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ITF Twisting Kick

ITF style Taekwon-Do

Taekwondo, also spelled Taekwon-do or Tae Kwon Do, is a Korean martial art. It combines combat and self-defense techniques with sport and exercise. Gyeorugi, a type of sparring, has been an Olympic event since 2000. Taekwondo was developed by a variety of Korean masters during the 1940s  and 50s as partial combination of traditional Korean martial arts (such as taekkyeon), Okinawan karate, and other traditions (such as Chinese quanfa).

The name taekwondo is generally credited to Choi Hong Hi (of the Oh Do Kwan), though some sources dispute the claim that he invented the term. Regardless, he was the name's major advocate. The World Taekwondo Federation claims that taekwondo development was a collaborative effort by a council consisting of members from the Nine Original Kwans (portions of the minutes of this meeting can be found in the Korean language book "A Modern History of Taekwondo"), while the International Taekwon-Do Federation credits Choi Hong Hi solely.

Traditional taekwondo typically refers to the martial art as it was established in the 1940s-1960s in the South Korean military and in various civilian organizations, including schools and universities. Some authors also refer to some styles International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) taekwondo and any other "non-sport" style as traditional taekwondo.

Kukkiwon-style taekwondo (sometimes called Sport taekwondo, or WTF-style) was developed after traditional taekwondo and has a somewhat different focus, especially in terms of its emphasis on speed and competition (as in Olympic sparring), though of course self-defense is still at its core. Some authors refer to International Taekwon-Do Federation as a form of sport taekwondo, though as previously mentioned others refer to it as a kind of traditional taekwondo. Accordingly, the the terms "traditional" and "sport" are often inconsistently used.

Kukkiwon-style is now an event at the summer Olympic Games and is governed by the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF). Kukkiwon (Korea's national academy for taekwondo, also called the World Taekwondo Headquarters) is the traditional center for WTF taekwondo and was founded in 1973 by Dr. Kim Un Yong.

Although there are doctrinal and technical differences between sparring in the two main styles and among the various organizations, the art in general emphasizes kicks and punches thrown from a mobile stance. Taekwondo training generally includes a system of blocks, kicks, punches, and open-handed strikes and may also include various take-downs or sweeps, throws, and joint locks. Pressure points, known as jiapsul, are used, as well as grabbing self-defense techniques borrowed from other martial arts such as Japanese judo, Korean hapkido, and Korean wrestling or ssireum. Less commonly, taekwondo may also include weapons training.

In Korean, tae (태, ) means "to strike or break with the foot"; kwon (권, ) means "to strike or break with the fist"; and do (도, ) means "way of life". Thus, taekwondo may be loosely translated as "the way of the foot and the hand." The name taekwondo is also written as taekwon-do, tae kwon-do, or tae kwon do by various organizations.

Styles

Among the styles of taekwondo commonly practiced are:

