For those who are living abroad and wish to train at a KMAIA Dojang in Korea:
Anyone who is a member of the Korean Martial Arts Instructors Association can train at branch schools in Korea. Information below is frequently requested regarding KMAIA Training.
In order to train at a branch school you must become a member of the KMAIA, at a Dojang located abroad. This is usually done upon joining the Dojang, or else upon registration of Dan Grading.
Upon completing registration with the KMAIA, you will receive a Membership Certificate and a Membership Number. These do not expire and are good for life. Also, upon registering Dan Rank you will also receive an International Rank Number. When you want to train at the Dojang, please bring something with your registration number on it with you.
For those who are not yet KMAIA members, please complete the registration form. You can download the PDF Member Application by CLICKING HERE . Once you have completed the form, send it to the headquarters for processing. This can take up to 30 days. Once you are a registered member, you may train at the KMAIA school.
If you wish to train as a Visitor, you can participate in any Regular or Beginner class. Other types of classes are not available to you. It is possible to join as many classes of those two types in a day as you wish.
The fee for training is $100 per day for unlimited classes at beginner and intermediate level. These will be group classes. Private lessons are $100 per hour with a staff instructor. You may also choose to train with a senior school master for $300 per session. These fees do not include certification charges. For additional classes please pay the monthly fee for more training.
The monthly fee begins the day you pay it and ends at the completion of the calendar month, not 30 days from when you pay. Please be aware of this fact. You can begin training immediately after paying the fee if you wish.
Please take you uniform home with you each day. Uniforms can be purchased at the front desk, though any martial arts uniform is that does not have patches and markings of organizations that are not KMAIA affiliates are generally acceptable.
All necessary requirements for entering Korea (Visa, lodging, meals, transportation) are the sole responsibility of the individual. The Dojang does not provide lodging, meals, transportation, laundry facilities or any other accommodations.
It is possible to watch Regular or Beginners classes at any time. Please arrive before the beginning of class and sign in at the front desk. As you enter the Dojang, proper etiquette is required. NO VIDEO TAPING IS ALLOWED. DO NOT REQUEST IT.
Download the Membership Application Form in PDF Format HERE
It is almost universally acknowledged that the current condition of the traditional Korean military arts, outside of Korea is simply miserable. Over the past years an incredible number of unapproved organizations and individuals have arisen around the world which claim to practice or to teach the traditional Korean military arts, while in fact what they do or teach bears little or no resemblance to that art as it is taught and practiced in the Republic of Korea by the officially licensed and government approved authorities for those arts.
The home of the Korean military arts is in the Republic of Korea (ROK), not in Texas, California, Louisiana, New Jersey or North Carolina. Yet, except for three, consistently growing, organizations, all of the "Korean" organizations around the world operate without any supervision or authority from the authentic governing body of the art, in the Republic Of Korea. Many of these bogus "Korean" organizations are headed by expatriate Koreans who have either never been properly qualified to teach a military art or who have severed their relationship with the legitimate governing body for the art, in the ROK, and are therefore no longer qualified to authorize promotions or teach the art in Korea.
The best and brightest Korean instructors are successful instructors in Korea and have no need to move outside of Korea to teach. Poor instructors and those seeking to escape legal problems in Korea, do go to other countries to teach and supplement their income by selling unauthorized ranks in various Korean military arts often claiming to hold a rank 3 or 4 Dan levels above their actual rank. One such person came to the USA after escaping from Korean prison for his connection to the assassination of the President of Korea. Another served 6 years in prison in a neutral country after being caught plotting the assassination of another Korean President.
In the ROK, the military arts are a legitimate field of academic study and research leading to college degrees up to, and including doctoral level. At the present time, all certified instructors in the military arts of Hapkido, Taekwondo and Yudo, must possess two years of college education. This will be increased, over time, to possession of a four-year college degree. This is, of course, in addition to the other requirements for becoming an instructor, which do not exist in other countries.
There exists in the ROK, a standard setting organization for the military arts. All of the military organizations, recognized as legitimate in Korea, belong to this association and agree to maintain the standards set by this association. This is the Korean Martial Arts Instructors Association (KMAIA), which is headquartered in Chollanamdo City, Korea. The membership organization for instructors of the traditional Korean military arts residing outside the ROK is the International Branch of the Korean Martial Arts Instructors Association headquartered in the State of Florida in the United States of America.
The governing body for the traditional Korean military art of Hapkido - world wide- is the Korean Hapkido Federation (KHF) headquartered in Seoul, Republic of Korea. The senior international Kwan created for the study and practice of Hapkido outside of Korea, by the Korean Hapkido Federation, and specifically sanctioned for that purpose, is HaeMuKwan Hapkido, which is headquartered in Orlando, Florida. It is the largest member of the Korean Hapkido Federation. It is official US Branch of the Korean Hapkido Federation. Through the Korea Hapkido Federation HaeMuKwan, other member country organizations are affiliated with the Korea Hapkido Federation. Such as the National Hapkido Association Colombia, the British Hapkido Association, the National Hapkido Association Ecuador, etc.
