TAE KWON DO


Tae Kwon Do is an ancient Korean martial art. Translated from Korean, Tae Kwon Do means "The Way of the Foot and Hand". It was founded about 1300 years ago by the Hwarang-Do warrior society. In combat, the members of the Hwarang-Do have fought barehanded against their opponents, that have had wooden armor.
In that time, Korea (which natives call "Choson") was split into three kingdoms: Silla, Paekche and Koguryo. The kingdom of Silla (the smallest one) conquered other two, thanks to the Hwarang-Do societies. That was a military and philosophical code that included not only martial skills, but also academics (art and music). Hwarang-Do literally means "The Way of the Flower of Manhood". The martial art associated with the Hwarang-Do was known as Tae Kyon.
The unification of the three kingdoms in the 7th century marked the beginning of the Silla dynasty, which lasted until 935. It was followed by the Koryo dynasty, the name which is the root of the modern name "Korea".
The Koryo dynasty was followed by the Choson dynasty (1392-1910). By the end of this period, Hwarang-Do had almost ceased to exist, as well as Tae Kyon. The Japanese occupied Korea in 1910 and banned martial arts such as Tae Kyon, though they were still secretly practiced.
In 1945, when Korea was liberated, lieutenant Choi Hang Hi began teaching Tae Kyon to his soldiers. The art grew very rapidly and in 1955, it was named Tae Kwon Do. Today, Tae Kwon Do is one of the most widely practiced martial arts. There are over 30 million people in the world that are active in Tae Kwon Do.
If you would like to know more about the history of Tae Kwon Do, click "The History of Tae Kwon Do" link below.

Find out more about:

  • Korean Terminology Related to Tae Kwon Do
  • Tae Kwon Do (Tae Geuk) Forms - Animated Examples
  • Ranks and Belts in Tae Kwon Do
  • Rules of Tae Kwon Do Schools
  • Counting in Korean
  • The History of Tae Kwon Do
  • Belgrade Tae Kwon Do Schools
  • The Dojang Digest Mailing List (E - mail Discussion)
  • Tae Kwon Do Photo Gallery
  • Tae Kwon Do Weight Categories
  • Tae Kwon Do Fights' Rules
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