Taekwondo (also written as "tae kwon do", "taekwon-do" or "t'aegwondo") is a modern martial art from Korea that is characterised by its fast, high and spinning kicks

 

The earliest records of Martial Arts practice in Korea date back to about 50 B.C. These earliest forms of korean martial arts are known as 'Taek Kyon'. Evidence that Martial Arts were being practiced at that time can be found in tombs where wall-paintings show two men in fighting-stance. Others reject this evidence and say that these men could be simply dancing.

 

Modern-day Taekwondo is influenced by many other Martial Arts. The most important of these arts is Japanese Karate. This is because Japan dominated Korea during 1910 until the end of World War II. During WWII, lots of Korean soldiers were trained in Japan. During this occupation of Korea, the Japanese tried to erase all traces of the Korean culture, including the martial arts. The influence that Japan has given to Taekwondo are the quick, lineair movements, that characterize the various Japanese systems.

 

General Choi Hong-hi required the army to train Taekwondo, so the very first Taekwondo students were Korean soldiers. The police and air force had to learn Taekwondo as well. At that time, Taekwondo was merely a Korean version of Shotokan Karate. In 1961 the Korean Taekwondo Union arose from the Soo Bakh Do Association and the Tae Soo Do Association. In 1962 the Korean Amateur Sports Association acknowledged the Korean Taekwondo Union and in 1965 the name was changed to Korean Taekwondo Association (K.T.A.). General Choi was president of the K.T.A. at that time and was asked to start the I.T.F. as the international branch of the K.T.A. The southern government was overthrown in 1961. General Choi Hong-hi left for America and established I.T.F. (International Taekwondo Federation) Taekwondo, as a separate entity, two years later.

 

His beliefs and his vision of a different approach to teaching martial arts led General Choi to combine elements of Taek Kyon and Karate techniques to develop a modern martial art. He called it Tae kwon-Do, which means "The way of the feet and the hands", and this name was officially adopted on April 11th, 1955. The philosophical values and the goals of Tae kwon-Do are firmly rooted in the traditional moral culture of the Orient. On the technical side, defensive and offensive tactics are based on principles of physics.

 

In 1959, General Choi was named President of the Korean Tae kwon-Do Association. 7 years later, on March 22nd, 1966, he created the International Tae kwon-Do Federation (ITF). As the Founder of Tae kwon-Do and President of the ITF, he had the ability to share his art, based on traditional values, philosophy and training, with students around the world. He believed and practiced the virtues of freedom, justice and righteousness. After a lifetime of dedication to Tae kwon-Do, Gen. Choi passed away on June 15th 2002