Jeon's Tae Kwon Do Academy
(dba: Chun Ma Tae Kwon Do - American Taekwondo Centers)
Akron-Fairlawn • Wadsworth • Jackson Township (ATC)

History of Tae Kwon Do

The Korean civilization is more than 4,320 years old, and has its own traditional language, culture, and Martial Arts. The ancient martial arts had their beginning hundreds of years before the birth of Christ and included the use of military weapons, however the advantages of unarmed combat techniques were not overlooked, and the skills and many forms of unarmed combat were also emphasized and developed. Consequently, Tae Kwon Do developed as a brand of the Martial Arts limited to combat with the natural weapons of fists, hands and feet.

Historically, the origin of Tae Kwon Do can be traced back to the three kingdoms of KOGURYO (37 BC to AD 668), PAEKCHE (18 BC to AD 600), and SILLA (57 BC to AD 936). Archaeological findings such as mural paintings on the royal tombs of the KOGURYO Dynasty, the stone sculptures of pagodas of temples produced during the SILLA period. And also documents written in the PAEKCHE Dynasty show many studies of fighting stances, skills, and formalized movements that closely resemble the present stances and forms of Tae Kwon Do. Therefore, it can be safely inferred that the people in the three kingdoms practiced an art very much like the one we study today.

It was during the KORYO Dynasty (AD 935 to 1392) that unarmed combat study gained its popularity and was practiced both by military personnel and the general public. It was during this period that the art was first technically organized and systematized by the royal family to present demonstrations and matches annually at the Royal Court. Under King TAEJO, the founder of the YI Dynasty (AD 1392 to 1910), Buddhism was supplanted by Confucianism as the state religion (Buddhism was introduced into the KOGURYO Dynasty in AD 3) and the ruling class of the dynasty strongly emphasized Chinese classical learning and de-emphasized physical activity. Consequently, the people became disinterested in Martial Arts, and Tae Kwon Do (known as the Tae Kyon) declined in popularity and its technical development was hindered.

Although he did not reverse the trend, King CHONGJO (1790) helped keep the Korean Martial Arts alive by ordering Lee Duk Mu to write an official textbook on them. That volume, “Muye Dobo Tong Ji,” described and pictured the Korean Martial Arts very clearly, and included a chapter on the forms of unarmed combat.

In 1910, the YI Dynasty was forcibly overcome by Japan, and the decline of the military skill continued. The Japanese colonial government not only banned cultural activities, but also Korean Martial Arts, sports, and language in an attempt to destroy the Korean identity.

Not until World War II, when Korea was liberated from Japan did many Korean Martial Artists open schools under various names such as Kong Soo Do, Soo Bak Do, Tang Soo Do, Kwon Bup, and others. However, many leaders wanted to recover the traditional Tae Kyon. Finally in 1961, the Korean Tae Kwon Do Association was formed, and KTA was given official membership in the Korean Amateur Sports Association.

On January 25, 1971, Dr. Un Yong Kim was elected President of the Korean Tae Kwon Do Association.

In 1973, the Korean Taekwondo Association (KTA) formed the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF), with the headquarters at the Kukkiwon, Seoul, Korea, for the purpose of promoting and governing the growth of Taekwondo worldwide. The President of the WTF is Dr. Un Yong Kim. In 1974, the United States Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) recognized Taekwondo as a distinct competitive sport and the National AAU Taekwondo Union was established as the governing body of the sport in the U.S. The following year, 1975, Taekwondo was accepted as a member of the General Assembly of International Sports Federations (GAISF) as the first step toward becoming an Olympic sport. In 1980, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognized the WTF as the international governing body of Taekwondo, and in 1981, approved the inclusion of Taekwondo in the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea, where it was highlighted as a demonstration sport.

In August, 1987, Taekwondo was included as an official sport in the 10th Pan-American Games held in Indianapolis, Indiana, with 26 participating nations. In 1992, Taekwondo was again included as a demonstration sport in the Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. In August 2000, Taekwondo became a full medal sport in the Olympics in Sydney, Australia. Today, 2 million students practice Taekwondo in the U.S. and over 22 million participate worldwide, with these figures growing rapidly every year.

The Tenets of Tae Kwon Do

The philosophies of Tae Kwon Do are based upon a constant striving for personal excellence. The goal is to become an honorable person with perfect character and physical condition. To realize the ultimate benefits of Tae Kwon Do, one must practice it daily in both efforts and actions, and commit to it for a lifetime. Though none of the above goals are absolutely attainable, the key is in one’s best efforts and endeavors.

In Tae Kwon Do, we honor six fundamental tenets of living. These should serve as a guide to all serious students of the art, both inside and outside of class:

Courtesy: must be shown by the Tae Kwon Do student at all times to any living being. Respect must be shown to the Master Instructor, Instructors, higher ranking students, and fellow students while in the Do-Jang, outside of the Do-Jang, to parents without question, family, nation, friends, and co-workers. He/ she who dose not respect another will not earn the respect of others.

Humility: Although Tae Kwon Do will boost your confidence, this should not convey the false sense of superiority. On the contrary, the good student will humble him/herself before others and be considerate at all times. In the same way, all Tae Kwon Do practitioners should observe the highest regard for morality and ethics.

Integrity: One must bee able to define right from wrong and have the conscience, if wrong, to feel remorse. Additionally, one must have the courage to do what is right in any given situation, no matter what the consequences. Within the Do Jang, one must honestly attempt to do whatever the instructor asks. If you are asked to do 20 push ups, do not do only 10 because the instructor is not watching, or fake your way through them. Outside the Do Jang, students must not misrepresent themselves or rationalize unworthy behavior or actions.

Perseverance: Nothing of any true good comes easily, or so the saying goes. Perseverance and patience are required to excel at anything. Perseverance means “sticking to it” if you fail the first time, or even the hundredth time, try again, confident that in time you will succeed as long as your purpose is worthy.

Self-control: This is extremely important inside and outside the Do Jang, either conducting oneself in free sparring, or in one’s personal affairs. Good self-control in free sparring enables you to execute stunning techniques without injuring your partners from a physical standpoint. From the mental standpoint, it means that should your opponent make accidental or deliberate heavy contact, your self-control will allow you to be above sinking to their level to abuse your teachings, and react from anger. In daily life, self-control allows you to work confidently and maintain a level of objectivity by way of not letting emotions drive your decision making.

Indomitable Spirit: Never be afraid to be yourself, and always trust your judgment.  Indomitable Spirit is what enables you to keep your ideals and your identity in the face of overwhelming adversity and pressures. It is the strength to reject the things that “everyone else is doing” if you believe them to be wrong. Do not give in to simple outs, have the spirit or Indomitable Spirit to think about the “big picture”, and build for a long-term goal, working hard to achieve it.