Taekwondo was originally developed in Korea in the 1950s. Derived from several martial arts, with its core being tae-kwon, or Korean kick-fighting, its key focus is to swiftly overcome an opponent with the use of hands and feet.

History and Philosophy

Taekwondo officially began when a group of leading martial arts experts came together to unify their respective disciplines under a single fighting system. This took place in South Korea on 11 April 1955 with Major General Choi Hong Hi, a 9th dan black belt, as the founder.

Its roots stretch back nearly 2,000 years to an art called hwarangdo practiced by an elite force of handpicked young loyalists during Korea’s Silla Dynasty around 600 AD. Learning taekwondo became compulsory for all young men towards the end of the 10th century, but fell out of favour in the 16th century and was only kept alive by Buddhist monks. The suppression of martial arts during the Japanese occupation in 1909 furthered its decline.

Following Korea’s liberation in 1945, many Korean exiles returned home and introduced an improved version of taekwondo. The government, as part of its campaign to reassert national identity, officially endorsed taekwondo.

Taekwondo spread worldwide from Korea in the 1960s and has been listed as an Olympic sport since 1988.

Taekwondo Training

Training consists of a variety of punching, kicking, dodging, jumping, parrying, and blocking techniques. Practices also include the splitting of wood, and the smashing of bricks and tiles with bare hands or feet. Other types of training include sparring and learning formalised patterns of movement called hyung (similar to karate’s kata). Competition is optional.

Practitioners wear the gi, a plain white heavy cotton suit with a coloured belt denoting the wearer’s skill level. They perform a customary bow called a kyongye to instructor, opponent and the training area as a sign of respect.