Choi's Taekwondo
Choi's Taekwondo has a long history and tradition. In 1968 Grand Master Dan Choi, along with several other instructors, came to California from Korea to introduce the then-unknown martial art of Taekwondo to the United States. Master Dan Choi became one of the first people to teach Taekwondo in the Bay Area. In 1971 Grand Master Dan Choi opened Santa Clara Valley's first Taekwondo studio, Choi's Institute of Taekwondo. Over the years, Choi's Taekwondo has produced many excellent Black Belts, some of whom have become national and World Cup Champions. Instructors at many Taekwondo or martial arts schools in the Bay Area got their start under Grand Master Dan Choi or Grand Master Hyun Choi (Grand Master Dan Choi's younger brother). For example, Ernie Reyes (Senior) and Tony Thompson, who were among Grand Master Dan Choi's first black belts, went on to found West Coast Karate.
Many of Grand Master Choi's students have gone on to open their own Choi's affiliated schools under Grand Master Choi's guidance. In 1998 Grand Master Hyun Choi founded the United Taekwondo Association to unify all the Choi's affiliated studios. Currently, the UTA has twelve schools throughout the United States and one affiliate school in Seoul, Korea. The UTA also has over 250 World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) accredited black belts. The current United Taekwondo Association's membership includes National and International Tournament Champions, 22 USTU certified Referees, and 8 International Referees (qualified to referee in International Tournaments such as the Olympics).
