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Information
About Us and Our Art
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What is Taekwondo?
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art which
translated means "art of the hand and foot."
It is a discipline that trains people mentally
and physically.
What is Songahm
Taekwondo?
"Martial Art" is a broad term encompassing
the many styles of physical discipline (fighting)
arts that have been developed over the centuries.
To say that the style of Songahm Taekwondo is
just another "martial art" would be
an uneducated evaluation of the "world's
largest" centrally administered martial
art. This system of teaching and training, developed
by Grand Master Haeng Ung Lee and his staff
of Master Instructors, is unequaled in the martial
arts community.
Songahm Taekwondo focuses on personal development
of the mind and body. To say it was just self-defense
would be to lose most of the valuable ideas
and philosophy behind this ancient art. Self-defense
is really the fringe benefit that is gained
by dedication one's self to the values, philosophy
and training of Songahm Taekwondo. Remember
that you are in a true, traditional Taekwondo
class. This is not a movie in which a person
can be hit 100 times without falling to the
ground. In the reality of Taekwondo, a person
that has been hit by a powerful force or hand
technique will fall with one to three techniques.
At the beginner level, do not focus on being
a skilled martial artist within a month or two.
You are building your foundation in Taekwondo.
Trying to advance beyond your level without
proper guidance would be like building a house
on a foundation of concrete that had not dried.
Through the house may still stand, the foundation
would not be as strong and the appearance of
the house may not be as presentable.
Each class begins and ends with a bow. The white
belt of the beginner indicates he is without
knowledge of Taekwondo and as one progresses
in knowledge, the color of the belt gets progressively
darker: orange, yellow, camo, green, purple,
blue, brown, red, red/black, and finally black.
What is the ATA?
The ATA is the American Taekwondo Association.
It is the largest national association in the
world. Outside of America, ATA's Songahm style
forms are taught through the Songahm Taekwondo
Federation (STF). An ATA member in good standing
may train at any ATA or STF school in the world.
For more information about the ATA, please visit
their website at www.ataonline.com.
The History
of Taekwondo
(Material listed here for the History of Taekwondo
has been obtained from the following sources:
Songahm Taekwondo: Experience the Difference(1997)
The Way of Traditional Taekwondo Volume A(1997)
The New Student Handbook(1991))
Visit www.ataonline.com
to learn more about our history.
Taekwondo, known for its powerful
kicks, developed in the majestic mountains,
forests, cities, and shores of Korea. Although
evidence exists for ancient Korean martial arts
(possibly as early as 37 BC) the actual name
and style of Taekwondo did not exist until close
to World War II. At that time, the Korean people
were healing 50 years of damage to their nation
and heritage, including the prohibition of traditional
Korean martial arts. At the war's end, Korean
people were finally free to practice martial
arts, but the technique had been much altered
by the strong wartime influence of Japanese
Karate.
In 1955, a committee was asked to select one
name to call the dynamic striking and kicking
art: the name "Tae Kwon Do" (the way
of hand and foot) fit perfectly and was officially
adopted. Although other Korean martial art styles
evolved, Taekwondo remains the national sport
of Korea and is the most widely practiced martial
art in the world.
Grand
Master Lee (1936-2000) and the history of ATA
It is a lucky student that gets to hear the
"Grand Master Lee" stories from his
original ATA students. Reminiscing about the
early days, high ranks such as Chief Master
Allemier and Senior Master M.K. fondly describe
Lee as a visionary; tough, disciplined, and
determined to manifest his original vision of
having a school in every American city. Yet
Grand Master Lee was also a family man, and
was known for his kindness towards children.
I will only outline Grand Master's history here,
because the stories are best heard from those
who where close to him.
During the arduous times of war, the young boy
named Haeng Ung Lee and his family struggled
to survive and stay together. But perhaps those
difficult experiences helped form the mental
strength, discipline, and perseverance that
Lee was known for. He began his Taekwondo training
as a highschooler in 1953 and earned his black
belt in less than a year. Eventually he would
become the first Grand Master, founder, and
president of our organization, but that didn't
happen overnight.
A Brief Timeline
• 1956 Grand Master Lee
entered the Korean Army as a Taekwondo trainer.
• 1959 He retired from
the army and opened his first school at Osan
Air Force Base, where he met and trained American
serviceman, Richard Reed. The rest is ATA history.
• 1962 Reed invited Lee
to join him when he returned to the United States.
He accepted, and he opened up a school in Omaha,
NE with (now)Senior Master Reed.
• 1969 The American Taekwondo
Association was formed.
• 1983 The Songahm forms
are introduced after long years of planning
and development by Grand Master Lee, William
Clark, and Robert Allemier. Meanwhile, M.K.
Lee developed self-defense and instruction skills
for the growing organization.
THE CIRCLE STORY:
One evening in Korea, after class, Mr. Lee drew
a circle in the dirt on the training floor,
and drew a large number of little dots. He explained
to his young student that the circle symbolized
the United States, and that each dot represented
a school he would someday open. The young student
fought back his laughter, and tried to explain
how difficult it would be to make his vision
a reality. Mr. Lee looked the young student
in the face, and shared with him five simple
words that would come to symbolize Mr. Lee's
life, "Today Not Possible...Tomorrow Possible."
As the ATA grew in popularity all over the US,
Lee's vision of the ATA's future began to change.
In the 1980s, he realized that peoples' interest
in the martial arts had evolved in new directions.
The ATA adopted regulations for safety gear,
and improved the safety of tournaments so that
they have become the safest in the world. Lee
moved ATA headquarters to Little Rock, Arkansas,
and set up a centralized computer and record
system. From there, the innovations grew to
include acclaimed programs for children, Protech
weapons and self-defense training, Top Ten competition,
The Way books and videos, and much more. Grand
Master Lee's final contribution to martial arts,
a martial arts museum and Hall of Fame, opened
in Little Rock in February 2000 at the new headquarters
building.
The ATA and sister organizations are now headed
under his brother, Grand Master Soon Ho Lee,
with the help of a council of masters. Through
him, the vision lives on.
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