Credentials & Kukkiwon Recognition — Master Pius Martial Arts
(470) 410-6704 · Sandy Springs, GA
Master Pius Martial Arts logo Master Pius Martial Arts

Kukkiwon-Recognized School

Certified Where Taekwondo Begins

Master Pius Martial Arts is recognized by the Kukkiwon — the World Taekwondo Headquarters in Seoul, Korea, and the global authority for the art. Our chief instructor, GrandMaster Pius Ilukhor, is an 8th-Dan black belt who holds 1st-Class Master and Examiner certifications from the World Taekwondo Academy at the Kukkiwon. Very few instructors anywhere hold this combination.

Recognized at the World Headquarters

This isn't a logo bought off a shelf. GrandMaster Pius is recognized at the source — the Kukkiwon in Seoul, the institution that defines Taekwondo for the entire world.

When the rank you earn is backed by the world headquarters of the art, it means something — not just in Sandy Springs, but anywhere in the world a Taekwondo school exists.

GrandMaster Pius Ilukhor shaking hands with the President of the Kukkiwon beneath the World Taekwondo Headquarters seal in Seoul, Korea
GrandMaster Pius Ilukhor with the President of the Kukkiwon (World Taekwondo Headquarters), Seoul, Korea.

What is the Kukkiwon?

Founded in Seoul in 1972, the Kukkiwon is the official Taekwondo headquarters and the body that issues the only globally recognized black-belt (Dan) ranks in the art. A Kukkiwon certification is honored in more than 200 countries. When a school is Kukkiwon-recognized, the rank earned there is real, registered, and respected anywhere in the world.

Est. 1972

Seoul, South Korea — the home of Taekwondo

200+

Countries that recognize Kukkiwon rank

Global

The only worldwide Dan-rank registry

The Credentials Behind the School

Every claim on this page is backed by recognized certification — not marketing.

8th-Dan Black Belt

GrandMaster Rank

One of the highest ranks in Taekwondo, held by only a small fraction of practitioners worldwide. Decades of training, teaching, and testing stand behind it.

1st-Class Master Instructor

World Taekwondo Academy · Kukkiwon

Certified by the Kukkiwon's own instructor academy to teach the art to its highest standard — a distinction relatively few instructors anywhere hold.

Certified Examiner

World Taekwondo Academy · Kukkiwon

Authorized to evaluate and promote students for Dan rank, so testing at our school is held to the same standard set in Korea.

Kukkiwon-Recognized School

Official Affiliation

Master Pius Martial Arts is recognized by the World Taekwondo Headquarters. Belts earned here are registered with the Kukkiwon and recognized worldwide.

The Real System, On the Mat

Recognition on paper only matters if it shows up in the training. Every student here learns the authentic Kukkiwon curriculum — the same forms, standards, and progression used at the headquarters in Korea.

And it's taught directly by GrandMaster Pius. The certifications aren't framed on a wall and forgotten — they're in the room, in every class.

GrandMaster Pius Ilukhor teaching a student one-on-one in Kukkiwon uniforms at the Master Pius Martial Arts dojang in Sandy Springs
Hands-on instruction in the official Kukkiwon system at our Sandy Springs dojang.

Why This Matters for You

Anyone can hang a belt on the wall. Not every school can show you where their rank comes from. When you train at Master Pius, you train under a GrandMaster certified by the world headquarters of Taekwondo — and your progress is recognized far beyond Sandy Springs.

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