  • Traditional Taekwondo. This is the style of taekwondo practiced during the 1940s-60s, before the various schools (kwans) that established the foundations of taekwondo in Korea were unified into a single style that we now call taekwondo. There is no "single style" of traditional taekwondo; instead there are many different styles depending on which school (kwan) one is following.
    • Characteristics of traditional taekwondo: shares many of the same names, forms, and techniques as some styles of karate, especially Shotokan Karate.
    • Moo Duk Kwan Taekwondo. This is the style of Traditional Taekwondo popularized in the U.S. by the actor and martial artist Chuck Norris. Moo Duk Kwan taekwondo is essentially a U.S.-variant of Tang Soo Do (which itself has another variant called Soo Bahk Do), a martial art closely related to taekwondo. Moo Duk Kwan is the name of one of the original Nine Kwans.
    • Like Moo Duk Kwan taekwondo, one can often find schools that practice taekwondo styles named after one of the original Nine Kwans. These too are generally traditional styles of taekwondo.
    • Kong Soo Do. This is the name also used by some of the early kwans for their martial art. Kong Soo Do is the Korean pronunciation of the Chinese characters fr the word "karate-do" -- essentially, this was the "Korean karate" that heavily influenced the subsequent development of modern taekwondo.
    • Jhoon Rhee Taekwondo. Originally this was a U.S.-variant of Traditional Taekwondo brought to America by legendary taekwondo pioneer Jhoon Rhee. Eventually Rhee transitioned to an ITF-style, and then later transitioned again to develop his own style (but with ITF-style elements). Note: this should not be confused with Chong Chul Rhee's Rhee Taekwon-Do which is a chain of schools in Australia and New Zealand that practices ITF-style taekwondo.
    • Kuk Mu Kwan Taekwondo. Also known as the Kang System (after its founder) this is a fairly secretive style of taekwondo (deliberately) that purports to be particularly lethal.
  • International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) style, more correctly called Chang Hon style. This can be thought of as an offshoot of the style that was being developed by Korean Taekwondo Association (KTA), which was the association chartered with developing a unified style of Taekwondo. The KTA was formed by the uniting of the nine separate martial arts styles previously practiced by the Nine Kwans, the first nine Korean martial arts schools to emerge after World War II at the conclusion of the Japanese occupation of Korea. One of these styles was General Choi's Oh Do Kwan-style. General Choi eventually split from the KTA however to develop the ITF-style. (See Timeline of Taekwondo for additional detail.) Generally, ITF practitioners refer to this style as a more "traditional" form of taekwondo, though some authors use that term to apply only to pre-ITF styles. See main page ITF Taekwon-do.
    • Characteristics: ITF Taekwondo is characterized by long stances and more hand techniques (such as punches and strikes), sometimes delivered while performing an down-up-down (sine wave) motion. Schools teaching ITF-style taekwondo will often have a punching fist logo. The uniforms will often have a black border along the bottom.
    • Forms: ITF taekwondo practices chang hon forms.
    • Spin-offs: currently there are three organizations worldwide that call themselves the International Taekwon-Do Federation. See main article ITF Taekwondo. The Global Taekwondo Federation (GFT) is also a spinoff of the ITF.
  • Kukkiwon/World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) also known as Olympic-style, Sport-style, or more correctly Kukkiwon-style taekwondo. After the ITF headquarters was relocated out of Korea, the Korean Taekwondo Association in conjuction with the Kukkiwon - under the sponsorship of the South Korean government - established the WTF to promote taekwondo around the world. The Kukkiwon/WTF-style is the most unified Taekwondo group as it includes representation from all the original kwans. Most Kukkiwon/WTF-style dojangs practice the full taekwondo curriculum as set by the Kukkiwon (including self-defense), but some place emphasis on taekwondo specifically as a sport. See main page WTF Taekwondo.
    • Characteristics: WTF taekwondo is characterized by high, spinning, acrobatic kicks, with less emphasis on hand techniques during sparring. Schools teaching Kukkiwon/WTF-style taekwondo will often incorporate a similar logo to the WTF and may include the Olympic rings into their branding (although this is technically disallowed by the International Olympic Committee, IOC).
    • Forms: WTF taekwondo practices taegeuk and yudanja forms; these forms are performed in World Poomsae Championships held every year. Previously this style practiced palgwae forms, although this was for a very short period of time; they were quickly replaced with the taegeuk series.
  • In the United States, American Tae Kwon Do Association (ATA) taekwondo (also known as Songahm style) is also popular. ATA taekwondo was first established in 1969 as a private taekwondo school in Omaha, Nebraska by a former Traditional Taekwondo teacher in the Korean military (Haeng Ung Lee) who emigrated to the United States. It has since established franchises across the U.S. See main page ATA Taekwondo.
    • Characteristics: ATA taekwondo can be thought of as a hybrid between ITF and WTF styles. Like the ITF-style, it focuses on combat (rather than sport sparring). Like Kukkiwon/WTF-style, it places greater emphasis on kicks that ITF-style does. ATA taekwondo often incorporates weapons training.
    • Forms: ATA taekwondo practices Songahm forms.
    • Spin-offs: the ATA has established international spin-offs called the Songham Taekwondo Federation (STF) and the World Traditional Taekwondo Union (WTTU) 

