Goodwill Games in Zagreb, Yugoslavia.

At that time, Taekwon-Do consumed my life. I was a struggling instructor supporting a family, with a wife and children to provide for.

My Taekwon-Do school provided me with a living, but there was never any extra money. Still, I would somehow manage to make it to the next seminar or tournament.

I travelled relentlessly to nearly every seminar Grand Master Park Jung Tae conducted in the United States and Canada, along with several seminars that I hosted in my home state of New Jersey.

Many of these seminars lasted five or seven days and included technical details that were never covered during the more common two- and three-day seminars.

For most of the longer seminars that Grand Master Park conducted while serving as Technical Director of the ITF, General Choi Hong Hi insisted on being present for the question-and-answer sessions and the closing ceremonies.

As a result, General Choi and Grand Master Park visited my school in New Jersey on several occasions. While attending seminars in Canada, I also had several opportunities to join General Choi and Grand Master Park for dinner and listen to their remarkable stories and insights into Taekwon-Do philosophy.

In 1988, I tested for and was promoted to 3rd Degree while also receiving the Outstanding Performance Award from Master Chuck Seriff. I was appointed Regional Director for the USTF-ITF despite my junior rank.

As a result of my intensive training, I was again selected to represent the United States at the International Youth and Student Games in Pyongyang, North Korea, in 1989.

While in North Korea, I attended another technical seminar conducted by Grand Master Park together with General Choi.

The Formation of the Global Taekwon-Do Federation

Not long after returning from Pyongyang, while driving Grand Master Park back to the airport following a training seminar in New Jersey, Grand Master Park confided in me that, due to increasing disagreements with General Choi, he would be leaving the ITF. He asked me what I thought about the possibility of him starting his own international organization.

He told me that I was one of the first instructors he had spoken to about this decision.

Even before the new organization had a name, I told him that I would follow him regardless of what he decided. Soon afterward, I tendered my resignation from the ITF.

This was no small decision.

At the time, I was the USTF-ITF Regional Director for the Tri-State Region and a dedicated member of the ITF. However, Grand Master Park was my teacher, and for me, training and technique were everything. I believed that if you wanted to be the best and reach the summit, you had to go to the mountain—and Grand Master Park was the Mount Everest of Taekwon-Do.

At first, for a short time, Grand Master Park used the name United ITF for the new organization. However, after further consideration and consultation with his close followers, he decided to change the name to the Global Taekwon-Do Federation.

In the fall of 1990, I was invited to attend the first Global Taekwon-Do Federation Congress Meeting in Toronto, Canada.

Being only a 3rd Dan at the time, it was determined that the more senior representatives from the United States would organize the national GTF organization.

I continued training regularly with Grand Master Park because he told me he wanted me to serve as Technical Director for the United States. However, due to concerns expressed by my seniors regarding my young age and junior rank, I was never officially appointed.

In 1991, I tested for and was promoted to 4th Degree.

That same year, Grand Master Park asked me to establish the US-GTF to organize instructors on the East Coast and create a GTF national organization because of a lack of progress and unity among my seniors in the United States.

I was elected by the charter members of the US-GTF to serve as its first President.

Throughout 1992, as we began organizing the US-GTF, I travelled to Mississauga many times for personal instruction from Grand Master Park. Grand Master Park also came to New Jersey to conduct seminars.

In 1993, I attended the 1st GTF International Championship in Moscow, Russia, as the official United States representative.

International Competition and Technical Development

In 1995, I travelled to Sardinia, Italy, with the United States Team for the 2nd GTF World Championship, where I served as a judge and referee.

At this event, Grand Master Park tested and promoted me to 5th Degree.

Also in 1995, I attended the first GTF International Training Seminar, where Grand Master Park introduced the first of the new GTF patterns that were to be practised by GTF members in addition to the original 24 patterns.

During 1996, 1997, and 1998, I was unable to travel as often because of financial and family obligations. I learned that you can only go so long on a wing and a prayer.

It was difficult for me to remain behind while events were taking place and developments were occurring within the GTF. I had to be content with managing the US-GTF and continuing to teach my classes.

Grand Master Park would often call me to keep me informed about the latest GTF news and, at times, to seek my opinion on matters concerning the Federation.

It was an honour to know that Grand Master Park was thinking of me and would go out of his way to check on me and offer encouragement.

In 1999, Master Manuel Quiles hosted the US Global Taekwon-Do Cup in Paterson, New Jersey.

I had not seen Grand Master Park for more than a year. When I saw him, I could tell that he was ill and suffering physically. I had known for many years that he was managing a medical condition, but I was saddened to see that it was beginning to affect him.

