Kamen Riders featuring the stars of the ATA & XMA

There?s a new live-action thrill ride on the CW Saturday mornings 10:30am, and you?ll get 15 full episodes here on the Performance Martial Arts Academy Website.? Why are we covering this show well for starters, one of the main stars is charismatic Matt Mullins, a 5-time Kickboxing/Karate World Champion.? Matt and partner Mike Chat actually created the martial arts style/phenomenon known globally as XMA, or Xtreme Martial Arts.? In fact many of the stars and supporting are American Taekwondo Association (ATA) and XMA World and State Champions. ? Matt is flanked by Disney favorite Stephen Lunsford and pop singer/actress Marisa Lauren. At first glance, Kamen Rider may seem like another morphing fantasy show for teens, but there?s an ongoing mystery, a creepy shapeshifting villain (William O?Leary), and some of the best choreographed action scenes and special-effects you?ll see on weekly television.
Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight descends from the wildly popular Japanese Kamen Rider films and TV series, a franchise that originated 35 years ago. Back in 1995, WBNX aired Masked Rider, the first American adaptation loosely based on the Kamen saga?but this new adventure is light-years superior.? Hey just think maybe someday the ATA & XMA students from our school could make and apperance!? So Work Hard and Enjoy the Series!

Starting on Monday July 6th we will be posting the 1st of 15 Kamen Riders episodes here on he website, 1 per day for 15 days.? So come back daily and enjoy!

Story Line of? Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight

On the other side of every mirror on Earth lies the parallel dimension of Ventara – a world destroyed by the evil alien, General Xaviax. The Kamen Riders were warriors from Ventara who fought Xaviax with armor and abilities powered by their Advent Decks. Unfortunately, Xaviax stole the Advent Decks and defeated all the riders but one. Kamen Rider Wing Knight is the sole surviving Kamen Rider – the only man who can stop Xaviax from destroying Earth the same way he destroyed Ventara. To defeat Wing Knight, Xaviax brought the Advent Decks to Earth and tricked ordinary citizens into becoming new Kamen Riders – super-powered soldiers who will carry out his evil plans. After his father?s mysterious disappearance, Kit Taylor finds an Advent Deck and becomes Kamen Rider Dragon Knight. He joins forces with Kamen Rider Wing Knight to defeat the ten corrupt Kamen Riders that Xaviax sends against them. By fighting, the two hope not only to save the Earth from Xaviax?s domination, but to find Kit’s missing father and win back Ventara as well.

Ms. Johnson (kneeling center) and Sparring Competitors from her 2nd Degree Black Belt Girls Division Worlds 2009

Mr Church and Mr Buchanan - Mr B final workout before leaving for Air Force SERE (Survival Evasion Resistance Escape)

Grand Master Soon Ho Lee of the American Taekwondo Association (ATA)

Since that day he has traveled the world to honor his pledge to dedicate his life to the more than 300,000 Songahm Taekwondo members worldwide; the same Songahm family that signed a petition in his honor.

During his first year as Grand Master he has not only trained literally thousands of students and instructors in over 16 countries around the world, he has also come to a higher level of understanding for the sacrifice his brother, the late Eternal Grand Master H.U. Lee made each day to care for the worldwide Songahm Taekwondo family.

Songahm Taekwondo and the American Taekwondo Association
Songahm Taekwondo is the foundation of the American Taekwondo Association’s rank curriculum and teaching system. In addition, the ATA has developed a 300-hour intensive internship for martial art instructor development and certification. The American Taekwondo Association or ATA, as it is recognized around the world, was originally founded in 1969 in Omaha, Nebraska. Since the first ATA school was opened by the ATA’s founder and Grand Master Soon Ho Lee’s older brother, the late Grand Master Haeng Ung Lee (July 20, 1936 – October 5, 2000), over 300,000 men, women and children from ages 3 to over 70 have made ATA training a part of their lives.

Today Grand Master Soon Ho Lee oversees an organization with over 1,500 schools and clubs in more than 16 countries worldwide. Headquartered out of the International Songahm Taekwondo office located in Little Rock, Arkansas, he directs and mentors over 100 Songahm Masters.

Coming to America
In 1969, Grand Master Soon Ho Lee joined Eternal Grand Master H.U. Lee in the United States. Grand Master Soon Ho Lee’s original goal was simply to expand his academic opportunities. He actually had no intentions to make martial arts a career, but felt duty bound to help his brother and became just as passionate to build this new organization of professional martial arts instructors. Though he was extremely talented, his older brother would push him each day to improve both physically and mentally. Looking back he now knows even at the early stage of training his brother was preparing him for what would become his life, his love and his destiny as Grand Master of Songahm Taekwondo. After only a short month and a half, his brother pushed him to open his first club in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In fact as Grand Master Soon Ho Lee recalls, his brother just told him one day “let’s go” and it was only after they arrived in Milwaukee his brother told him of the goal to open his first club. This one club became a school and soon thereafter grew into three schools.

