Grand Master H.U. Lee began his "Way" in Taekwondo after learning in the streets, then in a professional school in his hometown of Seoul, South Korea, under the direction of Grand Masters DukSung Son, JongMyong Hyun, and UnKyuEom. Then, as there is today, there was a shortage of qualified people who wanted to teach the art, so as a young red belt, H.U. Lee began to teach after receiving his instructor's permission.

Later Haeng Ung Lee, by this time a 3rd degree black belt, joined the Korean Army to teach the art to military intelligence people. He found himself on a cold island off the coast of North Korea. He made several covert combat missions.

After serving his country, he opened a professional school in Osan, South Korea near a U.S. Air Force base, and found success. He later opened branch schools. An American Airman at the base offered to help Grand Master Lee come to America to teach Taekwondo. Grand Master Lee knew then that teaching Taekwondo in the U.S. and around the world was his life's goal.

Once in the United States, Grand Master Lee worked to build his first school in Omaha, Nebraska. He then turned to fellow senior Korean and American instructors, to build an organization. In 1969 Grand Master Lee founded the American Taekwondo Association®.