Taekwondo

Origins of Modern Martial Arts

After the end of the Japanese occupation in 1945, new Korean martial arts schools, known as kwans, emerged in Seoul. Their founders came from different backgrounds. Some had studied karate, judo, or kendo in Japan; others had been influenced by Chinese or Manchurian martial arts. The modern history of Taekwondo is therefore a combination of Korean reformulation and multiple Asian influences, rather than a completely unbroken line from antiquity.

The Nine Original Kwans

The first kwans used names such as Chung Do Kwan, Song Moo Kwan, Moo Duk Kwan, Kwon Bop, Yun Moo Kwan, Chang Moo Kwan, Oh Do Kwan, Ji Do Kwan, and Jong Do Kwan. Not every historical list is identical, because organizations, names, and successions changed during the postwar period. Together, however, these schools formed the institutional foundation on which later standardization was built.

Choi Hong Hi and the Name Taekwon-Do

General Choi Hong Hi was a Korean army officer and one of the central architects of the modern Taekwon-Do tradition. In 1955, the name Taekwon-Do was officially put forward as a common name. Earlier names included Tang Soo Do, Kong Soo Do, and Tae Soo Do. The choice of name and the reference to older Korean footwork such as Taekkyon are part of a complex history in which sport, national identity, and politics converged.

Choi worked with Nam Tae Hi and other military instructors on the technical design of the system. His approach combined Korean terminology and historical symbolism with influences from karate, military training, biomechanics, and existing martial arts practices. The precise balance between these influences remains a subject of historical debate.

From KTA to ITF, Kukkiwon, and WT

The Korea Taekwondo Association was established in 1959 through cooperation among representatives of the kwans. The attempt to create a single common curriculum ultimately led to different directions. On March 22, 1966, Choi Hong Hi founded the International Taekwon-Do Federation and continued developing his Chang Hon system. The KTA and the South Korean government also developed the lineage that was later disseminated internationally through Kukkiwon and World Taekwondo.

In 1972, the KTA Central Dojang became the national academy that was later named Kukkiwon. In 1973, the World Taekwondo Federation was founded, now known as World Taekwondo. The political split surrounding Choi’s contacts with North Korea intensified the distinction between the ITF and the South Korean lineage. The ITF operated from Canada and continued to disseminate Choi’s system internationally.

IOC recognition followed in 1980; Taekwondo was a demonstration sport in Seoul in 1988 and became an official Olympic medal sport starting in Sydney in 2000. In 2018, the South Korean government officially designated Taekwondo as a national martial art.

The origin stories surrounding Taekkyon and ancient Korean martial arts should be read carefully. They are important to Taekwondo’s cultural identity, but they do not prove that the modern sport emerged directly and unchanged from a single ancient style.

The development of the major styles

Traditional Taekwondo and the old kwans

Traditional Taekwondo often refers to the martial arts practices of the 1940s and 1950s, before a single curriculum had been fully standardized. The schools used names such as Tang Soo Do, Kong Soo Do, and Tae Soo Do and differed in forms, terminology, and training emphases. Some of these lineages still exist under names such as Tang Soo Do and Soo Bahk Do.

ITF, Chang Hon, and GTF

ITF Taekwon-Do, more precisely called Chang Hon Taekwon-Do, uses Tul as the term for the 24 prescribed patterns. Choi Hong Hi described the system extensively in his 1983 Encyclopedia of Taekwon-Do. The ITF approach uses controlled semi-contact, a relatively equal role for hands and feet, the Theory of Power, and the Sine Wave.

The Global Taekwondo Federation emerged in 1990 as a breakaway from the ITF with additional elements. After Choi's death in 2001, the ITF itself split in 2002 into several organizations that use the name ITF. The GTF and the various ITF federations share the Chang Hon foundation, but their competition rules, organizational claims, and additional forms may differ.

ATA, Songahm, and Jhoon Rhee

Haeng Ung Lee, a former instructor in the South Korean military, founded the American Taekwondo Association in Omaha in 1969. ATA Taekwondo developed into Songahm Taekwondo, with its own forms, rank systems, and a large international school network. From the 1960s onward, Jhoon Rhee spread Traditional Taekwondo in the United States and later developed his own approach with traditional and ITF influences.

Kukkiwon and World Taekwondo

Kukkiwon is the technical and educational academy of Kukki Taekwondo and manages international Dan and Poom certification. World Taekwondo primarily governs international competition. Therefore, “WT style” and “Kukkiwon style” are not perfect synonyms: Kukkiwon technically defines the style, while WT manages the competition rules and sports structure.

