Takekwondo grandmasters from Europe and the Mainland were on hand for the grand opening last week of the Traditional Taekwondo Center in the Puck’s Alley shopping center in Mo’ili’ili.

The school is run by taekwondo master David Ippen, who first came to Hawai’i in 2003 to study a style of bodywork based upon the Hawaiian martial art lua with Kahu Abraham Kawai’i. Ippen later moved to Hawaii to continue his studies with Kawai’i and to teach traditional taekwondo.
Ippen said traditional taekwondo differs from modernized forms in several ways. For example, there is no physical contact during sparring and the emphasis is on the student’s own improvement rather than on competition with others.
For more information on the school, go to www.taekwondohonolulu.com.