Taekwondo — The Way of the Foot and Fist

Taekwondo — 跆拳道, “the way of the foot and fist” — is Korea’s national martial art and the world’s most widely practised kicking-based combat system. The name combines Tae (foot/kick), Kwon (fist/punch) and Do (way/philosophy). Despite its relatively recent formalisation, Taekwondo carries roots stretching back thousands of years to the fighting traditions of Korea’s Hwarang warrior class and the folk art of Taekkyeon.

Officially named as a distinct style in 1955, Taekwondo developed during the Japanese occupation of Korea and its turbulent post-war reconstruction into a consciously Korean national art. With an estimated 80 million practitioners in over 200 countries, it is one of the most widely practised martial arts in the world — and since the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, a permanent fixture in the Olympic programme.

History and Development

Ancient roots: Korea had formalised combat arts from early antiquity: Subak (foot-fighting), Taekkyeon (a fluid folk art with strong leg emphasis) and various weaponed systems. The Hwarang — an elite warrior corps of the Silla Kingdom (approx. 57 BCE–935 CE) — developed the Hwarang-do code: a philosophical framework combining combat training with ethics, Buddhism and Korean cultural learning.

Japanese occupation (1910–1945): Korean martial arts were suppressed under colonial rule. Many Koreans studied Japanese Karate, particularly Shotokan. General Choi Hong Hi earned his Shotokan black belt and later combined this technical base with Korean elements.

Post-war Kwans: After liberation in 1945, Korean martial artists opened schools called Kwans: Chung Do Kwan, Moo Duk Kwan, Chang Moo Kwan and others. These schools operated independently under different names (Tang Soo Do, Oh Do Kwan etc.).

1955 — Official naming: General Choi Hong Hi coined the name “Taekwondo” and had it officially adopted on 11 April 1955. The Korea Taekwondo Association (KTA) was founded in 1961.

1966 — ITF: Choi Hong Hi founded the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) in Seoul, which he subsequently led from Toronto after leaving South Korea for political reasons. This began the division into two major lineages.

1973 — WTF / WT: The South Korean government established the World Taekwondo Federation (now simply World Taekwondo, WT since 2017) as a counterweight to the ITF. The Kukkiwon in Seoul became the official technical centre.

2000 — Olympic debut: Taekwondo became a permanent Olympic discipline at the Sydney Games (following demonstrations in Seoul 1988 and Barcelona 1992).

Technical Foundations

Feature	ITF Style	WT (Olympic) Style
Stance	Deep stances	More upright
Punches	Head punches permitted	Body punches only
Kicks	Diverse, including jump kicks	Focus on head kicks
Protection	Head guard, body armour	Hogu with electronics, head guard
Scoring	Point judges	Electronic sensors
Patterns	24 Tul (Choi system)	Kukkiwon Poomsae

Taekwondo’s defining characteristic is the overwhelming proportion of kicking techniques — an estimated 70–80% of competition points are scored with kicks.

Core Techniques

Dollyeo-chagi — Roundhouse kick; the fundamental offensive technique.

Naeryo-chagi — Axe kick (heel from above); highly effective against the head.

Dwit-chagi — Back kick; the most powerful linear technique.

Twieo Dollyeo-chagi — Jumping roundhouse; maximum point value.

Bandae Dollyeo-chagi — Spinning hook kick; heel strikes the head laterally.

Mireo-chagi — Push kick; distance management tool.

Poomsae (형): Taeguk 1–8 (WT) · Koryo · Keumgang · Taebaek · Pyongwon · Sipjin · Jitae · Cheonkwon · Hansu · Ilyeo

Philosophy

The five tenets of Taekwondo form its ethical framework:

Ye-ui (예의) — Courtesy
Yom-chi (염치) — Integrity
In-nae (인내) — Perseverance
Geuk-gi (극기) — Self-control
Baek-jeol-bul-gul (백절불굴) — Indomitable spirit

The Hwarang legacy remains philosophically active: the warrior serves country, family and teacher. Mind and body are to be cultivated in harmony. Buddhist concentration, Confucian respect and Taoist equilibrium flow through the Korean martial ideal.

“Taekwondo does not exist only in the dojang — it is a way of life.” — Choi Hong Hi

Organisations

Organisation	Founded	Orientation	Characteristic
World Taekwondo (WT)	1973	Olympic sport	Electronic hogu, Kukkiwon
ITF (Choi lineage)	1966	Traditional	24 Tul, body contact
ATA	1969	USA-based	Own poomsae system
GTF	1990	Traditional	Choi splinter group

Connections to Other Martial Arts

Taekkyeon — Korean folk art with similar kicking emphasis; the direct cultural predecessor
Shotokan Karate — Technical base from the occupation era; many early Taekwondo techniques are Karate adaptations
Hapkido — Sister art developed in the same post-war Korean period
Kyokushin Karate — Technical comparison in the full-contact domain

Today — Reach and Critique

Taekwondo has over 80 million practitioners, making it one of the most widespread martial arts globally. Olympic status has driven enormous state investment in Korea and internationally.

Critique: The WT Olympic format is frequently criticised for narrowing the art to a points chase at head level. Punches are nearly irrelevant in competition. The ITF/WT split fragments the broader community.

Strength: Taekwondo is globally the most structurally accessible martial art — a clear curriculum, disciplined pedagogy and an Olympic presence combine to make it unmatched in youth and school sport reach.

Hapkido — The Korean joint-lock and pressure-point art
Judo — Olympic parallel from Japan
Kyokushin Karate — Full-contact comparison