World Martial Arts Union (WoMAU) was established in Chungju, Republic of Korea, in October 2002 by representatives of 28 countries participating in the Chungju World Martial Arts Festival. It is the first ever universally open-ended entity of the world martial arts organizations (as of 2015 December, 60 martial arts organizations from 40 countries are members) with the purpose of serving them as the institutional focal point for the martial arts communities around the world to promote friendship and help each other to foster martial arts both as sports and cultural heritages.
WoMAU globally preserves and disseminates the original forms of traditional martial arts and develops the skills and cultural values of martial arts through various events including Chungju World Martial Arts Festival, General Meetings, Seminars, Youth camps and others, while promoting martial arts’ innate orientation for peace both regionally and globally.
In its early days, WoMAU noticed the cultural values of martial arts and knocked on the door to UNESCO in order to effectively promote its relevant activities under the recognition that martial arts are valuable heritages to humankind worth preserving. As a result, in 2009 WoMAU obtained an official partnership with UNESCO with the consultative status and was also accredited as an advisory NGO to its Inter-governmental Committee for safeguarding of intangible cultural heritages in 2010. As a result, in 2011, Taekkyeon, traditional Korean martial art, was listed for the first time on UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritages of Humanity.

Domain(s): Traditional martial arts have 2 aspects of rituals and festive events. WoMAU hosts Chungju World Martial Arts Festival inviting our member organizations every year, which are mainly practicing their unique traditional martial arts. The International Martial Arts Contest, main program of Chungju World Martial Arts Festival is held in the form of demonstration as performing arts and competition. Furthermore, taking into account the educational effect of martial arts for youth, WoMAU has tried to establish the martial arts-related international centre for youth development and engagement under the auspices of UNESCO (Category 2) and succeeded in attracting it to Chungju, Korea.

Main Safeguarding measures: WoMAU is carrying out research, preservation, protection, promotion, enhancement, documentation, transmission, (non-) formal education in the fields of traditional martial arts through global and local events with members such as Chungju World Martial Arts Festival, General Meetings, Seminars, youth camps and other martial arts exchange programs.
WoMAU publishes information books and biannual WoMAU News magazines containing WoMAU and its members’ activities as well as the experts’ martial arts columns and a world martial arts compendium. WoMAU also introduces and archives global martial arts on its website.

Main countries where the NGO works: Republic of Korea

Local, national or international level of the NGO: International

طی جلسه ای که در افتتاحیه جشنواره هنرهای رزمی در چانگجو برگزار شد، پس از ارائه گزارشی از فعالیت های صورت گرفته توسط امیررضا آیرم و سامرات سینگ نمایندگان  فدراسیون بین المللی ورزش های زورخانه ای و کشتی پهلوانی، اعضای ارشد اتحادیه جهانی هنرهای رزمی (WOMAU) این نوید را دادند تا در آینده ای نزدیک IZSF را به عضویت این اتحادیه درآورند.

این جلسه در حاشیه برگزاری جشنواره هنرهای رزمی در چانگجو کره جنوبی در حالی 26 اکتبر برگزار شد که نمایندگان فدراسیون جهانی ورزش های زورخانه ای و کشتی پهلوانی پس از اشاره به تاریخچه تاسیس و فعالیت های IZSF به ارائه جزئیات ورزش های زورخانه ای و کشتی پهلوانی و رویدادهای برگزار شده از سوی فدراسیون جهانی در حضور نمایندگان 45 کشور حاضر در این جشنواره پرداختند.

پس از اتمام این نشست اعضای ارشد اتحادیه  جهانی هنرهای رزمی با اشاره به پتانسیل های  ورزش زورخانه ای و کشتی پهلوانی و ارزش های انسانی نهفته در آن، به نمایندگان فدراسیون جهانی کشتی پهلوانی پشنهاد دادند تا در آینده ای نزدیک  IZSF  به عنوان عضو  اصلی اتحادیه جهانی هنرهای رزمی درآید.