Grand Master Park later asked me to come to Canada to assist him in completing the Pyung-Hwa and Sun-Duk patterns. He had developed these patterns years earlier but had decided they needed to be improved for the future.

While I was there, he also revised and amended the pre-arranged sparring routines and the Sabong Chago Makgo Jurugi exercises.

In 2000, I tested for and was promoted to 6th Degree by Grand Master Park following a weekend training visit in Mississauga.

Later that year, I attended the World Championship in Rimini, Italy. Grand Master Park asked me to assist him in conducting a pre-championship training seminar to demonstrate the refinements that had been made to the Pyung-Hwa and Sun-Duk patterns.

I also participated in the opening ceremony demonstration.

The Passing of Grand Master Park

In 2001, I attended the final international training seminar that Grand Master Park would teach before his untimely death. He succumbed to his illness on April 11, 2002.

Shortly before his passing, I attended the championship in Little Rock, Arkansas. During this event, Grand Master Park spoke to me about his plans for me to assist him during a seminar tour of the Philippines, Malaysia, and South Korea.

Unfortunately, this never came to be because of the tragic events of April 11, 2002.

I attended the funeral of Grand Master Park Jung Tae in Mississauga, Canada. To this day, the memory of that event still weighs heavily on my heart.

At that time, I became deeply involved in helping determine the future direction and leadership of the GTF. However, it was not difficult for me to decide which course to take.

I was fully aware that our founder’s wife, Mrs. Linda Park, was the Senior Vice President of the GTF and had been closely involved in the management of the Federation since its beginning.

Grand Master Park had previously told me that it was his intention for Mrs. Park to serve as President in his place. I was also fully aware of Mrs. Linda Park’s unique qualifications and experience.

I therefore offered my assistance, and I have continued to support her ever since.

Since that time, I have dedicated myself to refining and preserving the unique technical style and approach to the execution of techniques that distinguish GTF Taekwon-Do.

Service and International Leadership

Later in 2002, during a meeting held at the GTF World Championship in Toronto, Canada, I was appointed Chairman of the GTF Technical Committee.

It was an honour to be selected for this position, particularly because every member of the Board was senior to me.

At the following Masters Conference, held a few months later, it was determined that, because of my relatively young age and because I had not yet attained the rank of Master, I could better serve the GTF as Secretary General.

While serving as Secretary General, I travelled to and participated in the following events:

2003 – Malaysia

Assisted with instruction at an International Instructor Course.

2004 – Russia

Attended the 4th GTF World Championship in Arkhangelsk.

2005 – Italy

Attended the GTF European Cup.

Later that year, I was tested and promoted to 7th Degree Master Instructor by the GTF Examination Board at the European Championships in Sardinia.

It was a bittersweet accomplishment. All of my promotions during the previous twenty years had come from Grand Master Park Jung Tae. I accepted this promotion in the hope that he was there in spirit.

2006 – Italy

Attended the 5th GTF World Championship.

2006 – Canada

Conducted a training seminar in Winnipeg.

2007 – Greece

Attended the 6th GTF World Championship.

2007 – Malaysia

Travelled to Malaysia at the request of the PGTF to teach and conduct an Instructor Training Course.

2008 – Canada

Attended the Grand Master Park Jung Tae World Cup in Toronto.

2009 – Malaysia

Attended the 7th GTF World Championship.

2010 – Puerto Rico

Conducted a three-day training seminar.

2011 – Scotland

Attended the 8th GTF World Championship in Dundee.

2012 – Canada

Promoted to 8th Dan by the GTF Examination Board at the Park Jung Tae Memorial Cup in Toronto.

2013 – Kazakhstan

Attended the 9th GTF World Championship.

2015 – Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

Attended the 10th GTF World Championship.

2018 – South Africa

Attended the 11th GTF World Championship in Durban.

2020

Promoted to 9th Dan by the GTF President and Grand Masters Committee.

2023

Elected by the GTF Executive Board as Chairman of the Technical and Instruction Committee.

2024 – Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

Conducted the 3rd GTF International Instructor Course.

Later that year, I was inducted into the Taekwondo Hall of Fame by Grand Master Gerard Robbins.

Closing Reflection

This history is not complete.

Many of these events occurred decades ago, and it is difficult to recall the exact year and chronological order of everything that took place.

There are also many other people, places, and events that became part of my journey but now exist only as vague memories. It would be impossible to include every event that helped shape my Taekwon-Do career.

Hopefully, there is still much more history to be made for both me and the GTF.

These are the highlights of my background in the martial arts and my personal reflections on some of the events that have influenced my Taekwon-Do journey.

— Grand Master Christopher Gantner