Soon after the organization of modern Taekwondo, instructors from Korea began emigrating to various countries in the world and taking with them their knowledge of Taekwondo. In the United States, Jhoon Rhee, Richard Chun, Dae Shik Kim, S. Henry Cho, and Kyung Ho Min, among others, provided the introduction of Taekwondo to the United States, soon reinforced by the return of American servicemen from Korea as well as subsequent generations of Korean-born immigrants with Taekwondo training.

One of the earliest clubs in the United States was begun in 1966, when Ken (Kyung Ho) Min arrived at the University of Montana in Missoula to initiate Judo and Taekwondo instruction, as well as teach and coach wrestling. A graduate of the Korean Yudo College, Ken Min brought a diverse and knowledgeable background of martial arts to the University and founded Big Sky Taekwondo at UM in 1966. Few Taekwondo organizations outside of Korea are older than the UM program. 

After establishing the Judo and Taekwondo programs, Ken Min left in 1967 to teach at Eastern Montana College in Billings, Montana, where he founded the Northwest Taekwondo Association. Two of his 1st Dan Black Belt candidates were Shigeki Umemoto and Karlo Fujiwara. Ken Min left Montana and Jae Ho Park arrived in Billings and became the head instructor of the Northwest Taekwondo Association. He also founded the Dae Myung school of Taekwondo.

 In 1969, Ken Min accepted a position at the University of California at Berkeley, to develop and improve one of the oldest martial arts programs in the country which had been given national prominence by martial arts pioneer Henry Stone. 

While at Montana, however, Dr. Min developed important relationships while working in the Montana Amateur Athletic Union. Its then president, David Rivenes of Miles City, later went on to become national president of the Amateur Athletic Union. David Rivenes' assistance in the development of Taekwondo in the United States can be found in his appointment to the Executive Committee of the World Taekwondo Federation, an appointment he held for many years. Because of his assistance, the AAU Taekwondo committee was given separate and independent status from the AAU Karate Committee, over the determined opposition of that committee.

Dr. Min subsequently developed the UC program into a broad-based martial arts program which provides leadership for university martial arts programs throughout the country. In addition, Dr. Min developed Taekwondo nationally, as founder of the Amateur Athletic Union Taekwondo Committee, and then as the founding president of the United States Taekwondo Union which is the official national governing body for Taekwondo in the United States, and the official American representative group in the World Taekwondo Federation -- the recognized governing body for Taekwondo throughout the world. In a sense, the UM Club has had, through Dr. Min, an historic role in the remarkable development of Taekwondo in Montana and in the United States.

After Dr. Min's departure from Missoula, Mr. Larry Foust continued the Taekwondo club, until the arrival of Richard Soon Il Choi in 1970. He led the University Judo and Taekwondo during the 1970-1971 school years, and, after his departure, the Judo club was led by Mr. Joe DeVictoria and the Big Sky Taekwondo program again by Larry Foust, who continued to teach the University Big Sky program from 1971 through 1981.

In the meantime, Jae Ho Park left Billings, and Dae Myung split into two schools, Dae Myung Tendokan, under Karlo Fujiwara, and Dae Myung Toushi Kan, under Shigeki Umemoto. These schools continued a pattern of point tournaments and light contact sparring. which was more similar to Karate than the newly developing competition style of Taekwondo under the World Taekwondo Federation.

In August, 1977, the UM Big Sky hosted the First Korean Martial Arts Summer Camp, on the UM Campus. Larry Foust was the first Camp Director, and Dr. Ken Min served as the technical director.

In 1978, the UM Big Sky sponsored, jointly with the UC Martial Arts Program, the Second Korean Martial Arts Summer Camp at Seeley Lake, Montana, with participants from Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and California.

When Larry Foust retired from teaching martial arts in 1981, the University Taekwondo club was led briefly by instructors Mike Peretti and Mark Anderson, and then affiliated with Toushi Kan Academy, in Great Falls, Montana. Subsequently, the club was known for several years as the University of Montana Toushi Kan club, although still studying Taekwondo. During this time, Mr. Steve Capener was chief instructor.

