18 Facts About Taekwondo

1.

The physical training undertaken in Taekwondo is purposeful and fosters strength of mind through mental armament.

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2.

Oldest governing body for Taekwondo is the Korea Taekwondo Association, formed in 1959 through a collaborative effort by representatives from the nine original kwans, or martial arts schools, in Korea.

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3.

The umbrella term traditional Taekwondo typically refers to the martial arts practiced by the kwans during the 1940s and 1950s, though in reality the term "Taekwondo" had not yet been coined at that time, and indeed each kwan was practicing its own unique style of the Korean art.

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4.

Taekwondo misrecognized the technique on display as Taekkyeon, and urged martial arts to be introduced to the army under a single system.

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5.

Since 2021, Taekwondo has been one of three Asian martial arts, and one of six total included in the Olympic Games.

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6.

Taekwondo is characterized by its emphasis on head-height kicks, jumping and spinning kicks, and fast kicking techniques.

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7.

World Taekwondo sparring competitions award additional points for strikes that incorporate spinning kicks, kicks to the head, or both.

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8.

Emphasis on speed and agility is a defining characteristic of Taekwondo and has its origins in analyses undertaken by Choi Hong-hi.

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9.

Taekwondo expanded on this principle with his advocacy of the sine wave technique.

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10.

Term traditional Taekwondo typically refers to martial arts practised in Korea during the 1940s and 1950s by the nine original kwans, or martial arts schools, after the conclusion of the Japanese occupation of Korea at the end of World War II.

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11.

The term Taekwondo had not yet been coined, and in reality, each of the nine original kwans practised its own style of martial art.

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12.

The term traditional Taekwondo serves mostly as an umbrella term for these various styles, as they themselves used various other names such as Tang Soo Do, Kong Soo Do and Tae Soo Do .

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13.

Traditional Taekwondo is still practised today but generally under other names, such as Tang Soo Do and Soo Bahk Do.

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14.

In 1959, the name Taekwondo was agreed upon by the nine original kwans as a common term for their martial arts.

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15.

Jhoon Rhee-style Taekwondo is still practised primarily in the United States and eastern Europe.

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16.

Taekwondo ranks vary from style to style and are not standardized.

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17.

Traditionalism holds that the origins of Taekwondo can be traced through Korean martial arts while revisionism, which has become the prevailing theory, argues that Taekwondo is rooted in Karate.

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18.

World Taekwondo Federation refers to the commandments of the Hwarang in the articulation of its Taekwondo philosophy.

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