Eternal Grand Master H. U. Lee
Eternal Grand Master Lee began his martial arts training in 1954 as a teenager. He taught
martial arts to Republic of Korea military intelligence personnel from 1956 to 1959, opening his
first commercial school in Osan, Korea after leaving the military. Eternal Grand Master then
opened several branch locations to his commercial school, including one at a U.S. Air Force
base. This is where Master Richard Reed began training with Eternal Grand Master, and the
two forged a friendship that would ultimately result in the ATA. When Reed returned to the
United States in 1962, Eternal Grand Master joined him on a visitor visa, and began teaching in
Omaha. Although he had to return to Korea in December, 1963 while awaiting a resident status
visa, he returned to the U.S. in 1965 and began working toward a national Taekwondo
organization that would be based on good martial arts and sound business practices. As it
grew from a regional organization to one of national -- and ultimately international -- scope, the
ATA began to establish standards that would ensure consistent instruction. The ATA held
closed tournaments -- you had to be a member to compete. Instructors had to undergo a
rigorous trainee period to become a certified instructor, and the only way to receive
certification was to come to Little Rock for a week in August and participate in a Trainee
Instructor Camp, complete with physical and written exams. Every student uniform was white
(no black, no blue, no stars & stripes), and all lettering, piping and patches (initially just a
school patch and the ATA patch) on uniforms were to be consistent across the organization.
The ATA also shared marketing acumen with its instructors, helping to build a stronger
organization by presenting a consistent, professional program and message to the public.
From the beginning, Eternal Grand Master Lee was determined to establish the most
professional martial arts organization possible. In 1973, he introduced the first instructor
manual, which provided information and procedures to standardize the operation of all ATA
schools. In 1976, he hosted the first Grand National tournament, which was the predecessor
for the Songahm Taekwondo World Championships now held annually. A year later, he
re-located the ATA headquarters from Omaha, Nebraska to Little Rock, Arkansas, where he soon
had 200 black belts earning instructor certification each year. In 1980, the ATA became the first
martial arts organization to introduce a centralized computer record keeping system. This
innovation enabled the ATA to maintain rank histories and other important information about
the thousands of ATA members. The same year, the ATA began publishing a tabloid titled "ATA
News" which has evolved into the international magazine "ATA World", now published quarterly
to keep Songahm Taekwondo students informed about upcoming events, appraised of new
programs, and knowledgeable about the physical and mental aspects of Songahm Taekwondo.
The history of the ATA was set on a new and unique course in 1983 when, at a Certified
Instructor Camp in Little Rock, Eternal Grand Master introduced the Songahm system of
Taekwondo. The Songahm system represented the culmination of years of study by Eternal
Grand Master Lee. The ATA had used the Chang Hun Taekwondo forms since 1969 -- and the
Pinan forms prior to that -- but he had noticed something missing in the forms. With the
assistance of senior instructors including Robert Allemier, Bill Clark, In Ho Lee and Jee Ho Lee,
Eternal Grand Master developed a unified teaching system in which, for the first time, White
Belts learned kicks in their Taekwondo forms and one-step sparring was closely integrated with
the forms to aid in student development by establishing a more logical system for beginners.
But even more than that the entire system of Songahm forms worked together with balance and
harmony, reflecting the essence of the art. With the passing of Eternal Grand Master H.U. Lee
in October 2000, our current leadership has taken up the torch of his inspirational guidance
and leadership and ensured the values the ATA were founded upon remain our focus for today
and into the future.
martial arts to Republic of Korea military intelligence personnel from 1956 to 1959, opening his
first commercial school in Osan, Korea after leaving the military. Eternal Grand Master then
opened several branch locations to his commercial school, including one at a U.S. Air Force
base. This is where Master Richard Reed began training with Eternal Grand Master, and the
two forged a friendship that would ultimately result in the ATA. When Reed returned to the
United States in 1962, Eternal Grand Master joined him on a visitor visa, and began teaching in
Omaha. Although he had to return to Korea in December, 1963 while awaiting a resident status
visa, he returned to the U.S. in 1965 and began working toward a national Taekwondo
organization that would be based on good martial arts and sound business practices. As it
grew from a regional organization to one of national -- and ultimately international -- scope, the
ATA began to establish standards that would ensure consistent instruction. The ATA held
closed tournaments -- you had to be a member to compete. Instructors had to undergo a
rigorous trainee period to become a certified instructor, and the only way to receive
certification was to come to Little Rock for a week in August and participate in a Trainee
Instructor Camp, complete with physical and written exams. Every student uniform was white
(no black, no blue, no stars & stripes), and all lettering, piping and patches (initially just a
school patch and the ATA patch) on uniforms were to be consistent across the organization.
