The history of TaeKwonDo began roughly ten thousand years ago when the ancestors of the Korean people migrated from Central Asia to the peninsula that is now Korea. They relied mainly on hunting to survive, climbing rugged mountains, crossing strong rivers, and traveling along the seashore in their search for food. These rigors developed strong bodies, superior fighting skills, and a sense of teamwork. Historians theorize that, upon their return, the hunters would reenact their motions of kicking, punching, stabbing, and throwing, also recreating fighting scenes with neighboring tribes with whom they had fought during the hunt. A natural outgrowth of reenactments was practicing movements in order to refine and perfect the techniques and their skills. Through time, these techniques formalized into martial arts.

Formal martial arts training in Korea began approximately 4000 years ago, consisting of running (daligi), throwing (dunjiki), punching or striking (jileuki), kicking (balchaki) and swimming (soo young). Weapons were also employed and included the stone knife (dolkal), stone spear (dolchang),stones for throwing (doldunjiki), sand spreading (moraisul), and wooden pole (mok bong sul). Eventually, archery and horseback riding were incorporated.

In the 6th century A.D., the Silla Dynasty ruled the smallest of the three kingdoms of Korea and was under constant attack from its neighbors. During the reign of the twenty-fourth king of Silla, the young aristocrats and warriors formed an elite corps called the Hwa-Rang-Do based on the model of the Sunbi Warriors from Koguryo. Sunbi were considered intellectual warriors and were described as spending their days reading classical books and training Martial Arts day and night. To guide themselves and give a purpose to their knighthood, Hwa Rang Do Warriors adopted a five-point code of conduct set forth by their greatest monk and scholar, Wan Kany: 1) loyalty to one’s country, 2) loyalty to one’s parents, 3) Trust and brotherhood among friends, 4) Courage never to retreat in the face of the enemy, and 5) Justice never to take a life without cause. These students were also required to learn and live by the following Kwa Rang Do Nine Virtues: humanity, courtesy, trust and friendship, goodness, loyalty, honor, knowledge, courage and consciousness. The Hwa Rang-Do warriors became known for their courage and skill in battle, gaining respect from even their bitterest foes. From their victories, the Korean Peninsula was united.

TaeKwonDo warriors were taught to keep their minds and bodies in balance. They were taught to read and write and studied literature, painting, sculpture, dance, and musical instruments. The moo kwa (national examination for military officials) consisted of an actual martial arts contest and tests covering theory and strategy. The moo kwa produced military officials with both fighting knowledge and a good classical education. The ITA echoes the ancient emphasis on mental development with our book club and required reading lists for rank and certification candidates, ensuring that our leaders gain greater insight through literature pertaining to the human experience. In the past, TaeKwonDo artists were known to be the kingdom or community members with the greatest skill and knowledge. They were expected to dedicate themselves to continuous training of the mind, body, and spirit (ki). This expectation continues today in ITA curriculum.

During the Koguryo Dynasty, martial arts flourished. However, by the Yi Dynasty, an anti-military posture was taken, debasing anything martial. The final blow was delivered by the Japanese occupation of Korea (1909 – 1945) when it was forbidden to practice any form of martial arts. However, Taek Kyon was secretly practiced and passed on to a handful of students. (Some ITA Grand Masters and Instructors have been fortunate enough to receive formal training in Korea at the Taek Kyon Headquarters.) With the liberation of Korea in 1945 came the freedom to again openly practice martial arts. All of the present day TaeKwonDo Instructors can trace their beginnings to one of five Kwans: Chung Do Kwan, Song Moo Kwan, Ji Do Kwan, Moo Do Kwan, and Chang Moo Kwan. The ITA can trace its roots directly to Grandmaster Lee Won-kuk, who founded Chung Do Kwan and developed the largest civilian gym, the Gym of the Blue Wave. Grandmaster Lee Won-kuk is thus the first to organize and found modern Korean TaeKwonDo. (A delegation of ITA Masters and Instructors were honored to attend G.M. Lee Won-kuk’s last formal seminar in 2002 prior to his death at age 96 in 2003.) As the new Republic of Korea (ROK) Armed Forces became organized, Choi Hong Hi, an officer in this army, began to teach martial arts to his soldiers. Chung Do Kwan’s was the largest and the only gym whose ranks were recognized by General Choi when civilians became soldiers. Following years of research and development by General Choi, the Chang Hun style of TaeKwonDo , named for General Choi’s pseudonym, was developed. On 11 April 1955, a board of instructors from the different Kwans, historians, and other prominent persons selected Tae-Kwon-Do (foot – hand – art) as the new name of the national martial art of Korea.

