ASSOCIATIONS
We are associated with the peak Taekwondo bodies locally and globally
CHOOSING THE 'RIGHT' TAEKWONDO SCHOOL
When choosing the right Taekwondo school for you and your family, it's important for you to know you that by joining a Taekwondo school you are making an investment of not only your time, sweat and energy but also your hard earned money. Membership fees need to be looked at as an investment in the student's future and well-being, not just another living expense – therefore if the fees for self defence and Taekwondo training are looked at as an investment, then it is only fair that you expect a return on that important investment for you and your family.
NOT ALL BLACK BELTS ARE CREATED EQUALLY
One of the most common issues students face when joining a Taekwondo school is the fact there are alot of schools around that are not associated or registered with their national body and subsequently Kukkiwon, World Taekwondo Headquarters. This means if you spend years of training and financial investment in earning your Black Belt and wish to leave that school some day for whatever reason, your Black Belt is generally not recognised at the new school. This is usually as a result of your Master Instructor not being registered with the national body and Kukkiwon (international body) or the school owner has not bothered to register their students with these important bodies, giving them the international recognition and portability of the student's hard earned Black Belt Dan certificate.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
In Australia, there are 3 bodies a prospective student needs to ensure the school they are looking at joining are associated with – these bodies are: Kukkiwon (KKW), World Taekwondo (WT) and Australian Taekwondo (AT).
By joining a school that is registered locally and globally with the highest authority in Taekwondo, you are ensuring your hard earned belts and certificates are recognised anywhere in the world, ensuring you do not have to lose valuable time re-sitting belt promotion tests, paying extra grading fees etc. simply because you moved suburb, city, state or even country.
When choosing the right Taekwondo school for you and your family, always make sure you choose a school that displays the Kukkiwon World Taekwondo Headquarters symbol proudly and flies the Kukkiwon flag.
Kukkiwon is the peak body for Black Belt Dan certification worldwide and a Taekwondo Black Belt without their Kukkiwon Dan Certification is like a Doctor without their University Degree, they may have studied hard for their acquired skills but without that credible certification from the peak industry body, they are not who they say they are. Kukkiwon World Taekwondo Headquarters is based in Seoul, South Korea and is where the Martial Arts side of Taekwondo is developed, protected and improved upon. It is where over 100 million Taekwondo practitioners worldwide look to when training hard for their Black Belt Dan certification. Black Belts worldwide proudly display their Dan certificates issued from Kukkiwon as a symbol of quality in their school and instructors and the Kukkiwon Dan ID number is seen as an international Black Belt passport.
World Taekwondo is the international federation governing the sport side of Taekwondo and is a member of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations. World Taekwondo was established in 1973 at its inaugural meeting held at the Kukkiwon with participation of 35 representatives from around the world. In 1980 the International Olympic Committee recognised World Taekwondo at its 83rd Session in Moscow, Soviet Union. First, Taekwondo was adopted as a demonstration sport of the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea; later, in 1994 Taekwondo was adopted as an official Sport of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games at the 103rd IOC Session in Paris, France. Today, it has become a global sport that has gained an international reputation, and stands among the official games in the Olympics. (source adapted from Wikipedia)
Australian Taekwondo (AT) is nationally the National Sports Organisation for Sports Taekwondo and internationally the Member National Association for Taekwondo in Australia. Australian Taekwondo is recognised in the Taekwondo community as the National Association for Taekwondo participants in Australia. They are committed to the development of Australian Taekwondo athletes, coaches, referees and judges helping them reach their highest potential to represent Australia with distinction and with encouraging Taekwondo as both a martial art and a high performance sport. Australian Taekwondo is the single sporting body recognised by World Taekwondo in Australia, this means a credible Taekwondo school would ensure it has all of its students and instructors registered and individually insured with Australian Taekwondo.