| Taekwondo is derived from several martial arts with | | | | The few remaining dedicated practitioners emigrated |
| the main influence being tae-kyon - Korean kick | | | | to China and Japan and hence, the art survived. |
| fighting. "Tae" means to kick. "Kwon" means to strike | | | | Following liberation in 1945, many Korean exiles |
| using the hand, in most cases the fist. "Do" refers to | | | | returned to their homeland and reintroduced an |
| the way of the art, like in the examples of Hapkido, | | | | improved version of Taekwondo. The Korean |
| Karate-do, Ninjado etc. Thus, the foundation of the art | | | | government, as part of its canpaign to reassert |
| is the use of the hands and feet to overcome an | | | | national identity after years of Japanese occupation, |
| attacker swiftly. | | | | supported the practice of Taekwondo by officially |
| History: | | | | sponsoring it. This led to a more formal approach to |
| Taekwondo was originally developed in Korea in the | | | | the teaching and grading of the discipline. |
| 1950s, when a group of leading martial arts exponents | | | | Taekwondo spread worldwide from Korea in the |
| came together to unify their respective disciplines | | | | 1960s and the first world Taekwondo championship |
| under a single fighting system. The inauguration took | | | | took place in Seoul, South Korea, in 1973. Since 1988, |
| place in South Korea on April 11, 1955, with | | | | Taekwondo has been listed as an Olympic sport. |
| Major-General Choi Hong Hi, a 9th dan black belt, being | | | | Competitive fighting: |
| credited as the founder. However, its roots date back | | | | Competitive fighting in Taekwondo is purely optional. |
| nearly 2000 years ago when it was born from an art | | | | For those who participate, competitions are split into 3 |
| known as hwarang do, meaning "the way of the | | | | sections - sparring, patterns and destruction. |
| flowering manhood". | | | | Sparring involves 2 practitioners practising fighting |
| The hwarang were young noblemen, influenced by | | | | techniques to develop their timing, focus and speed. It is |
| Confucian teachings, who formed a patriotic society | | | | performed in a controlled environment so that no |
| during the unification of Korea, in the Silla dynasty, | | | | unnecessary injuries occur. In competition, the aim is to |
| around 600AD. The Silla kingdom was the smallest of | | | | score points through the delivery of correct techniques |
| 3 within the Korean peninsula and was constantly | | | | to target areas. |
| under attack from its two stronger neighbours. It was | | | | Patterns are a set of series of combination techniques |
| these constant invasions that led the Silla nobility to | | | | performed in a sequential order against an imaginery |
| develop a fighting system to protect their kingdom. | | | | opponent. This is similar to Karate, which refers to |
| Towards the end of the 10th century, following the | | | | patterns as kata, or Kung fu, which uses set |
| unification of Korea, learning Taekwondo became | | | | movements called forms. |
| compulsory for all young men. However, in about the | | | | Destruction refers to breaking techniques in which |
| 16th century, the military traditions of the country fell | | | | practitioners learn to break, for an example, a piece of |
| out of general favour and the practice of Taekwondo | | | | wood about 0.5 to 1 cm thick. The aim is to ensure that |
| was kept alive only by Buddhist monks. Following the | | | | the power and skill of the technique are truly effective. |
| Japanese occupation in 1909, the suppression of any | | | | It is also designed to focus the mind. |
| form of martial art only served to further its decline. | | | | |