In 1978, he would move his family to Panama City, Florida and build what was at the time an 8,000 square foot state of the art training facility, which would include a complete fitness center and Taekwondo training center.

That training center was the center point of growth for the southeastern part of the United States. It would also become an international training center for instructors from Korea, South America, and many other international instructor development programs.

The success of his Panama City, Florida location allowed him to travel both nationally and internationally as needed for the initial push needed for the future growth of the ATA.

Looking back at each new obstacle and challenge from those early days helped him to develop the patience and mindset that would be required of him in his position as Grand Master.

Accepting His Destiny and the Nine Steps to Becoming the Grand Master
Though he realized it was his destiny to accept the position of Grand Master of Songahm Taekwondo, the news of his older brother’s illness hurt him deeply. Grand Master Soon Ho Lee explains, ‘My brother was my hero, my mentor, and my best friend. He was the Grand Master! He could not be ill, he surely could not die! My brother was like Superman to me and I knew he always trained hard, ate right and took great care of himself. We had traveled so many miles together and still had so many miles to go.”

As with the opening of his first school in Milwaukee, he soon found himself promising his brother that the vision would continue. He would leave his home in Panama City, Florida and dedicate his life even further to keeping the ATA and the worldwide Songahm family moving forward.

He would now have to complete the same Nine Steps his brother had some 10 years earlier when he became the first Grand Master of Songahm Taekwondo.

The following includes the Nine Steps Grand Master Soon Ho Lee completed and a short explanation of each step:

• Step 1: The Grand Master notifies the Master’s Council in writing that he will be stepping down from the duties and responsibilities of Grand Master. In his letter, the Grand Master would make a recommendation for his successor. If the Grand Master cannot decide on a nomination, the nomination would come from the Master’s Council.**In instances of death, illness, or in the cases of expulsion, the three highest-ranking members of the Master’s Council would perform all duties, providing that they are not the nominees for Grand Master.
• Step 2: The Master’s Council must approve the candidate 100%. Once approved, the Grand Master candidate would be asked to have a complete physical. Not only must he or she pass, but also their fitness level should place them in the top ten percent of their age group. Once a candidate is approved and has passed the physical, step two would be complete.
• Step 3: As Grand Master H.U. Lee did, the new nominee must circulate a petition signed by 300,000 students, or sixty percent of the current Songahm membership. Every Songahm Master, Instructor, School Owner, Club Owner, and Member would participate in the process of gathering signatures. A complete list of all signatures would become a part of the permanent record, and would be displayed with the first letters so that all will know that step three has been completed.
• Step 4: As Grand Master H.U. Lee did, the candidate will fast for twenty-one days during the preparation. Preparation will be broken down into four training quarters: fasting three days the first quarter, six days the second quarter, nine days the third quarter, and three days the fourth quarter just before the Grand Master ceremony. Each quarter, fasting will be documented and confirmed by a member of the Master’s Council. These documents will be placed in the museum as each quarter is completed.
• Step 5: The Grand Master candidate must spend three days at the same Korean temple as Grand Master H.U. Lee did prior to his Grand Mastership. The candidate must participate in the same rituals and meditations, with silence as the goal for the nominee during these three days. A Master’s Council member will be there to document the first words spoken by the future Grand Master. These first words will be spoken from the same special rock used by Grand Master H.U. Lee at the Palace of the Warriors. It was on this rock, selected by Grand Master H.U. Lee, that he and most Senior Masters made a personal pledge of dedication, sacrifice, and focus on Songahm’s future.
• Step 6: To ensure a “Strong Body and Clear Mind” the candidate will train daily, both physically and mentally. In addition, the candidate will train one day as a student with each member of the Master’s Council. The candidate must be able to fully appreciate the role of both student and instructor. Not only will the candidate gain new knowledge, but he or she will help create a tremendous force of synergy to help ensure a clear path for the leaders of the organization. The Council will train all future Masters in the name of Grand Master H.U. Lee.Daily training will include the following: The candidate must master a Pro-Tech weapon of his/her choice. The selection will be announced and documented by the Master’s Council with a letter to be displayed at the museum. This weapon must become a part of his/her daily routine.The candidate must learn and practice the ninth degree form that Eternal Grand Master H.U. Lee performed for his own testing and promotion to Grand Master. The form is to be practiced in its entirety ninety-nine times throughout the year.
• Step 7: The candidate must perform the ninth degree Grand Master form at Songahm World Championships. He/she must also perform a personal demonstration with the weapon of choice and breaking. The demonstration must be performed with great ceremony and humility.
• Step 8: The previous Grand Master or the complete Master’s Council shall preside over the coronation and testing of the new Grand Master. Part of the ceremony will include the reading of all previous Grand Master names, and years holding the position, even if in the future there are hundreds of names in a thousand years. This list should start with Grand Master H.U. Lee. We cannot truly see the future without complete and accurate knowledge of the past.
• Step 9: The presentation of the new Grand Master in his new black uniform by the current Grand Master, or by the complete Master’s Council to the family and students of Songahm shall take place at the beginning of the Master’s ceremony.

