The American Taekwondo Association introduced nearly 40 new masters, senior masters and chief masters during its Year of the Blue Horse Songahm Masters Induction Dinner, held July 11 in the Wally Allen Ballroom of the Statehouse Convention Center. The event, part of the association's World Championships, was also a celebration of its 45th anniversary. Members of the masters class, which came from around the country and beyond, were introduced prior to the steak dinner.
"No matter our rank, we are still students," Grand Master In Ho Lee said in his welcome speech. "We are a part of something bigger than ourselves. We are a part of songahm tae kwon do. ... I am a student. I am still learning. ... I am glad we are taking this trip together."
The evening included clips from a private ceremony, held two days earlier at the H.U. Lee International Gate and Garden, during which the masters class was inducted. Also shown throughout the evening were interviews with class members, along with clips of Eternal Grand Master and ATA founder Haeng Ung Lee, who died Oct. 5, 2000.
The event included a special presentation -- a stained-glass rendition of a blue horse -- to In Ho Lee by the masters class, named for the Year of the Blue Horse, 2014, which occurs every 60 years in Korean culture.
-- Story and photos by
Helaine R. Williams
High Profile on 07/20/2014