The Martial Art of Taekwondo

In prior months we have covered some other common forms of martial arts like karate and kickboxing. Today we’d like to talk about another one, which you’ve no doubt heard about in many movies, TV shows, and probably even within your personal friend group: taekwondo.

What Does Taekwondo Mean?

Like many similar martial arts, taekwondo is a sport developed in Asia, though its history does not go back as far as the more traditional styles like karate. Starting in Korea after the Second World War, the name roughly translates to “The Way of the Trampling Fist”, and was brought into being as many separates styles in different schools across Korea.

Who founded taekwondo?

In 1952 the South Korean president saw a demonstration of the style in a match between ROK officers Choi Hong-Hi and Nam Tae-Hi, which he misinterpreted as an ancient Korean fighting discipline, taekkyeon. He began advocating for a unified single fighting form like it to be taught in the army, and in 1955 the nation’s most prominent dojo teachers were putting this plan in motion. Soon, the schools had begun to unify their teachings and combine old and new techniques very effectively, eventually settling on the name taekwondo.