The History of Taekwondo

Timeline:

1800s

• 1809 - 松村 宗棍 Matsumura Sokon is born in Shuri, Okinawa

• 18xx - Sokon learns Chinese Ch’uan Fa Kung Fu from 佐久川 寛賀 Sakugawa Kanga (1786-1867)

• 1831 - 糸洲 安恒 Anko Itosu is born in Shuri, Okinawa

• 1839 - Matsumura Sokon learns Shaolin Kung Fu in China

• 1847 - Itosu begins learning from Matsumura Sokon

• 1860 - 嘉納 治五郎 Jigoro Kano is born in Mikage, Japan

• 186x - “Shorin Ryu” (Shaolin School) is the name given to the style taught by Sokon & Itosu

• 1867 - The Canadian Confederation is established

• 1868 - 船越 義珍 Gichin Funakoshi is born in Shuri, Okinawa

• 186x - Sokon passes on traditional Shaolin forms which would become the basis for the Kata of Karate as well as Poomsae of Taekwondo

• 1875 - The Town of Battleford is founded in the North-West Territories, Canada

• 1877 - Jigoro Kano begins learning Jujutsu at Tokyo Imperial University

• 1879 - Imperial Japan abolishes the Monarchy of Okinawa, officially annexing the island kingdom

• 187x - Gichin Funakoshi begins to learn Shorin-Ryu Karate-do from Anko Itosu

• 1882 - Jigoro Kano synthesizes Jujutsu into Kodokan Judo in Japan

• 1883 - Kano, inspired by the white and black arm bands worn by swimming students and instructors, implements 3 belt colours for his students: White (5th & 4th Kyu holders), Brown (3rd to 1st Kyu holders) & Black (Dan holders) with Kyu and Dan ranks being borrowed from the ancient Chinese strategy board game “Go”

• 1883 - For the first time, Kano promotes two of his students to Shodan (1st Dan) Black Belt: Shiro Saigo & Tomita Tsunejiro

• 1894 - The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is founded in Paris, France

• 1896 - The first modern Olympic Games are held in Athens, Greece

• 1899 - Matsumura Sokon, teacher of Anko Itosu, passes away

Pre-WWII

• 1905 - Saskatchewan, Canada is confederated

• 1906 - The Town of North Battleford, Saskatchewan is founded

• 1907 - 이원국 Lee Won-Kuk is born in Korea

• 1910 - Korea is annexed and occupied by Imperial Japan

• 1910 - Native Korean martial arts are suppressed by Imperial Japan

• 1914 - World War I begins with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

• 1914 - 황기 Hwang Kee is born in Korea

• 1915 - Anko Itosu, teacher of Gichin Funakoshi, passes away

• 1918 - Imperial Japan arrests, tortures or kills 140,000 Koreans they suspect of resisting the empire

• 1918 - 최홍희 Choi Hong-Hi is born in Hwadae, Korea

• 1919 - World War I ends with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles

• 1919 - 노병직 Ro Byung-Jik is born in Korea

• 1920 - 윤병인 Yoon Byong-In is born in Korea

• 192x - 전상섭 Chun Sang-Sup is born in Korea

• 1922 - Gichin Funakoshi uses Shorin-Ryu and Shorei-Ryu to develop Shotokan Karate-do in Japan

• 1922 - Funakoshi Sensei publishes the Karate-do manual Ryuku Kempo Todi

• 1922 - 윤쾌병 Yoon Kwae-Byung is born in Korea

• 1923 - 최영의 Choi Yeong-Eui is born in Kintei, Korea. Yeong-Eui would later change his name to 大山 倍達 Oyama Masutatsu

• 1925 -이남석 Lee Nam-Suk is born in Korea

• 1925 - Funakoshi Sensei publishes the expanded Karate manual Rentan Goshin Tode-Jutsu

• 1926 - Kodokan Judo Master 小泉 軍治 Gunji Koizumi introduces additional colours to the Kyu grades, forming the foundation for the multitude of coloured belts that exist prior to Black Belt to this day

• 192x - Funakoshi adopts the Kyu & Dan ranking system from Kano’s Judo

• 1929 - 남태희 Nam Tae-Hi is born in Korea

• 1930 - 이교윤 Lee Kyo-Yoon is born in Korea

• 1931 - 김운용 Kim Un-Young (future President of WTF) is born in Daegu, Korea

• 1932 - Choi Yeong-Eui begins learning Chinese martial arts

• 1932 - 이준구 Rhee Jhoon-Goo is born in Asan, Korea

• 1932 - 박철희 Park Chul-Hi is born in Korea

• 193x - 홍정표 Hong Jeong-Pyo is born in Korea

• 193x - 이영우 Lee Yong-Woo is born in Korea

• 1934 - 한차쿄 Han Cha-Kyo is born in Korea

• 1935 - The meaning of Karate changes from 唐手道 “The Way of the Chinese Hand” to 空手道 “The Way of the Empty Hand”

