GRANDMASTER ALEXANDER MALTABAROV

          Grandmaster Alexander Maltabarov -
          Tong Il Kwan Tang Soo Do Founder.

Alexander Maltabarov was born in the city of Leningrad (nowadays St.-Petersburg) in 1948, in two years after the II World War termination. In blockade Leningrad his grandmother and the aunt were lost. Memory stores children's memoirs of the streets and houses destroyed by the war. The childhood was post-war and uneasy.

In 1966 has finished art school. In 1967 he participated in the first exhibition of painting.

In June, 1967 Alexander Maltabarov has been on urgent service in the Sea Division of Frontier Troops of the USSR Army. His service was on the Black Sea and the Baltic Sea. The military service has tempered his character and given invaluable life experience. By summer of 1970 he has been demobilized.

Since 1970 he has begun pedagogical activity, was a manager of art studio in non-scholastic education system.

In 1978 has ended the Leningrad Pedagogical University named after I.Gertsen, Art Faculty.

From 1978 till 1989 he taught in high school, was a member of a Methodical Сouncil of a city, and was the regional methodologist.

In 1970th years in Alexander Maltabarov's life have occurred two important events:

1) He has met and became the student of the artist (painter), the theorist and expert of design, the critic and the collector, the person of encyclopedic knowledge A.G.Ender. He became the full member of creative group «3-A» headed by Ender;

2) He has started Shotokan Karate-Do trainings. His first Karate instructor was V.Maslovsky, now he develops Hapkido (6th Dan at present) and is the leader of this martial art in the Northwest of Russia. The second Karate instructor was M.Strezh - the cheerful and vigorous person. Nowadays he continues Karate-Do trainings, and he is director of one of technical colleges of St.-Petersburg.

In 1980 Alexander Maltabarov has begun active exhibition activity as the artist (painter). He became a constant member of Experimental Arts Association - public organization of painters, in the alternative to official socialist realism - only one not forbidden direction in art in the USSR. 1980th years were years of struggle of artists of an underground with communistic ideology in art. Alexander Maltabarov's works (pictures) are stored in funds of the State Russian Museum, in the St.-Petersburg Museum of the modern art, in galleries and private collections of St.-Petersburg, USA, Israel, France and Belarus.

In 1980 Master Maltabarov has begun instructor activity under the offer of his instructor and the kind friend M.Strezh.

Two times Alexander Maltabarov has received the offers to be a postgraduate at the USSR Pedagogical Sciences Academy, but has not taken offers, having preferred martial arts.

After the short period of the Karate official acceptance it got no longer loved by the authorities. In the early 1980s the article 219 "prima” appeared in the USSR Criminal Code. It is hard to believe that this article provided social renegades who taught soviet people this alien martial art with seven years' imprisonment and confiscation of property. A part of instructors have suffered: on forged criminal cases they have been condemned to different terms of imprisonment. Contrary to all obstacles Master Maltabarov continued work with the devoted students.

In the end of 1980s Alexander Maltabarov has met with the wonderful person - the North Korean Master of martial arts Choi Saeng Sik - the representative of an ancient military dynasty. In Leningrad he studied in the Naval Engineering Higher Educational Institution, he studied the next military specialty. Before that at his homeland 10 years he was the martial arts instructor of the North Korean Marines. In Choi's family from generation to generation was transferred traditional Korean martial art Taekkyeon. Between two masters good relations were fastened. The friend and the teacher has opened to the student the basic concepts and secrets of Korean Kyeok Sul (the art of strong punch), and also has explained the Korean traditional values and opinion about martial arts.

In 1989 to St.-Petersburg and Moscow have arrived the international instructors, experts of Taekwon-Do (ITF), Oh Do Kwan style of Gen. Choi Hong Hi. In the city on the river Neva began to work then young Kim Yong Hoon (8th Dan at present). Alexander Maltabarov became one of his first students in St. Petersburg. Today many of they became the members of the Instructors Council and the Referee Council of Taekwon-Do not only of St.-Petersburg, but also of some the CIS countries. They are still connected by mutual liking and friendship.

Besides in 1980s years Master Maltabarov studied the Soviet Sambo, Japanese Ju-Do and Ju-Jutsu, and also the European Boxing.

In 1991 one of Alexander Maltabarov's students has visited the USA by the students' exchange where he has met American Tang Soo Do masters, followers of Great Grandmaster Lee Won Kuk. In the same year Master Maltabarov has invited them to arrive to St.-Petersburg. Process of Tang Soo Do development has begun by traditional method of seminars and courses, including international.

In 1990s the big influence to Alexander Maltabarov was made by Japanese Master of Kyokushinkai Karate (direct student of Shigeru Oyama), Ju-Do and Tang Soo Do K.Takahashi from whom a profound knowledge and representations about real martial art has been received.

In first half of 1990s Master Maltabarov was also interested by the Chinese national Wushu. There were good schools in St.-Petersburg, and sports standardization has not transformed the Chinese martial art into gymnastics yet.

In the art of self-defense Alexander Maltabarov has learnt from the American Master of Aikido, Aiki-Jutsu and Kobudo D.Harbor.

After disintegration of the USSR the not best times have come. In 1993 Alexander Maltabarov had an idea to move for living and work in the Belarusian city of Grodno. The decision was not casual, one of its grandfathers, Yakov, was from Belarus. Besides, master's friends and students lived in Grodno.

In January, 1994 master had big preliminary work, and in December, 1995 the Sport Martial Arts League was registered. There were many Karate, Tang Soo Do and Taekwon-Do competitions, the seminars of various kinds of martial arts were regularly held, masters of various level were invited, trips to the international tournaments were organized.

Since 1996 Master Maltabarov was the instructor of self-defense of Regional Road Police Headquarters, where he worked 9 years.

In 2000, two years prior to the death of Gen. Choi Hong Hi the Founder of the International Taekwon-Do Federation, Alexander Maltabarov with students participated in Choi's last international seminar which took place in Belarus. At a seminar Master Maltabarov had personal contact with Gen. Choi Hong Hi. Alexander Maltabarov was interested by the Grandmaster's approach and personal understanding of martial art.

In the spring of 2000 Alexander Maltabarov has founded Tong Il Kwan Tang Soo Do. Certain work on style perfection proceeded and after 2000.

Alexander Maltabarov is the certificated Founder and Grandmaster at present, and Tong Il Kwan Tang Soo Do has the international recognition. Alexander Maltabarov is a representative of some international martial arts organizations in Belarus. His students live in Belarus, Russia, USA, Great Britain, Israel, Australia, Republic of South Africa and Japan.

First students of Alexander Maltabarov. 1981
Shotokan Karate-Do demonstration. 1984
1985	1985
Referee Board of the First USSR Taekwon-Do Championships.1990
At the First USSR Taekwon-Do Championships.1990
GM Kim Yong Hoon & GM Alexander Maltabarov
GM Alexander Maltabarov & GM Sergei Sokolovsky
World Taekwon-Do Champion Alexander Simakov & GM Alexander Maltabarov
Master Igor Shcheglov & GM Alexander Maltabarov
Master Artemy Maltabarov, Russian Karate Legend Sergei Sudakov & GM Alexander Maltabarov
GM Alexander Maltabarov  & Uzbekistan Karate Team. 2007
Tong Il Kwan Tang Soo Do demonstration in Grodno. 2001	At Martial Arts Olympics "East- West Open". 2008
Belarus Karate Veteran, Master Andrey Vilkin & GM Alexander Maltabarov
GM Alexander Maltabarov with Shield of Hall of Fame 2010 & Medal of Honor