WHEREAS, Grandmaster Hyeon Kon Lee, a world-renowned practitioner, teacher, and advocate of the Korean martial art of TaeKwonDo, was selected by Martial Arts World News Magazine as the 2022 Grandmaster of the Year; and

WHEREAS, born in the Republic of Korea, Hyeon Kon "H.K." Lee immigrated to the United States and settled in Herndon, where he established the Grandmaster H.K. Lee TaeKwonDo Academy; he became a United States citizen in 1981 and has worked diligently to build a strong sense of community in the Herndon area; and

WHEREAS, H.K. Lee mentors good character and citizenship, such as humility, respect, self-discipline, patience, and care for others; his academy promotes healthy minds and bodies while teaching self-defense skills that build confidence and freedom from fears; and

WHEREAS, H.K. Lee earned the prestigious Grandmaster of the Year award for his commitment to excellence in martial arts instruction and dedication to community outreach; and

WHEREAS, H.K. Lee currently holds ninth degree black belts from the Korea Moo Duk Kwan Association and the World TaeKwonDo Federation Headquarters, by which he is also certified as a first class international grandmaster and a high rank examiner; and

WHEREAS, H.K. Lee has been featured in numerous martial arts publications and has promoted the benefits of TaeKwonDo as a form of physical fitness and means to build self-discipline and high character throughout the Commonwealth and the United States; and

WHEREAS, H.K. Lee has offered his leadership to national and international martial arts organizations, including as the former chair of the USA TaeKwonDo National Education/Certification Committee and chair of education for World TaeKwonDo Headquarters; and

WHEREAS, in 2014, H.K. Lee became one of only eight TaeKwonDo grandmasters to receive the Korean National President's Award for his accomplishments; he has also been inducted into the U.S. TaeKwonDo Grandmasters Society Hall of Fame and International Marital Arts Hall of Fame for Education Leadership; and

WHEREAS, Grandmaster H.K. Lee has helped organizations raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity, and his own academy has raised tens of thousands of dollars for local organizations such as the Virginia Jaycees, the Herndon High School Booster Club, and the Vecinos Unidos Herndon/Neighbors United, Inc.; and

WHEREAS, H.K. Lee has built strong relationships with generations of students and helped them achieve their personal goals as martial artists and community leaders while enhancing the overall quality of life in Herndon; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That Grandmaster Hyeon Kon Lee hereby be commended on his selection by Martial Arts World News Magazine as the 2022 Grandmaster of the Year; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Grandmaster Hyeon Kon Lee as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for his many achievements.