• 1935 - Funakoshi Sensei publishes Karate-do Kyohan: The Master Text

• 1938 - Choi Hong-Hi moves to Kyoto, Japan and begins training in Shotokan Karate-do

• 1938 - Choi Yeong-Eui moves to Japan and changes his name to Oyama Masutatsu

• 1938 - Jigoro Kano, founder of Kodokan Judo, passes away

• 1938 - 이총수 Lee Chong-Soo is born in Kae-Sung, Korea

• 1939 - World War II begins

• 1939 - Choi Hong-Hi is promoted to 1st Dan Black Belt in Shotokan Karate-do

1940s

• 1940 - 李振藩 Bruce Lee is born as Lee Jun-Fan in San Fransisco, USA

• 1940 - Chuck Norris is born as Carlos Ray Norris in Ryan, USA

• 194x - 하기상 Ha Kee-Sang is born in Seoul, Korea

• 194x - 하기성 Ha Kee-Seong is born in Korea

• 194x - 김성주 Kim Sung-Ju is born in Chungnam, Korea

• 1941 - Bruce Lee moves to Hong Kong

• 1942 - Choi Hong-Hi moves back to Korea, bringing along his newfound Shotokan Karate-do skills

• 1944 - Tang Soo Do 唐手道 / 당수도 “The Way of the Chinese Hand” is used to describe the empty hand fighting style trained in Korea

• 1944 - 청도관 Chung Do Kwan established by 이원국 Lee Won-Kuk

• 1945 - 무덕관 Moo Duk Kwan established by 황기 Hwang Kee

• 1945 - The Allied Forces take Berlin, Germany

• 1945 - Adolf Hitler and several high ranking officials commit suicide

• 1945 - The United States of America detonate an atomic bomb over Hiroshima, Japan

• 1945 - The United States of America detonate an atomic bomb over Nagasaki, Japan

• 1945 - Emperor Hirohito of Japan announces the unconditional surrender of the Imperial Japanese Army

• 1945 - World War II ends

• 1945 - Korean occupation by Imperial Japan ends

• 1945 - Jhoon Rhee begins training under Nam Tae-Hi of Chung Do Kwan

• 1946 - 송무관 Song Moo Kwan established by Ro Byung-Jick

• 1946 - 권법무 Y.M.C.A. Gweonbop Kwan established by Yoon Byung-In

• 1946 - 연무관 Yeon Moo Kwan established by Chun Sang-Sup

• 1946 - Mas Oyama begins training in Shotokan Karate

• 1947 - Chung Do Kwan holds the first post-war public martial arts demonstration

• 1947 - 조정원 Choue Chung-Won (future President of World Taekwondo) is born in Korea

• 1948 - Lee Chong-Soo begins training at Ji Do Kwan

• 1948 - Republic of Korea (South Korea) established 🇰🇷 with support from the USA

• 1948 - Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) established 🇰🇵 with support from the USSR

• 1948 - 이승만 Rhee Syngman is elected the first President of South Korea

• 1948 - 김일성 Kim Il-Sung becomes the first Supreme Leader of North Korea

• 1949 - Hwang Kee publishes Hwasu-Do Gyobon (Hwasudo Textbook), the first modern Korean martial arts manual

1950 - 1953: The Korean War

• 1950 - The Korean War begins on June 25th when the Korean People’s Army 🇰🇵 (KPA) crosses into the Republic of Korea 🇰🇷 (ROK)

• 1950 - Seoul 🇰🇷 is taken by the KPA 🇰🇵 at the First Battle of Seoul on June 28th

• 1950 - The US Army 🇺🇸 has its first engagement against the KPA on July 5th at the Battle of Osan

• 1950 - The United Nations 🇺🇳 deploys soldiers from 🇺🇸 USA, 🇬🇧 Great Britain, 🇦🇺 Australia, 🇳🇱 Netherlands, 🇨🇦 Canada, 🇫🇷 France, 🇳🇿 New Zealand, 🇵🇭 Philippines, 🇹🇷 Türkiye, 🇹🇭 Thailand, 🇿🇦 South Africa, 🇬🇷 Greece, 🇧🇪 Belgium, 🇱🇺 Luxembourg, 🇪🇹 Ethiopia, and 🇨🇴 Colombia

