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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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