The Action International Martial Arts Association (AIMAA) is the most innovative martial arts association in the world today..We appreciate your interest in the most respected, innovative, and leading Martial Arts organisation, the Action International Martial Arts Association We hope to have you as a joining member out of the many around the world once you've read through this information.

"What separates the AIMAA from other Martial Arts organisations?" is an important and most frequently asked question. AIMAA was founded by world-renown martial artist, Grandmaster Hee Il Cho in 1980, and its original goals remain the foundation of the association two decades afterwards. AIMAA is dedicated to serve as the unifying body for Tae Kwon Do and all other Martial Arts. It is not the intent of uniting systems in terms of styles, but to recognise each style for its unique qualities and to unite the great universal spirit of peace and harmony - the fundamental elements found in the studying of all martial arts. Therefore, AIMAA has always kept an open mind as to remain progressive with its incorporation of trainingtechniques, and continues to encourage the exchange of ideas for the benefit of all martial arts styles.

The AIMAA is a no politics organisation. We are a service-oriented organisation, dedicated to support the achievements of our members' goals. You as an AIMAA Instructor affiliate will be entitled to countless benefits, only guaranteed to assist you in achieving success. We believe keeping an open line of communication between the head of the organisation and its members is very important. AIMAA provides several privileges to its members. One definite privilege that separates us from other martial arts organisations is the direct relationship allowed with the President and Founder of the association himself, Grandmaster Hee Il Cho. No other martialarts organisation provides a direct line of communication with its President/Founder.

Grandmaster Cho has been inducted into every major martial art Hall of Fame and has appeared on over 70 martial art magasine covers. He is the author of 11 best selling martial art books and is the producer of over 70 instructional martial art videos. Therefore, not only can you benefit from directly contacting Grandmaster Cho, but his extensive library of instructional tools can provide you with personal assistance at your own convenience! Regardless of all his accomplishments during the past 50 years, Grandmaster Cho continues to improve himself and his art. No other martial artist has received the notoriety and recognition as Grandmaster Hee IL Cho.

Because AIMAA provides direct contact with Grandmaster Cho, it is not necessarily mandatory for members to converse with their Regional Director or other neighboring Instructor members. In this association, there is no superior and inferior". The Regional Director of your area is only positioned to support you and your school, while giving an effort to create a universal sincerity of support from your country. However, if for some reason you do come across conflictive impressions against the Regional Director or other members, you are still, without a doubt, guaranteed to receive full support from the AIMAA Headquarters, as long as you respect and abide to the AIMAA regulations. This way, members can avoid any inconvenient situations while feeling comfortable to be an AIMAA affiliate. Still, the AIMAA Headquarters certainly does not favor this suggestion. The AIMAA cannot grow by itself - the AIMAA can only grow together.

In the world today, the proper qualifications and certification is important for success. The AIMAA internationally recognises ranks of all Korean martial arts practitioners who hold a current certification from the International Tae Kwon Do Federation or the World Tae Kwon Do Federation, as well as the governing bodies of Tang Soo Do, Moo Duk Kwon and others. If you do not presently train in a Korean style, don't despair! AIMAA provides students of all martial arts styles an extensive library of both books and videos for you to utilise at your benefits. Grandmaster Cho recently developed the Home Study Program as well, where you can gain rank recognition by video testing. You and your students will still have their ranks honored by AIMAA and will be given the opportunity to earn a certification in Tae Kwon Do! Receiving certification by Grandmaster Cho would be the equivalent of receiving a Harvard Certificate in the martial arts. However, for those martial arts enthusiasts who prefer to receive a WTF certificate can expect Grandmaster Cho to personally assist you in gaining one!

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Cho's Tae Kwon-Do Training Center, was founded and established in 1976 by Master John Darcy who teaches there everyday. This is rare to find, however, he believes that as a master one must continue to live and grow with the martial arts as part of his life. Cho's Taekwondo Center - Dublin, is a modern, 21st Century Martial Arts Studio with all the modern amenities required of a martial arts School today, that teaches its students a complete martial arts system . Founded by Master John Darcy, a 6th Degree Black belt in Taekwondo, who was appointed directly by Grand Master Hee Il Cho to spread his teachings to the people of Ireland.

