The History of Taekwondo

Taekwondo is one of the most recognizable martial arts in the world.

Known for its fast kicks, spinning techniques and emphasis on discipline, Taekwondo is practiced by millions of people and has grown from Korean martial arts schools into an international sport featured at the Olympic Games.

But where did Taekwondo actually come from?

The answer is more complicated than simply tracing it back hundreds or thousands of years. While Taekwondo draws inspiration from Korea's martial traditions, the martial art we recognize as Taekwondo today was largely developed during the middle of the 20th century.

Its history involves ancient Korean fighting traditions, Japanese occupation, karate, the establishment of new Korean martial arts schools, efforts to create a unified national martial art and eventually the development of two major international Taekwondo organizations.

## What Does Taekwondo Mean?

The Korean name for Taekwondo is:

**태권도**

It is commonly broken into three components:

**Tae (태)** refers to the foot or techniques involving kicking.

**Kwon (권)** refers to the fist or striking with the hand.

**Do (도)** means a way, path or discipline.

Together, Taekwondo is commonly translated as **"the way of the foot and fist."**

The name provides a good description of the martial art, particularly its emphasis on kicking techniques, but the word itself is relatively modern.

The name Taekwondo was introduced during the 1950s as Korean martial arts leaders worked to establish a distinctly Korean identity for the martial arts being practiced throughout the country.

## Korean Martial Arts Before Taekwondo

Korea has a long history of martial practices.

Historical Korean fighting systems included archery, swordsmanship, wrestling and various forms of unarmed combat.

One frequently discussed predecessor is **Taekkyeon**, a traditional Korean martial art characterized by rhythmic movement, footwork, kicks and sweeps.

Another term commonly encountered in discussions about Korean martial arts history is **Subak**, which appears in historical Korean records as a form of martial activity or combat.

These traditions are important parts of Korea's martial heritage.

However, it is misleading to describe modern Taekwondo as an unchanged martial art that has been continuously practiced for thousands of years.

Modern Taekwondo developed much later and was influenced by several martial traditions.

## Japanese Occupation and the Influence of Karate

One of the most important periods in understanding Taekwondo's development is the Japanese occupation of Korea from 1910 to 1945.

During this period, a number of Koreans studied Japanese martial arts, particularly karate.

Several individuals who would later become influential figures in Korean martial arts trained in karate or martial systems strongly influenced by it.

When Japanese rule ended following the Second World War, martial arts schools began opening throughout Korea.

These schools became known as **kwans**.

The early kwans did not all teach exactly the same martial art. Their founders had different backgrounds and influences, including Japanese karate, Chinese martial arts and Korean martial traditions.

This period ultimately provided the environment from which modern Taekwondo would emerge.

## The Original Kwans

Beginning in the 1940s, several influential martial arts schools were established in Korea.

Among the best known were:

**Chung Do Kwan**

**Moo Duk Kwan**

**Song Moo Kwan**

**Ji Do Kwan**

**Chang Moo Kwan**

Additional kwans and offshoots appeared during the following years.

Each developed its own instructors, techniques and approach to martial arts.

Initially, names such as **Tang Soo Do**, **Kong Soo Do** and other terms were commonly used rather than Taekwondo.

Over time, Korean martial arts leaders and government officials began working toward greater standardization.

## The Name "Taekwondo"

The name **Taekwondo** emerged in 1955.

General **Choi Hong Hi** is one of the most important figures associated with the adoption and promotion of the name.

Choi had studied martial arts and became influential in the Korean military, where martial arts training was increasingly incorporated into military programs.

A committee was assembled to consider a name for the developing Korean martial art, and "Taekwondo" was proposed.

The name helped establish a Korean identity distinct from Japanese karate while also connecting the developing martial art with Korea's own martial heritage.

It would take years, however, before everyone agreed to use the name.

Different schools continued using different terminology and teaching different systems.

## The Korean Taekwondo Association

Efforts to organize Korean martial arts continued throughout the 1950s and 1960s.

The **Korea Taekwondo Association (KTA)** was established in 1961, although organizational names and structures changed during its early development.

The KTA played an important role in bringing different schools together and establishing greater consistency in instruction, competition and promotion.

This was a significant step toward transforming a collection of related martial arts schools into something recognizable as a unified martial art.

Taekwondo also became increasingly connected with South Korea's national identity.

As Korean instructors travelled abroad, Taekwondo began spreading rapidly around the world.

## General Choi Hong Hi and the ITF

General Choi Hong Hi continued promoting Taekwondo internationally.

In 1966, he founded the **International Taekwon-Do Federation**, commonly known as the **ITF**.

The ITF developed its own system of patterns, known as **tul**, along with technical standards and competition rules.

Political disagreements eventually resulted in Choi leaving South Korea, and the ITF developed independently from the Taekwondo organizations supported by the South Korean government.

This division is one reason there are different styles of Taekwondo today.

ITF Taekwondo remains practiced internationally and has its own technical traditions, competition formats and organizations.

## Kukkiwon and World Taekwondo

Meanwhile, Taekwondo continued developing within South Korea.

In 1972, the **Kukkiwon** was established in Seoul.

