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Grand Master Soon Man Lee, a notable figure in the realm of Taekwondo, has left an indelible mark on the martial art's evolution into an Olympic sport and its global proliferation. His unwavering commitment to Taekwondo has been instrumental in pushing its boundaries, as evidenced by numerous achievements throughout his illustrious career. Among these accomplishments, Grand Master Lee attained the status of an International Master Instructor, secured certification as an International Referee for World Taekwondo championships, served as the USA national team coach, and achieved the distinguished rank of a certified 9th-degree black belt from Kukkiwon, the headquarters of the World Taekwondo Federation. Furthermore, he has made substantial contributions to the United Taekwondo Union's USTU Taekwondo Journal, where he has published numerous articles.

Career and Accomplishments

Born in South Korea, Grand Master Soon Man Lee commenced his Taekwondo journey at the age of 7. In 1982, he immigrated to the United States, where he took on the role of a Taekwondo instructor at Cabot College in California. The subsequent year marked his appointment as the Northern California Taekwondo Team Coach. Relocating to Florida in 1985, Grand Master Lee established his inaugural Taekwondo school in the U.S. Four years later, he moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia, founding the U.S. Tae Kwon Do Center, Inc. where he currently serves as a dedicated Grand Master and business administrator.

Operating within the U.S. Tae Kwon Do Center, Grand Master Lee focused on educating and training students, with a mission to cultivate qualified black belts and masters. His vision extended beyond the dojang, aspiring for his students to propagate the knowledge of Taekwondo throughout America. Today, several of his former students have established their Taekwondo centers, teaching in Texas, North Carolina, and Virginia. Furthermore, he forged partnerships with Jeonju University and Kyung Hee University, establishing an internship program that enabled Taekwondo masters from these institutions to intern at his center. This program not only provided them with the opportunity to teach Taekwondo but also imparted insights into running a successful Taekwondo business in America.

Simultaneously engaged in training students at the U.S. Tae Kwon Do Center, Grand Master Lee actively contributed to Taekwondo's development beyond his business endeavors. His external contributions encompassed a distinguished coaching career, leadership roles within the Virginia State Taekwondo Association, and authorship.

Throughout the 1990s and continuing to the present day, Grand Master Lee has coached at the state, national, and international stage. In 1991, he served in the U.S. Team Manager at the 10th World Taekwondo Championships in Athens, Greece. The following year, he became a USA Team Coach in the first International Taekwondo Championship in Moscow, Russia, and assumed the role of the USA Team Head Coach at the 1992 Pan American Taekwondo Championships in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In 1993, he trained the USA Team for the 11th World Taekwondo Championships in New York's Madison Square Garden. In 1994 he became the head coach of the USA Team at the World Cup Taekwondo Championships in the Cayman Islands, British West Indies. In 1995, he served as the USA Team Head Coach at four major competition events: the Olympic Taekwondo Festival in Rome, Italy in May, the Olympic Festival in Colorado Springs, Colorado in July, the Japan Open ‘95 Taekwondo Championship in September, and the 12th World Taekwondo Championships in Manila, Philippines in November. In September of 1996, he took the USA team to the Japan Open ‘96 Taekwondo Championships, and in March of 1996, he took the team to the Taekwondo World Cup Championships in Brazil. In March of 1997, he took the team to the World Cup in Egypt. His international coaching efforts in the 1990s significantly contributed to Taekwondo's approval as an Olympic sport in the year 2000 by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

From 1992 to 1994, Grand Master Lee held the position of the first official president of the Virginia State Taekwondo Association. During his tenure, he initiated referee seminars, trained judges, and implemented new regulations to enhance the integrity and fairness of Taekwondo competitions. Advocating for fairness, he bolstered competitors' trust in the sport.

Grand Master Lee's commitment to spreading the knowledge of Taekwondo extended to his authorship. He co-authored two books on modern Taekwondo, namely "Modern Taekwondo: The Official Training Manual" in 1999 and "Modern Taekwondo at the Olympics" in 2004. Both publications, translated into various languages, played a pivotal role in disseminating Taekwondo knowledge worldwide.

His wisdom, integrity, and passion for Taekwondo have earned Grand Master Soon Man Lee the respect of his colleagues and students alike. Highly esteemed at his Taekwondo center, he is recognized for his loyalty, dedication, achievements, teaching prowess, and above all, his humility.

In 2018, Grand Master Soon Man Lee received the Olympic Pioneer Award from TaeKwonDo Life Magazine in acknowledgment of his distinguished efforts and contributions to the global spread of Taekwondo. His continued dedication to training and teaching students at the U.S. Tae Kwon Do Center underscores his enduring impact on the discipline.