Sang-chul Lee was born in Korea in 1948 and was the youngest of six children. The young Lee grew up in the war-torn Korean town of Mangyeong near Gunsan, which is Southwest of Seoul and not far from the coast of the
East China Sea (today there is a US Airforce Base at Gunsan). The family lived in a one-room thatched hut at the base of an acre plot where his father scratched out a living as a farmer in the Mangyeong rice fields. In the summer of 1950, when Lee was 2 years old, the North Korean Army invaded South Korea. The Lee family felt the brunt of the civil war. Lee's oldest sister had married a man from the North near the 38th parallel. When the North Korean Army invaded, the Lees lost contact with their daughter. The family never heard from her again. The family struggled against hunger and starvation, which was pervasive throughout South Korea. The toddler Lee was malnourished and he developed a bad rash, most likely
erysipelas, which spread all over his body. The sores bled and would not go away. The Korean doctors tried many types of remedies, to no avail. In desperation, his mother took him to an American
M.A.S.H unit stationed nearby. The American doctors gave him penicillin and his rash was cured overnight. This was the first encounter Lee had with the Americans, who would play such a pivotal role in his life. Lee's martial arts training began at age 11, when he joined his first
dojang. His school was a style of Taekwondo called
Jidokwan, roughly translated to 'the way of wisdom'. Lee's Master was Grand Master Il-sup Chun, whose brother, Sang-sup Chun, had developed this style of martial art in 1946. Unfortunately, like Lee's sister, Sang-sup Chun was kidnapped by the North during the Korean War. However, his brother maintained the school and contributed heavily to the development of modern-day Taekwondo and many of the techniques found in Olympic Taekwondo Sparring. The young Lee was quite adept at Jidokwan, earning his black belt within 2 years. He had a reputation as a top martial arts fighter. Like most of the Korean martial artists his age, he had developed a rather cocky attitude as well. This attitude was not tolerated by the older generation. Il Sup Chun admonished Lee and his peers, "Overconfidence is no good. You have to learn control." As a teenager, Lee was an imposing figure in the Taekwondo ring. He was tall and lanky, with a chiseled face and determined demeanor. Lee was a fighter. Although he was big for a Korean, Lee fought as a welter and middleweight. Korea in the 1960s was still a poor country. Although the country prided itself on its martial arts prowess, university scholarships were hard to attain. The teenage Lee applied for a scholarship at
Korea University. The university accepted him, but since he did not have money to pay the entrance fee, which was around $5,000 at the time, he could not enroll. Lee's future prospects looked bleak. He returned to his family farm to follow in his father's footsteps. Lee's fortunes were about to change. Korea University had a disastrous Taekwondo season, losing almost every match. The university agreed to waive the entrance fee and offered Lee a scholarship again to study law and to participate on its Taekwondo Team. Lee turned the Korea University Team around. In less than a season, the team went from worst to first, leading the team to four straight national championships. Lee's dedication and love of Taekwondo led to his success at the university. He did not have much choice. If the team did not win, he risked losing his scholarship. Without much money, Lee could not go out with his friends and on dates. He spent his time in the dojang from earlier in the morning until late at night. After college, Lee served his mandatory military service in the Marines. He again led his team to national titles. When his competition days ended, Lee coached his Marine's team to additional championships. In 1970, Lee retired undefeated with 13 Korean National Gold medals. Soon thereafter, Lee was inducted into the Korean Sports Hall of Fame. Later in life, Lee would say, "Without Taekwondo, I could not be the happy man that I am. I am very proud of what has come to me through Taekwondo. Without it, I would have become a small farmer in a small town in Korea producing milk and rice. Because of Taekwondo, I went to college, got a scholarship, was named athlete of the year, received a Hall of Fame honor and became a national champion." == Coming to America ==