• 1950 - Seoul 🇰🇷 is retaken by the UN 🇺🇳 at the Second Battle of Seoul on September 28th

• 1950 - Pyongyang 🇰🇵 is taken by the UN 🇺🇳 on October 19th

• 1950 - The People’s Republic of China 🇨🇳 sends 300,000 troops to support North Korea 🇰🇵 on October 19th

• 1950 - China 🇨🇳 has its first engagement of the war at the Battle of Unsan on October 25th

• 1950 - China 🇨🇳 engages the UN 🇺🇳 at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir on November 27th

• 1950 - Pyongyang 🇰🇵 is abandoned by the UN 🇺🇳 on December 5th

• 1950 - China 🇨🇳 recovers northeastern Korea from the UN 🇺🇳 at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir on December 13th

• 1951 - Seoul 🇰🇷 is taken by China 🇨🇳 at the Third Battle of Seoul on January 7th

• 1951 - Seoul 🇰🇷 is retaken by the UN 🇺🇳 during Operation Ripper at the Fourth Battle of Seoul on April 4th

• 1951 - A stalemate is reached in July with battle continuing but little territory exchanged

• 1953 - A ceasefire agreement is reached on July 27th, Rhee Syngman never signs it

• 1953 - The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) is established at the 38th Parallel, dividing North from South

• Approximately 3,000,000 people died during the Korean War, with 50% - 70% being civilian casualties

• 🇰🇵 North Korea had approximately 135,000 troops at the start of the war

• 🇰🇷 South Korea had approximately 98,000 troops at the start of the war

• 🇨🇳 China deployed approximately 2,400,000 troops during the war

• 🇺🇸 The United States of America deployed approximately 1,789,000 during the war

• 🇬🇧 Great Britain deployed approximately 56,000 troops during the war

• 🇨🇦 Canada deployed approximately 26,791 troops during the war

• 🇹🇷 Türkiye deployed approxmiately 21,212 troops during the war

• 🇦🇺 Australia deployed approximately 17,164 troops during the war

• 🇵🇭 Philippines deployed approximately 7,420 troops during the war

• 🇹🇭 Thailand deployed approximately 6,326 troops during the war

• 🇳🇱 Netherlands deployed approximately 5,322 troops during the war

• 🇨🇴 Colombia deployed approximately 5,100 troops during the war

• 🇬🇷 Greece deployed approximately 4,992 troops during the war

• 🇳🇿 New Zealand deployed approximately 3,794 troops during the war

• 🇪🇹 Ethiopia deployed approximately 3,518 troops during the war

• 🇧🇪 Belgium deployed approximately 3,498 troops during the war

• 🇫🇷 France deployed approximately 3,421 troops during the war

• 🇿🇦 South Africa deployed approximately 826 troops during the war

• 🇱🇺 Luxembourg deployed approximately 100 troops during the war

1950s - Post Korean War

• 1953 - 창무관 Chang Moo Kwan, an off-shoot of YMCA Gweonbop Kwan, is established by Lee Nam-Suk

• 1953 - American soldiers and Korean immigrants returning from the war begin to spread Tang Soo Do in the USA

• 1953 - Bruce Lee begins training in Wing Chun Kung Fu under Grand Master Ip Man

• 1953 - Kwan leaders initial attempt to unify with the Korea Kong Soo Do Association

• 1953 - Korea Kong Soo Do Association dissolves within 2 months after promoting senior members to 4th Dan

• 1954 - 한무관 Han Moo Kwan, an off-shoot of Yeon Moo Kwan, established by Lee Kyo-Yoon

• 1954 - Korean President 이승만 Syngman Rhee witnesses a military Taekwondo demonstration organized by General Choi Hong-Hi

• 1955 - Choe Song-Nam of Chung Do Kwan publishes Gwonbeop Gyobon (Gwonbeop Textbook)

• 1955 - 오도관 Oh Do Kwan, an off-shoot of Chung Do Kwan, established by Choi Hong-Hi & Nam Tae-Hi

• 1955 - General Choi Hong-Hi invents and advocates for the word “Taekwondo”

• 1956 - Kang Duk Won, an off-shoot of Chang Moo Kwan, established by Park Chul-Hi & Hong Jong-Pyo

• 1956 - 정도관 Jung Do Kwan, an off-shoot of Chung Do Kwan, established Lee Yong-woo

• 1957 - Gichin Funakoshi, “the Father of Modern Karate”, passes away

• 1957 - Mas Oyama (Choi Yeong-Eui) develops Kyokushin Karate

• 1958 - Bruce Lee moves to San Fransisco, USA

• 1958 - Chuck Norris begins training in Moo Duk Kwan Tang Soo Do

• 1958 - Hwang Kee publishes Tangsudo Gyobon (Tangsudo Textbook)