Thus, the only organizations in the outside of Korea representing the governing body for the three major traditional Korean military arts, are Korea Hapkido Federation HaeMuKwan, U.S. National Taekwondo Association and the United States Yudo Association, Inc., representing the arts of Hapkido, Taekwondo and Yudo respectively.
The organization, in the USA, representing the standard setting organization for the traditional military arts in the ROK, is the International Chapter of the Korean Martial Arts Instructors Association. This can all be summarized in one simple sentence. Stated differently, these four organizations are the Only legitimate traditional Korean military art bodies outside of Korea today. Millions of martial arts students around the world are being victimized by what has become a multi-billion dollar unregulated industry involved in massive consumer fraud on a national and international basis. It is fraud in that an existing standard of training and qualifications exists for the military arts of Hapkido, Taekwondo and Yudo, and no organization outside of Korea, other than the signatories, meet these standards and provide education of training at the same level as currently exists in the Republic of Korea.
Any instructor who is a member of one of the many bogus organizations is in fact an accessory to fraud. Committing fraud on the unknowing general public. These four organizations also understand that many practitioners and instructors around the world teach and practice what they do in good faith. That these good men and women have simply not had the benefit of admission to the legitimate governing body of the art which they think they are practicing, and intended to teach, or to obtain proper instruction or proper qualification in these arts.
Therefore, the Korea Hapkido Federation HaeMuKwan, US National Taekwondo Association, US Yudo Association and the International Chapter of the Korean Martial Arts Instructors Association, representing the standard-setting body, have established a three part program.
First, is an amnesty period. Existing practitioners and existing schools may laterally enroll in the official-recognized traditional Korean military art organizations. These practitioners will be accepted, in most cases "as-is". Once properly enrolled, the practitioner or school will be required to train-up from their current proficiency level to the standard of the certifying organizations in Korea for the art(s) they pursue. For example, lets say that a 5th Dan in "Hapkido" with a school of 500 students wants to belong to the Korea Hapkido Federation HaeMuKwan branch in their country. He or she and the students would come into the Korea Hapkido Federation HaeMuKwan intact. The instructor would have all students and assistant instructors become members of the Korea Hapkido Federation HaeMuKwan and receive a school charter to implement the Korea Hapkido Federation HaeMuKwan training and promotion standards. Then the instructor would apply for individual rank recognition and rank certification for their students. The instructor would have 5 years to completely transition his or her school to the Korea Hapkido Federation HaeMuKwan training standards.
This amnesty period is not open-ended. It will end soon. While those in the amnesty program will be allowed to finish their remedial training and qualification, the window of opportunity will be closed to all those who have not elected to meet the existing standards of these arts. All rank and qualification certifications held by instructors or students, not recognized by the government bodies in Korea, will be viewed as meaningless by the four signatories to this agreement, except for those enrolled and successfully participating in the amnesty program.
Second, is a legislative effort. The four signatories to this agreement have publicly asserted that the governing of the Korean martial arts is centered in the Republic of Korea, where these arts are well organized, well regulated and supported with the university-based academic study and research. Unfortunately, the benefits of the well regulated system have been denied to millions of international consumers, by the intentional acts of dishonest Koreans and unintentionally by poorly trained international instructors. To help correct this problem, a Traditional Korean Military Arts Education Foundation is being created.The foundation will work with federal, state and local governments to promote such legislation as may be necessary to establish and maintain, in all areas and regions of this country, the same level of education and training in the traditional Korean military arts as exists in the Republic of Korea. Surely, there can be no greater step taken toward ensuring homeland security throughout the land. This foundation will also cooperate with colleges and universities, and professional societies. It shall also operate as a clearinghouse to the public and the media for factual information regarding the traditional Korean arts.
Third, is an eradication campaign. These four organizations representing the arts of Hapkido, Taekwondo and Yudo, and the standard-setting body established for the practice of these arts, will during 2003, establish the Traditional Korean Military Arts Defense Fund, as a not-for-profit charitable and educational organization. To the shame of the martial arts community in the United States, and indeed as an affront to our American tradition as a free society, it has been the practice of certain individuals and organizations in this country, to viciously attack properly qualified individuals who have attempted to represent the legitimate Korea-based organizations in this country. Many of these attacks have taken place in on-line forums and web sites on the world wide web or internet. Often, the victim is blocked from presenting a defense to any false accusations, and factual favorable information by others is also blocked from posting, by the unethical operators of these sites who support and participate in the fraud committed against the martial arts community in the USA and internationally. Such conduct will no longer be tolerated. The Defense Fund will serve as the legal arm of the traditional Korean military arts in the United States, to eliminate this type of activity and to safeguard the rights of those who seek to provide legitimate education, training and credentials to those Americans who desire to achieve them.
This then, is the Five-Year Plan for the Traditional Korean Military Arts in the United States of America. A clear line has been drawn in the sand. On one side are the traditional arts under the official governing bodies for those arts in Korea, with the same standards in the United States as exist in the Republic of Korea. On the other side are lies, deceit, fraud and fakery. Which side of that line to be on is not a difficult decision for honorable people. The others will recognized their own, also.
Download the Membership Application Form in PDF Format HERE