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The History of Tae Kwon Do

by Brendon Lehman (in fulfillment of requirements for Cho Dan Bo)

Modern day Tae Kwon Do is a self defense martial art that originated in Korea which evolved from a combination of many other styles of martial arts that developed over 2000 years ago in Korea and its surrounding countries. It incorporates linear movements such as those of karate and many hand techniques like those of Japanese Kung-Fu, while placing strong emphasis on its native kicking techniques. Ancient styles of martial arts such as T'ang-su, Taek Kyon, also known as Subak, Tae Kwon, Kwonpup and Tae Kwonpup all eventually developed into Tae Kwon Do. Judo, Karate, and Kung-Fu also have influenced modern Tae Kwon Do as a self-defense martial art. The earliest records of Taekwondo practice date back to around 50 B.C. During that time-period, Korea was divided into three kingdoms: Silla, Koguryo, and Paekche. There are paintings depicting unarmed men posing in techniques very much like those seen in modern day Tae Kwon Do that date back to this time. At that time, Tae Kyon was the most developed and well known form of Tae Kwon Do. The Silla’s Hwarang warriors are given credit for spreading Tae Kwon Do throughout Korea. These warriors studied military tactics, Confucian philosophy, ethics, and Bhuddist morality. They placed a lot of emphasis on loyalty, trustworthiness, valor, and justice. These warriors also set many of the common rules many schools around the world have their students follow, such as our children’s home rules. However, this was only the beginning.

During the Silla Dynasty, the art was used primarily for recreational purposes as a sport. Taek Kyon's name was changed to Subak and the focus of the art was changed during the Koryo Dynasty again from a system that promotes fitness to primarily a fighting art During the Yi Dynasty, the first book ever released to the public describing Tae Kwon Do was published. Political disputes and military action nearly drove the art into extinction when the government became scared that the public may become capable of creating an uprising. This changed the art’s focused once again back to fitness and recreation. All of this switching back and forth may be responsible for Tae Kwon Do’s popularity as an Olympic event in the form of sparring. In 1909 Japan invaded Korea, banning all military martial arts and burning all books referencing them. The Japanese even went so far as to ban the Korean language and burned all books which were written in Korea. This enraged the public and only led to a renewed interest in the current form of Tae Kwon Do of the time. Many of the Koreans would organize secret groups and practice their techniques in remote Buddhist temples so that they could remain undiscovered. Still others left Korea to study martial arts in China and Japan such as Karate, Judo and Kung-Fu. In 1943 these styles of martial arts were introduced to the Koreans which heavily influenced modern Tae Kwon Do. Naturally, when Korea was liberated in 1945, there were very many variations of Tae Kwon Do existing in Korea. At this point, the Korean military began considering the use of Tae Kwon Do.

The most development of what is considered to be modern age Tae Kwon Do began around 1952 during the height of the Korean War. President Syngman Rhee was invited to watch a small demonstration of Tae Kwon Do and was astonished by the masters’ strength and speed. It was after this demonstration that President Rhee held a meeting with General Hong Hi Choi, in which he declared that every Korean soldier would from then on be required to take martial arts training. At the same time, special commando groups were formed to combat the Korean Communist forces that were growing in power in North Korea. General Choi had been teaching a form of tae Kwon Do in a military base called Kwang Ju and had also given a speech near Topeka Kansas in 1949. The Korean War ended in 1953 and in 1954 General Choi organized a center for teaching the military his style of Tae Kwon Do. At this time, Tae Kwon Do was still not his style’s official title.

In the month of April in 1955, a conference was held to which attended kwan masters, a number of historians, and a great number of Taek Kyon promoters. It was during this conference that many of the Kwan masters decided it would be mutually beneficial to both Kwan and Taek Kyon practitioners to merge the two styles of techniques. At this time, the name that was generally accepted for this style of martial arts was Tae Soo Do. However, General Choi suggested two years later that the name be changed to Tae Kwon Do. From this point forward, General Choi was recognized as “the father of Tae Kwon Do”. In 1961, the KTA or Korean Tae Kwon Do Association was formed, including the various Kwans who chose not to unify with the Taek Kyon art in 1955. General Choi was elected as the first president, but he soon resigned when he created the ITF or International Taekwondo Federation for which he also served as president. The KTA does not recognize the ITF as “an international regulating body for Taekwondo.” Therefore, the WTF or World Taekwondo Federation was formed. The WTF was responsible for the recreational and athletic competitive version of Tae Kwon Do that is popular today at the Olympic Games. Over 30 million people in over 156 countries currently train in WTF style Tae Kwon Do. The U.S also has its own separate federation (U.S. Tae Kwon Do Federation.)

Tae Kwon Do utilizes a variety of strikes and blocks which originated from several other styles of martial arts. This blending of several styles into one art has become very popular in modern martial arts as well and seems to allow martial artists to create their own style of defense. Since the beginning of the ancient styles of Taek Kyan, Tae Kwon Do has come a long way. It constantly changes and is becoming a number of different styles based on the student learning the art. However, the important thing is that the philosophy of the art continues to follow the teaching of the techniques. Without the mental preparation, the body cannot function as one with the mind. The key to Tae Kwon Do and all martial arts is to link the body and mind and follow one’s own reactions and instincts rather than think about each technique individually. As Bruce Lee once said, “Empty your mind; be formless, shapeless - like water. You put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.” This is precisely how a student of Tae Kwon Do should react, as water.