TAEKWONDO MARTIAL ARTS

Taekwondo (also spelled Tae Kwon Do or Taekwon-Do) is the most popular of the Korean martial arts and is the Korean national sport. It is also one of the world's most commonly practiced martial arts.

Kickboxing    Karate   Kung Fu   Tai Chi Chuan

In Korean, derived from hanja, Tae means "to kick or destroy with the foot"; Kwon means "to punch with the fist"; and Do means "way" or "art". Hence, Taekwondo is loosely translated as "the art of kicking and punching" or "the way of the foot and the fist." Taekwondo's popularity has resulted in the divergent evolution of the art. As with many other martial arts, Taekwondo is a combination of combat technique, self-defense, sport, exercise, entertainment, and philosophy.

Although there are great doctrinal and technical differences among Taekwondo styles, the art in general emphasizes kicks thrown from a mobile stance, using the leg's greater reach and power to disable the opponent from a distance. In sparring, turning, 45 degree, front, axe, and side kicks are most often used; advanced kicks include jump, spin, skip, and drop kicks, often in combination. Taekwondo training also includes a comprehensive system of hand strikes and blocks, but generally does not emphasize grappling.

Taekwondo is one of two Asian martial arts (Judo being the other) to make it to the Olympic Games.

History
While the practice of martial arts has ancient roots in Korea, the naming and systemization of Taekwondo occurred relatively recently, and the Olympic sparring rules are being revised even today. See Korean martial arts.

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As far back as the Silla Dynasty (668 AD - 935 AD), Chinese Chuan Fa techniques were used to train Korean warriors. These techniques evolved to become the empty-hand art of Subak, which was standardized during the Koryo Dynasty (935 AD - 1392 AD). During the early Joseon Dynasty (1393 - 1910), Subak was divided into Taekyon (a striking art) and Yusul (a grappling art). Through the years, however, Yusul was practiced with decreasing frequency and, eventually, only the Taekyon aspect of Subak remained, facing extinction.

In the late 18th century, King Chongjo ordered the compilation of the Muye Dobo Tongji, an official martial arts text which identified many disciplines, including the empty-hand Kwonbup (transliteration of Chinese Chuan Fa, from which Subak was derived). Taekyon survived during the last part of the Chosun Dynasty via the secret practice of certain Korean families and street gangs.

During the Japanese occupation of Korea (1910-1945), many Koreans were exposed to Japanese versions of Chinese martial arts such as karate. As the Japanese moved deeper into the continent, karate was adopted and mixed with more traditional Korean martial arts such as Taekyon, as well as traditional Chinese martial arts studied by Koreans in Manchuria and China.

Upon the liberation of Korea in 1945, various martial arts schools formed, including Chongdokwan, Yonmukwan, Changmukwan, Odokwan, and Mudokkwan. General Choi Hong Hi, generally considered the father of modern Taekwondo, taught a combination of Karate and Taekyon to his soldiers.

In 1955, these arts, at that time called various names by the different schools, were ordered to unify by South Korea's President Syngman Rhee. A governmental body selected Choi's submission of "Taekwondo" as the name. Taekwondo incorporated more native Korean martial art styles, including difficult kicks from Taekyon in a modified linear form.

In 1959, the Korean Taekwondo Association (KTA) was formed, with General Choi as president. This year also marked the first international tour of Taekwondo, by General Choi and 19 black belts.

In 1960, Jhoon Rhee was teaching what he called Korean Karate (or Tangsudo) in the United States. After a visit from General Choi, Rhee changed the name of his art to Taekwondo. Rhee is often considered the father of Taekwondo in America.

A goodwill trip to the Communist government of North Korea in 1966 caused General Choi to fall out of favor in South Korea. General Choi left for Canada, founding the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) in March of that year, with associations in Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, West Germany, the United States, Turkey, Italy, Egypt and Korea. The ITF focused on a more martial style of Taekwondo, complete with tol, or forms, developed by Choi. By 1971, ITF had more than 65 member countries. General Choi died in 2002, in Pyongyang, North Korea.

In 1972, Kukkiwon was founded as the headquarters for Taekwondo in South Korea. In 1973, the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) was formed by the South Korean government to rival the ITF. It was originally headed by Kim Un-Yong (later a member of the IOC), with participation of 35 delegates from around the world. Kukkiwon-WTF changed its format to focus on Taeguk pumse, sparring, and the competitive aspect of Taekwondo, holding the 1st World Taekwondo Championships in May 1973.

In July 1980, the International Olympic Committee recognized the WTF and, Taekwondo was a demonstration sport at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. It has been an official Olympic event since the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Taekwondo was admitted to the Asian Games as an official event in 1984.
The source of this article is Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL
 

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