• 1959 - Korea Tang Soo Do Association (KTA) established

• 195x - The Hogu (body protector) is adopted for Kyorugi practice and competition

• 1959 - Bruce Lee moves to Washington, USA and opens his first Jun Fan Kung Fu Institute

• 1959 - General Choi publishes his first textbook: “Taekwon-Do”

• 1959 - General Choi begins dispatching TKD instructors internationally

• 1959 - Choi Hong-Hi and Nam Tae-Hi are expelled from Chung Do Kwan by Son Duk-Sung Kwanjangnim

• 1959 - Choi Hong-Hi’s honourary Chung Do Kwan 4th Dan is revoked by Son Duk-Sung Kwanjangnim

• 195x - Ha Kee-Sang begins training in Han Moo Kwan Taekwondo

• 195x - Kim Sung-Ju begins training in Chang Moo Kwan Taekwondo

1960s

• 1960 - Nishiyama Hidetaka & Richard Brown publish Karate: The Art of “Empty Hand” Fighting

• 1960 - 지도관 Ji Do Kwan, an offshoot of Yeon Moo Kwan, is formed by Yoon Kwae-Byung

• 196x - Korea Taesoodo Association (KTA renamed)

• 1962 - KTA holds its first Dan Promotion Test in an effort to standardize

• 1962 - Jhoon Rhee opens his first dojang in the USA

• 1963 - Taesudo Kyorugi is designated as an official event at the 44th National Sports Festival in Jeonju, Korea

• 1964 - Grand Master Chong Soo-Lee brings Taekwondo to Canada

• 1964 - Jhoon Rhee meets Bruce Lee at Ed Parker’s International Karate Championship in Long Beach, California

• 1965 - Korea Taekwondo Association (KTA renamed)

• 1965 - KTA begins development of the 8 Palgwae patterns

• 1965 - KTA begins development of the 9 Yudanja (Black Belt Holder) patterns

• 1965 - General Choi publishes his second textbook

• 1965 - Bruce Lee develops Jeet Kune Do, incorporating TKD kicks learned from Grandmaster Jhoon Rhee

• 1966 - International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) established

• 1967 - General Choi meets with Mas Oyama to propose merging Taekwon-Do and Kyokushin Karate, terms could not be agreed upon

• 1967 - KTA draws heavily upon Japanese Kata to create a new set of patterns

• 1967 - KTA debuts the 8 Yugeupja (colour belt) poomsae: Palgwae 1-8 jang

• 1967 - KTA debuts the 9 Yudanja (Black Belt) patterns

1970s

• 1971 - Korean President 박정희 Park Chung-Hee declares TKD to be Korea’s national sport

• 1972 - KTA develops 8 new Yugeupja (colour belt) poomsae: Taegeuk 1-8 jang

• 1972 - KTA develops a new version of Koryo, the 1st Dan Poomsae - the previous one is informally known as Old Koryo

• 1972 - KTA renames Baekje Poomsae to Pyongwon Poomsae

• 1972 - KTA renames Silla Poomsae to Ilyeo Poomsae

• 1972 - KTA publishes the first Taekwondo textbook

• 1972 - Kukkiwon (World Taekwondo Headquarters) established in Seoul, Korea

• 1972 - Kukki TKD as a style is born

• 1972 - All 9 Original Kwans officially endorse Kukkiwon Taekwondo as their curriculum

• 1973 - World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) established

• 1973 - 김운용 Kim Un-Young is the first President of the WTF

• 1973 - 1st World Taekwondo Championships held in Seoul, Korea, cementing what would later become Olympic Style TKD Kyorugi

• 1973 - Bruce Lee stars in the first Hollywood martial arts movie Enter The Dragon, introducing millions to the dynamic kicks of Taekwondo

• 1973 - Grand Master Ha Kee-Sang (Han Moo Kwan) moves to Canada

• 1973 - Grand Master Kim Sung-Ju (Chang Moo Kwan) moves to Canada

• 197x - Grand Master Ha Kee-Seung (Han Moo Kwan) moves to Canada

• 1973 - GM Ha and GM Kim open a Kukki TKD dojang in Regina, SK, CA

• 1973 - Bruce Lee, an advocate for the effectiveness of TKD kicking, passes away

• 1973 - The Tao of Jeet Kune Do by Bruce Lee is published posthumously and features clear TKD influence on its kicking techniques

