Chapter 24: Taekwondo in the United States

American Taekwondo Growth

In 1972, the American Collegiate Taekwondo Association was formed to sponsor tournaments and insure quality Taekwondo instruction in American universities. In October of 1974, Taekwondo was admitted into the United States Amateur Athletic Union, largely due to the efforts of David Rivenes, president of the Amateur Athletic Union, and Ken Min of the University of California at Berkeley. This official recognition of Taekwondo as an amateur sport in the United States launched it into a period of sustained growth.

The First Annual National AAU Taekwondo Championship was held at Yale University in March 1975, followed by a second one in Kansas City in 1976, and a third one at the University of Berkeley in 1977. In September 1977, the AAU hosted the Third Taekwondo World Championships at the Chicago Amphitheater. More than forty-six national teams, consisting of over five hundred contestants, officials, and master instructors, participated in the event. Each year, hundreds of Taekwondo tournaments are held in the United States under the sponsorship of various Taekwondo organizations.