Korean Academy of Taekwondo
Encyclopedia
The Korean Academy of Taekwondo is one of Colorado's Taekwondo
and martial arts
schools. The school was founded in February 1980 by Grandmaster Jay Kyu Chung. The school has produced numerous tournament champions and has trained thousands of students throughout the years. They have also contributed several non-peer reviewed articles on the physics and mechanics of martial arts. The school has several locations in Colorado and Texas.
, later moving to the Mississippi address. In the mid nineties, he transferred control over the Aurora school to his student, Master Ghassan Timani. Master Ghassan continued to exercise control over the Korean Academy and Master Chung sold all three of the schools, returning to Korea to pursue a career in politics. While in Korea, he served as the head of security for Kim De Jung, the former president of South Korea
. Master Ghassan is the highest student of Grandmaster Chung in the world. After moving and expanding several times, the Aurora location is now in a facility on E. Mississippi built especially for Taekwondo by Master Ghassan.
In 2004, the Korean Academy saw the addition of Master Bill Pottle, one of the Korean Academy’s highest ranking students. After getting his black belt from the Korean Academy, Master Bill trained at Cornell University
and the University of Pennsylvania
where he was pursuing academic and professional interests.
Master Ghassan has now passed the school on to Master Pottle, who has overseen its continued success and growth. Since then, the Korean Academy of Taekwondo has continued to expand. Master Emelio Tio moved to Texas where he opened an independent KAT Texas branch. Master Pottle has also opened a KAT South Branch in Colorado.
In 2005, the Korean Academy of Taekwondo was the featured school of USA Taekwondo
. In October 2005 their fundraiser kickathon was covered by the local news media.
Recently, the school has moved towards a much more scientific basis of training. They were featured in an article by the Korean Embassy on the modernization of the art. In 2005 they held their 100th promotion test and
In 2010, the school expanded a branch to Loveland, CO. Three instructors were featured in the national press about older students training in Taekwondo.
In his March, 1997 Farewell Address, outgoing United States Taekwondo Union President Hwa Chong thanked Grandmaster Chung for his role in helping to get Taekwondo to be a full medal sport in the Olympics.
Master Ghassan Timan has been a major player in Colorado Taekwondo since before he took over the school in 1995. He has served over a decade as an officer of the Colorado State Taekwondo Association, currently as Treasurer. He has been quoted in a number of print articles on martial arts and In 2000, he was selected as an official delegate to attend the Olympics for the USA. In 2004 Master Ghassan Timani transferred the school to Master Bill Pottle
Master Bill Pottle joined the school in 1992. In 1997, he left to attend Cornell University, where he is mentioned several times in their club history He was also captain of the first ever Ivy/Northeast Collegiate Taekwondo League All Star Team. He also is the Taekwondo faculty member at Metro State College
of Denver
man who recently graduated college and received his black belt, and and Danny Dietz
, a Navy SEAL
who was killed in an ambush in Afghanistan.
Kamil Latipov is a former Tajikistan national team member and silver medalist in the Central Asian Games
in Taekwondo and the effect of Taekwondo training on Self Esteem
.
Bill Pottle and Kathryn Hoffman have published a book on martial arts pedagogy. They have also taken the rather unusual step of publishing the school handbook - The Korean Academy of Taekwondo Official School Handbook - and making it available to the public.
Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...
and martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
schools. The school was founded in February 1980 by Grandmaster Jay Kyu Chung. The school has produced numerous tournament champions and has trained thousands of students throughout the years. They have also contributed several non-peer reviewed articles on the physics and mechanics of martial arts. The school has several locations in Colorado and Texas.
School history
Grandmaster Chung's first school was in Aurora, ColoradoAurora, Colorado
City of Aurora is a Home Rule Municipality spanning Arapahoe, Adams, and Douglas counties in Colorado. Aurora is an eastern suburb of the Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area . The city is the third most populous city in the Colorado and the 56th most populous city in the...
, later moving to the Mississippi address. In the mid nineties, he transferred control over the Aurora school to his student, Master Ghassan Timani. Master Ghassan continued to exercise control over the Korean Academy and Master Chung sold all three of the schools, returning to Korea to pursue a career in politics. While in Korea, he served as the head of security for Kim De Jung, the former president of South Korea
President of South Korea
The President of the Republic of Korea is, according to the Constitution of the Republic of Korea, chief executive of the government, commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and the head of state of the Republic of Korea...
