Mission/Philosophy

We pursue a principle of continuous upward standardization.
We do not lower standards; we consistently raise them, emphasizing physical excellence, ethical discipline, intellectual capability, and the readiness to commit oneself fully to the protection of the principal when required.

IBA History

The International Bodyguard Association (IBA) was founded in 1957 in Paris, France, by General Lucien-Victor Ott, laying the foundations of modern close protection.
In 2019, IBAKOREA was officially established, continuing and implementing standardized programs aligned with IBA Headquarters in Italy across the Asian region.

About IBA

The International Bodyguard Association (IBA) is the world’s first professional close protection institution, founded in 1957 in Paris, France, by Lucien-Victor Ott, a former French airborne special forces officer and field commander.

The IBA is not merely an association.
It is an organization that has developed and established close protection, counter-terrorism, and security standards proven in real-world conflict zones and diplomatic and security environments worldwide, serving as the origin and foundational body of the international close protection system.



Furthermore, the IBA was the first international institution to expand professional bodyguard training hubs across multiple countries, laying the groundwork for today’s global close protection education and certification frameworks.

Globally Proven Operational Standards

Over the past decades, the International Bodyguard Association (IBA) has conducted real-world close protection operations and missions across some of the world’s most forward and high-risk regions, including the Baltic states, the Balkan Peninsula, across Europe, Southern Africa, Afghanistan, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia.

In particular, since 2004, the IBA has expanded beyond the scope of conventional civilian close protection training, delivering advanced armed protection and counter-terrorism security education to international organizations as well as national governments, military forces, and intelligence agencies.

The fact that institutions such as the United Nations, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, United States Army Special Forces, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Central Intelligence Agency, and the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, along with special units of national police forces, navies, armies, and SWAT teams, have shared and engaged with IBA’s training and operational frameworks clearly demonstrates that the IBA is not a theory-based training institution, but an organization that possesses international standards proven through real-world operational experience.

A Lineage of Close Protection Built Over More Than 60 Years

The International Bodyguard Association (IBA)’s protection techniques and education systems have evolved continuously over more than six decades, grounded in accumulated field experience, the operational expertise of its national branches, and documented responses to both man-made and natural crisis variables.



Today, the training frameworks of numerous professional security institutions, as well as multinational close protection associations and federations, have been developed on the foundation of IBA’s standards and philosophy.

In this respect, the IBA stands as the original model and foundational body of global close protection standards.

 IBAKOREA – A Continuation of Authentic Lineage in Asia

IBAKOREA is the official Republic of Korea branch of the International Bodyguard Association (IBA), which was newly reauthorized in 2019.
IBAKOREA carries forward and expands in the Asian region the traditions and standards of the IBA, whose origins date back to 1957 in Paris.

In accordance with the standards set by the IBA Headquarters (HQ) located in Italy, IBAKOREA operates a fully standardized system encompassing its training programs, instructor framework, and certification structure.

This is not merely the use of a shared name. It signifies that all training curricula, instructor qualifications, certification systems, and overall operational principles are directly aligned and formally integrated with the standards of the IBA Headquarters.