• 1974 - General Choi moves the ITF Headquarters to Toronto, ON, CA

• 1974 - ITF holds its first World Championship in Montreal, QC, CA

• 1974 - Kukkiwon requires both Taegeuk and Palgwae Poomsae for Dan Promotion Tests

• 1975 - WTF publishes the first English language Taekwondo textbook

• 1975 - Kukkiwon introduces the Poom rank for Black Belts under 15 years old

• 1976 - Kees Taekwondo Saskatoon is established by Grandmaster Ha Kee-Sang

• 1976 - On Nov. 20 The Battle Of The Champions pits Grand Master Lee Chong-Soo’s Canadian team vs Master 오장 Oh Jang’s USA team

• 1976 - Muhammad Ali, with Jhoon Rhee in his corner, takes on Japanese pro wrestler Antonio Inoki in a mixed rules match

• 1978 - Representatives of all 9 Kwans officially sign Kukkiwon’s Unification Proclamation

• 1978 - Kukki TKD adopts the pull over “V-neck” style dobok, replacing the jacket style “Y-neck” uniform

1980s

• 1980 - Kukkiwon becomes the sole issuer of Dan/Poom certificates

• 1981 - Taekwondo Canada (TC) established

• 1981 - Saskatchewan WTF Association Inc. established by GM Ha & GM Kim

• 1982 - Canadian patriation from Great Britain

• 1983 - General Choi publishes his 15 volume Taekwon-Do Encyclopedia

• 1984 - Kees Taekwondo North Battleford is established with Pat Ehnes as head instructor

• 1986 - Taekwondo is included as an official event at the 10th Asian Games

• 1986 - Helmets are used for the first time in international competition

• 1986 - The IOC separates the Summer Games from the Winter Games

• 1987 - Kukkiwon changes the spelling of 품세 “poomse” to 품새 “poomsae”

• 1987 - Kukkiwon publishes the 1st edition of its Taekwondo Textbook

• 1988 - Kukkiwon ceases to require Palgwae poomsae at Dan Promotion Tests

• 1988 - Taekwondo Kyorugi is accepted as a demonstration event at the Summer Olympic Games

• 1988 - Olympic Games @ Seoul, Korea (TKD as a demo event)

1990s

• 1992 - Olympic Games @ Barcelona, Spain (TKD as a demo event)

• 1992 - KTA holds the first Taekwondo Hanmadang, a comprehensive TKD demonstration contest

• 1992 - Kees Taekwondo Yorkton is established with Master Wayne Mitchell as head instructor

• 1993 - Art Davie and Rorion Gracie create the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)

• 1994 - Taekwondo is confirmed as an official event at the Summer Olympic Games

• 1994 - Grandmaster Mas Oyama (Choi Yeong-Eui) passes away

• 1996 - The Korean government selects TKD as one of the top 10 cultural symbols of Korea

• 1996 - Olympic Games @ Atlanta, USA doesn’t feature TKD as no demo sports were held

• 1997 - The first Pride Fighting Championship MMA event is held in Tokyo, Japan

2000s

• 2000 - Olympic Games @ Sydney, Australia features TKD as a full medal sport for the first time

• 2000 - Dominique Bosshart (CAN) wins Olympic Bronze in the Women’s +67kg division

• 2002 - General Choi Hong-Hi passes away

• 2002 - ITF splits into 4 rival factions, all claiming to be the one true successor

• 2003 - Kukkiwon assumes responsibility for the World Taekwondo Hanmadang

• 2004 - Olympic Games @ Athens, Greece

• 2004 - WTF President Kim Un-Young is arrested for bribery and embezzlement

• 2004 - Grandmaster Choue Chong-Won is elected President of the WTF

• 2005 - Kukkiwon publishes a new edition of its Taekwondo Textbook

• 2007 - Master 이동희 Lee Dong Hee shows Kukki TKD adapted to full contact kickboxing

• 2007 - Station Casinos, owner of the UFC, purchases and ends Pride Fighting Championship

• 2008 - Olympic Games @ Beijing, China

• 2008 - Karine Sergerie (CAN) wins Olympic Silver in the Women’s -67kg division

• 2009 - WTF faces allegations of Olympic corruption at multiple levels

• 2009 - WTF introduces the Protector Scoring System (PSS) for all international competition

• 2009 - WTF enforces standardized Poomsae performance in an effort to make competition more fair

• 2009 - WTF re-introduces the jacket style “Y-Neck” dobok for poomsae competition

2010s

• 201x - A renewed interest in Siljeon (realistic application) TKD is apparent internationally

• 201x - TKD augmented strikers begin to have success in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)

