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Hee ll Cho: Alive and kicking after open heart surgery
- Thread starter Tames D
- Start date
Thanks for sharing this!
Thanks for adding this!
Here's him recently.
Here's him recently.
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Great story.
The one depressing aspect is that someone who has been as physically active and health-conscious as HIC still wound up needing extremely major coronary surgerysomething we'd all hope a healthy lifestyle would make unnnecessary. Genetic factors come into it, of course... but it's still a bit chilling to think about someone whose physical regimen is as intense as Gm. Cho's having to go under the knife for an operation that legions of couch potatoes, whose can hardly be bothered to get up to see if they're sitting on the remote that they've lost track of, also get hospitalized for. In a perfect world, someone like HIC shouldn't have any cardiovascular problems...
The one depressing aspect is that someone who has been as physically active and health-conscious as HIC still wound up needing extremely major coronary surgerysomething we'd all hope a healthy lifestyle would make unnnecessary. Genetic factors come into it, of course... but it's still a bit chilling to think about someone whose physical regimen is as intense as Gm. Cho's having to go under the knife for an operation that legions of couch potatoes, whose can hardly be bothered to get up to see if they're sitting on the remote that they've lost track of, also get hospitalized for. In a perfect world, someone like HIC shouldn't have any cardiovascular problems...
OP
- Thread Starter
- #5
I had the same exact thoughts. I wonder if nutrition was his weak link. He said he had to make changes in his eating habits.
Yes... that would make sense. Some people, for whatever reason, get major cholesterol/plaque buildup from diets which other people can follow in complete safety. I have a colleague in my department who's like that. It runs in his familyten years or so he had a quadruple bypass operation, and told me that he has at least three or four close relatives who've had to have the same surgery. His previous diet was probably no worse than a lot of people's who will never need something like that... but for whatever reason, whatever he was doing was the kiss of death for him, potentially, and he had to make many changes.
Scary, what a few slightly perverse genetic eccentricities can do...
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When he was in Albuquerque, I know he ate A LOT of beef-out here, if you want protein, it's what's for dinner. On the other hand, we also have to remember that the guy's pushing 70. Something like this isn't exactly unexpected-good health and athleticism can conceal quite a bit, too-if he didn't go to the doctor, get regular check-ups, and even if he did: hard to believe he couldn't pass a stress test before his heart attack with flying colors, even with some clogging...when my kids' grandfather was about the same age, he had a pretty bad heart attack on the tennis courts-and wound up having the same surgery. Had doctors coming in all day to see the triple bypass (and valve replacement) who'd been playing tennis....
Right, and that's exactly the kind of thing you don't want to hearall your tests, your performance, passed with flying colors, meaning you were one of the healthiest people ever to have a heart attack... there's just too much to worry about when you hear that sort of thing (and at age 61, looking at 62 in a couple of months, I do worry about it, massive longevity on both sides of my family notwithstanding...)
Jim Fixx died at 52 of heart disease - even after all he did to restore his health - lost 60 pounds, quit smoking, changed his diet, wrote a definitive book on running based on his own experiences. Doctors pointed to family health factors as a key factor in his death following his daily run.
No matter how active someone is, heredity can trip you up, and so can changes in environment, including eating a diet different than that of your ancestors. The comment made above about red meat is telling in this context.
No matter how active someone is, heredity can trip you up, and so can changes in environment, including eating a diet different than that of your ancestors. The comment made above about red meat is telling in this context.
Guardian
Black Belt
He's alive and well, that's what counts. I'm glad to hear it for one.
Thanks for sharing the info and the video. He looks very impressive. Glad he's ok.
Deaf Smith
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I've never seen Hee ll Cho work out. But alot of what I saw in this video was the way I like it! It's not super traditional, and maybe more JKD, but I like it.
I hope he recovers well. It's ovious he loves what he does and does not get bored with it.
Deaf
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David Weatherly
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I'm glad the hear that he's alive and well. Hopefully, he'll recover quickly and make some adjustments it improve his health even more.
David
David
I am sure he will be better than ever and grow the art even more so now.
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dancingalone
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I've always did like his body of work. Sure he was a great self-promoter but the man actually did have skills to show off and teach. He probably inspired a lot of people into taking taekwondo.
Exactlyhe's been a great role model for TKDist. Flamboyant acrobatics, for sure, but he's always been big on the combat applicability of his art (as the vid makes clear, I thinkthat very aggressive use of upper-body striking techs is a very refreshing contrast to what you usually see in sport-dominated interpretations of TKD).
I don't agree with everything he has done in Taekwondo (shameless self promotion, magazine whore, colored uniforms), but there's no denying his ability. Chuck Norris should be happy to have half the ability of this guy in his prime.
And who's to say his problems aren't genetic, in which case all you can do is minimize them. Besides, at 67 things start to go wrong.
I don't like the fact his daughter wrote the article. Let an unbiased journalist do the writing.
And who's to say his problems aren't genetic, in which case all you can do is minimize them. Besides, at 67 things start to go wrong.
I don't like the fact his daughter wrote the article. Let an unbiased journalist do the writing.