. Master Ghassan is the highest student of Grandmaster Chung in the world. After moving and expanding several times, the Aurora location is now in a facility on E. Mississippi built especially for Taekwondo by Master Ghassan.
In 2004, the Korean Academy saw the addition of Master Bill Pottle, one of the Korean Academy’s highest ranking students. After getting his black belt from the Korean Academy, Master Bill trained at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
and the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
where he was pursuing academic and professional interests.
Master Ghassan has now passed the school on to Master Pottle, who has overseen its continued success and growth. Since then, the Korean Academy of Taekwondo has continued to expand. Master Emelio Tio moved to Texas where he opened an independent KAT Texas branch. Master Pottle has also opened a KAT South Branch in Colorado.
In 2005, the Korean Academy of Taekwondo was the featured school of USA Taekwondo
USA Taekwondo
USA Taekwondo is the national governing body of Taekwondo for the United States Olympic Committee and as such is the official Member National Association of the World Taekwondo Federation in the USA. It began in the 1970s as the AAU National Taekwondo Association, and later broke away from AAU...
. In October 2005 their fundraiser kickathon was covered by the local news media.
Recently, the school has moved towards a much more scientific basis of training. They were featured in an article by the Korean Embassy on the modernization of the art. In 2005 they held their 100th promotion test and
In 2010, the school expanded a branch to Loveland, CO. Three instructors were featured in the national press about older students training in Taekwondo.
Head Instructors
The school was founded by Grandmaster Jae Kyu Chung, the first head instructor. Before coming to America, Grandmaster Chung was influential in Brazilian Taekwondo. In 1987, he coached the US Team to a near sweep in the Pan-AM GamesPan American Games
The Pan-American or Pan American Games are a major event in the Americas featuring summer and formerly winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Pan American Games are the second largest multi-sport event after the Summer Olympics...
In his March, 1997 Farewell Address, outgoing United States Taekwondo Union President Hwa Chong thanked Grandmaster Chung for his role in helping to get Taekwondo to be a full medal sport in the Olympics.
Master Ghassan Timan has been a major player in Colorado Taekwondo since before he took over the school in 1995. He has served over a decade as an officer of the Colorado State Taekwondo Association, currently as Treasurer. He has been quoted in a number of print articles on martial arts and In 2000, he was selected as an official delegate to attend the Olympics for the USA. In 2004 Master Ghassan Timani transferred the school to Master Bill Pottle
Master Bill Pottle joined the school in 1992. In 1997, he left to attend Cornell University, where he is mentioned several times in their club history He was also captain of the first ever Ivy/Northeast Collegiate Taekwondo League All Star Team. He also is the Taekwondo faculty member at Metro State College
Metropolitan State College of Denver
The Metropolitan State College of Denver is a four-year college and now offers certain Graduate programs located in Denver, Colorado, United States. As of 2009, Metro State had the second-largest enrollment of undergraduates of any college in Colorado...
of Denver
Other Notable Members
The school has had several other notable members, including Ron Roe, a 60 year old legally blindBlindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
man who recently graduated college and received his black belt, and and Danny Dietz
Danny Dietz
Gunner's Mate 2nd Class Danny Phillip Dietz Jr. of Littleton, Colorado was a U.S. Navy SEAL who was posthumously awarded the United States' 2nd highest citation for valor, the Navy Cross, on 13 September 2006.-Biography:...
, a Navy SEAL
United States Navy SEALs
The United States Navy's Sea, Air and Land Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's principal special operations force and a part of the Naval Special Warfare Command as well as the maritime component of the United States Special Operations Command.The acronym is derived from their...
who was killed in an ambush in Afghanistan.
Kamil Latipov is a former Tajikistan national team member and silver medalist in the Central Asian Games
Published work
The school has published several articles, although none have been in peer reviewed journals. One article is on the physics of board breaking another one is on Distance, called “The Donut of Danger”. Students in the school have also written articles on using Game TheoryGame theory
Game theory is a mathematical method for analyzing calculated circumstances, such as in games, where a person’s success is based upon the choices of others...
in Taekwondo and the effect of Taekwondo training on Self Esteem
Self-Esteem
"Self Esteem" is a song by the American punk rock group The Offspring. It is the eighth track from their third studio album Smash and was released as the second single from the album. The song was a worldwide hit, reaching #1 in Latvia, Norway, and Sweden and was one of the most successful singles...
.
Bill Pottle and Kathryn Hoffman have published a book on martial arts pedagogy. They have also taken the rather unusual step of publishing the school handbook - The Korean Academy of Taekwondo Official School Handbook - and making it available to the public.