• 2012 - Olympic Games @ London, England using the Daedo PSS

• 2012 - WTF introduces Freestyle (Jayu) Poomsae

• 2012 - Kukkiwon publishes Technical Terminology e-book in an effort to standardize classifications

• 2015 - Master Lee Dong Hee publishes a new book, “Lee Dong Hee Taekwondo”

• 2013 - WTF introduces the World Taekwondo Grand Prix series

• 2016 - Olympic Games @ Rio de Janeiro, Brazil using the Daedo PSS

• 2016 - North Battleford Taekwondo Academy (NBTKDA) established

• 2017 - Kim Un-Young passes away

• 2017 - World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) rebrands as World Taekwondo (WT)

• 2017 - Sask WTF rebrands as Sask WT

• 2017 - Grandmaster Lee Chong-Soo passes away

• 2017 - WT introduces the World Taekwondo Grand Slam series

• 2017 - Master 정인철 Jeong In-Choul publishes a new book, “Hand Techniques of Taekwondo for Actual Fighting”

• 2017 - Kukkiwon begins work on new Adult Yugeupja Poomsae, Taekwon 1-8 Jang

• 2018 - Kukkiwon begins work on new Recognized Poomsae for competition

• 2018 - Grandmaster Jhoon Rhee passes away

• 2018 - Master Jeong In-Choul publishes a new book, “Taekwondo Application”

2020s

• 202x - Kukkiwon shelves plans for new Recognized Poomsae

• 2021 - Olympic Games @ Tokyo, Japan using the Daedo PSS

• 2021 - Karate debuts as a sport at the Tokyo Games

• 2021 - KTA Power League established

• 2022 - Daedo previews its 3rd generation of PSS equipment

• 2022 - Kukkiwon celebrates its 50th anniversary

• 2022 - Kukkiwon publishes a new edition of its Taekwondo Textbook

• 2022 - World Kangjin Taekwondo (WKT) established by Master Lee Dong Hee

• 2022 - World Combative Taekwondo Union (WCTU) established by Master Jeong In-Choul

• 2022 - Grand Master 강익필 Kang Ik-Pil publishes “The Complete Understanding Of Taekwondo Poomsae”

• 2023 - World Taekwondo celebrates its 50th anniversary

• 2023 - KPNP officially debuts its 2nd generation of PSS equipment

• 2023 - Jeong In-Choul is promoted to Kukkiwon 7th Dan, achieving the level of Grandmaster

• 2023 - Taekwondo receives a statue at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland

• 2023 - NexTKD is founded as an alternative professional kyorugi league

• 2023 - Kombat Taekwondo is founded as an alternative professional kyorugi league

• 2024 - Olympic Games @ Paris, France using the KPNP PSS

• 2024 - Karate will not return as a sport at the Paris Games

• 2024 - Kukkiwon requires all instructors to complete its Master Course to be able to recommend a Dan rank

• 2024 - Taekwondo Canada plans to host two Master Courses, one on the east coast and one on the west coast

• 2028 - Olympic Games @ Los Angeles, USA

2030s

• 2032 - Olympic Games @ Brisbane, Australia

• 2036 - Countries which have officially made a bid to host the Olympic Games include Indonesia, Türkiye and India

The above information may contain inaccuracies in dates and events.
Some events are relative only to the establishment of NBTKDA such as the origins and spread of the martial art in Canada.
Any persons or events omitted are due to ignorance rather than insult.

World War II & The 9 Original Kwans

Claims that Taekwondo originated thousands of years ago (often citing cave paintings as evidence) are unfounded stem from the need for Korea to re-establish its national identity after suffering occupation by Imperial Japan from 1910-1945. Taekwondo has old roots through its relationship with traditional hand to hand fighting systems originating in Korea, China, Okinawa, and Japan but it does not itself predate this time period.

Shortly before, during as well as after World War II new martial arts schools (Kwans) were opening in Seoul, Republic of Korea (South Korea). These schools were established by Korean martial artists with backgrounds in Korean, Japanese and Chinese martial arts.

There were 5 major martial arts Kwans at this time: Chung Do Kwan, Song Moo Kwan, Moo Duk Kwan, YMCA Gwonbeop Bu Kwan (later re-established as Chang Moo Kwan) and Yeon Moo Kwan (later re-established as Ji Do Kwan).

The umbrella term “traditional Taekwondo” typically refers to the martial arts practiced by the Kwans during the1940s and 1950s, though in reality the term "Taekwondo" had not yet been coined at that time. Each Kwan was actually practicing its own style of martial art such as Gwonbeop, Judo, Shotokan and Sholimpung / Shorin-Ryu.

