Dear ITF-USA Instructors and Members,

 

It’s now been eighteen months since the inaugural congress of the ITF-USA, formally establishing the organization as the official governing body of the International Taekwon-Do Federation in the United States.  In that time, our members have contributed greatly to growing our young organization and providing a strong spirit of community to our members. We have now reached a point of over 50 instructors/schools in the United States teaching traditional ITF Taekwon-Do according to the syllabus set forth by General Choi.  Our community is strong, and our members share a common bond through the love of Taekwon-Do and the desire to pursue perfection in both the art and life.  The efforts of each instructor have been invaluable in creating a strong and growing organization, and your contribution is greatly appreciated.

 

The last eighteen months has seen our organization bring numerous opportunities for our membership to enhance their knowledge of the art, as well as to experience visibility and participation on the world stage.  In 2004, twenty-three of our youth had the opportunity to compete in Riccione, Italy in the 2004 Jr. World Championships, bringing home gold, silver, and bronze medals.  After the competition, these kids were treated to a few days in Rome to get a flavor for a culture far different than their own, hopefully bringing to them an experience they would never forget.  This year’s Jr. World Championships will be held in Honduras in July, again offering a phenomenal Taekwon-Do and cultural opportunity to competitors, coaches, and supporters alike. 

 

The seniors also have had the chance to perform on the world stage, in the form of the ITF-USA Senior National Team that competed in Dortmund, Germany in July, 2005.  Men and women both tested their mettle against the best the world had to offer, and again brought home awards in numerous categories, illustrating to the world that the US is a true competitor in ITF Taekwon-Do.  And both juniors and seniors, black belts and color belts alike shared the incredible opportunity for international competition in the First Annual ITF World Cup which was held in Orlando in November, 2004.  This year’s World Cup will be held in Spain in October, and we are expecting a significant representation from the United States.  These are of course in addition to the numerous regional and national competitions that have proven so successful for the participants.  It’s through your participation, effort, and support that both our art and organization continue to grow.

 

In addition, the ITF-USA has provided numerous opportunities for development in the art, including International Instructors Courses in numerous cities which have included President Tran Trieu Quan, and Master Hector Marano, Chairman of the Technical Instruction Committee for the ITF worldwide.  Further Master’s Seminars have also been held covering aspects such as sparring, patterns, and self-defense, featuring masters of the ITF and the ITF-USA, including Grand Master Van Binh Ngyuen from Houston.

 

Our challenge to you, as a member, is to plot your own personal development through 2006, and to take advantage of all that the ITF-USA has to offer in the form of competition, instruction, and interaction to ensure that you meet your goals.  We stand ready to present the opportunities and support; we only grow as strong as our members themselves do.

 

As we move through 2006, we will continue to foster, grow, and promote ITF Taekwon-Do in the US.  The ranks of our schools are growing on a regular basis, which provides a greater membership base to offer these opportunities to.  With your help, we will continue to bring more schools into the organization which in turn strengthens our ITF community overall.  We continue to present ourselves as a vital organization to the ITF headquarters in Vienna, which affords us the opportunities that we have seen such as hosting international competitions and International Instructors Courses on our shores.  As we now celebrate 51 years of Taekwon-Do as founded by the General, we on the ITF Board and Committees would like to express our appreciation for the support, involvement, and energy that you our membership have provided.  The future is bright for ITF Taekwon-Do in the United States, thanks to your efforts.

 

Charles A. Foley

Chairman, Business & Marketing Committee

ITF-USA

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