January 16, 2026 (Charlotte)-USATKD –USA Taekwondo and AAU Taekwondo Announce Strategic Alignment to Strengthen Taekwondo in the United States
USA Taekwondo and AAU Taekwondo today announced a strategic alignment focused on expanding opportunity, reducing barriers, and strengthening the domestic development pathway for Taekwondo athletes across the United States.
This alignment represents a significant step forward for the sport, as both organizations work collaboratively to better serve athletes, coaches, referees, and families. While USA Taekwondo and AAU Taekwondo will remain independent organizations with separate governance structures, this effort is designed to create a more functional and athlete-centered domestic ecosystem.
Over the past several months, USA Taekwondo CEO Steve McNally and AAU Martial Arts Executive Director Clinton Oh have worked together to identify practical areas of cooperation that improve clarity, coordination, and opportunity across the sport. The focus of this collaboration is not organizational consolidation, but meaningful alignment that allows athletes to pursue development opportunities with fewer conflicts and greater flexibility.
This announcement builds upon initial discussions held in October 2025, when leadership from USA Taekwondo and AAU Taekwondo met in Charlotte, North Carolina, to explore shared goals and areas of cooperation. At that time, both organizations publicly committed to improving athlete opportunity and strengthening collaboration across competition, development, coaching, and officiating. The initiatives announced today mark the next phase of that work—moving from dialogue to action.
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