In the Fall of 1984, Mr. Jaydes Warwick of Bozeman, Montana, seeing a need for an organization devoted strictly to the development of Taekwondo in Montana, organized a Big Sky Taekwondo club at Montana State University, and in May, 1985, the University of Montana club became, again, the University of Montana Big Sky Taekwondo club.

Modern Taekwondo in Montana developed with these two clubs providing the technical and organizational leadership.

Since then, combined membership in Big Sky Taekwondo has exceeded 500 participants, and many of these participants have enjoyed Taekwondo competition outside the formal martial arts training environment. Under Mr. Jay Warwick's tireless and enthusiastic leadership, Big Sky members have been able to participate in a wide variety of martial arts experiences, and has become one of the prominent organizations in United States Taekwondo.

Mr. Jaydes Warwick served as United States National Taekwondo Team Co-Captain from 1981 through his retirement in 1989. In addition, he won eight national championships, two Pan American championships, and a bronze medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Jay Warwick went on to become the Executive Director of the United States Taekwondo Union and now is a manager of sport programs with the United States Olympic Committee. Scott Miranti was a several time US National Champion, World University Games Champion, two time Pan American Games champion, now has a Big Sky school in Great Falls.

Mr. Steve Capener, who served as the Chief Instructor of the University of Montana Big Sky Taekwondo club from 1983 through 1987, won several national championships and, in 1987, was the first male American Taekwondo competitor to win a gold medal at the Pan American games and is working on a second Doctorate degree in Seoul Korea. Mr. Kim Sol, who has trained and coached during the 1970s and 1980s, became Montana's first International Referee in the 1990's, and brings to UM Big Sky program a wide range of martial art skills acquired in over 34 years of martial training, with Black Belt ranking in Taekwondo, Judo, Karate, Ju Jitsu, Hankido, and Hapkido. As a result of tireless support and development of junior and senior national level competitors, Mr. Sol has led both junior and senior national teams to international competitions on behalf of the United States, including, as Montana's only International Referee, selection of the US Junior and National team members over the past decade. Recently, Instructor Brandon Saltz published "Taekwondo: the State of the Art," one of the best such Taekwondo texts ever published.

The lists of gold, silver and bronze medal winners at US Nationals, US Collegiate Nationals, US Junior Nationals, the Montana State Championships, and many international events are well-sprinkled with names of Big Sky competitors. Over the past 36 years, Big Sky competitors have probably won more national and international medals than any other single club or school in the United States.

In August, 1990, the University of Montana Big Sky Taekwondo program hosted the 12th Korean Martial Arts Summer Camp in cooperation with the University of California at Berkeley Martial Arts Program, again at Seeley Lake, Montana, which included training under Kumdo Master Inkee Lee from Los Angeles, Olympic Taekwondo gold medalist Jimmy Kim from Berkeley, California, and Hapkido training under Dr. Ken Min, under the overall technical direction of Dr. Min.

With over 80 participants, the 12th Korean Martial Arts Camp was one of the largest in the succession of such camps, and participants enthusiastically trained in a traditional outdoor setting as well as studied Korean culture, exchanged ideas, and got to know other martial artists from the participating schools from Wyoming, Idaho, Montana and UC Berkeley. In July, 1995, the UM organization hosted the 15th Korean Martial Art Summer Camp, again at Seeley Lake, with over 100 participants from around the nation. During the past 15 years, the expertise and experience of Big Sky Schools and the many instructors and students has continued to grow. Recognized internationally as one of the premier experience pools of modern Taekwondo development, Big Sky schools continue to offer cutting edge instruction in Taekwondo and martial arts, as well as developing young athletes, martial art enthusiasts, and participants of all ages into healthy, enthusiastic, and competent practitioners of the modern martial art of Taekwondo. Nobody knows it better, and nobody does it better.

The Year 2004 represents the 38th anniversary of the founding of Taekwondo in Montana, through Dr. Min's efforts beginning at the University of Montana in 1966. Surely a milestone for any organization.  Big Sky Taekwondo and affiliated schools look forward to training a new generation of students the highest form of Taekwondo excellence.