태껸 Taekkyeon is sometimes cited as the root style of Taekwondo but there is no evidence for this, with the first syllable 태 “tae” being the only thing taken from it. One line of thought is that Taekkyeon was universally recognized as a genuinely Korean invention and thus having Taekwondo share the same word “tae” would help get the general public on board with having a national style of martial art that did not have a name that was overtly Japanese or Chinese (such as Kong Soo Do or Gwonbeop).

1953: Post Korean War

After witnessing a martial arts demonstration by the military in 1954, South Korean President Syngman Rhee mandated that the martial arts styles of the Kwans be merged into one national style.

Beginning in1955 the leaders of the kwans began discussing in earnest the possibility of creating a unified style of Korean martial arts. The name 태수도 Tae Soo Do was used to describe this unified style. This name consists of the hanja 跆 Tae (to stomp, trample), 手 Su (hand) and 道 Do("way, discipline).

Around this time 4 more schools became influential in the events that would transpire: Han Moo Kwan, Oh Do Kwan, Kang Duk Won and Jung Do Kwan.

Collectively these schools would come to be known as The 9 Original Kwans.

1955: Invention Of The Word “Taekwondo”

Tae Soo Do, Tang Soo Do, Kong Soo Do, Subak and Gwonbeop are names variously used for martial arts practiced in Korea prior to 1955. Choi Hong-Hi advocated the use of the name Tae Kwon Do, replacing 수 Su (hand) with 권 Gweon (fist), the term also used for "martial arts" in Chinese (quan). The new name was initially slow to catch on among the leaders of the 5 Original Kwans.

In 1959 the Korea Tang Soo Do Association was established to facilitate the unification of Korean martial arts, eventually changing its name to the Korea Tae Soo Do Association and then finally the Korea Taekwondo Association in 1965. This organization is commonly abbreviated as KTA.

There was a lot of political maneuvering and intrigue that went into the decision to finally adopt the name Taekwondo, for further info please read or listen to the book “A Killing Art: The Untold History Of Tae Kwon Do” by Alex Gillis. While the book is slightly sensationalized in order to be entertaining it is still an interesting look at the early days.

1966: Chang-Heon Style / The International Taekwon-Do Federation

In 1966, Choi broke with the KTA to establish the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) as a separate governing body devoted to institutionalizing his own style which became known as 창헌 태권도 Chang-Heon Taekwon-Do.

Chang-Heon style TKD uses a different set of sparring rules and patterns than those used in the Kukkiwon / World Taekwondo style.

Cold War politics of the 1960s and 1970s complicated the adoption of General Choi & the ITF’s Chang-Heon TKD as a unified style. The South Korean government wished to avoid the North Korean influence on General Choi’s federation. Conversely, ITF’s President Choi sought support for the martial art from all quarters, including North Korea. In response, in1973 South Korea withdrew its support for the ITF.

The ITF continued to function as an independent federation, then headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Choi continued to develop the ITF-style, notably with the publication of his definitive, multi-volume Encyclopedia of Taekwondo.

After General Choi's retirement in 2001 the ITF split into 2 due to disagreements amongst the leadership, and then again in 2002 to create at least four separate major federations, each of which continues to operate today under the same name.

By the 1970s there started to be a more obvious divide between the kicking techniques of Karate and Taekwondo, with TKD developing more variations and ranges of application.

1972: Kukkiwon & World Taekwondo Federation

In 1972 the South Korean government's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Taekwondo Association (KTA) established the Central Dojang in Seoul; in1973 the name was changed to Kukkiwon. Many of the duties formerly assigned to the KTA such as Dan/Poom testing were transferred to the Kukkiwon.

The correct term for the South Korean government sponsored style of Taekwondo associated with the Kukkiwon is 국기 태권도 Kukki Taekwondo, meaning "national Taekwondo" in Korean.

Under the sponsorship of the South Korean government's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism the Kukkiwon became the new national academy for Taekwondo. In 1973 the KTA established the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF - now called World Taekwondo / WT) to promote Taekwondo as a sport.

1988: From Martial Art To Olympic Sport

The International Olympic Committee and the World Taekwondo Federation feature Taekwondo Kyorugi as a demonstration sport at the 1988 Summer Games in Seoul, Republic Of Korea. It would later be featured as a full medal sport beginning with the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney, Australia.

The sport of Olympic Taekwondo Kyorugi focuses on fast, dynamic kicking techniques delivered to the body and head of the opponent, with punches only being permitted to the body. The sport does not represent the entirety of the Kukki style of Taekwondo, though many people both in as well as out of the style mistakenly assume this is so.

