ABOUT US
WHAT IS THE AMERICAN TAEKWONDO ASSOCIATION?
Since its introduction to the West in the 1960s, Taekwondo has grown in popularity and now is the world’s largest martial art. The American Taekwondo Association (ATA), which Grand Master Haeng Ung Lee founded in 1969, currently has well over 400,000 students ranging in age from two to 80 years old. These students train in over 1700 affiliated ATA Martial Arts schools and clubs throughout the country, in Songahm Taekwondo Federation (STF) schools in South America, and in World Traditional Taekwondo Union (WTTU) schools throughout the world (including 600 in South Korea). The ATA provides instructor training and certification, rank testing, supervision of competitions, and much more.
At Kincannons Martial Arts, we are PROUD to be members of the American Taekwondo Association, and all the benefits that come with such membership. By joining Kincannons Martial Arts, you are not only joining our immediate Taekwondo family, but you are becoming part of the worlds largest single style martial arts organization. We hope you will be proud too. Stop by and see what makes us the best Taekwondo School in Woodland!
WHAT IS SONGAHM-STYLE TAEKWONDO?
ATA members practice a style known as Songahm Taekwondo, which is a traditional system of Taekwondo introduced by Grand Master Lee. The Songahm style is distinguished by its integration of traditional values and martial arts techniques with modern training and management methods; by its system of challenging forms, which facilitates learning difficult kicks at an early level; and by the rigor of its instructor training requirements, which ensures highly professional instruction. The term Songahm is interpreted as meaning "pine tree and rock," which symbolizes continuous growth (the evergreen pine tree) from a solid historical and traditional foundation (the rock).
Taekwondo history
Like any martial art properly taught and properly practiced, Taekwondo is a non-agressive and ethical system of self-defense. Its roots in Korea go back to the third century A.D., but the word "Taekwondo" was not adopted officially until 1955. South Korea had recently emerged from a 30-year occupation by Japan (1915-1945), which was followed by the Korean War. During the Japanese occupation, Korean martial arts were practiced only in secret. When South Korea emerged as an independent nation, General Hong Hi Choi sought to unify the traditional Korean training styles under one rubric.
At the time, several schools of martial arts existed in Korea, all of them influenced by Japanese and Chinese styles. These schools included Tang-soo Do, Gong-soo Do and Soo-bak Do. General Choi started a movement to unify these schools under the name Taekwondo, which was derived from the ancient name Taekyon. Taekwondo means "the way (do) of the hand (kwon) and foot (tae)."
General Choi presented this name to a committee whose purpose was to organize the national martial art, and the committee unanimously adopted the name Taekwondo. The government ratified this choice on April 11, 1955, and Taekwondo became Korea's national martial art.
In 1968, General Choi met with then-Master Haeng Ung Lee, who would found the ATA one year later (see ATA history). Master Lee at that time was teaching the Japanese-based Pyeong Ahn forms. General Choi taught Master Lee the first 16 Cheon-jee (or Chahng-hun) forms in only four days and three nights, a feat of speed-learning that was possible because of the simplicity of each form.
The Chahng-hun system was the first set of forms developed for Korea's new martial art. It was followed in the early 1970s by the Pal-gae system. Both of these forms systems were deeply influenced by Japanese styles, and as a result they did not demonstrate the dynamic kicking techniques for which Taekwondo is famous.
To return Taekwondo to its traditional roots and to align the Taekwondo forms with the rest of the curriculum, Grand Master Lee in 1983 introduced the Songahm style of traditional Taekwondo.
The Songahm style
With the assistance of other senior ATA masters and instructors, Grand Master Lee developed a forms system that incorporated the the kicks, traditions and philosophy of traditional Taekwondo. He called this traditional style of Taekwondo "Songahm."
The Songahm forms are part of a fully-integrated curriculum, in which everything a student learns reinforces everything else. The forms contain all or nearly all of the techniques that students are expected to know at each rank, the one-step sparring segments complement the forms, and all of these patterns lead logically to the movements required for each succeeding rank. The Songahm curriculum facilitates a smooth progression from one rank to the next, so that students who begin Taekwondo feeling they'll never be able to do a simple high block suddenly find themselves a few years later doing jump 360-degree hook kicks with ease.
Songahm Taekwondo mixes traditional Korean martial arts techniques with the world's most modern and professional curriculum, instructor training program, and business operations. The word Songahm itself represents this combination of tradition and growth.
Songahm is interpreted to mean "pine tree and rock." The rock represents the solid traditional foundation on which the Songahm style of Taekwondo rests. Grand Master Lee chose the pine tree as the symbol of Taekwondo because, as an evergreen tree, it symbolizes in the Korean culture unchanging human loyalty, longevity, respect, and happiness. Like the pine tree, Songahm Taekwondo students (and the style itself) grow continuously. In the Songahm style, there is no ending point -- black belts of all levels, including Grand Master Lee, continue to develop and learn.
Songahm Taekwondo is not just a physical activity. Grand Master Lee calls Taekwondo "the martial art that trains people physically and mentally." In addition to physical fitness, Songahm Taekwondo classes promote discipline, honor, self-control, respect, courtesy, perseverance and loyalty. These values are reflected in the student oath that ATA members recite at the beginning and end of each Taekwondo class.
"In victory, be humble. In defeat, be strong. In all things be fair." ---Eternal Grand Master H.U. Lee