پس از این نشست تیم  ورزش های  زورخانه ای و کشتی پهلوانی کره جنوبی نمایش زیبایی از این ورزش کهن ارائه دادند که با تشویق و حمایت تماشاگران همراه شد.

نوزدهمین دوره بازی ها امسال در سال 2018 برگزار شد.

Nations from all four corners of the globe gathered once again in the scenic tourist city of Chungju for the 13th Chungju World Martial Arts Festival under the auspices of WOMAU (World Martial Arts Union), an organization dedicated to the propagation of traditional martial arts and fostering brotherhood internationally through them.

Exponents of Filipino Arnis, Indonesian Silat, Russian Koresh, amongst many others walked shoulder-to-shoulder with Korean Tae Kwon Do, Taekgyeon, Teuk Gong Moo Sool and Kumdo at the massive Martial Arts Park built for WOMAU and the bi-annual Chungju World Martial Arts Festival by the city of Chungju.

Held in the latter part of 2017, exponents of dozens of countries representing their nation’s indigenous arts came together for a 2-day WOMAU meeting in the city where several speeches and debates took places concerning the preservation of cultural heritage, economic prosperity, education of youth, exchange of martial knowledge and other topics of concern were tackled.

Without batting an eye, the delegates jumped into the most truly international event in all of Asia. It was free to the public to boot.

Events included a professional MMA event (Road FC), an amazing 3-storey martial arts museum, the 3rd Penjak Silat Championship, the 1st World Kids Masterships contests, the 2nd Uzbek Jang Sanati Championships, the 2017 World Martial Arts Festival Jiu-Jitsu Tournament, the 3rd International Thang-Ta Championship, and the 1st Arnis Friendly Match.

The biggest showstopper was the 2017 International Martial Arts Contest which was held Saturday to Sunday that week on the Main Stage of the World Martial Arts Park. There were 5 Events in 3 Categories. It was organized by the 2017 International Martial Arts Contest Organizing Committee with patronage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Chung-cheong-buk province, Chung-ju city.

The participants consisted of 149 teams from 10 countries (Korea, Netherlands, Russia, Vietnam, Singapore, Bulgari, Indonesia, India, Uzbekistan, and the Philippines). The results are as follows:

World Martial Arts Union: http://womau.org.

Chung-Ju World Martial Arts Festival: http://www.martialarts.or.kr/index_eng.php

http://www.martialarts.or.kr/bbs/board.php?bo_table=history_eng

• 18

  

  2017 Chungju World Martial Arts Festival(18th)

  Date	22. Sep. 2017 ~ 28. Sep. 2017 (7days)
  Location	World Martial Arts Park
  Scale	39Countries 55Organizations
  Visitor	About
  Etc	Under the Patronage of UNESCO

• 17

  

  2015 Chungju World Martial Arts Festival(17th)

  Date	22. Aug. 2015 ~ 30. Aug. 2015 (9days)
  Location	World Martial Arts Park
  Scale	26Countries 27Organizations
  Visitor	About
  Etc	Under the Patronage of UNESCO

• 16

  

  2014 Chungju World Martial Arts Festival(16th)

  Date	28. Aug. 2014 ~ 1. Sep. 2014 (5days)
  Location	World Martial Arts Park
  Scale	19Countries 30Organizations
  Visitor	About 620,000
  Etc	Under the Patronage of UNESCO

• 15

  

  2013 Chungju World Martial Arts Festival(15th)

  Date	6. Sep. 2013 ~ 10. Sep. 2013 (5days)
  Location	World Martial Arts Park
  Scale	22Countries 26Organizations
  Visitor	About 510,000
  Etc	Under the Patronage of UNESCO

• 14

  

  2012 Chungju World Martial Arts Festival(14th)

  Date	7. Sep. 2012 ~ 13. Sep. 2012 (7days)
  Location	World Martial Arts Park
  Scale	17Countries 45Organizations
  Visitor	About 649,000
  Etc	Under the Patronage of UNESCO

