about the Kukkiwon and WTF, MAC
Kukkiwon (Official Site) www.kukkiwon.or.kr
Kukkiwon, which opened its door in 1972, has played a pivotal role in the internationalization of Taekwondo, and has been a centripetal force of Taekwondo and issued the Dan certificates. The Kukkiwon is referred to as the mecca of Taekwondo. Taekwondo is the sport-for-all for the training of the body and mind.
The global population is estimated at about 50 million. The Taekwondo population has been growing as more people appreciate the benefits of Taekwondo-sound body and mind.
World Taekwondo Federation (Official Site) www.wtf.org
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art turned sport that has grown as a global sport since the foundation of the World Taekwondo Federation in 1973. The WTF is an International Federation consisting of 174 National Taekwondo governing bodies as its members. Following the recognition of the WTF by the International Olympic Committee in 1980, Taekwondo was staged at the Olympics in Seoul in 1988 and in Barcelona in 1992 as a demonstration sport. In 1994, at the Paris 103rd 10C Sessions, Taekwondo was adopted as an official program of the Sidney 2000 Olympics. TAekwondo was confirmed as an official sport at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Taekwondo has been selected as an official event for the first time in the Sidney Olympics 2000, and it will be one of the official events in the Athens Olympics 2004 and many upcoming Olympics. Compared with other Olympic sports events that have taken almost 100 years to be selected as official events, Taekwondo has accomplished it in just 20 years. Now Taekwondo is in the process of spreading Korean culture and spirit to people all over the world by means of the Olympic spirit.
USAT Martial Arts Commission (Official Site) www.usat-mac.us
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The fundamental purpose of the USA Taekwondo Martial Arts Commission is to assist and advise the CEO/Secretary General of USA Taekwondo in a variety of matters including: restoration of traditional Taekwondo values to promote human development through education, training, application, and teaching; preservation of the history of Taekwondo in the USA (including recognition of Taekwondo pioneers); renewal of memberships of and benefits to those excluded from the NGB by previous administrations; and, support for the CEO/Secretary General to further the US Olympic movement.Furthering its initiative to restore martial arts traditions and values to the practice of Taekwondo, the USA Taekwondo Martial Arts Commission took a giant step forward by conducting its inaugural meeting in conjunction with the USA Taekwondo Junior Olympics and Senior Nationals in San Jose, California from July 9 - 11, 2007. The highlight of the meeting was the induction of more than 50 grandmasters and select masters and instructors as founding members, and the presentation of special awards from the World Taekwondo Federation and Kukkiwon to practitioners who have distinguished themselves with their contributions to Taekwondo in USA."This is a special day," said Commission co-chair Senior Grandmaster Joon P. Choi. "Previous leadership lost sight of Taekwondo as a holistic discipline for human development. Now we are back on track."
Choi and co-chair Senior Grandmaster Hong Kong Kim are the driving force behind the creation of the Commission. "We worked very hard for this moment," said Kim. "We are grateful to USAT CEO/Secretary General David Askinas for his recognition of the importance of what the Commission will restore to Taekwondo. The true substance of Taekwondo study will now be preserved for the benefit of our entire society."
