The United Taekwondo Association (UTA, not to be confused with the United Taekwondo Alliance, and formerly known as the International Martial Arts Federation) was originally founded in 1971 by Kyongwon Ahn to facilitate the development and spread of taekwondo in the United States. With the establishment of organizations such as the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) and it's associated US National Governing Body (NGB) the United States Taekwondo Union, the focus of the UTA shifted. Today the UTA acts as the rank repository for Black Belts and color belts who have tested directly with Grandmaster Ahn or one of his affiliated schools. In addition, the UTA’s Board of Masters is responsible for promotion Testing and curriculum review and development.