Less-Common Styles

Comparison of Some Common Taekwondo Styles
ITF aka Chang Hon style WTF aka Kukkiwon style ATA aka Songahm style Moo Duk Kwan Taekwondo
Example Associated Logos
ITF-logo
WTF-logo-LARGE
ATA logo
MDK TKD logo
NEW ITF logo
Kukkiwon-logo
Includes weapons training... Typically yes Typically no Typically yes Typically yes
Organization Type Federation of schools Federation of schools (augmented by government sponsorship of Kukkiwon) Franchises Federation of schools
Student Uniforms Typically white with black trim on the bottom of the shirt White; no black trim on the bottom of the shirt (black belts will have black trim around the collar) White, typically embellished with many patches to represent school, special teams, etc. Typically white with black trim on the bottom of the shirt
Word for "forms" Teul (previously Hyeong) Poomsae Poomsae Hyeong
Forms are called... Chang Hon forms Taegeuk (previously Palgwae) forms Songahm forms (the forms are copyrighted by ATA) Pyong Ahn forms
Forms named after... Famous persons in Korean history Elements of the I Ching
Forms organized as... Typically organized as crosses or lines For color belts (taegeuk forms), three parallel lines, like the I Ching trigrams Organized as an eight-pointed star Two parallel lines and four angled lines

Defining Characteristics of Taekwondo

Kicking - As compared to other martial arts, all styles of taekwondo (but especially sport taekwondo) places heavy emphasis on kicking. This is predicated on the principle that legs are longer and stronger than arms and so should be more effective in combat. Taekwondo kicking is also often higher than other martial arts kicking, often aiming for head-height.

Twisting power - Another characteristic common to all forms of taekwondo is the user of "twisting power" particularly in blocks and punches. The idea here is that a block or a punch is faster, more powerful, and more accurate if the arm and hand are rotating through the movement. So for example punches start palm-up at the waist then finish palm-down at the target so that the fist is twisting to the target. Taekwondo practitioners compare this to the rifling motion of a bullet.

Action / reaction - Another characteristic of taekwondo is the notion (for example) that as one part of the body moves forward, another part should be moving backward. So for example when practicing punches, the non-punching hand (the off hand) will aim forward before the punch so that it can be pulled sharply backward during the punch. It is believed that this gives the punch additional power and "snap."

Narrow stance - Unlike many other martial arts, taekwondo generally prefers a narrow stance rather than a wide stance. Wide stances are believed to provide more stability, but taekwondo practitioners believe that wide stances also diminish your ability to turn quickly. Narrow stances facilitate turning the body quickly, which is especially important in taekwondo given its emphasis on spinning and jumping kicks.

Relax / strike - Taekwondo practitioners believe that one should relax the body before striking, then tense the relevant portions of the body during the strike. The premise is that this conserves energy (keeping one's muscles constantly tensed is tiring) and also improves power.

For some schools of ITF taekwondo, "sine wave" - The principle of relax / strike is taken further in some forms of ITF taekwondo, in that it is believed that the body should be raised before strikes or blocks, then lowered during the strike or block to improve power. Conversely, WTF taekwondo practitioners favor a constant-height approach to taekwondo, with the top of the head ideally maintained at the same height between blocks and strikes.

