Taekwondo

The way of the foot and the fist: General Choi, the Kukkiwon, two families of one Korean art, and how it reached a hall near you.

Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and Olympic sport known above all for its kicking. ^46,52 Its name is usually explained as tae, foot, kwon, fist, and do, the way. ⁴⁶ It grew out of the fighting schools that opened in Seoul after Korea's liberation in 1945, whose teachers had learned karate in Japan, and its owners also trace it to older Korean traditions. ^1,52 The name Taekwon-Do was approved on 11 April 1955 at a board called together by General Choi Hong Hi. ⁶⁴

In the UK "taekwondo" means two families of the same art. One is the Olympic style: World Taekwondo rules, black belts certified by the Kukkiwon in Seoul, and British Taekwondo as its governing body. The other is the ITF style, often spelled Taekwon-Do, built by General Choi, with its own 24 patterns, its own sparring rules and its own black belt certificates, and today three separate federations each called the ITF. ^{1,40,62,80,95} Many large UK associations, including the TAGB, follow the ITF style or a version of it. ^95,97

A class is built on stances, blocks, punches and kicks, practised in lines and strung together in patterns, called poomsae in one family and tul in the other, with step sparring, self-defence and, for older or more experienced students, sparring. ^1,62,80 Classes begin and end with a bow. ⁸⁷

Which patterns a student learns, how they spar and who signs their black belt depend on which family and which association their club belongs to. ^81,95,101 The pages here explain what is shared, where the two families differ, and whose version is whose.

The story of taekwondo

The same true story, told two ways. Pick the one for you.

For younger readers

Ages 8 to 11, read aloud if you like. 7 short chapters, each with a Listen button.

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For teenagers and adults

Age 12 and up. 7 short chapters.

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Through the years

Drag along the line, or tap a dot, to meet the people of each time.

19452024

1945 to 1954

New fighting schools open in Seoul

Seoul, Korea

Japan's rule over Korea ended in 1945, and new schools of unarmed fighting, called kwans, opened in Seoul. Many of their teachers had learned karate in Japan, and the art they taught did not yet have one name.

Choi Hong Hi1918 to 2002

A South Korean army officer who later became a two star general

He would give taekwondo its name and found one of its two great families.

He was born on 9 November 1918, under Japanese rule.
His own account says he learned an old Korean kicking art, Taekkyeon, as a teenager and karate in Japan.

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Learn about taekwondo

Belts and gradesBoth families use the same 10 coloured belt steps and nine black belt grades. What differs is who signs the black belt, what a child gets instead of a Dan, and which patterns are tested.TechniquesStances, blocks, punches, strikes and the kicks taekwondo is famous for, in plain English, with the WT and ITF names side by side.Patterns: poomsae and tulTaekwondo's set forms, called poomsae in the WT and Kukkiwon family and tul in the ITF family: two completely different sets, listed side by side.Your first classWhat to expect before, during and after a first taekwondo session, for parents and new adult students. Where the honest answer is ask the club, we say so.CompetitionHow WT sparring and poomsae are scored under the rules of 2026, how the two 2026 ITF rulebooks differ, and how competition works in the UK.Governing bodiesTwo world systems, two UK governing bodies recognised by the sports councils, three federations called the ITF, and what to ask a club.Grading theoryWhat a taekwondo grading might look like, why it varies from body to body and club to club, and a practice set of 15 example theory questions.The words you hear in class130 terms, each with a Hear it button.

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Written from checked sources, listed on the sources page. Pictures are drawn, with computer help, under our direction; none shows a real child. Recorded chapters are read by a computer voice; Hear it on a word uses your device's own voice.