ITF Taekwondo
World Taekwondo
ATA Taekwondo
Taekwondo a devastating Kicking art from Korea 'which of the traditional arts is one of the youngest at least that's what your led to believe ,but in fact it was developed centuries ago and was known in those days as taekkyon.
A Buddhist monk named Won Kwangis said to have developed the principles that to this day remain evident in modern Taekwondo.It was developed as a means of self defense for tribal groups who where at threat from neighbors,and dates back over a thousand years.But as Taekwondo in the modern world well we have to go to 1955 when General Choi Hong Hi at a conference of masters submitted this Taekwondo name as it resembled the original taekkyon name.
And it's Japanese influence is evident because of the occupation of Korea between 1907 and 1945 of which most of the that time 1909-1945 the practice of martial arts was outlawed.
We all know as with China also that people secretly practiced their art otherwise a lot of arts would have vanished.After the war the top Korean masters came together to unify to create a National art Korea could be proud of 'Taekwondo was born on the 11th of April 1955'.
Now with two main styles of Taekwondo there are some differences , General Choi Hong Hi was born in Japanese occupied Korea in 1918 in the Myongchon District (Which is now in North Korea) , after the war of Course Korea was split and though Choi Hong Hi was one of the Twelve original masters who formed the Korean Taekwondo association (KTA) , and had traveled to promote Taekwondo he was forced to resign from the post of President of the KTA only after a year of being appointed , due to his Authoritarian way of teaching.
This was around 1965
It was after this that Choi set up the International Taekwondo Federation (ITF) .
He put forth that his form Of Taekwondo or Taekwon-do as he wrote it , was the only true form of Taekwondo.
This resulted in resentment from many of his peers and it was shortly after this that the South Korean Goverment help set up the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF)
In January 1971 Dr,uUn Yong Kim was elected President of the Korean Taekwondo association and under his leadership the W.T.F was born.
In 1980 Taekwondo was recognized by the IOC as an Olympic event and was demonstrated at the 1988 and 1992 Olympic events.
And in 2000 became a fully fledged Olympic Event.
It seems there will be no union of the two forms of Taekwondo (Not in my lifetime anyway) .
General Choi Hong Hi resided in Canada up until the year 2000 , after this he went home for his final days , of course home now was North Korea , he died in Pyongyang 2002.
South Korea completely ignore his existence and that he founded the art of Taekwondo and don't recognize any form of ITF Taekwondo (Remember this when traveling to South Korea for Taekwondo themed events, don't wear a ITF badged Dobuk)
Around the World it's a different matter people all around learn Taekwondo , some ITF others WTF
( Now World Taekwondo) , ATA or other styles .
There will always be differences within systems , but I for one thinks you can not ignore General Choi Hong Hi , because with out his vision of Taekwondo and bringing together and being part of the original twelve masters would we have 'Taekwondo''?
As of 2017 the World Taekwondo Federation became known simply as World Taekwondo , they designed a new logo as displayed at the top of this page .
It's new design of a vector Taekwondo exponent brings it inline with it's Olympic inclusions in the modern world and it's equality of the sexes as the new logo design does not specify a male or female.
The Old World Taekwondo Federation Logo prior to it's update in 2017
Traditional Taekwondo One Step Sparring
Olympic Taekwondo in full flight
General Choi Hong Hi (centre)
Haeng Ung Lee (left)
Like I said their are two main styles of Taekwondo but there is also a third for we have American Taekwondo as taught at the American Taekwondo Association (ATA) .
American Taekwondo came about when Haeng Ung Lee a South Korean Military trainer moved to Nebraska USA and with his partners set up the American Taekwondo Association .
Lee's style was based on Traditional Taekwondo , going back to it's roots of Taekyon and Tang Soo Do .
But it also Incorperated elements of ITF and WTF . His style flourished as it encompassed so much , and ATA became the largest of the Taekwondo Assocaitions in the USA.
Haeng Ung Lee also further developed his art with Songham Taekwondo (STF) and also created the WTTU which where just alternative organisations to promote ATA outside of the USA.
We also can not leave it at that , yes one more important Taekwondo organisation that came to the USA was the Jhoon Rhee style of Taekwondo . Jhoon Rhee came to the USA in 1962 , he set up Taekwondo schools . Now Jhoon Rhee favoured and taught a adapted style of ITF , he further developed this into his own Jhoon Rhee style of Taekwondo in light of ITF's connection to North Korea.
Jhoon Rhee was also a Friend of Bruce Lee and the two traded ideas and would often train for four or five hours at a time together and then end up spending the night talking , eating and drinking.
Master Rhee also gave free lessons to the members of Congress on Capitol Hill as thanks for all the USA had done for him.
He taught many notable people like Jesse Jackson , and Muhammad Ali.
**Note - The South Korean World Taekwondo Federation is now officialy now known as World Taekwondo
Master Jhoon Rhee
Master Jhoon Rhee with Bruce Lee
Kicks
Korean Term =Chagi
With a varied selection of kicks in the Takwondo arsenal ,there should be no shortage of any particular practitioner failing to perfect a good range of kicks.Of course in studying Taekwondo you will learn all relevant kicks ,but as with all people ,each individual usually favors a certain kick over a other.
