Since the establishment of the ancient Korean state in 2332 B.C., the Korean people have had to fight to protect their independence from the Chinese, the Mongols, and the Japanese. Like other fighting peoples, they developed a systematic art of self-defense. The earliest known name of this martial art was Soo Bak, meaning "Punching and Butting."
In the Sixth Century A.D., three separate kingdoms developed on the Korean Peninsula, the large kingdoms of Koguryo and Baek Je, and the small kingdom of Silla. The three kingdoms, along with Japan, constantly attacked Silla, which at the time was weak and disorganized. The major turning point for Silla was the reign of Chin Heung, the 24th King, who established the Hwa Rang. The Hwa Rang were warriors who were disciplined at an early age to endure all types of weather and hardships, and were highly trained in swordsmanship and the use of bow and spear. As fighters, they were legendary. The Hwa Rang further developed Soo Bak, which was primarily practiced as an art, by adding hand techniques and kicks. They added mental discipline and principles to transform a festival sport into a useful combat skill. This new art became known as Tae Kyon. With their fighting skills, the Hwa Rang began to be victorious over Koguryo and Baek Je. Eventually, Silla subdued both kingdoms, and, in 935 A.D., the name Koryo was given to the unified kingdom on the peninsula. Tae Kyon prospered in Koryo for 500 years until the beginning of the Yi Dynasty. Under these rulers, anything related to the military or military training was discouraged. Tae Kyon did not die out, however, but was practiced in secret and passed on from generation to generation.
In 1909, Japan conquered the weakened Korea and began an occupation of the land that lasted until the end of World War II. During the Japanese occupation, they strictly banned all forms of martial arts on pain of death. Practitioners of Tae Kyon taught in secret to keep the art alive. After the Japanese occupation ended in 1945, exiled Koreans returned with other forms of martial arts they had studied elsewhere. Some of these were combined with the ancient art of Tae Kyon. In 1955, the name Taekwondo (sometimes spelled "Tae Kwon Do") was given to the martial art that emerged—"Tae" for a kick or strike with the foot, "Kwon" for a punch or strike with the fist, and "Do" for the "way of." Thus the name signifies "The way of striking with hand and foot."
In 1973, the Korean Taekwondo Association (KTA) formed the
World Taekwondo Federation (WTF), with the headquarters at the
Kukkiwon, Seoul, Korea, for the purpose of promoting and governing the growth of Taekwondo worldwide. The President of the WTF is Dr. Un Yong Kim. In 1974, the United States Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) recognized Taekwondo as a distinct competitive sport and the National AAU Taekwondo Union was established as the governing body of the sport in the U.S. The following year, 1975, Taekwondo was accepted as a member of the General Assembly of International Sports Federations (GAISF) as the first step toward becoming an Olympic sport. In 1980, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognized the WTF as the international governing body of Taekwondo, and in 1981, approved the inclusion of Taekwondo in the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea, where it was highlighted as a demonstration sport.
In 1985, the National AAU Taekwondo Union became the
United States Taekwondo Union (USTU).
Grandmaster Kyongwon Ahn served as President of the USTU from 1986 to 1992. In August, 1987, Taekwondo was included as an official sport in the 10th Pan-American Games held in Indianapolis, Indiana, with 26 participating nations. In 1992, Taekwondo was again included as a demonstration sport in the Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. In August 2000,
Taekwondo became a full medal sport in the Olympics in Sydney, Australia. Today, 2 million students practice Taekwondo in the U.S. and over 22 million participate worldwide, with these figures growing rapidly every year.
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