International Taekwondo Alliance

The International TaeKwonDo Alliance (ITA) is a governing body for a group of Taekwondo schools covering their curriculum, certification / standards, and events service, company based in the USA.
Description
The ITA was founded in 1983 as the United States Taekwondo Alliance (USTA) and traces its lineage back to Won-kuk Lee, after the founding masters began training and their professional association in the 1970s. Recently the ITA has begun to move away from the of General Choi and towards modified versions of the previously used forms that present movement more in line with traditional Korean martial arts (such as Taek'kyon) that Taekwondo was based on. The modifications allow for children to more easily perform and test for rank. The Chung Do Kwan (or "Blue Wave") was founded by Won-kuk Lee and was one of the original five Kwans on which Taekwondo was based.
Mission Statement
The ITA mission is to empower member Instructors and students to enrich their personal, artistic, and professional lives through traditional Taekwondo training.
From the ITA's new website:

While training authentic and highly skilled Taekwondo artists, the ITA believes the highest purpose of Taekwondo education is to prepare students for the responsibilities of citizenship. Taekwondo is about real and powerful experiences, resulting in the discovery of innate capabilities and a heightened sense of responsibility. To that end, ITA encourage its students to use their Martial Arts knowledge to improve our communities through one act of leadership at a time.

Belt System
Testing for rank can be done at the end of a 2-month cycle, but not every student is eligible to test after every cycle. Students must earn all required stripes during class, maintain adequate attendance, and have spent sufficient time at their current rank. Color belts only have to spend one cycle at each rank, but black belts are required to spend more. Students that no-change may retest the next cycle.
At green belt ranks begin to have three levels. Level one is denoted by a white stripe down the middle of the belt. Level two is denoted by the solid color of your rank ex. green level two is solid green. Level three is denoted by a black stripe down the middle of the belt. This is the same as previous senior levels of the colored belts.
* White - 1st Level, needs three stripes to advance to Yellow. Stripes are for: Stances, Form, One-steps, Safety Releases.
* Yellow - 2nd level, needs three stripes to advance to Green. Stripes are for: Blocks, Form, One-steps. Students learn safety, which includes falling and getting out of a headlock.
* Green 1 - 3rd Level, needs to surpass Senior Level to advance to Blue. Students first begin to spar at this rank. (Three different levels of each color starting at this rank. Green 1, Green 2, and Green 3)
** Senior Green - needed to advance to Blue.
* Blue 1 - 4th Level, needs to surpass Senior Level to advance to Brown. Students have target drills at this level. (Blue 1, Blue 2,and Blue 3)
** Blue 2 - needed to advance to Blue 3.
** Blue 3 - needed to advance to Brown 1.
* Brown 1 - 5th Level(formerly purple), needs to surpass Senior Level to advance to Red. Students have three-steps at this level. (Brown 1, Brown 2, and Brown 3)
* Red 1 - 6th Level, needs to surpass Senior Level to advance to Black. Students first break boards at testing when they reach this level. (Red 1, Red 2, and Red 3)
** Red 3 - needed to advance to Red 3.
** Red 3 - needed to advance to black. Students start their testing interviews at their school to prepare them for high-rank interviews at national tournaments when they test for 4th degree and above.
* Black - Belt no longer changes in color, but does change in level. Specifically, there are 4 levels of 1st degree, the first of which is also called probationary, each level requiring 4 months (2 cycles) of training. This continues to 3rd degree level 4 (during which the time between testings is six months or 3 testing cycles), but 4th and 5th degree consist of 2 levels each. There are no levels at 6th degree and above and 6th degree practitioners are considered masters, 7th degree practitioners are considered senior masters, 8th degree practitioners are considered Grandmasters, and 9th degree practitioners are considered Senior Grandmasters. There are currently only two Senior Grandmasters: Craig Kollars and Dr. He-Young Kimm
Uniforms
The ITA uniform is a white cross-over-and-tie style held together with a distinctive belt that signifies rank in the organization by its color and markings. The ITA Alliance patch is worn on the left side, and the academy patch may be worn on the right. When the student reaches Black Belt, additional patches and striping become mandatory; these include a black student stripe along the bottom of the jacket and the ITA back patch (required) and name patch (required) on the back of the jacket. If the student chooses become an Instructor, the student stripe is replaced with an Instructor stripe around the collar of the jacket and an additional patch is added below the ITA Alliance patch. Next when the student/Instructor achieves 3rd Degree , the uniform has an additional leg stripe that is added. Those artists that achieve 6th Degree and higher have "Master" chevron patches that are added to their uniform.
Other Arts
Ho-Am Black Belts are expected to devote the majority of their training to the art of TaeKwonDo as defined by ITA’s published curriculum of the Ho-Am style of TaeKwonDo. In recognition of the value of different activities associated with martial arts, the ITA has implemented a way for all active ITA Blue through Black Belts to add to their martial arts knowledge base. Students are encouraged to select at least one other ITA activity in which to participate.
World Events provide opportunities to enhance these other arts for personal enrichment.
Native Korean Sword
The 'Native Korean Sword' program is designed to educate students in the heritage and proper artistic use of the Korean sword. The program is open to all active Ho-Am Yellow Belts and above (no age limit). Rank is not earned, and curriculum is limited to enrichment participation.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
The "Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu" or "Gracie Jiu-Jitsu" curriculum was made available, for the ITA students, to compliment the kicking and striking skills already developed. BJJ is a ground grappling art that utilizes leverage to execute chokes and joint locks to enable a smaller/weaker opponent to defeat a larger, stronger, more athletic, and better looking opponent.
Xtreme Forms
Xtreme is a blend of ITA TaeKwonDo techniques and mild tumbling. The individual student designs their own form, sets it to music and performs this at ITA sanctioned championships.
The Xtreme program is split into two levels:
:Level One Xtreme training is open to all active Ho-Am Blue Belts and above (45 years old and younger) during classroom training only.
:Level Two Xtreme training and competition is open to active Ho-Am Black Belts only (45 years old and younger) during classroom training and regional and World championships.
Rank is not earned, and curriculum is limited to enrichment participation.
Tactical Short Stick
The ITA Tactical Short Stick program focuses on basic application of the short stick. At least eight primary strikes are taught as well as standard blocking technique.
The Tactical Short Stick program is open to all active Ho-Am Yellow Belts and above (no age limit). Rank is not earned, and curriculum is limited to enrichment participation.
HanMuDo
HanMuDo is a Korean martial art form founded by Ninth Degree Black Belt, martial arts historian Dr. He-Young Kimm after more than forty years of training and research in Korean martial arts systems. HanMuDo comprises the study of empty hand techniques, the study of weapons, the study of Ki, and the study of martial arts philosophy. This locking and throwing style emphasizes the concept of learning self-discipline, self-control, self-confidence, and self-realization:

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