Brief History

See also main article: Taekwondo History

The oldest Korean martial art was an amalgamation of unarmed combat styles developed by the three rival Korean Kingdoms of Goguryeo, Silla, and Baekje, where young men were trained in unarmed combat techniques to develop strength, speed, and survival skills. The most popular of these techniques was ssireum and subak, with taekkyeon being the most popular of the components of subak. The Northern Goguryeo kingdom was a dominant force in Northern Korea and North Eastern China prior to the 1st century CE, and again from the 3rd century to the 6th century. Before the fall of the Goguryeo Dynasty in the 6th century, the Shilla Kingdom asked for help in training its people for defense against pirate invasions. During this time a few select Silla warriors were given training in taekkyeon by the early masters from Goguryeo. These Shilla warriors then became known as the Hwarang. The Hwarang set up a military academy for the sons of royalty in Silla called Hwarang-do, which means "the way of flowering manhood." The Hwarang studied taekkyeon, history, Confucian philosophy, ethics, Buddhist morality, social skills, and military tactics. The guiding principles of the Hwarang warriors were based on Won Gwang's five codes of human conduct and included loyalty, filial duty, trustworthiness, valor, and justice. Taekkyeon spread throughout Korea as the Hwarang traveled throughout the peninsula.

KoreanMartialArtsHistory

In spite of Korea's rich history of ancient and martial arts, Korean martial arts faded into obscurity during the late Joseon Dynasty. Korean society became highly centralized under Korean Confucianism, and martial arts were poorly regarded in a society whose ideals were epitomized by its scholar-kings. Formal practices of traditional martial arts such as subak and taekkyeon were reserved for sanctioned military uses. However, taekkyeon persisted into the 19th century as a folk game during the May-Dano festival, and was still taught as the formal military martial art throughout the Joseon Dynasty.

Early progenitors of taekwondo who were able to study in Japan were exposed to Japanese martial arts, including karate, judo, and kendo, while others were exposed to the martial arts of China and Manchuria, as well as to the indigenous Korean martial art of taekkyeon.

When the Japanese occupation of Korea ended in 1945, Korean martial arts schools (kwans) began to open in Korea. There are differing views on the origins of the arts taught in these schools. Some believe that they taught martial arts that were based primarily upon the traditional Korean martial arts taekkyeon and subak, while others believe that taekwondo was derived from native Korean martial arts with influences from neighboring countries. Still others believe that these schools taught arts that were almost entirely based upon karate.

FiveKwans

In 1952, at the height of the Korean War, there was a martial arts exhibition in which the kwans displayed their skills. In one demonstration, Nam Tae Hi smashed 13 roof tiles with a punch. Following this demonstration, South Korean President Syngman Rhee instructed Choi Hong Hi to introduce the martial arts to the Korean army. By the mid-1950s, nine kwans had emerged. Syngman Rhee ordered that the various schools unify under a single system. The name "taekwondo" was submitted by either Choi Hong Hi (of the Oh Do Kwan) or Duk Sung Son (of the Chung Do Kwan), and was accepted on April 11, 1955. As it stands today, the nine kwans are the founders of taekwondo, though not all of the kwans used the name. The Korean Taekwondo Association (KTA) was formed in 1959-1961 to facilitate the unification.

EvolutionTKD

In the early 1960s, taekwondo made its début worldwide with assignment of the original masters of taekwondo to various countries. Standardization efforts in South Korea stalled, as the kwans continued to teach differing styles. Another request from the Korean government for unification resulted in the formation of the Korea Tae Soo Do Association, which changed its name back to the Korean Taekwondo Association in 1965 following a change of leadership. The International Taekwon-Do Federation was founded in 1966, followed by the World Taekwondo Federation in 1973.

Since 2000, taekwondo has been one of only two Asian martial arts (the other being judo) that are included in the Olympic Games. It became a demonstration event at the 1988 games in Seoul, and became an official medal event at the 2000 games in Sydney. In 2010, taekwondo was accepted as a Commonwealth Games sport.

One source estimated that as of 2009, taekwondo was practiced in 123 countries, with over 30 million practitioners and 3 million individuals with black belts throughout the world. The South Korean government in the same year published an estimate of 70 million practitioners in 190 countries.

See Also

References

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