The World Taekwondo Federation (later renamed to World Taekwondo / WT) promotes Taekwondo specifically as an international sport. All WT competitions use a selection of techniques from Kukkiwon style Taekwondo. For this reason, Kukkiwon style Taekwondo is often referred to as WT style taekwondo, sport style Taekwondo, or Olympic style Taekwondo, though in reality the style is defined by the Kukkiwon, not WT.

2008: Protector Scoring System

As with many sports, corruption in judging and officiating plagued Olympic Taekwondo for many years, with scandals such as “branch trimming” (manipulating fight trees to influence a particular outcome such as match ups more favourable to one nation) threatening TKD’s status as an official sport of the Summer Games. The World Taekwondo Federation was forced to make changes in order to remain in the Olympics, eventually working with companies to develop the Protector Scoring System (PSS).

Early days had many technological issues with systems developed by Adidas and Lajust, but modern systems developed by Daedo and KPNP are much more functional and reliable.

Fighters wear special body protectors and helmets which detect impacts from a foot protector with magnets sewn into the padding, and points are scored based on the force of the kick landed as well as the age category, sex and weight class being contested.

The fighting style employed in the ring has changed substantially due to the PSS, with pros and cons, when compared to the “power era” of competition. A technique known as the Cut Kick (a Side Kick which drives the front foot toward the target before a powerful push of the anchor foot to travel forward) has come to dominate the sport.

2009: Standardization Of Sport Poomsae

The World Taekwondo Federation began the process of standardizing sport poomsae via publishing updated scoring guidelines and increasing the level of referee training. Given the originally disparate roots of Taekwondo, any given poomsae could have multiple interpretations of how to perform the techniques and rhythm of a pattern, which makes judging it fairly across competitors all but impossible.

Originally the updated scoring guidelines (particularly with stance measurement) were strictly adhered to, however in modern times they are more of a guideline with the emphasis on what feels and looks natural for the athlete. There are some minor variations in Kukkiwon style poomsae when compared to sport style poomsae but for the most part they are identical.

Some schools choose to retain their Kwan lineage style poomsae practice, and while there is nothing inherently wrong with this, athletes who train at these dojangs have zero chance of success if they ever choose to enter the competitive world of sport poomsae.

All 9 Kwans officially endorse Kukkiwon style poomsae and World Taekwondo sport poomsae.

2012: Freestyle Poomsae

Further fueling the WTF’s initiative to make Poomsae a high level global sport, WTF introduced criteria fro Freestyle Poomsae. Based on the current rules, competitors and their coaches choreograph their own pattern featuring many impressive acrobatic feats and aesthetically pleaseing movements in the spirit of Taekwondo Poomsae.

2017: From World Taekwondo Federation to World Taekwondo

In the summer of 2017 the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) was rebranded as World Taekwondo (WT). It is still very common to see uniforms, flags, etc. sporting the old WTF logo.

WT continues to develop and promote the sport side of TKD including kyorugi (sparring) and poomsae (patterns).

2022: Kukki Style vs Foot Fencing Style vs Power Era Style

Different international organizations have been appearing which aim to promote the utility of Taekwondo outside of the current Olympic style. Some of these include:

• World Kangjin Taekwondo (Siljeon Kukki Style)

• World Combative Taekwondo Union (Siljeon Kukki Style)

• KTA Power League Taekwondo (Power Era Olympic Style)

• Kombat Taekwondo (any style)

• NexTaekwondo (Power Era Olympic Style)

2024 & Beyond: Next Gen PSS

Both Daedo as well as KPNP have the next generation of Protector Scoring System ready to go, featuring improvements such as gyroscopes and accelerometers in the hogu as well as gloves with sensors similar to the foot protector. These new systems will not be used at the Paris 2024 games but are anticipated to make their world circuit debut shortly after.

From top to bottom, left to right:

• Kang Duk Won - est. 1953 by Park Chul-Hee & Hong Jeong-Pyo

• Song Moo Kwan - est. 1944 by Ro Byung-Jick

• Oh Do Kwan - est. 1955 by Choi Hong-Hi & Nam Tae-Hi

• Moo Duk Kwan - est. 1946 by Hwang Kee

• Han Moo Kwan - est. 1954 by Lee Kyo-Yoon

• Jung Do Kwan - est. 1956 by Lee Yong-Woo

• Chung Do Kwan - est. 1944 by Lee Won-Kuk

• Chang Moo Kwan - est. 1946 by Yoon Byung-In

• Ji Do Kwan - est. 1946 by Chun Sang-Sup

For more information on the 9 Original Kwans please visit this section of the website.