Menu
VASQUEZ TAEKWONDO & HAIDONG GUMBO ACADEMY Established in 1995
Vasquez Taekwondo & Haidong Gumdo Academy has classes in McKinney, perfect for kids, teens, and adults martial arts lessons.
Who we Are And why You Should Train Here
Since we’ve opened (1995), we’ve been dedicated to changing the lives of people one person at a time, through martial arts, education and coaching. We strive to provide a safe, comfortable and welcoming atmosphere for all students and family members. We take pride in creating an environment for individuals to achieve, develop and succeed in their personal goals.
We strongly believe that martial arts can be for everyone, regardless of age, gender or experience levels. Throughout all of our programs, students will not only learn the necessary skill sets to protect themselves, we stand behind our realistic and practical approach, confident it will enable every member to achieve greatness and live their best life..
We have the Top Martial Arts Certifications in the World!
We are members of the following Organizations. Our education is never ending.
• Kukkiwon / World Taekwondo Federation
• Global Traditional Taekwondo Federation
• The World Jido Kwan Taekwondo Federation
• World Haidong Gumdo Federation (Korean Sword Martial Art)
Kukkiwon / World Taekwondo Federation
At the Vasquez Taekwondo Academy our mission is to provide our students with World Class instruction in Traditional and Olympic Sport Tae Kwon Do. In order to assure such standards are met the Academy and all instructors are Kukkiwon Certified. Grandmaster Vasquez Sr. attends the yearly accreditation classes and seminars given by the Kukkiwon, also known as World Taekwondo Headquarters. Kukkiwon is the home of the World Taekwondo Academy where the official Tae Kwon Do governing organization was established by the South Korean government. The Kukkiwon is supervised by the International Sports Division of the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism for the Korean Government.
Legitimate accredited rank in Tae Kwon Do is given by the Kukkiwon and is recognized worldwide. It acts as a resume and a passport that allows legitimate blackbelts to travel, change schools, or compete and be recognized as such. Receiving a Kukkiwon blackbelt ranking means that you are recognized by the International Olympic Committee as well. There is no path to the Olympics that does not start with a Kukkiwon certified blackbelt number. Private single school or private federations will never be qualified for international and Olympic competition.
Grand Master Vasquez Promotion to 8 Dan at the Kukkiwon
In order for a student to be officially a certified Blackbelt they must have their rank approved by the Kukkiwon and be given their Dan number. The Dan number stays with the student for life and is the credential that is requested for membership and competition in all international competitions and Tae Kwon Do
Organizations. Students under the age of 15 years old are given a Junior Blackbelt ranking known as a Poom rank. Upon reaching the age of 15 and being tested by a recognized Master Test Examiner, the student will have their rank switched to Dan up to the 4th Dan.
In order for a Master to be recognized as a Master Test Examiner (Judge) they must reach the rank of 4th Dan as certified by the Kukkiwon, be at least twenty-one years of age, and have taken and passed the Master’s Test Examiners course given by the Kukkiwon in Korea or once a year in the United States.
The Masters of Tae Kwon Do Academy have met the criteria to be Master Test Examiners (Judges) by the Kukkiwon. The Kukkiwon therefore allows the TKDA Masters to independently test their students and submit their test results to the Kukkiwon under their Master’s number for official ranking in the Kukkiwon in Korea. The Master Test Examiners certification is rare in the United States and sets TKDA apart. Any student desiring to train seriously in TKD and achieve proper credential and the ability to compete on high levels it is necessary they train under credentialed Masters and Schools.
Kukkiwon certification is also necessary for a Master to be considered a qualified Master Instructor. In other words it is they who determine who is considered a qualified Master that may teach the standard curriculum of the Kukkiwon. In order for an individual to be considered an accredited recognized Master Instructor the Master must be twenty-one years of age, hold the rank of 4th Dan as certified by the Kukkiwon, and take and pass the Master Instructors course given in Korea or once a year in the United States.
The VTA Masters and Instructors have taken and passed the Kukkiwon course and are certified Master Instructors.
The Vasquez Taekwondo Academy is a member school of the Kukkiwon with certified Master Instructors (6 Masters) and Grand Master Vasquez Sr. is certified as 2nd Class Taekwondo Master and 2nd class Test Examiner (Judge), having completed and passed all courses that are required by the Kukkiwon. Grand Master Vasquez holds 2Dan to 7Dan examines twice per year. Typically in March & September. 8th & 9th Dan candidates must take the examine in the Kukkiwon.
Global Traditional Taekwondo Federation
Grand Master Vasquez Sr. 9 Dan GTTF
Master Vasquez Pictured with the CEO/Founder of GTTF – Grand Master Jun Lee 9 Dan.
The foundation of GTTF goes back to a special gathering where some of the dedicated and concerned Taekwondo SaBu-nims came together for a discussion. “Traditional Taekwondo was fading away and we needed to bring it back”. The GTTF, Global Traditional Taekwondo Federation was born, the formation of GTTF is a logical step following the events of the 2023 Global Open Kukkiwon Cup in North Carolina and 2024 Global Think Tank Summit in S. Korea October 2024. In fact, it constitutes the right platform to consolidate prior achievements and lay the foundation for a more systematic and sustainable approach to the challenges at hand. “GTTF is a neo-classic Taekwondo group that protects the forgotten values and techniques of traditional Taekwondo and seeks to strengthen and develop them. GTTF aims to be a Martial Art Taekwondo that goes beyond the sparring and poomsae competition commonly seen in Modern Day Sport Taekwondo. The mental attitude of the practitioner takes precedence over the scoring system seen in Sport Taekwondo. Self-defense, breaking, and Taekwondo etiquette are also important virtues of training. Poomsae (form) training aims to capture the spirit of mental and physical cultivation based on solid fundamentals, Gyeoroogi (sparring) emphasizes the harmony of strength and speed, Hosinsool (self-defense) can be used on the street and hone the skills accordingly, and Kyukpa (breaking) trains the body and mind to concentrate the body and mind to produce formidable power, and it is a traditional Taekwondo organization that places great importance on the
character and etiquette of Taekwondo people.” Further, GTTF is “a dojang-centered organization”
devoted to the development and promotion of Traditional Taekwondo, closely aligned with Kukkiwon, including its Dan promotion rules and regulations, standards and practices, endowed with the capacity to issue Dan certificates. GTTF is also a “Think-Tank”, also known as Policy Institutes. These are organizations that gather a group of interdisciplinary scholars to perform research around a wide range of issues, including social policy, public policy, economic policy, political strategy, culture and technology. The work of think tanks includes conducting scholarly research, creating a space for debate, generating ideas, monitoring public policy and providing intellectual resources to the public. In the case of GTTF as a think tank is how to resuscitate Traditional Taekwondo.
If you have questions of any of the organizations that Vasquez Taekwondo Academy is a member of or you are a Master/Student and need certification email: GMJVasquezSr@Vasquez-taekwondo.com
Other certifications:
• GM Vasquez is an 8 Dan – The World Taekwondo JidoKwan Federation
• GM Vasquez is a 5th Dan & USA Chief Instructor for The World Haidong Gumdo Federation (Korean Sword Martial Art). GM Yeong Woo Kim from the W.H.G.F. hdqtrs comes to the Academy twice per year. VHGA has 13 school owners that follow GM Vasquez Sr.
