Any claims to truly ancient roots for tae kwan do,
generally regarded as the world's most popular participant martial art,
are complicated and clouded by the Korean peninsula's unsettled past.
Long occupied by the Chinese and more recently by the Japanese, the
peninsula traces independent history only from the late 1940s. While the
remnants of indigenous
martial ideas may be present in modern tae kwan do, the base of the art very likely derives from Japanese
karate, principally Shotokan. This transplanted sport developed and branched as the peninsula was politically divided.
The personal history of Gen. Choi Hong-Hi, known to
some as the "father of tae kwan do," mirrors the peninsula's political
discord. General Choi received training in karate during an extended
stay in
Kyoto, Japan, during the Japanese occupation of his homeland. After
the liberation of the peninsula in 1945, Choi received a commission in
the newly formed Korean army, and he began to share his knowledge with
his fellow soldiers in an effort to improve discipline, self-defense,
and fitness. Choi and other practitioners, both military and civilian,
began to blend a new martial art from these Japanese roots by adding
some ancient Korean and Chinese practices, sometimes calling the result
Tae Kyon. In 1952 Choi helped to organize a demonstration of this
precursor to tae kwan do for the president of the Republic of Korea
(South Korea; ROK),
Syngman Rhee, who was so impressed that he ordered tae kwan do added
to basic ROK military training. The ROK's 29th Infantry Division
quickly became synonymous with tae kwan do skill and attained a much
respected and feared reputation while training and fighting in concert
with U.S. and Vietnamese troops during the Vietnam War.
From these military beginnings, tae kwan do
distinguished itself from Japanese martial arts in the development of
head-high kicking attacks, as well as the spectacular jump and
jump-spinning kicks now used by Olympic competitors; Japanese styles
rarely call for kicks above the waist of the opponent. Tae kwan do,
particularly the version prevalent in the ROK, has moved into the
category of a formalized sport along with such disciplines as Olympic
boxing and
judo; in contrast, many Japanese styles continue to emphasize the
artistic aspect of martial arts, with greater attention to meditation
and philosophy.
A meeting of several senior practitioners of the
precursors to tae kwan do was held in 1955, where the general acceptance
of the name tae kwan do ("the way of foot and fist fighting")
was achieved. Choi rapidly rose in military and civilian circles,
gaining the rank of general and becoming the first president of the
Korea Taekwondo Association (KTA) in 1961. By the vagaries of Korean
politics, however, General Choi's positions of prominence were deeply
affected by the coup installing
Park Chung Hee as president of the ROK in 1963. This upheaval caused
the general to relocate to Vancouver, Canada, in 1972. Once there, he
established the International Taekwondo Federation (ITF) and further
distanced himself from the ROK by visiting the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea (North Korea) in 1980.
In 1973 the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) was
established in the ROK and gained that government's designation as the
sole governing body for international tae kwan do. The WTF continues as
the recognized governing body for the discipline, particularly in its
sport and Olympic aspects, and operates in the Olympic arena through
national associations, such as the United States Taekwondo Union. All
Olympic competitors must hold a black belt recognized by the WTF, as
issued from World Taekwondo Headquarters, the Kukkiwon, in
Seoul, Republic of Korea. The ITF continues as a distinct body,
emphasizing "traditional" (that is, non-Olympic) tae kwan do. Choi died
on June 15, 2002.
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