An origin story that begins in 1962 might sound ancient in the age of social media, when anything that's more than a day old is regarded as passe, but the martial arts are different. Many styles are hundreds or even thousands of years old, and we cherish them for their authenticity and legitimacy. In the United States, of course, the Asian arts are relatively recent imports, so when we encounter an organization that dates from the '60s-the Wild West era of martial arts in America - our ears perk up. Yours probably do, too.
The American Taekwondo Association is one such organization. Its roots extend back to 1962, when Haeng Ung Lee relocated from South Korea to the United States. Seven short years later, he launched the American Taekwondo Association from his base in Omaha, Nebraska Since then, the ATA has ascended like an Elon Musk rocket, not just into the stratosphere but all the way into orbit. And it's not slowing down.
To further your understanding of this monolithic martial arts entity, we present the following three interviews. The first is with Sun C. Lee, Chairwoman of the Board of the ATA and widow of founder Haeng Ung Lee, who is referred to as Eternal Grandmaster within the organization. The second is with M.K. Lee, the association's Presiding Grandmaster and brother of the founder The third is with Senior Master Taekwon Lee, son of the founder: In essence, they discuss the past, present and future of the ATA.
SUN C. LEE, CHAIRWOMAN OF THE BOARD OF THE ATA AND WIDOW OF THE FOUNDER
Where was your husband born?
In Manchuria in 1936.
Where did he begin learning martial arts?
He came to Korea when he was in his teenage years, and at that time, the Korean War was going on. After the war, he started learning taekwondo.
Esta historia es de la edición December/January 2023 de Black Belt.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición December/January 2023 de Black Belt.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
HOW TO CREATE A MARTIAL ART CASE STUDY: COMBAT HAPKIDO
On October 22, 2022, the International Combat Hapkido Federation celebrated its 30th anniversary. As you might expect, we're proud of our organization's longevity, stability and success.
MARTIAL ARTS ANATOMY 101
PHYSIOLOGY OF THE LIVER SHO
LOCK UP
THE CLINCHING LESSONS TAUGHT IN THE ANCIENT GREEK MARTIAL ART OF PANKRATION ARE STILL RELEVANT - AND EFFECTIVE!
KILLER CHARACTER ACTOR
When Scott Adkins Isn't Headlining His Own Action Movies Like \"Boyka: Undisputed,\" He's Stealing Scenes in Blockbusters Like \"John Wick\" and \"Ip Man\"!
A DEEP DIVE WITH BENNY URQUIDEZ
Few fighters have a reputation as formidable and a record as impressive as Benny “The Jet” Urquidez. As you will see, his path from the traditional martial arts to full contact and then to kickboxing had more than its share of bumps.
PRE-EMPTIVE STRIKES: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY, PART 1
In my six previous columns, pre-emptive striking featured prominently.
THE DAY JUJITSU DIED
Let us look at one historical instance that illuminates a lesson in task saturation, or what Miyamoto Musashi called \"sword flowers.\"
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? GUY MEZGER: FROM MMA FIGHTER TO HEALER
To be successful in mixed martial arts nowadays, you need an all-around game.
KILLER INSTINCT
It's not the size of the woman in the fight but the size of the fight in the woman.
HAPKIDO'S BONG SOO HAN: THE MAKING OF A MARTIAL ARTS LEGEND
Much has been written about Bong Soo Han (1933-2007), his career as a hapkido master and his connection to the Billy Jack films.
