Kwan Jang Sok Ho Kang was born and raised in South Korea, and he began studying Korean martial arts at age 8. In 1954, Kang joined affiliations with the Moo Duk Kwan under Hwang Kee. The year that Kwans began to unify under the name Tae Kwon Do, Kang became the first instructor with the Korean Army’s 9th Division. Kang continued to serve as the first instructor until 1957. He then became the instructor for the Police Cadet School in South Korea from 1957 to 1961. From 1961 to 1969, Kang was an instructor for the United States 8th Army in Korea. During this time, in 1963 Kang won the World Black Belt Champion and retired undefeated in 1965.