Taekwondo Hall of Fame

The Taekwondo Hall of Fame (TKDHOF) is an international organization of technical advisors who are themselves members of the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF), International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF), World TaeKwon-Do Alliance (WTA), and other major Taekwondo entities.Fact|date=July 2008 The technical advisors are responsible for identifying, recognizing and honoring persons and groups who have significantly contributed to the development, growth, and advancement of taekwondo as a martial art and global sport.

Organisation

The "Taekwondo Hall of Fame" headquarters is located in New Jersey, USA with technical advisory staff located in Korea, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Afghanistan, Russia, Ireland and India.Fact|date=May 2008

Kim Pyung Soo, a 10th Degree Black Belt and founder of the Chayon Ryu style who has been featured in Taekwondo Times magazineFact|date=July 2008 and Black Belt magazineFact|date=July 2008 is the Senior Technical advisor in the United States.Fact|date=July 2008 Kim Pyung Soo was inducted into the Taekwondo Hall of Fame and received the "Journalist-Historian of the Year" award.Fact|date=July 2008

According to the TKDHOF , "Taekwondo is an art which can be practiced by nearly everyone, designed to improve the human being on various levels".Who|date=May 2008

Members

Dong Keun Park was one of the first persons inducted into the Taekwondo Hall of Fame. He currently teaches in Jersey City, New Jersey and recently released a book on the subject.Fact|date=July 2008

2004 Olympic silver medalist Nia Abdallah of Houston, Texas was the first actively competing female to be inducted. [http://www.usa-taekwondo.us/92_632.htm Nia Abdallah profile] ]

Allen Steen, Skipper Mullins, and Mitchell Bobrow were inducted to represent the period of the 60's.

Mike Warren, Joseph Hayes, Albert Cheeks, Fred Absher and members of the team that competed at the 1st World Taekwondo Championships held in Korea in 1973 were inducted to represent the period of the 70's.

Several of the most prominent figures in history of taekwondo were also inducted including Nam Tae Hi, Kim Bok Man, Rhee Ki Ha, Chang Keun Choi, Cho Sang Min, Young II Kong and the "Pioneer of American taekwondo" Jhoon Goo Rhee.Fact|date=July 2008

Other inductees included Alejandro Chacon Zambada, Mounir Ghrwari, William Sullivan, Ray Nikiel, Dawn Lefebvre, John Holloway, Chuck Stepan, Joe Corley, Sarah Chung, Darryl Henegan, Arlene Limas, US Army Sgt Louis Davis, Laxman Basnet, Ramiro Guzman of Mexico, and Benny Rivera. Benny Rivera's students were also awarded "Puerto Rico Team of the Year". M-Team of California gave a spectacular demonstration earning them the "Demonstration Team of the Year" award.

Other nominees for induction included Henk Meijer (Netherlands), Amr Khairy (Egypt), Tuncay Levent and Pinar Budak (Germany), Brigette Yague (Spain, Donal O’Donoghue (Ireland), and Wong Liang Ming (Singapore)

ee also

*Korean martial arts
*International Taekwon-Do Federation

References

External links

* [http://www.wtf.org/ The World Taekwondo Federation]
* [http://www.wtaonline.net World TaeKwon-Do Alliance]
* [http://www.usa-taekwondo.us/ USA Taekwondo]
* [http://www.taekwondopioneers.com/ Taekwondo Pioneers]