Some veterans who wished to continue their training after
gaining proficiency in the martial arts overseas, acted as sponsors
in obtaining American citizenship for their Asian mentors.
Aside from a show of gratitude and respect, this action was
undoubtedly motivated by the realization that there were very
few teachers in the United States at the time capable of offering
quality instruction. Original taekwondo pioneers such as
Richard Chun, Henry Cho, and Jhoon Rhee continue to leave
their mark on the martial arts community.