Growing With ATA Trivia Quiz

Answer: Omaha, Nebraska

From 1956 to 1959 Lee taught taekwondo to personnel of the Republic of Korea military intelligence. In 1959 he began teaching taekwondo to civilians. When he opened a school near an American Air Force base, he met an American, Richard Reed, who sponsored Lee's immigration to the United States in 1962. Lee moved to Omaha, Nebraska, which was the organization's headquarters until being relocated to Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1977, because the state tree was the pine tree.

Answer: Pine Tree and Rock

In Lee's book, "The Way of Traditional Taekwondo, Volume A: Philosophy and Traditions", he states that the term "Songahm" represents, "Evergreen strength the year round, long life and a symbol of unchanging human loyalty". The symbolic meaning is that a student grows like a pine tree from a white belt ("Pure and without the knowledge of Songahm Taekwondo.

As with the Pine Tree, the seed must now be planted and nourished to develop strong roots.") to a first degree black belt ("The tree has reached maturity and has overcome the darkness.

It must now begin to 'plant seeds for the future'").

Answer: False

ATA has a program from children ages two through six which is called Tiny Tigers. The program uses patches with animals on them to denote graduation. For example, the Tiger represents an orange belt, and the Cheetah represents a yellow belt. Students may work their way to the Panther, or red belt.

Answer: Sparring

Students are first taught one-step sparring, which is a combination of kicks, blocks, and strikes. Three specific one-steps that become increasingly more complex are taught at each belt level until a student reaches the green belt. The purpose of one-step sparring is to help the student practice technique, learn distancing, and gain self-control.

Answer: Form

Students at every belt level practice form, which consists of kicks, blocks, and other techniques put in a set pattern. Each form become increasingly more complex as the students moves through the different belt levels. For example, a white belt student's form will have eighteen moves, while a green belt form has 34, and a first degree black belt has 81. Students are expected to remember every learned form as they progress through every belt rank.

Answer: True

While all students are not expected to become instructors, the ATA does have a leadership program whereby students may work as junior leaders/instructors in junior classes. The junior leaders/instructors may eventually become qualified taekwondo instructors and earn the ATA title of Certified Instructor.

Answer: Eleven

Students go through the following stages before they may become a black belt: white, yellow, orange, green, camouflage, purple, blue, brown, red, red/black, and black. Each belt is symbolic of the different stage in the growth of a tree. The ATA has two belt series: the colored belt series, and the black belt series.

Answer: Six

There are higher levels of black belt available after the sixth degree; the title bestowed on a seventh degree black belt is Senior Master, eighth degree is Chief Master, and ninth degree is Grand Master. Upon his death in 2000, the honorary rank of 10th degree black belt, and title, "Eternal Grand Master", was given to Haeng Ung Lee.

Answer: It has a black ribbon the entire length of the collar.

There are many intricate rules regarding decoration on the dobok. A black belt who is not a teacher, will have a black ribbon along the edge of the jacket to the level of the belt. Junior leadership students wear a red, white, and blue ribbon around the collar; other leadership students wear a red ribbon.

A red/black collar denotes a Certified Trainer, the Specialty Certified Trainer wears a black/red/black collar, and the Certified Instructor's collar ribbon is solid black.

Answer: South Korea

The martial arts style known as taekwondo began in South Korea. The ATA patch represents the shield of the Hayrwang-do Warrior. All students in ATA must learn the history of the organization as they work their way through the various levels, and general knowledge must be exhibited at every belt testing.