2306 Essington Road - Joliet, IL 60435
www.ATAjoliet.com (815) 212-4013 info@ATAjoliet.com
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FALL 2025
Photo Day
UPCOMING...
More information is posted separately as dates approach. Days & Times subject to change.
SPARRING DAYS
Monday, January 19
WT-Cadets, WT-II, WT-Apprentice
Tuesday, January 20
WT-I, ITF-All
Wednesday, February 4
WT-Cadets, WT-II
Thursday, February 5
WT-I, WT-Apprentice, ITF-All
VALENTINE'S DROP&GO
Saturday, February 14
Tentative
NO CLASSES
Monday, February 16
Tuesday, February 17
WELCOME
Call or stop by today to find out how you can become part of our Taekwondo family! We pride ourselves on making sure you feel welcome as you begin, grow, develop and make Taekwondo part of your life. We offer instruction for everyone! Please take a moment and explore our website to learn more about who we are and what we have to offer. Don't forget to like our Facebook page in order to keep up to date and subscribe to us on YouTube.
Thank you for visiting!
"The ultimate aim of the martial arts lies neither in victory nor defeat, but in the perfection of the character of its participants."
Grandmaster Tae Hyung Kim
What We Offer...
Education for All
American Taekwondo Academy offers instruction to a wide variety of individuals. Please read below further to find out which program best suits you and visit us for more information. Students usually attend classes at least twice a week.
We offer complete education in Taekwondo, Hapkido and Judo. We proudly can say that we have many years of background in all "worlds" of Taekwondo. We offer several curriculums, whether it is the traditional ITF Taekwondo or the more modern World Taekwondo of the Kukkiwon. We also offer competitive "Sport Taekwondo" in Sparring and Poomse. If self-defense is more of your focus, we offer classes in Hapkido and HapKi-Ye to serve this purpose. Please see our "About" link above to read more of what we can offer you.
Tiny Tigers
Tiny Tigers Taekwondo is a unique program designed to prepare our youngest students, ages 3-5, to become part of our regular Taekwondo program.
Since their attention spans are very short, we cater instruction according to their ability and may differ from one student to the next. Along with some basic exercise, fun and games, basic Taekwondo is taught.
Students in this program learn how to be in a class setting, some basic commands as well as fundamentals.
Each student graduates from the Tiny Tigers program at their own progress, not at a specific belt level or age.
Hapkido
Hapkido can be defined as “the art of joining energy together”. It is offered to students who meet our minimum requirements. Some exceptions may be made and are on a case by case basis. Classes are administered at three levels of education; beginner, intermediate and advanced using a unique ranking system.
The foundation of our Hapkido curriculum is the family "Hapkiye" system consolidated by Grandmaster Tae Hyung Kim and the late Grandmaster Chung Eun Kim and has been around since the 1970's. The "Do" in Hapkido denotes a specific "Way", however the Grandmasters have designed beginner training to encompass "Ye" promoting an "Art" by which individual ability and expressions unique to each student play an important role. It is designed as an introduction and a great foundation for further life-long Hapkido practice. It is used by many of our affiliate schools and locations. Our students quickly become part of a very unique community.
Hapkido is comprised of an enormous amount of knowledge that takes a lifetime to fully understand and grasp. In the beginning to name just some, classes are comprised of breathing exercises, falling techniques, resistance and motion drills, grappling, trapping and wrist drills and many, many self-defense techniques. Students are encouraged to understand, practice and enhance their skills as they continue their journey.
Please note that some of the self-defense techniques are not taught to students under the age of 12 due to safety concerns.
WT Taekwondo
We offer Kukkiwon certified Taekwondo instruction through this program. Kukkiwon is the official regulating body that governs Taekwondo education. Our Master is licensed and instruction follows the modern curriculum of Korea.
The majority of students are youth ages 5 through 11. The education is very thorough and challenging. Our students find that classes are a great place to make friends and feel a sense of belonging. They learn to become part of something unique and learn how to grow and adapt to anything that comes their way.
