Apart from the usual conservative intellectuals who showed up Monday night at a Capitol Hill book party for American’s for Tax Reform’s Grover Norquist, it was another surprise guest who had everyone buzzing: Jhoon Rhee (shown), “the father of American tae kwon do” and the owner of the eponymous chain of D.C.-area martial arts
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studios. (If you’re old enough, you may remember Master Rhee’s local series of commercials, which ended with the tag line, “Nobody bothers me” — a perfect synergy, it so happens, with Norquist’s book, “Leave Us Alone.”)
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So what brings Rhee to a gathering of the conservative glitterati? Turns out the Korean immigrant and friend of the late Bruce Lee is a longtime GOP supporter and donor. “Republicans have more common sense than Democrats,” he told us.
Rhee remains bipartisan in his teaching, however: He’s taught more than 350 members of Congress over 34 years. Currently, he said, Reps. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., Christopher Shays, R-Conn., Gene Taylor, D-Miss., and Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., to name a few, attend his four-times-per-week classes in the House gym. “I used to have more Republicans; now I have more Democrats,” Rhee said.
While Norquist was enthused — “That guy can do 100 pushups,” he said of the 70-something Rhee — he told us he’s never taken the master’s classes. He has, however, seen a video of Rhee’s that mixed tae kwon do teachings with public policy statements. “It was very Oriental” in nature, Norquist said.
Perhaps it’s worth a shot, Grover. Republicans could use some discipline these days.
