American Taekwondo Association
Welcome to Our Website!

Since our first school opened in 1994, the ATA Martial Arts Academies of North Eastern Indiana have been providing the highest quality martial arts instruction available. All of the ATA Martial Arts Academy locaions are members of the American Taekwondo Association (ATA), the premier North American organization dedicated to the martial arts discipline of taekwondo, and the founding organization of other international affiliates that include the World Traditional Taekwondo Union(WTTU) and the Songahm Taekwondo Federation(STF). Counting both the U.S. and worldwide, the ATA, STF and WTTU oversee over 1,500 schools and clubs, and have registered over 300,000 members.

We hope you enjoy our website and will stop by and visit us if you are in the area. This site is designed to give you information about our facilities, our style of martial arts, our staff and provide you with information on how to contact us as well.

What is Taekwondo?

Taekwondo Like any martial art properly taught and properly practiced, Taekwondo is a non-agressive and ethical system of self-defense.

Taekwondo developed from humble beginnings over 1,000 years ago and has since spread internationally to become one of the world's most successful and popular martial arts. Its practitioners enjoy physical and mental discipline, as well as excellent fitness and the ability to defend themselves if necessary. Taekwondo is not only a combat sport, but is also a way of life for enthusiasts around the globe.

The word Taekwondo itself is made up of three Chinese/Korean words: Tae, meaning to kick or jump; Kwon, meaning fist or hand; and Do, which means "the way." Loosely (if not literally), it can be thought of as "The Way of the Foot and Hand."

While famous for its wide range of kicks, Taekwondo also emphasizes breaking power, such as splitting wood and bricks using only the bare hands and feet. Training involves a variety of techniques, to include punching, kicking, dodging, jumping, parrying and blocking. Taekwondo also focuses on sparring and learning formal patterns of movement called forms.

The style of Taekwondo supported by the ATA is known as Songahm Taekwondo, a style specifically developed over 20 years' time by Eternal Grand Master H.U. Lee to make it accessible to anyone willing to learn, and to truly reflect Taekwondo and the strength and beauty of its kicking techniques.

Benefits of Taekwondo

We train our students to the best of their ability. Some students come to us in shape, while others have come to us 100 pounds overweight. Most come to us with limited flexibility. Adults start at any age, as we have had some adults who started as late as age 70, and have still earned their black belts. As a student, you are looked upon as an individual, never compared to anyone else. Our instructors will be there every step of the way. All that is expected is a willingness to try.

Here are some benefits you can expect from training in Taekwondo:

  • Fitness - The principles of Taekwondo techniques are based on the design of your body. For power you develop the larger, powerful muscles of the torso. The speed of the techniques comes from the fast, agile muscles of the arms and legs. As you progress in Taekwondo, you will learn to coordinate this speed and power, and develop a concentration to focus all of your body's strength into a small, hard striking surface like the edge of the hand or the heel of a foot.

  • Self-Defense - When the speed and power developed through Taekwondo is used in a self-defense situation against the vulnerable parts of an attacker's body, the results can be incredible. Taekwondo allows a woman to emphasize many of her natural physical strengths, such as power in the legs, while learning a method of self-defense efficient against a much larger opponent. Knowing you can defend yourself, your confidence will grow. And confidence alone is usually enough to deter potential attackers.

  • Self-Confidence - This does not come naturally for many people, but self-confidence can be developed over a period of time. Through Taekwondo, as you accomplish new goals, your confidence level increases. Taekwondo instills a sense of discipline and self-confidence that can carry over to all aspects of your life.


Why Wait Any Longer?

For ONLY $49, you can enjoy all of the FUN and EXCITEMENT of Taekwondo, plus receive a FREE UNIFORM. Our 4 Week Introductory Program will give you an opportunity to enjoy the highest quality martial arts instruction available in a safe and positive learning environment that people of all ages can enjoy.

To register for our 4 Week Introductory Program please Click Here to visit our Locations Page and call the Academy in your area or go to the "contact us" link at the top of the page and register online. After registering online, we will give you a call to set up your first introductory lesson.