An origin story that begins in 1962 might sound ancient in the age of social media, when anything that’s more than a day old is regarded as passe, but the martial arts are different. Many styles are hundreds or even thousands of years old, and we cherish them for their authenticity and legitimacy. In the United States, of course, the Asian arts are relatively recent imports, so when we encounter an organization that dates from the ’60s — the Wild West era of martial arts in America — our ears perk up. Yours probably do, too.
The American Taekwondo Association is one such organization. Its roots extend back to 1962, when Haeng Ung Lee relocated from South Korea to the United States. Seven short years later, he launched the American Taekwondo Association from his base in Omaha, Nebraska. Since then, the ATA has ascended like an Elon Musk rocket, not just into the stratosphere but all the way into orbit. And it’s not slowing down.
To further your understanding of this monolithic martial arts entity, we present the following three interviews. The first is with Sun C. Lee, Chairwoman of the Board of the ATA and widow of founder Haeng Ung Lee, who is referred to as Eternal Grandmaster within the organization. The second is with M.K. Lee, the association’s Presiding Grandmaster and brother of the founder. The third is with Senior Master Taekwon Lee, son of the founder. In essence, they discuss the past, present and future of the ATA.
SUN C. LEE, CHAIRWOMAN OF THE BOARD OF THE ATA AND WIDOW OF THE FOUNDER
Where was your husband born?
In Manchuria in 1936.
Where did he begin learning martial arts?
He came to Korea when he was in his teenage years, and at that time, the Korean War was going on. After the war, he started learning taekwondo.
Back then, was it called “taekwondo,” or did it
