American Taekwondo Association - Songahm Taekwondo

Songahm Taekwondo

Songahm Taekwondo is the style of martial arts practiced at ATA affiliated schools. Songahm means "Pine Tree and Rock." According to the organization, the term Songahm itself represents "Evergreen strength the year round, long life and a symbol of unchanging human loyalty" as represented by the pine tree and the rock. Soon Ho Lee gave the name, Songahm, and its meaning to his brother, Haeng Ung Lee years before H.U. Lee founded the ATA. In the ATA, the student is compared to a growing pine tree, from a seed (white belt) to a massive tree (black belt).

According to the ATA, practitioners of Songahm Taekwondo study poome sae (forms, a preset combination of offensive and defensive techniques, designed to simulate self-defense techniques being used upon multiple opponents), gyeo-roo-gi (sparring), one-steps (scripted sparring segments), self-defense, board breaking, weapons, and leadership. The ATA has a leadership program that allows students to work as junior leaders/instructors in junior classes. This helps the trainee instructors become qualified taekwondo instructors and earn the ATA title of Certified Instructor.

According to the ATA each belt has a symbolic meaning that compares the student's growth in taekwondo to the growth of a pine tree:

• White belt - "Pure and without the knowledge of Songahm Taekwondo. As with the Pine Tree, the seed must now be planted and nourished to develop strong roots."
• Orange belt - "The sun is beginning to rise. As with the morning's dawn, only the beauty of the sunrise is seen rather than the immense power."
• Yellow belt - "The seed is beginning to see the sunlight."
• Camouflage belt - "The sapling is hidden amongst the taller pines and must now fight its way upwards."
• Green belt - "The pine tree is beginning to develop and grow in strength."
• Purple belt - "Coming to the mountain. The tree is in mid-growth and now the path becomes steep."
• Blue belt - "The tree reaches for the sky towards new heights."
• Brown belt - "The tree is firmly rooted in the earth"
• Red belt - "The sun is setting. The first phase of growth has been accomplished."
• 1st Degree Black Belt Recommended (half red and half black in appearance) - "The dawn of a new day. The sun breaks through the darkness."
• 1st Degree Black Belt - "The tree has reached maturity and has overcome the darkness. It must now begin to 'plant seeds for the future.'"
• 2nd Degree Black Belt - "With your noble character, you will develop a new permanence in life."
• 3rd Degree Black Belt - "Peace of mind and tranquility."
• 4th Degree Black Belt - "Crest of granite mountain."
• 5th Degree Black Belt - "Mastered all kinds of knowledge and utilizes this to do many things."
• 6th Degree Black Belt - "Long Life."