Modern hybrid forms

Modern projects such as Extreme Taekwondo combine Taekwondo with elements from other disciplines, such as karate or capoeira. Such hybrid forms can be interesting as sports or demonstration formats, but they are not the same as ITF, GTF, Kukkiwon, or WT.

WT competitions: Kyorugi and Poomsae

In WT Kyorugi, two competitors fight under continuous full-contact rules. Permitted techniques consist mainly of kicks and straight punches to the permitted target areas; punches to the head are prohibited. Regular and spinning kicks score different numbers of points, with a spinning head kick worth more than a regular body kick. The exact scoring table, sensor thresholds, and penalties may be adjusted.

A Gam-jeom is a penalty that generally awards one point to the opponent. Matches often consist of three two-minute rounds with rest periods, but youth and regional tournaments may differ. Weight classes, age groups, and the division between men and women vary by event. Under the current rules, a tied score may lead to an extra round or a decision based on superiority.

At major competitions, WT uses electronic hogu, foot protectors, and headgear for certain scores. Referees and judges assess punches, technical spinning or kicking actions, and fouls, among other things. Technology reduces some disputes but also raises questions about sensor thresholds and the influence of scoring on fighting style.

Poomsae is the non-contact discipline in which competitors perform a prescribed form. Judges assess accuracy, balance, posture, rhythm, power, speed, and presentation, among other criteria. Individual, pair, and team forms are available, and some competitions also include freestyle forms. Poomsae is a recognized WT discipline but is not an Olympic event.

ITF competitions: sparring, Tul, and breaking tests

ITF sparring is generally a continuous point-sparring format with controlled contact. Hand techniques to the head are permitted under the applicable rules, but excessive contact is not intended. Common scoring models award points for punches, kicks to the body, head kicks, and jumping or spinning techniques. The exact scoring table may differ between ITF federations and national organizations.

An international competition may take place on a square ring measuring approximately 9 by 9 meters. Protective equipment generally consists of approved hand and safety kicks; a hogu is not the standard basis of ITF sparring. Attacking a downed opponent, sweeping, holding, and attacking outside the target area may be considered fouls.

In addition to sparring, ITF tournaments include Tul, Power Breaking, and Special Techniques. In special techniques, prescribed jumping or height techniques are performed, often in combination with breaking boards. Some events organize WT and ITF disciplines alongside each other, with separate rules for Kyorugi, Tul, Poomsae, and Chang Hon patterns.

Korean terms and techniques

Korean commands are used in many schools outside Korea. Examples include charyeot, attention; junbi, ready; sijak, begin; geuman, stop; gyeongnye, bow; gyesok, continue; baro, return to ready position; swieo, relax; hyusik, rest; dwirodora, turn around; gihap, training shout; siseon, gaze or focus; and haesan, end or dismiss.

Foot and hand techniques

Common foot technique names include chagi, ap chagi, dollyeo chagi, yeop chagi, hulyeogi chagi, dwi chagi, dwi dollyeo chagi, dwi dollyeo hulyeogi chagi, mureup chagi, and bit chagi. Hand and arm techniques include jireugi, chigi, makgi, gwon, deungjumeok, sonkal, sonkkeut, batangson, palkkum, yeop jireugi, and san makgi.

Stances

Examples include junbi seogi, jeongul seogi, hugul seogi, gima seogi, gimalip seogi, juchum seogi, sagolib seogi, and gyocha lib seogi. Hangul, Hanja, and Revised Romanization may be rendered differently in sources. More importantly, the same Korean term may refer to a different technical execution depending on the governing body or school.

Choosing a Taekwondo school

Start with your goal. If you want to spar competitively at the Olympic level, look for a WT school offering Kyorugi and appropriate protective gear. If you are looking for traditional forms, hand techniques, Tul, and semi-contact sparring, an ITF school may be a better fit. If you are primarily interested in movement, discipline, Poomsae, or recreational training, ask which part of the curriculum is genuinely central.

• Ask which association or federation the school represents and which exams or certificates it uses.
• Ask whether the classes mainly consist of Kyorugi, Tul, Poomsae, self-defense, conditioning, or a combination.
• Check the safety rules, protective equipment, how beginners are treated, and how contact is introduced.
• Attend a trial class and pay attention to clear instruction, respect, differences in ability, and a healthy training culture.
• Treat claims about recognition, world titles, and historical lineage critically, and ask which organization confirms those claims.

A good school does not have to be the toughest or loudest school. The best match is the place where style, training goals, ability level, safety, and culture align.