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Some
Words from Master Changs Pupils
SANGROK World Taekwondo Academy Family
(Old SANGROK
family Board)
Master
Henrik S. Hunstad
The SANGROK gym has become like a second home for me.
I'm very privileged to have experienced the training and the spirit
of SANGROK. The way Master Chang has taught me, has given me an opportunity
to learn high quality Taekwondo. SANGROK represent not only taekwondo
to me, but also the best part of Korean culture. I feel honored to call
Master Chang my master and friend. Anyone that wants to experience Korean
culture at it's best and wishes to train the best Taekwondo, should
visit the SANGROK World Taekwondo Academy. The way of Master Chang's
taekwondo teaching is a blend of traditional taekwondo and Olympic taekwondo.
If you are a beginner, an instructor, competitioner etc, SANGROK gym
and Master Chang has something to teach everyone.
Sincerely,
Master Henrik S. Hunstad,
International Master Instructor, 6th Dan
Director of SANGROK Norway.
- If you'd like to read more
from students who have trained at SANGROK,
please click on the messages below -
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World Taekwondo Federation
President Choue Chung-won
WTF President Says Taekwondo Has Brighter Future as Olympic Sport
By Kang Seung-woo 8-24-9 KT Staff Reporter
Taekwondo has a brighter future as an Olympic sport, as the sport has secured a place in the official program of the 2016 Olympic Games, says Choue Chung-won, president of the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF).
"As taekwondo has been assured of a berth in the 2016 Olympic Games as one of the 26 core sports, these positive changes promise a brighter future of taekwondo as an Olympic sport," Choue told The Korea Times in a recent interview.
Taekwondo has been an Olympic sport since the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.
Choue, 62, said, "We should not forget that there were efforts of many striving to make the sport of taekwondo fairer and more exciting, therefore, bringing it closer to the Olympic ideals."
His remarks came days after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board proposed the list of 26 core sports, including taekwondo, and two additional sports, rugby and golf, in the 2016 Olympic program on Aug. 13.
The IOC Executive Board's latest decision completely brushed aside ungrounded rumors and speculations about taekwondo's future.
On Aug. 14, the president sent a letter to 189 WTF member national associations, in which he said that "With the news, I assure you that taekwondo as one of the 26 core sports is officially on the Olympic program for both London 2012 and the 2016 Games, putting an end to the controversy on this issue."
"I wish to dedicate this moment of triumph to all our taekwondo family who devoted their time and effort for the promotion of the sport of taekwodno and development of taekwondo as an Olympic sport. I will commit myself to further enhancement of taekwondo in each member national association on this meaningful occasion," he said.
Shortly after taking the helm of the WTF in June 2004, Choue embarked on a far-reaching reform drive in order to make taekwondo more dynamic and fairer as a global sport with a long-term view of maintaining the sport's status as an official Olympic event in the future.
"Over the last four to five years, we have made tremendous changes for the betterment of taekwondo and the WTF. I am satisfied with the reform progress, but we will continue to evolve to meet the growing needs of athletes and spectators," he said.
The WTF made constant changes to competition rules to make competitions more dynamic. It also stepped-up referee education and enhanced fairness in judging and refereeing. It heightened TV exposure and made the sport more media-friendly with the introduction of a world ranking system.
During his tenure, the WTF membership has increased from 173 to 189, which puts the WTF in the top 10 among International Sports Federations, and is expected to exceed the 190 mark by the upcoming WTF General Assembly. The Oceania Taekwondo Union was created in 2005, the fifth continental union of the WTF.
The WTF launched the World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships in 2006, the World Para-Taekwondo Championships in 2009, the Taekwondo Peace Corps in 2008, and plans to launch a professional taekwondo tournament in November this year.
It also adopted the WTF Code of Ethics and the 2009 World Anti-Doping Code, both in 2008, and signed global partnership agreements with Samsung in 2004 and Macquarie of Australia in 2008. The WTF changed its accounting to a double-entry bookkeeping system in 2005 and adopted other systems, thus helping heighten transparency in the WTF's financial management.
In May 2007, the IOC decided to increase the number of bronze medals to be awarded in the taekwondo competition at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games from one to two, thus increasing to 32 the total medals up for grabs. The ASOIF promoted the WTF from Group E to Group D in the distribution of the IOC TV rights revenues starting with the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
"From a martial art, taekwondo has successfully transformed itself into a global sport that enjoys the Olympic status," he said. "We cannot take this for granted. Our ceaseless efforts for the betterment of taekwondo and the unwavering support of the taekwondo family from 189 member nations together brought such a remarkable change in the sport of taekwondo."
"At the 2009 WTF World Cup Taekwondo Team Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan on June 11 to 14, 2009, we saw a more dynamic and fairer taekwondo competition, with the introduction of an instant replay system and a new scoring system that grants up to three points per kick to the head, under the revised WTF Competition Rules, as well as the use of electronic body protectors," Choue said. "The just-ended fifth Korea Open International Taekwondo Championships were also a great success in that the taekwondo competitions were more action-packed and fairer than ever before.
"The WTF is striving to bring taekwondo beyond a mere sport, focusing more on youth education and the promotion of world peace in line with the pursuit of the IOC," he said.
The WTF has dispatched dozens of its Taekwondo Peace Corps members to 25 countries on three occasions between the summer of 2008 and the summer of 2009.
"The inaugural World Youth Taekwondo Camp, jointly organized by the WTF and the Taekwondo Promotion Foundation in Seoul and Muju, Korea on Aug. 6 to 11, 2009, was a great success, as it drew about 260 athletes and officials from 33 countries, featuring the Friendship Kyorugi Competition, which served as a rehearsal for the taekwondo competition of the 2010 Singapore Youth Olympic Games," Choue said.
"In many countries, taekwondo is the second most popular sport after football," he added. "Reflecting the growing popularity of taekwondo worldwide, more taekwondo programs are offered at schools around the world."
As part of his efforts to further globalize the WTF, the president expanded the WTF office in Lausanne, Switzerland on May 5, 2009 in a ceremony, which drew dozens of international sports figures, including IOC President Jacques Rogge.
In his congratulatory speech, IOC President Rogge spoke well of taekwondo and the WTF, saying, "I would like to thank the WTF for its exemplary collaboration with the IOC. If I make a comparison between Sydney 2000 and now, there is a huge change." "You have changed from a rather conservative sport into a very modern, dynamic sport."
"The WTF is ready for another takeoff as a truly global sports federation," Choue concluded.
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