As the home of the martial art for the 21st Century, Atlanta will host more than 1,500 Choi Kwang Do enthusiasts and instructors from around the world as they celebrate the 20th anniversary of the creation of the discipline and plan for the organizations’ future direction.

A series of events, meetings and demonstrations will take place March 1 - 7 at the Atlanta Galleria and the Choi Kwang Do International headquarters in Kennesaw. These events will be lead by Atlanta resident, Choi Kwang Do founder and world-renowned martial art expert, Grandmaster Kwang Jo Choi.

Events are happening during the week that showcase the Choi Kwang Do martial art and fitness program that has captured worldwide attention, including the Korean community:

International Black Belt Testing Thursday, March 1 10am – 1p.m. CKD Headquarters

Demo Team Festival Friday, March 2, 6:00p.m. Pitner Elementary Acworth

Seminar & Demonstrations Saturday, March 3, 9:00am – 5:00pm Cobb Galleria Center Exhibit Hall

Instructor Training Monday, March 5, 10 a.m. – 12 noon, CKD Headquarters

Designed and practiced daily by hundreds of thousands of enthusiasts around the globe, Choi Kwang Do is an applicable and obtainable wellness program for students of any age or stage in life.

Choi Kwang Do combines the best of traditional martial arts with modern scientific knowledge to create a discipline for enthusiasts of today. The discipline focuses on each individual student achieving optimum physical and mental health and wellness through training at a moderate level of intensity and high level of positive feedback.

Choi Kwang Do was created by Grandmaster Kwang Jo Choi in 1987 after years of development and research to create a martial art that his injured body could perform with skill and power. The discipline is studied by hundreds of thousands of students worldwide in 35 countries around the globe. The Choi Kwang Do International organization is based in Kennesaw, Georgia. For additional information on Choi Kwang Do visit www.choikwangdo.com .

Grandmaster Kwang Jo Choi sought to continue his life long training and ended up revolutionizing traditional martial arts with the creation of Choi Kwang Do. In just two decades, Choi Kwang Do has converted more than 75,000 practitioners around the globe to become one of the fastest growing martial arts programs ever created.

Kwang Jo’s journey to the forefront of martial arts community and founder of Choi Kwang Do began as a young boy as a student Kwon Bup, a form of Korean karate, in order to protect himself on the perilous streets of post-war Korea. He took his skills and street savvy with him into the military where he served as chief instructor and became acquainted with General Choi, the founder of Taekwon-Do.

After completing his military career, Kwang Jo traveled to Seoul where he studied the art of Taekwon-Do under General Choi. Kwang Jo’s training led him to being named chief instructor of the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF), and he taught martial arts instructors around the globe. He also served as an instructor for the Korean national police department, members of the armed forces, and military instructors. Many would say that Kwang Jo was at the peek of his martial arts career.

In 1970, Kwang Jo’s love for teaching martial arts was interrupted abruptly. The lockout movements of his traditional martial arts training caused bodily injury over the years. He was forced to relocate to North America to seek medical treatment. In his heart he hoped to continue his physical training and refused to follow recommendations to give up martial arts.

After many medical visits, Kwang Jo placed his fate into his own hands. He decided to rehabilitate his body without surgery. It would take years for Kwang Jo’s body to heal, however, he studied physical therapy techniques, anatomy, physiology, and human movement sciences and began to recuperate his body.

It took nine years for Kwang Jo’s body to heal, and by 1987, he had completely restored his body and health. He had incorporated everything he had learned from medical professionals into a new martial arts discipline called Choi Kwang Do (CKD), which translates as “the art of Kwang Choi”.

Kwang Jo remains at the helm of Choi Kwang Do Martial Art International based in Atlanta. He shares the art with thousands of people—from the U.S. military and law enforcement officers to the physically challenged. With a network of more than 400 affiliate schools, Kwang Jo spends time teaching, training instructors and giving seminars throughout the world. He has released a book, both a video and DVD series on the art and curriculum of Choi Kwang Do.

At the 65 years of age, Grandmaster Choi proves that he is a living testimony of his art.