Reference: Tae Kwon Do
Authors: Yeon Hee Park, Yeon Hwan Park, Jon Gerrard

Literally translated from the Korean, Tae means “to kick” or “to strike with the foot,” Kwon means “fist” or “to strike with the hand,” and Do means “discipline” or “art.” Taken together, Tae Kwon Do means “the art of kicking and punching” – “the art of unarmed combat.” Modern-day Tae Kwon Do is a unique martial art incorporating both the quick, straight-line movements that characterize the various Japanese systems and the flowing circular movements of most Chinese styles. But more than this, what truly distinguishes Tae Kwon Do are its varied and uniquely powerful kicking techniques. It is this prominent use of leg and kicking techniques that sets Tae Kwon Do apart from all other martial arts systems. Yet, Tae Kwon Do is far more than simply a system concerned with physical prowess, for it is also an art directed toward the moral development of its students.

The earliest records of Tae Kwon Do practice date back about 50 B.C. During this time, Korea was divided into three kingdoms: Silla, which was founded on the Kyongju plain in 57 B.C.; Koguryo, founded in the Yalu River Valley in 37 B.C.; and Baekche, founded in the southwestern area of the Korean peninsula in 18 B.C. Evidence of the practice of Taek Kyon (the earliest known form of Tae Kwon Do) has been found in the paintings on the ceiling of the Muyong-chong, a royal tomb from the Koguryo dynasty. These and other mural paintings show unarmed combatants using techniques that are virtually identical to those of modern-day Tae Kwon Do. Of particular interest are details that show the use of the knife hand, fist and classical fighting stances, all components of modern Tae Kwon Do.

On May 28, 1973 a new, worldwide organization, the World Tae Kwon Do Federation (WTF), was formed. Since that day, all Tae Kwon Do activities outside of Korea have been coordinated by the WTF, the only official organization recognized by the Korean government as an international regulating body for Tae Kwon Do. Also in May 1973, the first biennial World Tae Kwon Do Championships were held in Seoul as a prelude to the inauguration of the WTF. Since then, the world championships have been held in may countries around the world, including the United States, West Germany, South America and Denmark.

It was Tae Kwon Do’s prominence in the circle of international sports which brought the art to the attention of the General Association of International Sports Federation (GAISF). GAISF is an association of all international sports, both Olympic and non-Olympic, with direct ties to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Under the auspices of GAISF, Tae Kwon Do as a sport was introduced to the IOC, which recognized and admitted the WTF in July 1980. Not long after this initial contact, Tae Kwon Do as a sport was given a tremendous honor. At the General Session of the IOC in May of 1982, Tae Kwon Do was designated an official Demonstration Sport for the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea. There, under the inspirational leadership of their coach, Grandmaster Yeon Hwan Park, the United States women’s team secured the first-place trophy. The U.S. men’s team finished a respectable second, topped only by the Korean national team.

This exposure at the 24th Olympic Games brought the art to the attention of the general public for the first time. Audiences whose knowledge of the martial arts had been restricted to Japanese Karate-do and Chinese Kung Fu were now afforded a look at the Korean martial art. Although having aspects similar to both Karate-do and Kung Fu, Tae Kwon Do has an element that sets it apart from all other systems. For sporting contests, competitors are often outfitted with padding that protects them from serious injury while imposing very little restriction on movement. As a result, audiences witnessed martial art competitors landing full-power techniques that could otherwise cripple or kill. And the techniques they saw were predominated by high, quick kicking and dynamic spinning. Tae Kwon Do had blossomed.

As a testament to its popularity, the art was once again selected to appear as a Demonstration Sport at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. Once again the audience response to Tae Kwon Do was overwhelming. As a result of its obvious popularity, Tae Kwon Do was accorded its crowning achievement in September of 1994 when it was accepted as a full medal sport for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.

In the short time since the WTF was established in 1973, Tae Kwon Do has grown with unprecedented rapidity as a worldwide sport. Today, with more than 30 million practitioners in 163 countries, Tae Kwon Do has earned the distinction of being recognized as the most widely practiced martial art system in the world.