GM John L. Holloway

GM John Holloway National Director of the Official Taekwondo Hall of Fame representing the U.S.A. is one of the most distinguished figures of Taekwondo in the U.S.A. following its birth as an organized sport in the USA. He attended every major national championship in the USA either as a player or senior official as the Vice President of U.S.T.U. His competitive record includes being the first person in the USA to medal in both WTF and ITF World Championships, with gold at the 1st ITF World Championships in Montreal, Canada in 1974, and bronze at the 1979 WTF World Championship in Stuttgart, Germany. He also won gold ar the First Pre-World Taekwondo Championships held in Mexico in 1978. In 1975 as an alternate player he was a member of the first Official USA National Team that competed in the 2nd World Taekwondo Championships in Korea. Additionally, he has served as team captain in multiple international championships and as well as “Head of Team” at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. The annual “Captain’s Cup” tournament, which he founded, continues to draw top officials and players from across the nation. In addition to being an instructor he continues to serve as one of the USA’s most respected pioneer international referees. One would be hard pressed to find another person in the USA who has contributed to Taekwondo in as many varied capacities. In 2007, he received the highest honor in Taekwondo upon being inducted into the Official Taekwondo Hall of Fame, a testament to his outstanding contributions to the martial art and Olympic sport That same ceremony which saw the enshrinement of champions and pioneer GM’s Nam Tae Hi, Jhoon Rhee, Sang Min Cho, Skipper Mullins, Ramiro Guzman, Allen Steen, and members of the USA Taekwondo team which included Albert Cheeks, Michael Warren and the legendary Joseph Hayes who as a team garnered overall 2nd place at the 1st World Taekwondo Championships held in Seoul, Korea in 1973.