AIMAA (Action International Martial Arts Association)
We appreciate your interest in the most respected, innovative, and leading Martial Arts organization, the Action International Martial Arts Association (AIMAA). We hope to have you as a joining member out of the many around the world once you've read through this information. "What separates the AIMAA from other Martial Arts organizations?" is an important and most frequently asked question. AIMAA was founded by world-renown martial artist, Grandmaster Hee Il Cho in 1980, and its original goals remain the foundation of the association two decades afterwards. AIMAA is dedicated to serve as the unifying body for Tae Kwon Do and all other Martial Arts. It is not the intent of uniting systems in terms of styles, but to recognize each style for its unique qualities and to unite the great universal spirit of peace and harmony - the fundamental elements found in the studying of all martial arts. Therefore, AIMAA has always kept an open mind as to remain progressive with its incorporation of training techniques, and continues to encourage the exchange of ideas for the benefit of all martial arts styles. The AIMAA is a no politics organization. We are a service-oriented organization, dedicated to support the achievements of our members' goals. You as an AIMAA Instructor affiliate will be entitled to countless benefits, only guaranteed to assist you in achieving success. We believe keeping an open line of communication between the head of the organization and its members is very important. AIMAA provides several privileges to its members. One definite privilege that separates us from other martial arts organizations is the direct relationship allowed with the President and Founder of the association himself, Grandmaster Hee Il Cho. No other martial arts organization provides a direct line of communication with its President/Founder. Grandmaster Cho has been inducted into every major martial art Hall of Fame and has appeared on over 70 martial art magazine covers. He is the author of 11 best selling martial art books and is the producer of over 70 instructional martial art videos. Therefore, not only can you benefit from directly contacting Grandmaster Cho, but his extensive library of instructional tools can provide you with personal assistance at your own convenience! Regardless of all his accomplishments during the past 50 years, Grandmaster Cho continues to improve himself and his art. No other martial artist has received the notoriety and recognition as Grandmaster Hee Il Cho. Because AIMAA provides direct contact with Grandmaster Cho, it is not necessarily mandatory for members to converse with their Regional Director or other neighboring Instructor members. In this association, there is no "superior and inferior". The Regional Director of your area is only positioned to support you and your school, while giving an effort to create a universal sincerity of support from your country. However, if for some reason you do come across conflictive impressions against the Regional Director or other members, you are still, without a doubt, guaranteed to receive full support from the AIMAA Headquarters, as long as you respect and abide to the AIMAA regulations. This way, members can avoid any inconvenient situations while feeling comfortable to be an AIMAA affiliate. Still, the AIMAA Headquarters certainly does not favor this suggestion. The AIMAA cannot grow by itself - the AIMAA can only grow together. In the world today, the proper qualifications and certification is important for success. The AIMAA internationally recognizes ranks of all Korean martial arts practitioners who hold a current certification from the International Tae Kwon Do Federation or the World Tae Kwon Do Federation, as well as the governing bodies of Tang Soo Do, Moo Duk Kwon and others. If you do not presently train in a Korean style, don't despair! AIMAA provides students of all martial arts styles an extensive library of both books and videos for you to utilize at your benefits. Grandmaster Cho recently developed the Home Study Program as well, where you can gain rank recognition by video testing. You and your students will still have their ranks honored by AIMAA and will be given the opportunity to earn a certification in Tae Kwon Do! Receiving certification by Grandmaster Cho would be the equivalent of receiving a Harvard Certificate in the martial arts. However, for those martial arts enthusiasts who prefer to receive a WTF certificate can expect Grandmaster Cho to personally assist you in gaining one!
© James Patten 2006
