Martial Arts Organization Prepares To Celebrate 75th Anniversary

The American Jidokwan Association, one of the leading authorities on Korean Karate in the United States, prepares to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of Jidokwan – one of the nine original schools of martial arts that became known as Taekwondo.

The foundation of what would later be called Jidokwan was established on March 3, 1946 by Chun Sang Sup, who was one of the first to bring the Japanese martial art of Karate to Korea. After studying karate in Japan under the renowned “father of modern karate,” Funakoshi Gichin, he returned to his native homeland and began teaching at the Chosun Yun Moo Kwan.

During the Korean War, Chun was forced to stop teaching and was never heard from again. After the conflict, several of his students resurrected the school and named it Jidokwan, meaning “School of Wisdom.” The Jidokwan remains strong to this day, overseen by President Lee Seung Wan.

The American Jidokwan Association, an official branch of the Jidokwan World Headquarters in Korea, is preparing to honor the 75th anniversary with a seminar of high ranking masters at their National Training Center in Columbus, Ohio.

“I am excited to help organize this event in honor of our history and all of the legendary instructors who came before us. This seminar will showcase the root of Taekwondo as a highly effective martial art for self defense, as it was originally intended,” says Bret Gordon, President of the American Jidokwan Association.

This historic event will be held on Saturday, March 20, 2021, at the Technician Dojo in Columbus, Ohio, and is open to martial arts practitioners of all styles and ranks.

The Technician Dojo owner and headmaster of American Jidokwan, Steven Hatfield says, “When most people think of Taekwondo, they picture sport. They have no idea the potential that the art has with the right mindset and training methods, and that’s what the American Jidokwan Association is all about.” Hatfield’s father, William Sirbaugh, started the American Jidokwan Association and passed it on to Hatfield upon his death in 2009. “I am proud to carry on my father’s legacy. I don’t think he ever envisioned what we’re doing now, being recognized by Korea and all, and this event is held in his honor as well as all of the great masters of Jidokwan.”

Both Steven Hatfield and Bret Gordon have a professional history working in the security and public safety fields, which they say drives their dedication to maintaining the art as a viable form of self defense. As such, they work tirelessly to promote authentic Jidokwan (among the other martial arts they teach) with the intention of providing their students and member schools with the most realistic training possible.

To request more information about the Jidokwan 75th Anniversary seminar, please contact the organization headquarters below.

American Jidokwan Association
209 Capitol Court
Ocoee, FL 34761
Contact: Bret Gordon
Email: SenseiBret@triomartialarts.com

The American Jidokwan Association is a non-political organization dedicated to preserving traditional Taekwondo. Their goal is to help individual member schools reach their full potential teaching the highest quality of Korean Karate that they can, and their curriculum extends into the senior-most Dan grades to keep everyone motivated and invigorated in their training. For more information, please visit www.AmericanJidokwan.com.

This release was published on openPR.