About Songahm Taekwondo

With the assistance of other senior ATA masters and instructors, Grand Master Lee developed a forms system that incorporated the the kicks, traditions and philosophy of traditional Taekwondo. He called this traditional style of Taekwondo "Songahm."

The Songahm forms are part of a fully-integrated curriculum, in which everything a student learns reinforces everything else. The forms contain all or nearly all of the techniques that students are expected to know at each rank, the one-step sparring segments complement the forms, and all of these patterns lead logically to the movements required for each succeeding rank. The Songahm curriculum facilitates a smooth progression from one rank to the next, so that students who begin Taekwondo feeling they'll never be able to do a simple high block suddenly find themselves a few years later doing jump 360-degree hook kicks with ease.

Songahm Taekwondo mixes traditional Korean martial arts techniques with the world's most modern and professional curriculum, instructor training program, and business operations. The word Songahm itself represents this combination of tradition and growth.

Songahm is interpreted to mean "pine tree and rock." The rock represents the solid traditional foundation on which the Songahm style of Taekwondo rests. Grand Master Lee chose the pine tree as the symbol of Taekwondo because, as an evergreen tree, it symbolizes in the Korean culture unchanging human loyalty, longevity, respect, and happiness. Like the pine tree, Songahm Taekwondo students (and the style itself) grow continuously. In the Songahm style, there is no ending point -- black belts of all levels, including Grand Master Lee, continue to develop and learn.

Songahm Taekwondo is not just a physical activity. Grand Master Lee calls Taekwondo "the martial art that trains people physically and mentally." In addition to physical fitness, Songahm Taekwondo classes promote discipline, honor, self-control, respect, courtesy, perseverance and loyalty. These values are reflected in the student oath that ATA members recite at the beginning and end of each Taekwondo class (click here to see the student oath).

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Last modified: June 12, 2000

The American Taekwondo Association holds a copyright on the Songahm Taekwondo curriculum. Unauthorized use is prohibited.
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