HISTORY OF TAEKWON-DO

GENERAL CHOI & TAEKWON-DO

General Choi was born a weak child and it caused his parents constant anxiety. As a youngster, he studied calligraphy and Taek Kyon under the tutelage of the renowned Ok-Nam Han II Dong.

General Choi is a retired major General in the Korean Army, and was his country’s first ambassador to Malaysia. In addition to his military and diplomatic achievements, he has held one-man exhibitions both at home and abroad winning many prizes in the annually held Korean National Art Exhibition for his distinguished calligraphy.

General Choi, one of the founding fathers of the modern R.O.K. Army, was responsible for many contributions and innovations towards the improvement of military operations and procedures.

In 1961, while commanding General of the R.O.K. Army 6^th corps, he had the U.S. Army 7^th infantry Division under his direct command thus becoming the first General in Korean history to exercise military control over foreign troops.

While engaged in his military duties, he conducted a great deal of scientific and theoretical research on the ancient Korean art of “Taek Kyon” which chiefly employs foot techniques; Japanese Karate and Chinese Ch’an-fuah. These martial arts had not been properly developed until the appearance of modern Taekwon-Do which consolidates “Taek Kyon”, Karate, and Ch’an-fuah. His efforts to establish and encourage the development of Taekwon-Do also led to the founding of the International Taekwon-Do Federation.

In March 1959, he led the R.O.K. Army Taekwon-Do team on a demonstration of power and intriguing techniques to the Republic of China and the Republic of Vietnam thereby enhancing Korea’s national esteem as well as paving the way for the adoption of Taekwon-Do as a special part of the military training of both countries.

In 1965, he led the Taekwon-Do Goodwill Mission on a demonstration tour of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia thus establishing the initial foundation for the International Taekwon-Do Federation.

In 1968, General Choi led a Taekwon-Do demonstration team to a CISM (Council International Sports Military) held in France. This visit resulted in future plans for the adoption of Taekwon-Do as one of the competitive events of CISM.

General Choi died in June, 2002.

HISTORY OF TAEKWON-DO
(Taekwon-Do Yoksa)

Approximately 1300 years ago, (during the 6^th century A.D.) the Korean peninsula was divided into three kingdoms: Silla, Koguryo and Baek je. Silla, the smallest of these kingdoms was constantly under invasion and harassment by its two more powerful northern and eastern neighbors. During the reign of Chin Heung, Twenty-Fourth King of Silla, the young aristocrats and warrior class formed an elite officer corps called the Hwa Rang-Do. This warrior corps – in addition to the ordinary training in spear, bow sword, and hook – also trained themselves by practicing mental and physical discipline and various forms of hand and foot fighting. To harden their bodies, they climbed rugged mountains, swam the turbulent rivers in the coldest months, and drove themselves unmercifully to prepare for the task of defending their homeland. To guide themselves and give purpose to their knighthood, they incorporated a five–point code of conduct set forth by their country’s greatest Buddhist Monk and Scholar Won Kang:

Be loyal to your king.
Be obedient to your parents.
Be honourable to your friends.
Never retreat in battle.
Make a just kill.

The Hwa Rang-Do became known in the peninsula for their courage and skill in battle, gaining respect from even their bitterest foes. The strength they derived from their respect to their code enable them to attain feats of valor that became legendary. Many of these brave young warriors died on fields of battle in the threshold of their youth – as young as fourteen or fifteen years of age. Through their feats, however, they inspired the people of Silla to rise and unite. From the victories of Silla, the Korean peninsula became united for the first time in it’s history. There is much historical evidence to document the existence of a form of hand and foot fighting during this period, in both Silla and Koguryo. Some of the postures resemble Taek Kyon and Jujitsu techniques. During the Dan-0 festivals (August 15 of the lunar calendar) competition of Soo Bak was held along with games of Korean wrestling, tug of war, Taek Kyon, hopping contests, and Jeki-Chagi.