Parents face the challenge of their children wanting to do all kinds of activities, however we stress that they strongly encourage them to stay with Taekwondo training to help establish structure, discipline and an overall dedication to something long term. They learn accountability, humility, courtesy, self-respect and control. They also can be held responsible for their behavior and performance outside of class at home and school. These are just some of the benefits students attain through Taekwondo training.
It takes a special kind of individual to make it through the years that lie ahead of them until they become a black belt. We hope each new student tying their belt the first time will continue to tie many more for years to come.
Click to see some essays our students have written in the past... we hope you enjoy reading them as much as we have!
ITF Taekwondo
Our ITF Taekwondo Program caters to all walks of life. We promote unity and a sense of belonging and family. Whether you are 12 years old and gaining skills to become a future adult or 75 years old practicing to maintain fitness and flexibility, our classes are the perfect place to reach your goals, whatever they may be.
ITF Taekwondo has been also called traditional Taekwondo. It is much more demanding than modern day Taekwondo and requires a significant amount of dedication and effort. This is the reason we mostly promote this training to students over 12, although exceptions can be available. Young or old, male or female and all walks of life can learn together, practice together and improve together.
For decades, we have strived for our students to feel like family, sharing their learning and working together towards self-excellence. No-one at any time feels out of place, insufficient or superior to another. We promote unity and camaraderie. We also train the character of our students, ensuring that they meet the five important Tenets of Taekwondo.
As with all our programs, one of the major goals of Taekwondo is to unite the mind, body and spirit together to receive maximum potential. Our philosophy is that without this unity true excellence cannot be reached.
ITF Taekwondo is quite demanding and we sincerely hope you have the perseverance to one day look back and feel proud of yourself for getting through all the years of training. We are confident that you will also understand that Taekwondo is a lifelong endeavor and way of life, not just a hobby.
Open Gym
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Open Gym is not a formal class.
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There is no bow-in.
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Students can arrive and leave anytime during the Open Gym times.
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Instructors are there to answer any questions students might have.
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Students should wear their uniform to Open Gym.
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Open Gym is for any student, regardless of program or age.
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Open Gym is a good opportunity to get in extra practice.
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Open Gym is NOT a time for play.
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Students will be expected to practice while they are on the mats.
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Students are encouraged to attend if they need extra practice in any of their requirements.
Promotion Exams
Generally, the curriculum at American Taekwondo Academy is administered following an interview with the student and their family. Most of the time this will result in our students falling into either of two categories.
The first are students enrolled in the WT Taekwondo Program and and are given slightly more frequent belt promotional examinations. We have found in the past that its difficult for our younger students to have patience and wait several months before seeing a new belt tied around their waist. Therefore, we offer interim testings between ranks indicated by a stripe down the center of the belt. This motivates our younger students to set and strive for smaller goals along the way with less chance of becoming discouraged.
ITF Taekwondo students follow the same rank orders, however generally spend more time learning the increased amount of material required from their program. We offer promotional examinations for each rank but encourage them to practice hard, sweat a lot and hopefully even shed a small tear. Down the line they enjoy the complete satisfaction, reward and payoff for long hard work, one of the primary goals of Taekwondo training.
We do not compare student to student. Rather, we look at each individual's own growth and improvement. We believe everyone is unique, therefore they should feel reward and accomplishment based on their own effort and ability. When our students go for testing, they have to show that they actually know the material and have an understanding of what comes next. We do not allow students to test just because they want to or have been tying the same belt for too long.
Taekwondo is not just about learning the physical requirements of each level. Growth in confidence, discipline and self-esteem to name a few are also essential. Also, another one of our philosophies is time and effort spent reaps reward.
Our testings are not a "one-time shot" at passing. Students are constantly assessed at every class they attend. Promotional testings serve as an opportunity to collectively demonstrate their skill and ability as well as for parents to see how hard they have been working. They also are an opportunity to record areas of weakness based on the judge's observations as well as to see how the student performs under the pressure of a belt testing. This doesn't mean that they automatically pass, but we wouldn't send them if we feel they weren't ready.
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