Welcome to the American Jidokwan Association, one of the leading authorities on authentic Korean Karate in the United States! Founded in the early 1980's, the AJA is a non-political organization dedicated to preserving traditional Tang Soo Do and Taekwondo. Unfortunately many of the organizations today serve only to advance themselves commercially, leaving their members with little substance or depth in their study. This has lead to the misconception that anything above Master level is just learning new forms and "putting your time in."
The American Jidokwan Association is different. We provide a deep support network and brotherhood for our membership. With us, the practitioner comes first before the organization. Our goal is to help the individual schools reach their full potential teaching the highest quality of Korean Karate that they can, and our curriculum extends into the senior-most Dan grades to keep everyone motivated and invigorated in their training.
The American Jidokwan Association is different. We provide a deep support network and brotherhood for our membership. With us, the practitioner comes first before the organization. Our goal is to help the individual schools reach their full potential teaching the highest quality of Korean Karate that they can, and our curriculum extends into the senior-most Dan grades to keep everyone motivated and invigorated in their training.
It is our sole purpose to maintain the art of Korean Karate as it was originally intended and practiced, as a formidable system of hand-to-hand combatives. We place a strong emphasis on bunhae eungyong, the practical analysis and application of forms. Without understanding the intent of the form, we feel it is impossible to truly understand the art itself. Tang Soo Do and Taekwondo are commonly mislabeled as striking arts, due to the lack of understanding of forms. The American Jidokwan, however, is committed to showing and preserving the arts in their entirety. By practicing bunhae eungyong alongside the forms themselves, our students learn to grasp the wide array of joint locks, throws and grappling techniques hidden with the forms.
Keeping in line with the combative philosophy, we consider self defense training of the utmost importance. Most of our senior instructors are either Law Enforcement or Security Personnel, and as such we train with the mindset of being efficient in that type of environment. In addition to bunhae eungyong, we take self defense to the extreme through various drills and training methods designed to challenge you physically, mentally and psychologically to prepare our students for the realities and biological responses of a violent attack.
Training with the American Jidokwan Association is a well-rounded experience that showcases the beauty and effectiveness of what Korean Karate was intended to be. To learn more about our Association or apply for membership, follow the above tabs. We look forward to seeing you on the mat soon!
Keeping in line with the combative philosophy, we consider self defense training of the utmost importance. Most of our senior instructors are either Law Enforcement or Security Personnel, and as such we train with the mindset of being efficient in that type of environment. In addition to bunhae eungyong, we take self defense to the extreme through various drills and training methods designed to challenge you physically, mentally and psychologically to prepare our students for the realities and biological responses of a violent attack.
Training with the American Jidokwan Association is a well-rounded experience that showcases the beauty and effectiveness of what Korean Karate was intended to be. To learn more about our Association or apply for membership, follow the above tabs. We look forward to seeing you on the mat soon!
Hae Jang Nim Bret Gordon
Association President |
Kwan Jang Nim Steven Hatfield
Headmaster of Kwan |