Dang Doo	Posture
Gyo Hang	Posture
Yo Dan Pyon	Posture
Do Chok	Posture
II Lyong Bo	Posture
Ki Go	Posture
Go Sa Pyong	Posture
Ha Sap	Posture
Do Gi Yong	Posture
Bok Ho	Posture
Mae Bok	Posture
Do Sap	Posture
Gwa Ho	Posture
Soon Ran Joo	Posture
Goo Yoo	Posture
Tam Ma	Posture
Gum Nal	Posture
Yo Ran Joo	Posture
Po Ga	Posture

Certainly the Silla and Koryo marked a flowering of an anti-military posture. Though this began a period of civil enlightenment, anything dealing with the military was debased. By the end of the Yi dynasty the martial arts appeared to have ceased exciting. The final bow came with the Japanese occupation (1909-1945), when it was forbidden to practice any of the martial arts. Taek Kyon was secretly practiced by some dedicated stalwarts and passed on to a handful of students. Proponents of the art, such as Song Duk Ki and Han II Dong, managed to keep it alive.

With the liberation of Korea in 1945, the new Republic of Korea Armed Forces was organized on January 15, 1946. A young Second Lieutenant, Choi Hong Hi, recently released from Japanese prison camp, began teaching his martial arts to some of his soldiers. The rest, of course, is history, resulting in what today is known throughout the world as Taekwon-Do.

1955, the name Taekwon-Do was chosen as the name of the national martial art by a board of instructors, historians, and other prominent persons. The name was selected for it’s apt description of the art: Tae (foot), Kwon (fist), Do (art). Not only did this new name bear a close similarity to the ancient name Taek Kyon, but the name gave a new sense of nationalism to the art, whereas the prevalent name of Dang Soo connoted Chinese hand.

The years of research and development by General Choi resulted in the Chang Hun style (open name of the author) of Taekwon-Do. Though this style is primarily based on Taek Kyon, Soo Bak, and Karate techniques, a myriad of techniques have been added, especially in the variety of hand techniques and perfection of foot techniques. The Chang Hun style is based on twenty-four patterns, each perfected and polished by General Choi Hong Hi and his colleagues, from the white belt pattern Choi-Ji, to the highest one, Tong II.

After 1300 years, a Korean martial art has reached full maturity, and has spread from a small band of aristocratic warriors to practitioners in more than 60 countries with millions of students. The combination of the old classical techniques and new modifications have resulted in a form of self-defense and mental conditioning unrivaled in the modern world.

IMPORTANT DATES

1945	Liberation of Korea.
1946	Lieutenant Choi begins teaching his martial art to Korean military and some American forces.
1949-	Colonel Choi gives martial arts demonstrations at Fort Riley, Kansas.
1950	Korean War
1951	Korean War ends; some Taek Kyon masters are missing in action.
1952	Martial Arts demonstration before Korean President Rhee
1954	29^th Infantry organized on Che Ju Island as the spearhead of the art in the Korean Military
1955	Korean Board formally gives the name “Taekwon-Do” to the art
Early- 60s	Taekwon-Do masters begin traveling to the United Nations building; Masters sent to teach Vietnamese troops unarmed combat.
Mid 60’s-	Expansion continues to the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Europe and Canada.
1966	International Taekwon-Do Federation formed with many nations as members.
1968	Taekwon-Do topics discussed at Paris International SportsSymposium.
1973	World Taekwon-Do Association formed in Seoul.
1974	Jamaica Taekwon-Do Association formed in Jamaica.
1998	General Choi conducts training seminar in Jamaica and celebrates his 80th birthday
2001	General Choi conducts his second training seminar in Jamaica and celebrates his 82nd birthday
2002	General Choi passes away

THE PHILOSOPHY OF TAEKWON-DO

The utmost purpose of Taekwon-Do is to eliminate fighting by discouraging the stronger’s oppression of the weaker with a power that must be based on humanity, justice, morality, wisdom and faith, thus helping to build a better and more peaceful world.

In recent years, there has been an upsurge in violence and a loss of morality in all levels of society, especially among the young. There are, of course, a number of reasons for this.

Many psychologists today feel that this problem stems from frustration. Analysts point out that these misguided people are, indeed, a disillusioned segment of society searching for values and relevance in what they consider a deceitful, materialistic, and absurd world or wars, racism and decadence.

Unfortunately, however, instead of constructively channeling their extraordinary energy and potential, far too many strike out in blind anger, destroying rather than building, or merely running away from it all by isolating themselves with drugs and their own worlds of fantasy.

Presently, the tendency of the “stronger preying upon the weaker” appears to be at its peak. In fact, the present world closely resembles a “corrupt age”. This is not merely because of the struggles for survival, but because of an overdeveloped, material, and scientific civilization.

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