For those interested in the various USA Taekwondo organizations (as of 2026), here is a quick overview.
| Organization | Founder | Sparring Style | Forms System | Key Distinction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kukkiwon (World Taekwondo Headquarters) | Korean government / Ministry of Culture & Sports (1972) | N/A | Official WT forms (Taegeuk, Black Belt Poomsae) | Global authority for Dan (black belt) certification |
| World Taekwondo (WT) (formerly WTF) | Un Yong Kim (Korea, 1973) | Full-contact (Olympic style) | Taegeuk | Global body that governs Olympic Taekwondo |
| USA Taekwondo (USATKD) | Not founded by a single person (official U.S. governing body appointed by the USOPC) | Full-contact (Olympic style) | Taegeuk (WT) | Only path to Team USA and Olympic competition |
| AAU Taekwondo | William G. Morgan (AAU founded in 1888; TKD division added later by U.S. instructors) | Point & Olympic-style (varies by division) | Mixed: WT, ITF, Traditional | Inclusive, grassroots alternative to USATKD |
| International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF-USA) | Hong Hi Choi (Korea, 1966) | Point sparring (semi-contact) | Hyung (e.g., Chon-Ji, Toi-Gye, etc.) | Original TKD style with military roots, technical focus |
| American Taekwondo Association (ATA) | Haeng Ung Lee (Korea/USA, 1969) | Point sparring (light/moderate contact) | Songahm | American system with family, leadership, and franchise structure |
For Taekwondo accreditation, KMA Taekwondo Hapkido is affiliated with the WT / Kukkiwon for Sport Taekwondo. Some of our instructors are also involved with the USATKD and AAU. For sparring, we integrate point sparring in our regular classes and teach WT Sparring during our sparring training sessions.
For Hapkido, there is not one global accreditation body; our instructors are affiliated with the Korean Hapkido Federation and the World Pro Hapkido Association.