AAU Taekwondo Programs 1. The AAU Taekwondo Program The sport of Taekwondo is one of 30 plus sports offered by the Amateur Athletic Union. The AAU Taekwondo Program is open to athletes of all ages and abilities. Athletes may participate in Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, and Black Belt divisions in Forms, Olympic-style Sparring and Point Sparring. The AAU Taekwondo Program offers professionally run competitions for practitioners of all styles of traditional Taekwondo, including WTF, ITF and Tangsoodo Moo Duk Kwan. The future success of the program depends entirely on the work of dedicated Taekwondo volunteers across the country. The AAU Taekwondo Program has much to offer: Associated with the history and traditions of a national amateur sports organization founded in 1888 2. Tournaments AAU members can participate and compete in local, association/state, regional, and national tournaments. Forms, Point Sparring, and Olympic-style is available to beginner, intermediate, advanced, and black belt level athletes in: Youth (5-17), Open (18-34), Senior (35-44), Executive (45-54) and Ultra (55 & Older) Divisions. AAU Taekwondo competition includes the Youth and Adult National Taekwondo Championship during the July 4th weekend and the AAU Junior Olympic Games--the largest national multi-sport event conducted annually for youth in the United States--and the showcase event of the AAU Youth Sports Program held the first week of August. The inaugural Games were hosted by Washington D.C. in 1968 with two sports and 523 athletes. Since then, the popularity of the Games has blossomed to the point where over 12,000 athletes representing all 50 states can participate in 27 sports. 3. DAN Certification AAU members can have their present rank certified and test for advancement through the AAU Taekwondo Program's optional Dan Certification. Our goal is to provide a fair, consistent and thorough testing procedure for our members which recognizes and incorporates their differences in style and training methods. We provide an achievable standard in which all AAU certified Black Belts may take pride. Over 2,100 AAU Black Belt athletes have been certified through the AAU Taekwondo Program. 4. Referee/Coaches Certification The AAU administers the foremost national referee and coaches licensing program in the country. Rigorous certification standards set by the AAU ensure the highest caliber of AAU Taekwondo tournaments recognized by practitioners throughout the country. Officials and coaches must be certified at AAU Taekwondo Clinics to participate at any AAU-sponsored Taekwondo event. 5. Administration The AAU offers members a District/State organization to assist Taekwondo enthusiasts and sports administrators interested in promoting the art and discipline of Taekwondo. Tournaments, seminars, and programs provide opportunities to interact with colleagues in a sports administration setting. |