Dear Taekwon-Do Practitioners:
I am Kim Suk Jun and my teacher was General Choi Hong Hi. I spent the early years of my Taekwon-Do life as a member of the International Taekwon-Do Federation Demonstration Team. During that time I learned the technical insights of traditional martial arts, and for the past 30 years I have been trying to be faithful to my lineage by teaching my students that same Taekwon-Do discipline and practice. I realized early on that not only is Taekwon-Do my passion, but that the integrity of Taekwon-Do as a martial art is based on the faithfulness and continuity with which instruction is passed from teacher to student, one generation after the next. It is with that in mind that I write this letter to welcome you to Taekwon-Do International, an organization dedicated to maintaining the spirit of traditional Taekwon-Do.
The principle objectives of Taekwon-Do International are two-fold. First, the organization endeavors to always preserve the highest levels of Taekwon-Do education and practice. To that end, Taekwon-Do International is an institute of higher Taekwon-Do learning and discourse for all its members. Second, because a soul cannot survive without a well-nourished body and a dedicated teacher cannot survive without an economically viable school, Taekwon-Do International is also committed to helping its members prosper by providing master instructors with the guidance and tools to better market, manage and promote their schools. By focusing on the continuing education of master instructors and on the financial success of all member schools, Taekwon-Do International hopes to cultivate the legacy of traditional Taekwon-Do by enriching and preserving the way Taekwon-Do is taught at all levels.
I have been contemplating the formation of Taekwon-Do International for several years and in this 50th year anniversary of Taekwon-Do’s inception the need for an international union has never been more apparent. Both the I.T.F. and the World Taekwondo Federation have done great things in the past for the promotion of Taekwon-Do by spreading the it to hundreds of nations, fostering the creation of hundreds of thousands of dojangs worldwide and introducing Taekwon-Do to the world stage via the Olympic Games. However, in recent years the I.T.F. has disintegrated since my teacher passed away; and the W.T.F. has succumbed to an identity crisis in Korea and abroad as its leaders changed and practitioners behan seeking something beyond amateur sport Taekwon-Do. And in the midst of this turmoil, countless master instructors from neighborhood and community dojangs are uncertain about the future of their international affiliations and the recognition promised to their black belts.
As a result, I am creating Taekwon-Do International as a union of schools committed to upholding the standards of Taekwon-Do as an international martial art. However, unlike other organizations, Taekwon-Do International is not a governing body. Instead, each and every school will be a partner entitled to profit and grow with the organization. There will be regional vice presidents in charge of representing their constituent schools at international caucuses, but ultimately, each and every school will have the opportunity to participate fully in the union.
I hope you will join me in ushering in a new generation of Taekwon-Do achievement, recognition and responsibility with Taekwon-Do International.
Sincerely,
Suk Jun Kim, 9th Dan
