Moon Dai-won, Korean grandmaster who pioneered taekwondo in Mexico, dies at 83

Moon Dai-won, taekwondo master who pioneered the sport in Mexico / Yonhap

Moon Dai-won, the Korean grandmaster credited with bringing taekwondo to Mexico and building it into a national sport, died Saturday at his home in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. He was 83.

Born in Hongseong, South Chungcheong Province, Moon arrived in Mexico in 1968 and founded Mexico's first taekwondo school, Moo Duk Kwan, the following year.

“I did not know that I would settle down here. My initial plan was to live in the United States after graduating from Texas Tech University with a degree in architecture. But the fateful visit changed my life,” he said in a 2013 interview with The Korea Times.

His influence spread far beyond the gym. Over his lifetime, Moon trained more than 300,000 students, and the Moo Duk Kwan network has since grown to about 500 affiliate gyms across Mexico, with more than 1.5 million Mexicans practicing the sport today. This legacy earned him the title of Gran Maestro, meaning “grandmaster” in English. Moon also served as chairman of the technical committee of the World Taekwondo Federation.

Under Moon's influence, Mexico grew into a taekwondo powerhouse.

The country has won two Olympic gold medals in the sport, both at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, with Guillermo Perez taking gold in the men's -58 kilogram category and Maria del Rosario Espinoza in the women's +67 kilogram division. Mexico also hosted the 2013 World Taekwondo Championships in Puebla.

“His legacy, dedication and vision were fundamental to the growth and development of taekwondo in our country, forming generations of athletes, coaches and human beings who today honor his memory,” the Mexican Taekwondo Federation said in a statement.

“Mexican taekwondo will always be grateful for his invaluable contribution to our martial arts and for dedicating his life to sowing the values of taekwondo in thousands of Mexican families.”