GRAND MASTER SOON HO LEE

Grand Master and Mr. Cabrera

Soon Ho Lee is Grand Master of Songahm Taekwondo, as well as an inspiring teacher, prolific martial artist and highly respected ambassador for ATA. A Ninth Degree Black Belt, Grand Master Lee has personally trained more than 140 Masters, 48 Senior Masters and 10 Chief Masters.
Born in 1939 in China (where the Lee family lived during the Japanese occupation of Korea), Grand Master Lee survived a childhood marked by poverty, hunger and danger. Following World War II, the Lee family returned to their Korean homeland, and by the mid-1950s, the teenage Lee boys were already training in and teaching the martial arts.
Grand Master Lee joined his older brother, Eternal Grand Master H.U. Lee, in the early years of ATA. Soon Ho soon opened his first Taekwondo school in Milwaukee, later expanding to three schools.
Grand Master Lee became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1976. In 1978, he moved his family to Panama City, Fla., and built a state-of-the-art training and fitness center. All the while, he continued his development as one of the world's most accomplished martial artists.
In 2000, faced with the news of the Eternal Grand Masters' terminal illness, Grand Master Lee accepted with a heavy heart ATA's nomination to succeed his older brother. He moved his family to Arkansas and began the demanding nine-month training process that culminated in his 2001 ascension to Ninth Degree Black Belt and appointment as Grand Master.
Grand Master Lee has served for nearly a decade during a time of significant growth and innovation for ATA. Since 2001, ATA has introduced extreme martial arts, new weapons curricula, a child safety program and a new leadership program. Grand Master Lee has announced his retirement effective in June 2011, when he will become ATA's first-ever Grand Master Emeritus. Until that time, he will continue his work, including his role as trainer for the next Grand Master of Songahm Taekwondo.

ATA

The American Taekwondo Association (ATA) is the premier North American organization dedicated to the martial arts discipline of taekwondo, and is 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, our organizations have over 1,500 independently owned and operated licensed schools and clubs, and have registered over one million students since the ATA's inception in 1969.

Since the first class was taught many years ago, the focus of our program has remained the same: to provide students the highest quality martial arts instruction available in a safe and positive learning environment that people of all ages can enjoy. Our instructors combine excellent student instructor ratios with state of the art training facilities. This has helped establish ATA schools and clubs as the leaders in the martial arts industry. Each instructor is a graduate of an instructor program that represents more than thirty years of research and development. He or she will be with you every step of the way to help you reach your individual goals (and maybe even reach some new goals you never before thought possible).

LIFE SKILLS

Mr. Cabrera in Cornelius ATA school

Our Chief Instructor Mr. Gonzalo Cabrera says that when a student enters a Songahm Taekwondo classroom, the focus of his or her training is not only on physical strength and growth, but also on important skills that will help lead to personal successes in life. These Life Skills will benefit our students inside the ATA classroom and beyond. After all, a healthy individual is characterized by a strong body and a strong mind so that you can attack any curve ball life throws your way.

Each life skill taught through by Mr. Gonzalo Cabrera in our school is based on The Songahm Spirit of Taekwondo oath, a promise each student makes at the beginning and end of each ATA event to prepare them for what lies ahead.
By promising to live by these monthly Life Skills, our students are dedicating themselves to a life of success!

GONZALO CABRERA

 

Mr. Gonzalo Cabrera was born on July 25, 1975 in Montevideo Uruguay and since he started practicing martial arts has been highlighted not only professionally but also in competition.

In 1993 he achieved the 1^st place in form at Pan American championships in Paraguay. In 1994 he traveled to Little Rock, AR – EEUU to the World Championship, and he won a Gold Medal in Sparring and Bronze Medal in form. One year later in 1995 he traveled to Paraguay to the Pan American Championship  where he gained the 1^st place in sparring and form and in the same year competed in the team competition and got a 3^rd place.

In 1996 won the 1^st place in sparring and 2^nd place in form at Pan American Championships done in Florianopolis- Brazil.
The next year he traveled to Arkansas for the World Championship  where he earn a Bronze Medal in sparring and Silver Medal in form.

In 1998 he went for the revenge and got a Gold Medal in sparring and in form.

In the same year competed at Pan American Championship performed in his homeland in Montevideo Uruguay where he got 2^nd place in form and 3^rd place in sparring.

The next year he won the Bronze Medal in sparring at World Championships.

In 2000 he traveled to Foz do Iguazu – Brazil and won a 1^st place in sparring.

For the 2001 he competed in the team competition at Pan American Championships in Paraguay and finished in 2^nd place but also got a 1^st place in sparring.

In 2002 he won again the Gold Medal in sparring at World Championship and Silver Medal in form.

The next year could not repeat what was done the last year but he obtains the Silver Medal in sparring in World Championships.

For the 2004 he traveled to Foz do Iguazu, Brazil where he got the 1^st place in sparring and 2^nd place in form.

In 2005 he got the Gold Medal in sparring at the regional tournament in Raleigh, North Carolina.

The next year obtain the National Champ at the open tournament in Uruguay where he got the 1^st place in sparing.

Then in 2009 he finished in Third Place at regional tournament in Durham. But also obtain the same position at National Tournament in Orlando.

The 2010 was a year with many tournaments, where he won the First place in sparring, Third place in Top Ten Form and Third Place in Top Ten Sparring at World Championship. The first place in regional tournament at Wilmington and Atlanta. Second Place in Augusta and Wilmington. Then the Third place in the National of Las Vegas.

This year he is preparing for the Worlds, not only for the competition but also for his mastership.