The History of YU Taekwondo
The foundation of our school. A focus on technique, discipline and the development of the fundamentals of martial arts.
YU Taekwondo originally emerged from traditional Taekwondo and is based on the name of its founder, Grandmaster and System Director Dr. Andreas Held.
The surname "Held" roughly translates to "mystical hero" or "Young-Ung" in Korean. This meaning led to the company's original name in 2003: Young-Ung Taekwondo.
Over the years, however, the system continued to evolve and grew rapidly. At the same time, it became apparent that the name "Young-Ung Taekwondo" was difficult to pronounce and hard to remember for many people, both internationally and within the German-speaking region.
For this reason, the founder decided to deliberately shorten the name to the brief and memorable form "YU".
This not only created a modern and internationally understandable brand name, but also led step-by-step to an independent brand with a clear identity and philosophy.
Today, "YU" has long stood for more than just Taekwondo; it represents a holistic international system with various fields and projects. YU combines martial arts, personal development, community, international cooperation, and modern, innovative concepts under a single shared philosophy.
The surname "Held" roughly translates to "mystical hero" or "Young-Ung" in Korean. This meaning led to the company's original name in 2003: Young-Ung Taekwondo.
Over the years, however, the system continued to evolve and grew rapidly. At the same time, it became apparent that the name "Young-Ung Taekwondo" was difficult to pronounce and hard to remember for many people, both internationally and within the German-speaking region.
For this reason, the founder decided to deliberately shorten the name to the brief and memorable form "YU".
This not only created a modern and internationally understandable brand name, but also led step-by-step to an independent brand with a clear identity and philosophy.
Today, "YU" has long stood for more than just Taekwondo; it represents a holistic international system with various fields and projects. YU combines martial arts, personal development, community, international cooperation, and modern, innovative concepts under a single shared philosophy.
2003
The founding of YU Taekwondo
1070 Vienna (first location)
2004
Building the initial student base
Laying the foundations for systematic growth
2005
Improving the quality of training
Development of internal structures
2006
Professionalisation of training methodology
Preparing for expansion
2007
Strategic planning for additional sites
2008
1020 Vienna (second location)
2009
1050 Vienna (third Standort)
2010
8010 Graz 1
1220 Vienna
1220 Vienna
2011
Internal organisational structure
Expansion of coach training
2012
1210 Vienna
2013
1120 Vienna
1140 Vieann
2380 Perchtoldsdorf
1140 Vieann
2380 Perchtoldsdorf
2015
1030 Vienna
1130 Vienna
1100 Vienna
1130 Vienna
1100 Vienna
2016
1170 Vienna
1150 Vienna
1150 Vienna
2017
1170 Vienna (further expansion)
8010 Graz 2
8010 Graz 2
Further development of the management development system
2018
1190 Vienna
7400 Oberwart
7400 Oberwart
2019
1220 Vienna Aspern
2020
2330 Schwechat
3100 St. Pölten
3400 Klosterneuburg
3100 St. Pölten
3400 Klosterneuburg
2022
1110 Vienna
1230 Vienna
2700 Wiener Neustadt
1230 Vienna
2700 Wiener Neustadt
2023
Launch of internationalisation
Dubai
Kenya
Dubai
Kenya
Structuring the international expansion strategy
2024
Consolidation & System Optimisation
Preparing for further international growth
Development of the brand structure
Development of the brand structure
2025
1090 Vienna
4020 Linz
7546 (Group location)
1210 Vienna Prager Str.
4020 Linz
7546 (Group location)
1210 Vienna Prager Str.
Scaling up the national network
2026
1160 Vienna
2000 Stockerau
2201 Gerasdrof
8010 Graz 3
2000 Stockerau
2201 Gerasdrof
8010 Graz 3