After 10,000 years, this Korean martial art has reached full maturity, developing from tribal dances of the hunt to an art form practiced in more than sixty countries by millions of students. This combination of classical techniques and new modifications has resulted in a form of self-defense and mental conditioning unrivaled in the modern world. As General Choi Hong Hi said, “TaeKwonDo indicates the mental training and the techniques of unarmed combat for self defense as well as health, involving the skilled application of punches, kicks, blocks, and dodges with bare hands and feet…enabling the weak to possess a fine weapon together with the confidence to defend him or herself, and defeat the opponent.”

The International TaeKwonDo Alliance (ITA) continues to preserve the historic traditions of TaeKwonDo first conceived 4000 years ago by early artists, and recently revised by General Choi and G.M. Won Kuk Lee . The ITA acknowledges Grandmaster Lee Won kuk the founder of Chung Do Kwan as the beginning influence from which we came. Grandmaster Lee was the teacher of many students who eventually assumed major positions within the martial arts community. Grandmaster Lee said that students must never forget to appreciate their teacher. At the same time, students should always strive to have better techniques and a higher moral character than his teacher. Grandmaster Lee compares this idea to an old saying: “The color green comes from the color blue, but the green color is brighter than the blue. The ice comes from water, but ice is colder than water.” In other words, the student is always better than his teacher. He believes that the martial arts will have a bright future if students live by these ideas. When a student does become better than his teacher, he must always remain humble and never forget to appreciate the techniques and moral code that he learned from his teacher. Once a student becomes a master, he should not forget that his position was a joint effort of both his and his teacher’s sweat. Without the teacher, he could have never reached the level of master just like there could be no ice without water and no green color without blue. The ITA pledges itself to contributing to the art of TaeKwonDo, providing leadership and instruction in an ancient discipline that represents an alternative allowing practitioners to avoid the stresses and pitfalls of life in this modern age. This can be accomplished by teaching practitioners to strengthen their mind and body and impact society honorably through regular TaeKwonDo training. This mission will be undertaken within the guidelines of our tents: Honor, Courtesy, Integrity, Perseverance, Self Control, Courage and Community.
 

INTERNATIONAL TAEKWONDO ALLIANCE

HO-AM TAEKWONDO

PROCLAMATION

The GRAND MASTERS, SENIOR MASTERS, MASTERS, CERTIFIED INSTRUCTORS, AND BLACK BELTS of the International TaeKwonDo Alliance are grateful to all who have pioneered TaeKwonDo.  In particular we are grateful to Grand Master Won Kuk Lee, General Choi Hong Hi, and Grand Master Haeng Ung Lee.  The International TaeKwonDo Alliance recognizes their contribution. Artistically, we know that our curriculum, vision, systems and physical movements are unique.  We believe separate, mutually respectful, authentic styles of TaeKwonDo artists help preserve the diversity and original artistic nature of TaeKwonDo.  The ITA believes all martial arts programs and martial artists that commit to authentic training and lifestyle have merit. 

The International TaeKwonDo Alliance, based on a traditional martial arts code of honor, seeks to improve the lives of all its students through a program designed to develop artistic skill, courage for life, and mind/body enhancement.  The curriculum is built on the solid principles of our tenets:  Honor, Courtesy, Integrity, Perseverance, Self-Control, Courage, and Community.