Front Kick - The first kick taught in Taekwondo is a very linear kick ,Normally using the rear leg you would raise your knee to about waist height and then extend the leg in a snapping motion whilst maintaining posture and pulling toes back .The effect would be to push away your opponent,but performed perfectly with power can be a devastating kick.
Side Kick - The action is similar to the front ,but from the side.you would simultaneously raise the knee and turn 90 degrees before extending the leg to unleash the kick.
Turning Kick - Often referred to as the roundhouse kick ,with this you raise the knee and turn whilst pivoting on the other foot,you would angle your self across your target 80 degrees or so and extend and kick with the instep or in other cases the ball of the foot , as with the front kick pulling back the toes when utilizing the ball of the foot.
Back kick/Horse Kick- this kick sees you turning away from your opponent to face the other direction,you kick out behind yourself with the rear leg using the heel of your foot as the impact point.This is all done while looking over your shoulder. A very powerful kick if performed right but you may find yourself of target at the beginning of learning this kick as you over turn out of target and maybe lose your balance.
Back side kick /reverse side - Performed in the same way as the back kick but this time you spin more in to it so that you kick using the heel of the foot as used in the side kick.
Hook Kick - Not the easiest of kicks .but one which has it's fans (Bill ''Superfoot'' Wallace springs to mind) Here the action is similar to that of the turning kick/roundhouse kick ,but instead of kicking with the instep or ball your intended point of impact is the heel,Turning in the same manner as the turning kick you circle the leg in a dorsal arc and whip it back using the heel to hit the target.
Axe Kick - With this kick good flexibility is required to perform it correctly ,coming of the rear foot the leg is raised straight up with the toes pulled back and the point of impact being your heel.You would use this to strike atop a opponents head,shoulder or chest,the main target of this kick is the collar bone which would break easily from a good axe kick.
Crescent Kick /outer and Inner - Here are two versions of the same kick ,with the outer the practitioner raises the leg as high as he can and performs a arc outside of the body ,the point of impact would be the center line of the body. With the inner the the arc starts earlier and the height of the leg comes after the start of the arc ,impact could be anywhere across the body ,the nose /head or even the side of the body.
Spin Kicks - spinning kicks involve completing a full spin before unleashing a kick ,Spins can be utilized with most kicks mentioned above as can Jump Kicks and Spinning Jumping Kicks.
Tornado kick/360 kick/Screw kick/windmill kick :The exponent steps forward then spins in the direction of their back leg while raising their knee and jumping to perform a spinning inside crescent kick in midair. the alternate version involve an initial round or crescent kick, while the back foot pivots. rotating the body in a 360 motion, the back foot comes up as a knee and swings across giving the momentum for your attacking leg to do a roundhouse kick or an inside crescent kick.
So there you go a outline of some of Taekwondo's most favorable kicks.Of course there are others like the Twisting Kick and stamp kick ,but if your just starting out the above should give you enough to work with.
Source of explanations on some kicks : Wikipedia
Yes you can also smack someone with your elbow if required
Picture Credits - Sertes Nake - Taken at Harts Taekwondo
| Romanization | Hangeul | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Cha-ryeot | 차렷 | Attention |
| Gyeong-nye | 경례 | Bow |
| Ban-hyan | 반환 | Return |
| Shwi-eo | 쉬어 | At ease (relax) |
| Hyu-shik | 휴식 | rest period |
| Ki-hap | 기합 | Yell (shout) |
| Jun-bi | 준비 | Ready |
| Shi-jak | 시작 | Begin (start) |
| Gal-lyeo | 갈려 | Break (separate) |
| Gye-sok | 계속 | Continue |
| Geu-man | 그만 | Finish (stop) |
| Dwiro-dora | 뒤로 돌아 | Turn around (about turn) |
| Hae-san | 해산 | Dismiss |
Taekwon-Do students should attempt to be polite to one another and to respect others. Students should address instructors as Sir and to bow to the instructors before and after classes. Turning up early or on time for classes is also an aspect of courtesy.
One who has integrity is able to define what is right or wrong and have the conscience, if wrong, to feel guilt. Taekwon-Do students should strive to be honest and to live by moral principles.
Perseverance means having patience. One of the most important secrets of becoming a leader in Taekwon-Do is to overcome every difficulty by perseverance. Confucius said," One who is impatient in trivial matters can seldom achieve success in matters of great importance."
Without self-control, a Taekwon-Do student is just like any fighter in the street. Loss of self-control is disastrous both in sparring and personal affairs. "The term of stronger is the person who wins over oneself rather than someone else", Lao Tzu.
A true student of Taekwon-Do will never give up, not even when faced with insurmountable odds. The most difficult goals can be achieved with indomitable spirit.
Many great Taekwondo masters exist,but if your in to Taekwondo , there's one man you need to get the lowdown on and it's the one and Only Silver Fox himself.
A ex- army Taekwondo instructor his feet are a lethal weapon , he is Grandmaster Hwang Jung Lee.
Loren Avedon came to fame in the Sequel to No Retreat No Surrender ,The aptly named No Retreat No Surrender 2 ''Raging Thunder.