• 13

  

  2011 Chungju World Martial Arts Festival(13th)

  Date	2. Sep. 2011 ~ 8. Sep. 2011 (7days)
  Location	World Martial Arts Park
  Scale	16Countries 17organizations
  Visitor	About 421,000
  Etc	Under the Partronage of UNESCO

• 12

  

  2010 Chungju World Martial Arts Festival(12th)

  Date	29. Sep. 2010 ~ 3. Oct. 2010 (5days)
  Location	World Martial Arts Theme Park
  Scale	11Countries 30Organizations
  Visitor	About 421,000
  Etc	Under the Patronage of UNESCO

• 11

  

  2008 Chungju World Martial Arts Festival(11th)

  Date	2. Oct. 2008 ~ 8. Oct. 2008 (7days)
  Location	UN Peace Park
  Scale	28Countries 50Organizations
  Visitor	About 726,000

• 10

  

  2007 Chungju World Martial Arts Festival(10th)

  Date	28. Sep. 2007 ~ 4. Oct. 2007 (7days)
  Location	Chilgeum Tourist Resort Area
  Scale	18Countries 28Organizations
  Visitor	About 629,000명

• 9

  

  2006 Chungju World Martial Arts Festival(9th)

  Date	30. Sep. 2006 ~ 8. Oct. 2006 (7days)
  Location	Chilgeum Tourist Resort Area
  Scale	16Countries 27Organizations
  Visitor	About 368,000

• 8

  

  2005 Chungju World Martial Arts Festival(8th)

  Date	1. Oct. 2005 ~ 8. Oct. 2005 (8days)
  Location	Chungju Gymnasium
  Scale	17Countries 35Organizations
  Visitor	ABout 1,013,000

• 7

  

  2004 Chungju World Martial Arts Festival(7th)

  Date	1. Oct. 2004 ~ 7. Oct. 2004 (7days)
  Location	Chungju Gymnasium, jurisdiction of Chungju city
  Scale	35Countries 62Organizations
  Visitor	About 902,000

• 6

  

  2003 Chungju World Martial Arts Festival(6th)

  Date	30. Sep. 2003 ~ 6. Oct. 2003 (7days)
  Location	Chungju Gymnasium, jurisdiction of Chungju city
  Scale	36Countries 55Organizations
  Visitor	About 802,000

• 5

  

  2002 Chungju World Martial Arts Festival(5th)

  Date	27. Sep. 2002 ~ 3. Oct (7days)
  Location	Chungju Gymnasium, Suanbo, Angseong
  Scale	31Countries 50Organizations
  Visitor	About 294,000

• 4

  

  2001 Chungju World Martial Arts Festival(4th)

  Date	9. Oct. 2001 ~ 15. Oct. 2001(7days)
  Location	Chungju Gymnasium, Suanbo, Angseong
  Scale	28Countries 47Organizations
  Visitor	About 254,000

• 3

  

  2000 Chungju World Martial Arts Festival(3rd)

  Date	28, Sep, 2000 ~ 3, Oct, 2000 (6days)
  Location	Chungju Gymnasium, Suanbo, AngSeong
  Scale	25Countries 45Organizations
  Visitor	About 208,000
  Etc	Participating Foreign Martial Arts Organizations

• 2

  

  1999 Chungju(Suanbo)Martial Arts Festival(2nd)

  Date	29. April. 1999 ~ 2. May. 1999 (4Days)
  Location	Chungju Gymnasium, Suanbo
  Scale	Domestic 12 Organizations
  Visitor	About 176,000

• 1

  

  1998 Chungju Marital Arts Festival(1st)

  Date	28 May. 1998 ~ 1. June. 1998(5days)
  Location	Chungju Gymnasium, Suanbo
  Scale	Domestic 12 Organizations
  Visitor	About 131,000
  Etc	First Martial Arts Festival