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 In
Memory of Master Jan-Erik Lehn 1950 - 2001
Taekwon-Do
lost a great instructor and personality when Master Jan-Erik Lehn died of cancer on April 21, 2001 after a lengthy
illness.
Master
Jan-Erik Lehn was born April 22, 1950, in Trondheim, Norway. He became interested in martial arts and started training
in the early 1970's. He started to train Karate, but when he was going to an examination for black belt in the
middle of the 1970's, he decided to drop by a Taekwon-Do demonstration in Stockholm, Sweden. He became very impressed
with what he saw, and realized that what he had learned up till now could not measure up to what he saw in this
Taekwon-Do demonstration. He started training Taekwon-Do with Master Lim in Sweden and reached his first goal on
November 10, 1976, when he, as the first Norwegian, was promoted to first degree black belt.
In 1980 Master Lehn founded Norges Taekwon-Do Forbund, and he was elected President - a title he had until the
day he died.
November 26, 1982, Master Lehn was promoted to fourth degree black belt and became an international instructor.
In this period he had a very high activity level both internationally and nationally. He was appointed Director
of International Taekwon-Do Federation December 19, 1984.
Master Lehn has held many other international titles. He was appointed Spokesman for International Taekwon-Do Federation
August 17, 1990, and held this position until the day he died. As a reward for Master Lehn's great effort for Taekwon-Do
in Norway, Norway received a prize for best Taekwon-Do nation as the first nation in the world.
February 18, 1996 became yet another highlight for Master Lehn; he received his seventh degree black belt certificate
from General Choi Hong Hi and became a Master.
In Taekwon-Do Master Jan-Erik Lehn was technically updated and skilled. He had a formidable ability to achieve
power in his techniques, using great speed and mass transfer. His "one-inch punch" was incredible. Master
Lehn could also break 18 roof tiles with his fist, and also break a given stone in a larger pile. He impressed
with breaking several boards lying freely on the edge of a table. Master Lehn had a very powerful side piercing
kick and the ability to free himself from the most powerful giants. He was a great instructor, and among his students
were several world champions and students with other titles.
The most impressing side of Master Jan-Erik Lehn was his character and his indomitable spirit. He was a Taekwon-Do
instructor 24 hours a day. He saw Taekwon-Do in everything, when his students lifted the coffee cup, locked the
car door or just walked down the street. Master Lehn himself brought the coffee cup to his mouth in a perfect sine-wave
motion until his last hour.
Master Lehn had a great character and was very thoughtful. Among the things he said were: "It's a big difference
in being intelligent and being wise", "myself as a person is nothing to write about, but maybe my personality",
"you have never been loyal, you are loyal."
Master Lehn "is" very loyal to General Choi Hong Hi and ITF, he received a loyalty statue during the
11th World Championships. According to Grandmaster Rhee Ki Ha, Master Jan-Erik was a close friend and a member
of his family. Master Lehn was often spoken of as General Choi Hong Hi's son. Master Lehn is deeply missed by his
students and friends.
In Memory of Master André
Blake 1944 - 2001
Taekwon-Do
has lost a great instructor. On May 02, 2001 Master Blake passed away from a heart attack in Montréal (Québec,
Canada).
 Master André Blake was born
on February 26, 1944 in Montréal. It is in 1959, at the age of 15 that young Blake was introduced to his
first fighting art, boxing. During the ten years that followed, André Blake practised wrestling and several
martial arts such as Judo, Karate and Ju-jitsu. Through these disciplines he acquired a great knowledge of self-defence.
It was in Ju-jitsu that he obtained his higher mention by Master Kuniba: 2nd degree. However, it is in the early
60s that Mr. Blake collaborated for the first time with the Korean people. Mr. Chong Soo Lee was his first Korean
instructor.
In 1967, André Blake was put in charge of the Karate section at the Immaculée-Conception Center in
Montréal. It was in 1972, with the arrival of Master Kim Jong Chang, under the ITF banner, that Mr. Blake
would seriously get involved in the Korean martial art. His action and his faithfulness towards his master have
driven him among the great Korean instructors of Canada. That year, the Karate section of the Immaculée-Conception
Center became and, it remains to even today, the Taekwon-Do section.
In 1976 he received from his instructor's hand, Master Kim, his black belt certificate, 4th degree, and the title
of international instructor.
On February 23, 1978, Mr. Blake founded the Academie Quebécoise de Taekwon-Do.
In April 1984, he brought his students on the international scene during the 4th ITF Taekwon-Do World Championship
in Glasgow, Scotland, where they performed extremely well, winning several medals.
It is on March 22, 1991 that Mr. Blake entered the circle of Master instructors by receiving his 7th degree black
belt certificate from General Choi Hong Hi. He became the first Canadian-born Instructor to obtain this mention.
In September 1992, Master Blake was part of the Canadian Delegation who went to Pyong Hyang in North Korea, for
the 8th Taekwon-Do World Championship. Master Blake received the mention of referee of the Championship. In the
same championship, his student Mr Dumaine won both the gold medal in pattern 4th Degree and the best competitor
trophy.
In June 1993, Master Blake became president of the Canadian Taekwon-Do Federation International in Hamilton (Canada).
In May 1999, Master Blake organized the ITF Canadian Taekwon-Do Championship at the Pierre-Charbonneau Center in
Montreal where more than 1,200 athletes from all over Canada participated. In September of the same year, Master
Blake was granted 8th degree from General Choi Hong Hi.
We were all aware that our Instructor was sick, he was postponing the surgery which he should have been going to.
He has been waiting a little bit too much. Master Blake was not this kind of man following advices, he has always
been doing what he thought must be done. We can remember his voice saying:"When He will call me back I won't
have a choice ..."
For those of you who did not have a chance to meet him, Master Blake was a visionary instructor. We could describe
his teaching by: Technic Discipline and Loyalty. He often pointed out the differences between sport and Martial
Art. He was obviously mastering the Art of Teaching, we can remember his eyes when looking at the progress of a
young child he said" Look how Taekwon-Do helped him!" It was his conviction that Taekwon-Do was for a
whole life.
Master Blake has dedicated his life to Taekwon-Do. Further, he was among the first to oversee the development of
Taekwon-Do in Canada. With his convictions and his Korean martial art visions, Master Blake became one of the pioneers
who has contributed to promote Taekwon-Do in Canada.
Text written by:
Richard Lajeunesse (C-6-17, tkd.lajeunesse@qc.aira.com)
Thierry Reynaud (F-4-4, itf.bretagne@libertysurf.fr)
In the name of all Master Blake's Students:
Alain Dumaine, France Pelletier, Sylvain Boucher, Etienne Stasse, Marc-André Forget, Ivan Marinov, Stéphane
Brière, Marc Saint-Rock, Réal Cadieux and so many others.
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