He replaced Kurt McKinney from the first ,and what a Bonus that was ,as it gave the world a chance to see the top Taekwondo skills of this unique individual .
Trained by some of Taekwondo's greats he currently holds a 9th Dan in Taekwondo on top of this he is also a 9th Dan in the Korean art of Hapkido.
Loren also holds two other Dan grades in Taekwondo from other organisations.
Tan Tao Liang or Grandmaster Tan as we should call him is a masterful exponent of Taekwondo who came to fame in the Seventies in many films that showcased Taekwondo.
Being also a teacher he went on to train the Legendary John Liu of Secret Rivals fame who was a also a real life combatant who went up against Chuck Norris in the ring and won.
Grandmaster Tan was born in 1947 in Pusan Korea but his family originated from the Shandong Provence of China.
Tan also went on to open Taekwondo clubs in California whilst living there but is believed to be living in Taiwan now.
Also known as Flash Legs Tan due to his hopping kicking ability which he developed for competition.
And even a film was made called Flash Legs.
Other Students of his where also Yuen Biao and Shannon Lee , daughter of the late Bruce Lee.
Notable Films include :
The Hand of Death by John Woo - 1976
The Hot 'The Cool and The Vicious -1976
Snake Deadly Kicks aka Flash Legs - 1977
| Grade Level | Description | |
|---|---|---|
 | 10th kup | White - Signifies innocence, as that of the beginning student who has no previous knowledge of Taekwon-Do. |
 | 9th kup | White with yellow tag |
 | 8th kup | Yellow - Signifies the earth from which a plant sprouts and takes root as the foundation of Taekwon-Do is being laid. |
| 7th kup | Yellow with green tag |
 | 6th kup | Green - Signifies the plant's growth as Taekwon-Do skills begin to develop. |
 | 5th kup | Green with blue tag |
 | 4th kup | Blue - Signifies the Heaven towards which the plant matures into a towering tree as training in Taekwon-Do progresses. |
| 3rd kup | Blue with red tag |
 | 2nd kup | Red - Signifies Danger, cautioning the student to exercise control and warning the opponent to stay away. |
| 1st kup | Red with black tag |
 | 1st dan | Black - Opposite of white, therefore signifying maturity and proficiency in Taekwon-Do; also indicates the wearer's imperviousness to darkness and fear. |
| 2nd dan | Assistant Instructor (must remain at this rank at least 2 years) |
| 3rd dan | Assistant Instructor (must remain at this rank at least 3 years) |
| 4th dan | International Instructor (must remain at this rank at least 4 years). At this point, a person may become a "SaBum-Nim" |
| 5th dan | Instructor (must remain at this rank at least 5 years) |
| 6th dan | Instructor (must remain at this rank at least 6 years) |
| 7th dan | Master Instructor (must remain at this rank at least 7 years) |
| 8th dan | Senior Master Instructor (must remain at this rank at least 8 years) |
| 9th dan | Grand Master |
| Films that are focused or feature Taekwondo | |
|
When Taekwondo Strikes / Golden Harvest
|
Master Jhoon Rhee's only Film - Hong Kong Film
|
|
The Kick / Sahamongkol - Korean film Joint Production
|
Sanctioned by the WTF , Jeeja Yanin co-stars - Thai Film
|
|
Chocolate / Sahamongkol
|
Jeeja Yanin Stars who is a 3rd Degree Taekwondo Black Belt
|
|
Best of the Best /
|
Phillip Rhee and Eric Roberts star
|
|
Spin Kick /
|
Korean film about Taekwondo teachings
|
|
No Retreat ' No Surrender 2 / Seasonal Film Production
|
Loren Avedon and Cynthia Rothrock Star
|
|
No Retreat 'No Surrender 3 / Seasonal Film Production
|
Loren Avedon and Keith Vitali star
|
|
Secret Rivals /
|
John Liu and Hwang Jung Lee star
|
|
Drunken Master / Seasonal Film Production
|
Jackie Chan and Hwang Jung Lee star
|
|
Drunken Master 2 / Golden Harvest
|
Jackie Chan , Liu Chi Liang , Ti Lung , Anita Mui and Ken Lo
|
|
Warriors Two / Golden Harvest
|
Sammo Hung , Bryan Leung and Casanova Wong star
|
| Selection of Video Games that feature Taekwondo | Company |
|
Taekwondo - Released in Japan and Korea only on the Super Nintendo Enterainment System
|
Human - 1994
|
|
Tekken - Released World wide on the Sony Playstation and arcade
|
Namco
|
|
Tekken 2 - Released World wide on the Sony Playstation and arcade
|
Namco
|
|
Tekken 3 - Released Word wide on the Sony Playstation and arcade
|
Namco
|
|
Tekken 4 - Released World Wide on the Sony Playstation 2 and arcade
|
Namco
|
|
King of Fighters 94 - Arcade game released on the Neo Geo systems
|
SNK
|
|
King of Fighters 95 - Arcade game released on Neo Geo and Sega Saturn
|
SNK
|
Tables and some descriptions have been sourced through the Wikipedia*