Tae Kwon-Do is a two thousand year old martial art form that originated in Korea. It is based on the premise that every person has the instinct to defend himself or herself against a sudden attack. As a result of this basic instinct, the origins of Tae Kwon Do date back to the earliest days of humanity on earth. Evidence of Tae Kwon Do's past can be found in oral history and artifacts from Korea's three early kingdoms. These three kingdoms were called Kokooryo, Baekjae and Silla. The Kokooryo Kingdom was founded by Kojoomong in 37 BC. Kojoomong became known as King Dong Myeong Sung. This kingdom lasted until the year 668 AD. An important Tae Kwon Do tradition of Senior\Junior relationship was first established between the years 53 and 165 AD. The phrase, "Respect Senior or older, love Junior or younger," was deeply rooted in the minds of the people of the Kokooryo Kingdom and became a part of the Korean cultural tradition, especially in Tae Kwon Do training. Other evidences of Tae Kwon-Do as an ancient martial art have been found in mural paintings on royal tombs. These tombs date back to the Kokooryo Kingdom. In the mural of Mooyang Chong, two men are in sparring positions. A man poses in a Tae Kwon-Do basic form in Samssil Chong's mural painting. In Don Soo Myo's mural painting, another sparring pose was found. Historians date these murals between the years 3 AD. and 427 AD. These paintings place Tae Kwon-Do two hundred years ahead of the Chinese martial art form practiced in the Shaol in temples.

The Silla Kingdom was founded by Park Hyuk Kusae in 37 BC. and lasted until 935 AD. Although the Silla Kingdom was the smallest of the three and a primitive society, this kingdom influenced the beginnings of Tae Kwon-Do. A selected youth military organization called the "Hwa Rang-Do" practiced a systemized and innovative martial art form called Tae Kwon Do along with their regular institutional curriculum. Later, the Hwarang was chiefly responsible for the victories that led to the unification of the peninsula during the Silla Dynasty.

The meaning of "Hwarang" is "Flower Knight," and this group was organized by King Jin Heung in 567 AD. The instructor of the "Hwarang" youth was the monk Won Kwang Bupsa. The third king of the Silla Dynasty, Yoorie, sponsored Soobakhee contests. Those contests were predecessors to modern day Tae Kwon Do. At that time the contests were seen as ritual festivals whose purpose was to provide an opportunity for prayer for the welfare of the nation. As a result of these religious festivals, the statue of Keumkang Budda, located in the old capital of Silla, is another strong evidence that Tae Kwon-Do was practiced in the Silla Kingdom.

Baekjae, a tribe which fled from Kokooryo, settled in the Han River Basin. The leader, Onjo, unified all the existing tribes and formed the ancient kingdom of Baekjae in 18 BC. As in the other kingdoms, Tae Kwon Do played a big part in national defense. The Soo Sa system of Baekjae (closely compared with the Hwarang do organization of the Silla Dynasty) participated in the defense of the Baekjae Kingdom. During this time, another predecessor of Tae Kwon Do, SooByeokTa, a famous folk event, occurred among the villages of the Baekjae Kingdom. The winner of the contests sometimes became the leader of the village or a military general. Koryo was founded by Wang Keon in 918 AD. In the book Record of Koryo, Tac Kwon Do was first called Soobakhee.It was very popular among the Koryo people. The kings of Koryo liked to watch Soobakhee contests and awarded prizes to the winners.

Kookjakam, the national university of Koryo, and the highest educational institution at that time for Confucious followers, propagated and systemized Soobakhee to its highest level. During the Koryo Dynasty, trade with all parts of the world was starting to flourish. This exposure to the rest of the world enabled cultural as well as product exchanges. SooBakhee was one of these exchanges. Foreigners were attracted to this martial art form, and historians tell us that from this time on, the Korean martial art form began to spread to the outside world. The Koryo Dynasty was also renamed Korea by those who came to trade. The last dynasty of the era was the Lee Dynasty. It lasted from 1392 to 1910 AD. SungKaeLee founded the country of Chosen and later became the first king. His new name as king was Tae Jo. It was during the Lee Dynasty that SooBakhee became the people ' s martial art. The book, Mooyae Doba Tongjee, (the first martial arts text book) explains the scientific approach to establish this art in Korea after its creation and development. This book provides detailed hand drawings of each Soobakhee technique as well as a clear description of the principles of the art. The book was published by Deok Moo Lee and Jac Ka Park during the reign of King Jeong Jong in 1790.

Historians have established that Tae Kwon-Do is the oldest form of martial art in the world, and that it began in Korea. Throughout the history of Korea, Tae Kwon Do has been called by several different names: Soobak, Soobakhee, Soobyuk, Takkyeon, Beekaksool, Soobyukta and Kwonbub. Tae Kwon-Do has continued to grow and evolve as it was handed down from generation to generation. During the end of the Lee Dynasty and during the Japanese occupation of Korea, Tae Kwon-Do appeared to fade away, but the Tae Kwon Do spirit in Korea never died. Tae Kwon-Do started to revitalize itself with the restoration of Korea's independence after 36 years of Japanese occupation Since that time, Tae Kwon-Do has spread to almost every corner of the world. It has enriched lives, provided physical and spiritual discipline, and perpetuated a sense of tradition and values that are necessary for a strong society...