While training authentic and highly skilled TaeKwonDo artists, the ITA believes the highest purpose of TaeKwonDo education is to prepare students for the responsibilities of citizenship. TaeKwonDo is about real and powerful experiences, resulting in the discovery of innate capabilities and a heightened sense of responsibility.  ITA TaeKwonDo students are challenged to do what is right and ethical, despite skepticism and despite the pull of the outside world.

The ITA believes the foundation and future of the Alliance relies upon each member’s dedication to its traditional TaeKwonDo philosophy of being an Artist First.  Only continued practice and dedication to the art can sustain the ITA.

 The ITA Artistic Formula:  Artist First + 7 + 3 + 3 + 3 = Artistry and Legacy

Artist First +

7 Tenets of TaeKwonDo +

3 Training Areas of the Complete Artist

1.      Physical artistic and defense skills (The highest level can only be developed through consistent practice.)

2.      Concentration and discipline training, called ki training (Physical movement performed without concentration will not result in increased knowledge.)

3.      Study of the human spirit and behavior through literature, history, and art (Only by learning about others will we be able to learn more about ourselves.) +  

3 Learning Formats +

3 Movement Guidelines =

Artistry and Legacy  

WHEREAS, the United States TaeKwonDo Alliance was founded in 1983 and became recognized as a national leader in TaeKwonDo curriculum development and certification,

WHEREAS, the United States TaeKwonDo Alliance was renamed the International TaeKwonDo Alliance on 22 January 2000, 

WHEREAS, the USTA and ITA Founders Craig Kollars, Bert Kollars, and Art Monroe have trained as TaeKwonDo Artists for over 33 years,

WHEREAS, the ITA has grown and through its curriculum and events helped thousands of students worldwide achieve physical, personal, artistic, fitness, and life goals,

WHEREAS, the ITA Founders are Grand Masters Craig Kollars, Grand Master Bert Kollars, and Senior Master Art Monroe, 

WHEREAS, the current Grand Masters are Craig Kollars and Bert Kollars,

WHEREAS, the current Senior Masters are Art Monroe, James Bailey, Rick Hall, Joe Calhoun, and Ron Allman, 

WHEREAS, the current Masters are Don Anderson, Terry Newton, Marv Conway, Mark Smith, Dan Cerminaro, Joel Neeley,  Kirke Woodall, Tim Leirer, Phearthur Moore, Richard Johnson, George LeBlanc, Chris Jackson, Carol Hall, Frank Michael, Victor Jordan, Tom Mathews, Brent Scoggins, Dewayne Parker, Terence Parker, and Wayne Mathews,

WHEREAS, the ITA desires to select a name for its style of TaeKwonDo that symbolizes the spirit, values, and vision of ITA TaeKwonDo,

WHEREAS, the ITA recognizes the symbolism of the Siberian tiger, native to Korea and known for its power, prowess, and sense of justice but unfortunately endangered, just as our tenets are endangered values,

WHEREAS, ho means “tiger” in Korean and am means “rock” in Korean,

WHEREAS, the ITA is grateful to historian Dr. He Young Kimm for suggesting the name HO-AM TAEKWONDO^SM.,

WHEREAS, the name HO-AM TAEKWONDO^SM is given to ITA TAEKWONDO and from this day forth our style shall be known as HO-AM TAEKWONDO^SM. 

NOW, THEREFORE, THE GRAND MASTERS, SENIOR MASTERS, MASTERS, CERTIFIED INSTRUCTORS AND BLACK BELTS of our great ALLIANCE invite all to celebrate this auspicious first day of HO-AM TAEKWONDO^SM.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, THE GRAND MASTERS, SENIOR MASTERS, AND MASTERS  hereunto set their hands and cause their signatures to be affixed this 20th day of September 2003.