All steps having been completed, Grand Master Soon Ho Lee was elevated to the esteemed position of Grand Master during a special ceremony and inauguration attended by VIP’s and special guest from around the world.

The Vision Tour: “There is always more to Learn”
Grand Master Soon Ho Lee has set out on a Vision Tour across the country and eventually around the world. His goal is to touch as many members of the Songahm family as possible. This tour includes special training for students, instructors and masters focused on traditional values and building better leaders for the future. Grand Master Soon Ho Lee believes there has never been a time in history when the need for positive people and strong leaders has been greater as it is now.

His brother changed the lives of all those he touched by making them believe “Today not Possible, Tomorrow Possible.” Grand Master Soon Ho Lee is working to continue that philosophy by adding “That as long as we know there is always more to learn tomorrow, anything is possible.”

Mr Church Surprise Birthday Cake at May Tournament

5th Degree Black Belt Mitchell Church was not only the event sponsor and senior ranking official, but also the days birthday-boy, being surprised with an awesome cookie cake and a rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday” by his students.

As the admin of this site, I would like to congratulate all those that competed, and thank the judges as well as all the parents and individuals that assisted in helping with this successful Mini-Tournament.

Later today we will be posting photos and videos from the competition, as well as the results a little later on this week.? So stay tuned.

ATA Uniform Patch Placement

A familiar question asked by many new students, and or their parents, is what ATA Patches go wear on the American TaeKwonDo Association (ATA) uniform.?? Please click on the picture above to see the image full size.

ATA Shield Patch

The ATA Shield is worn on the student?s right side of the uniform.? The uniform top should be put on, and then the patch should be pinned for placement.

Victory Patch

The victory patch is worn on the student?s left side of the uniform.? The uniform top should be put on, and then the patch should be pinned for placement.

**If you lay the top out and then place the patches squarely on, they will look crooked when worn.

A-Team Patch

The A-Team patch is worn on the student?s left sleeve under the seam at the shoulder.

Leadership Program Patch

The Leadership Program Club patch is worn on the top of both sleeves. This patch is worn by all members of the Leadership Program (approximately 1 1/2 inches below the shoulder seam). The Leadership Program is where students learn advanced training material and leadership/instructing skills for additional fees.
Leadership Collar – leadership students may wear a one inch red ribbon on the entire length of the collar of the uniform jacket.
Junior Leadership Collar – any Junior in the leadership program may wear the Red, White, and Blue ribbon on the entire length of the collar of his/her uniform jacket.

Instructors Collars

Black Belt students not certified as instructors nor enrolled in a trainee instructor program may wear a one inch black ribbon along the edge of the uniform jacket from the bottom of the jacket to the level of the belt. Instructors wear a ribbon on the entire length of the collar with one half inch of white showing on the top/inside of the collar.

In addition, a 1 inch black stripe is added down the sides of the pant legs after a student or instructor has reached 4th degree Black Belt. Any individual attaining 4th degree Black Belt wears this pant leg stripe regardless of instructor level or school ownership

Black Belt Club or Masters Club

The Black Belt Club (BBC) or Master Club (MC) patch is worn on the top of the left sleeve. The BBC patch is in the shape of an inverted triangle over top of a circle. The MC patch is in the shape of a circle with the Songahm star stitched into the center. These patches are worn by all members of the respective club. The BBC and MC are where students may learn additional material as communicated by their instructor for additional fees.? This patch is worn on the student?s left sleeve under the A-Team patch (approximately 1 1/2 inches below the shoulder seam).

Chevrons

These are only worn on the right sleeve, placement as shown above.

Instructor Dress Uniform

At promotional testings and ATA tournaments, Level 3 Certified Instructors have the option to wear navy blue suits in lieu of their doboks. Fifth Degree Black Belts and up wear matching blue pants, while 1st through 4th degrees wear grey pants. A special ATA patch is worn on the instructor’s left breast. The patch is navy blue with all stitching being done in silver for 1st-4th Degrees or gold for 5th and up. Underneath the shield on the patch is a silver or gold banner (as appropriate) with the instructor’s title and name stitched in navy blue.

Students and ATA members will only wear patches properly award to them.