At the International Academic Conference for Taekwondo 2016, or iACT 2016, to take place in the United States in April, some of the world’s leading taekwondo academics will examine controversies clouding the sport’s history, and discuss its future direction.
The conference, organized by the iACT and the WTF Scientific Research Committee and sponsored by the WTF, will be an all-day event at the Double Tree Hilton Hotel in San Francisco on April 2, 2016.
In the morning session, Dr. Hyeong-seok Song, Dr. Steven Capener and Dr. George Vitale will each present their research on taekwondo’s history.
In the afternoon, Dr. John A. Johnson will make presentations to the speakers and introduce the Journal of the International Association for Taekwondo Research. Grandmaster Woo-jin Jung will deliver a keynote speech on the issues facing ITF-WTF taekwondo, followed by Dr. Franjo Prot, who will give a second keynote on the history of the European Taekwondo Union.
Dr. Udo Moenig will then present on taekwondo’s transformation from martial art to martial sport, and Dr Allan Bäck will present on its past and future.
Finally, a roundtable discussion will take place on taekwondo’s history and future. The conference will close with an address delivered by Grandmaster Alexander Choi and Dr. Ron Dziwenka.
The conference aims to highlight the contribution of the taekwondo community to excellence in education, to share its vision of holistic community outreach and involvement in education, and to celebrate its transformational education leaders.
The iACT is a non-profit, public charitable organization. Its first conference was held in New Mexico State University on January 23-24, 2015; the San Francisco event will be its second.
