Grand Master Craig Kollars is the highest-ranking black belt (9th Degree) in the International TaeKwonDo Alliance (ITA). He started his 38-year study in martial arts in 1969. Mr. Kollars first started instructing students in 1971 in Yankton, South Dakota. He then went on to start and instruct at the University of Nebraska TaeKwonDo Club while attending college there.

Upon college graduation from the University of Nebraska in 1976, with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Secondary Education and additional major course work in Prevention and Care of Athletic Injury and Wildlife Management, Mr. Kollars headed to Birmingham, Alabama in search of a location for his first TaeKwonDo center. Grand Master Craig Kollars, as one of the founders of the ITA, has instructed thousands of students over the last 36 years. Dedicated to helping the ITA expand, he has owned and operated 17 TaeKwonDo centers. 

Grand Master Craig Kollars has trained with and has been influenced by the following:

G.M. Won Kuk Lee (Founder of TaeKwonDo and Chung Do Kwan), G.M. Haeng Ung Lee, G.M. He-Young Kim, G.M. Dale Craig, G.M. Bert Kollars, G.M. Art Monroe, G.M. Choong-Soo Lee, G.M. Pu-gil Kwon, G.M. Hee-il Cho, G.M. In-Mok Kimm, G.M. Soon Ho Lee, S.M. James Bailey and S.M. Marv Conway.

Grand Master Kollars was recently inducted into the
United States TaeKwonDo Grandmasters Society (USTGS)
in May of 2009 during ceremonies held in Chicago, IL.

(Above: G.M. Craig Kollars, G.M. Art Monroe, G.M. S. Henry Cho & G.M. Bert Kollars)

Along with G.M. Art Monroe of New Orleans, LA and G.M. Bert Kollars of Dakota Dunes, SD, G.M. Craig Kollars is one of the first non-Korean inductees into this prestigious group. The mission of the United States Taekwondo Grandmasters Society, Inc. is to preserve and promote the tradition of action philosophy as Taekwondo education and to manage the superior national governing organization of Taekwondo in the United States.

Grand Master Kollars holds
the following certifications:

•  9th Degree Black Belt
•  2009 Inductee into the United States Taekwondo
   Grandmasters Society
•  Certified TaeKwonDo Instructor
•  Certified Han Mu Do Instructor
•  Certified Native Korean Sword Instructor
•  Certified CDT Instructor
•  Certified Criminal Countermeasures Instructor
•  Certified Ground Escape Instructor
•  Certified Military Short Stick Instructor
•  Certified Grappling Instructor
•  Certified Extreme TaeKwonDo Instructor
•  Certified ADHD Seminar Graduate
•  Certified MED Monadnock Advanced Police
    Baton Instructor
•  Certified Pressure Point Control Tactics
    Instructor for Police Departments
•  Certified in Basic Executive Protection and
    Special Event Security

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