Often referred to as the World Taekwondo Headquarters, Kukkiwon became a central institution for technical standards, instructor education and black belt certification within the style of Taekwondo commonly associated with South Korea.

In 1973, the **World Taekwondo Federation** was established.

The organization is now known simply as **World Taekwondo (WT)**.

World Taekwondo became the primary international governing organization for sport Taekwondo and developed the competition system that eventually reached the Olympic Games.

Kukkiwon and World Taekwondo are separate organizations, although their histories and systems are closely connected.

## How Taekwondo Became a Global Martial Art

Taekwondo expanded rapidly during the second half of the 20th century.

Korean instructors established schools throughout North America, Europe and other parts of the world.

Military personnel who encountered Korean martial arts also helped expose new audiences to Taekwondo.

Its combination of structured belt progression, spectacular kicking techniques, forms, sparring and an emphasis on discipline made it particularly adaptable to martial arts schools.

Taekwondo became especially popular as a martial art for children and families.

For many people outside Korea, Taekwondo became their first introduction to martial arts.

## Taekwondo and the Olympics

Taekwondo's development as an international sport eventually brought it to the Olympic stage.

It appeared as a demonstration sport at the **1988 Seoul Olympic Games** and again at the **1992 Barcelona Olympic Games**.

Taekwondo was later approved as an official Olympic medal sport.

It made its full medal debut at the **2000 Sydney Olympic Games**.

That moment represented an extraordinary transformation.

In roughly half a century, a martial art developed from Korea's post-war martial arts community had become a globally recognized competitive sport.

Olympic Taekwondo has continued evolving, with electronic scoring systems, protective equipment and rule changes influencing how elite competitors fight.

## ITF Taekwondo and WT Taekwondo

People searching for a Taekwondo school today will often encounter references to **ITF** and **WT** Taekwondo.

While both share historical roots, there are noticeable differences.

ITF schools generally place significant emphasis on traditional patterns, hand techniques and a particular approach to sparring.

WT-affiliated schools generally follow the Kukkiwon technical system and may place greater emphasis on the style of full-contact sparring used in international and Olympic competition.

There can also be significant differences between individual schools within either tradition.

For students, the quality of the instructor and culture of the school can be just as important as the organization with which it is affiliated.

## Why Is Taekwondo Known for Kicking?

Kicking has become Taekwondo's most recognizable technical characteristic.

Modern Taekwondo includes front kicks, side kicks, roundhouse kicks, back kicks, hook kicks and numerous spinning and jumping variations.

High-level competitors can execute these techniques with remarkable speed and precision.

Competition rules also contributed to the development of increasingly sophisticated kicking strategies.

In Olympic-style competition, kicks to the body and head play a central role in scoring. Over time, athletes and coaches developed highly specialized methods for delivering kicks quickly and from unexpected angles.

The result is a martial art with one of the most extensive kicking repertoires in the martial arts world.

## Forms in Taekwondo

Taekwondo also includes predetermined sequences of techniques commonly called forms.

The terminology and forms practiced depend on the Taekwondo organization.

Kukkiwon-style Taekwondo commonly uses **poomsae**.

ITF Taekwondo generally uses the term **tul**.

Forms allow practitioners to repeatedly practice stances, blocks, strikes, kicks, transitions and combinations without requiring a partner.

They also preserve important technical elements of each Taekwondo system.

## The Taekwondo Belt System

Like many modern martial arts, Taekwondo uses coloured belts to represent progression.

A new student will generally begin as a white belt and progress through a series of coloured belts before becoming eligible to test for black belt.

The exact colours, number of ranks and testing requirements vary between organizations and individual schools.

Receiving a black belt does not mean someone has finished learning Taekwondo.

Traditionally, it represents a transition into a more advanced stage of training.

Black belts can continue progressing through a series of **dan ranks**, reflecting increasing levels of experience and development.

## Taekwondo Today

Today, Taekwondo is practiced around the world by children, recreational martial artists, competitive athletes and lifelong practitioners.

Some schools emphasize Olympic competition.

Others focus on traditional forms, self-defense, fitness or character development.

Many combine several of these elements.

That diversity is partly a reflection of Taekwondo's history.

Taekwondo was never created at a single moment by one person and then preserved unchanged. It emerged through decades of development involving multiple instructors, schools, organizations and martial traditions.

That history ultimately produced one of the world's most widely practiced martial arts.

## From Korea to the World

The story of Taekwondo is ultimately a modern Korean story.

Its deeper roots connect with Korea's martial heritage, while important parts of its technical development came from the martial arts environment of the early 20th century, including significant influence from Japanese karate.

After Korea regained independence, Korean martial artists transformed those influences into new systems.

The kwans emerged. Organizations formed. The name Taekwondo was adopted. Korean instructors carried the art overseas. ITF and Kukkiwon-style Taekwondo developed along different paths. International competition grew.

Eventually, Taekwondo reached the Olympic Games.

Today, **태권도** can be found on martial arts schools around the world.

What began in Korea has become a martial art practiced across cultures, generations and borders, while still carrying the Korean identity that gave Taekwondo its name.