USTF Region III

Founded in 1973, the mandate of the USTF is to teach and promote Taekwon-Do according to the guidance of the late General Choi Hong Hi, originator of Taekwon-Do.

Region III Home - Illinois - Indiana - Kentucky
Michigan - Minnesota - Ohio - West Virginia - Wisconsin

USTF Info - Regional Director Info - State Director Info - Newsletters

United States Taekwon-Do Federation Region 3

Welcome to the official United States Taekwon-Do Federation's (USTF) Region 3 website. Region 3 is composed of eight states: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Each state that has at least one USTF school has a State Director and the region has a Regional Director. The Regional Senior Masters and Masters, the Regional Director, and each State Director report to Sr. Grand Master Sereff and Grand Master Sereff. State Directors oversee all USTF activities within their respective states and the Regional Director oversees USTF activities within the region.

Grand Master Earl Weiss (IX Dan) and Senior Master F. M. Van Hecke (VIII Dan) provide valuable input into the direction of Taekwon-Do activities within the Region III. The Region Director is sixth dan Marianne Armstrong. Grand Master Weiss oversees Taekwon-Do activities for the state of Illinois, seventh dan Master Ron Britt oversees the state of Ohio, sixth dan Mrs. Marianne Armstrong and fifth dan Mr. Charles Giotto oversee the state of Michigan, and fifth dan Mrs. Jacqueline Karpinsky takes care of Wisconsin. Indiana, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Minnesota do not have any USTF schools at this time, so there is no State Director.

The USTF was formed in 1973 and has been affiliated with the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) under the leadership of Choi, Hong Hi, founder of Taekwon-Do. Sr. Grand Master Sereff was a most loyal student of General Choi and he continues to uphold the integrity of Chang-Hun Taekwon-Do. Sr. Grand Master Sereff was the first non-Korean ITF master in the world and first ITF Grand Master in the United States. He has served as Secretary General and Vice President of the ITF.

The USTF has the highest ranking ITF female in the world, as General Choi awarded Grand Master Renee Sereff her well-deserved ninth dan. Both Sr. Grand Master Sereff and Grand Master Sereff have been on the cover of the prestigious Taekwon-Do Times martial arts magazine. The USTF also has within its organization Grand Master Mike Winegar, the first person to achieve ninth dan status under the instruction of Grand Master Sereff.

There are many non-USTF Taekwon-Do groups in Region 3; however, members of the USTF are at a great advantage. First, the USTF has members who are second to none in their history with the founder of Taekwon-Do, in their character, and in their skill. The USTF was the first federation in the United States to develop and publish books and videotapes on the sequential content requirements for rank advancement at the national level. The USTF was the first federation to organize and publish at the national level detailed information on Step-Sparring, Tournament Rules and Regulations, and a summary Patterns book. The USTF is a national federation with standardized requirements that promote the consistency and integrity of Taekwon-Do. High standards of quality are also promoted through certification requirements of USTF students. These include: Instructor, Referee, and Hosin-Sul courses. The USTF holds national level tournaments and World Camp (where participants from various countries come together in fellowship and learning). Another benefit of being a member of the USTF is the presence of an external monitoring and governing body that validates rank and prevents the questionable practice of internal self-promotion within a group. The USTF is federation of committed individuals with strong passion for learning and growing together in a positive culture of community.