The History of Tae Kwon Do
Tae Kwon Do in Ancient Times
Tae Kwon Do has an estimated five thousand year history. Martial Arts in Korea originated through the people's need to defend themselves against other countries and wild animals. Before weapons were developed, it was necessary for the Korean people to defend themselves by unarmed means. Martial arts were also used for hunting, fighting, and physical exercise. As time progressed, organization of the martial arts increased and although the martial arts were traditionally used for defensive purposes, due to the aggressive nature, there were organized competition matches as well. The forms and movements of animals were mimicked to develop defensive and offensive methods that were integrated into Tae Kwon Do.
Tae Kwon Do in Modern Times
In 1909 the Japanese occupied Korea. In 1910, the Japanese started a colonial Japanese government that was headed by generals. The new government forbade all Korean cultural activity, speaking the Korean language was not allowed, and the Japanese government attempted to change the identity of the Korean people by changing their family names. The practice of Korean armed and unarmed martial arts was prohibited and the practice of Katate was introduced.
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There were many Korean patriots who fought the Japanese to regain their independence. After Korea regained independence in 1945, the cultural and social aspects of the country began to return to normal and Tae Kwon Do techniques began to improve. Many of the Masters of Tae Kwon Do were interested in converting the martial art into a national sport, but they realized that because Karate had an influence on some of the Tae Kwon Do techniques, it would be difficult for the conversion to take place without showing the Korean people that there was a distinct difference between the two martial arts.
In 1958, at the birthday party held for the Korean president, Lee Sueng Man, a demonstration was presented by Master Song Duk Ki and Master Sung Hwan. The purpose of the demonstration was to show the many differences between Tae Kwon Do and Karate. The demonstration was a success, clearly showing the differences between the two martial arts.
The masters felt that their main objective was to purify Tae Kwon Do and to return to the traditional unarmed form and technique that was free from other influences of martial arts. Tae Kwon Do has gone by many different names: Taek Gyeon, Soo Bak Do, Koon Soo Do, Tang Soo Do, and others. Because of this, the masters felt that it was necessary to form an association resulting in Tae Kwon Do's recognition as a national sport. The Tae Soo Do association was formed on September 16, 1961. The association was accepted as an official member of the Korean Amateur Sports Association on June 20, 1962. Tae Kwon Do was entered for the first time as an official event for the 43rd National Games on October 24, 1962.
Historical Milestones of Tae Kwon Do
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- August 5, 1965 - the Tae Soo Do Association changed its name to the Korean Tae Kwon Do Association
- October 28, 1966 - the first Tae Kwon Do competition for the winning of the President's Flag was held
- May 28, 1975 - the World Tae Kwon Do Federation was established
- October 8, 1975 - the World Tae Kwon Do Federation was given membership into the International Sports Federation
- April 9, 1976 - the International Military Sports Counsel entered Tae Kwon Do as an event of their games
- July 17, 1980 - the International Olympic Committee admitted the World Tae Kwon Do Federation as an official member
- 1988 Olympic Games - Tae Kwon Do was exhibited at the Games in Seoul, Korea
- January 17, 1991 - Un Yong Kim was elected President of the Tae Kwon Do Association
- 1992 Olympic Games - Tae Kwon Do was exhibited at the Games in Barcelona, Spain
- 2000 Olympic Games - Tae Kwon Do became an Official Olympic Sport at the Games in Sydney, Australia
