U.S. House Resolution Introduced to Designate September 4 as Taekwondo Grandmasters Appreciation Day
U.S. Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Madeleine Dean (D-PA) have introduced a House resolution to designate September 4 as 'Taekwondo Grandmasters Appreciation Day.' The resolution, submitted to the lower chamber on Thursday, aims to recognize the significant physical and mental benefits that taekwondo and its grandmasters provide to many people across the United States. September 4 holds historical significance as it is the day South Korea designated as 'International Taekwondo Day' in 2008, commemorating taekwondo's inclusion as an Olympic sport on September 4, 1994. The resolution highlights that taekwondo emphasizes mental discipline and character development through its core tenets: courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, and indomitable spirit. It also notes that the title of 'grandmaster' is reserved for the highest-ranking, most experienced, and most respected practitioners of the martial art, which is practiced worldwide by 80 million people of all ages and backgrounds.