IIMA-Tae Kwon Do

TAE KWON DO

Tae Kwon Do, also commonly spelled taekwondo, is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way," "method," or "art." Thus, "tae kwon do" may be loosely translated as "the way of the foot and fist" or "the way of kicking and punching." It incorporates the abrupt linear movements of karate and the flowing, circular patterns of kung fu with Korean kicking techniques.

Formally, there are two main styles of tae kwon do. One comes from the Kukkiwon, which is governed by the World Taekwondo Federation. The other comes from the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF). There is also a more recent form called Songham Taekwondo or the American Taekwondo Association (ATA) and other variations of it such as STF (Songham Taekwondo Federation) and WTTU (World Traditional Taekwondo Union).

Traditional tae kwon do typically refers to the martial art as it was established in the 1950s and 1960s by Gneral Choi Hong Hi. Considered the father of tae kwon do, Choi's traditional tae kwon do includes names and symbolism of the traditional patterns often referring to elements of Korean history. Sport tae kwon do has evolved in the decades since then and has a somewhat different focus, especially in terms of its emphasis on speed and competition, such as in Olympic sparring. Whereas traditional tae kwon do tends to emphasize power and self-defense. The two are not mutually exclusive, and the distinctions between them are often blurred.

Although there are technical differences between the two main styles and among the various organizations, tae kwon do generally emphasizes kicks thrown from a mobile stance, utilizing the leg's greater reach and power as compared to the arm. The greatest difference between various styles, is generally accepted to be the differing styles and rules of sport and competition. Tae kwon do 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. Some tae kwon do instructors also incorporate the use of pressure points as well as grabbing self-defense techniques borrowed from other martial arts, such as Hapkido and Judo.

Kicking is heavily stressed as one of the primary characteristics of tae kwon do. Tae kwon do kicking techniques are divided into direct and circular attacks. It is also famous for its devastating flying kicks. Most commonly, kicks are delivered from the back stance with the body’s weight distributed mostly on the back leg. Unlike Okinawan and Japanese karate systems, tae kwon do advocates a broader array of kicks, many of which are aimed at head level, considered relatively rare in other martial arts.

In 1955, General Choi submitted the name tae kwon do to a conference of chung do kwan masters to unite the fighting styles art under one name. The name was accepted and was officially recognized as the national martial art of Korea. He later moved to Montreal and emphasized tae kwon do for the self defense aspects.

However, another fraction of tae kwon do practitioners organized the World Taekwondo Federation in 1973 and focused on the sport aspect of the art.

Today, tae kwon do is the world's most popular martial art, in terms of the number of practitioners, an also an Olympic sport. It is also used by the South Korean military as part of its training.