The ATA also shared marketing acumen with its instructors, helping to build a stronger
organization by presenting a consistent, professional program and message to the public.
From the beginning, Eternal Grand Master Lee was determined to establish the most
professional martial arts organization possible. In 1973, he introduced the first instructor
manual, which provided information and procedures to standardize the operation of all ATA
schools. In 1976, he hosted the first Grand National tournament, which was the predecessor
for the Songahm Taekwondo World Championships now held annually. A year later, he
re-located the ATA headquarters from Omaha, Nebraska to Little Rock, Arkansas, where he soon
had 200 black belts earning instructor certification each year. In 1980, the ATA became the first
martial arts organization to introduce a centralized computer record keeping system. This
innovation enabled the ATA to maintain rank histories and other important information about
the thousands of ATA members. The same year, the ATA began publishing a tabloid titled "ATA
News" which has evolved into the international magazine "ATA World", now published quarterly
to keep Songahm Taekwondo students informed about upcoming events, appraised of new
programs, and knowledgeable about the physical and mental aspects of Songahm Taekwondo.
The history of the ATA was set on a new and unique course in 1983 when, at a Certified
Instructor Camp in Little Rock, Eternal Grand Master introduced the Songahm system of
Taekwondo. The Songahm system represented the culmination of years of study by Eternal
Grand Master Lee. The ATA had used the Chang Hun Taekwondo forms since 1969 -- and the
Pinan forms prior to that -- but he had noticed something missing in the forms. With the
assistance of senior instructors including Robert Allemier, Bill Clark, In Ho Lee and Jee Ho Lee,
Eternal Grand Master developed a unified teaching system in which, for the first time, White
Belts learned kicks in their Taekwondo forms and one-step sparring was closely integrated with
the forms to aid in student development by establishing a more logical system for beginners.
But even more than that the entire system of Songahm forms worked together with balance and
harmony, reflecting the essence of the art. With the passing of Eternal Grand Master H.U. Lee
in October 2000, our current leadership has taken up the torch of his inspirational guidance
and leadership and ensured the values the ATA were founded upon remain our focus for today
and into the future.
Grand Master Soon Ho Lee, after many trials and tests for the Grand Master title, was elevated to be
our leader in Taekwondo and guides and focuses the Songahm Taekwondo style. Mrs. Sun C. Lee,
wife of the late Eternal Grand Master H.U. Lee and the ATA's Chairman of the Board, continues the
legacy of her husband by helping the youth of Songahm Taekwondo through her philanthropic efforts
and devotion. Our leadership ensures that the ATA will continue to be one of the most innovative,
effective, and widespread organizations in martial arts worldwide.
our leader in Taekwondo and guides and focuses the Songahm Taekwondo style. Mrs. Sun C. Lee,
wife of the late Eternal Grand Master H.U. Lee and the ATA's Chairman of the Board, continues the
legacy of her husband by helping the youth of Songahm Taekwondo through her philanthropic efforts
and devotion. Our leadership ensures that the ATA will continue to be one of the most innovative,
effective, and widespread organizations in martial arts worldwide.
History of the ATA
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The "Songahm Star" is the
pattern that is formed on
the ground if all 18 forms
of the Songahm system are
completed. In a perfect
Songahm Star, the distance
from the center point of the
star to the top point is nine
feet ("feet" being the
student's foot length). The
total distance from the top
point to the bottom point
equals 18 feet,
representing the number of
forms in the Songahm
system.
pattern that is formed on
the ground if all 18 forms
of the Songahm system are
completed. In a perfect
Songahm Star, the distance
from the center point of the
star to the top point is nine
feet ("feet" being the
student's foot length). The
total distance from the top
point to the bottom point
equals 18 feet,
representing the number of
forms in the Songahm
system.
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Orlando, Florida
FALL NATIONALS (AA Event)
FALL NATIONALS (AA Event)
October 19-22
