What is Tae Kwon Do?
Tae means to 'jump, kick or smash with the foot'. Kwon means 'to punch or destroy with the hand or fist'. Do means 'art, way or method'....
Tae Kwon Do was inaugurated in Seoul, Korea on 11th April 1955. It was the culmination of of years of extensive research by its founder, Major General Choi Hong Hi (1918 - 2002), 9th Dan, commander of the 29th Infantry Division of the Korean Armed forces. The General and his soldiers rigorously tested and refined Tae Kwon-Do before introducing it to the world.
Due to its successful incorporation into modern warfare (Korean War 1950 - 1953) and the relationships South Korea built with the West, it was inevitable that Tae Kwon-Do would eventually spread to the USA and then thoughout the world. Tae Kwon Do was officially brought to the U.K by Grandmaster Rhee Ki Ha, 9th Dan in 1967. Tae Kwon-Do is now one of the most popular martial arts practised around the world and it is the Korean national sport. It is one of only two martial arts to feature as an Olympic event, the other being Judo. Unfortunately politics comes into the equation and the 'Olympic style' Tae Kwon Do is NOT the same as the Tae Kwon Do practised by ourselves and the majority of people in the West. If you watched the Olympics you'll have noticed very few (if any) hand techniques and a great number of rear foot techniques. It's almost like comparing Aikido and Karate, they are very different. The Olympic or WTF style isn't made for street or real life situations - that's why our training is based on the ITF system developed by Major General Choi Hong Hi.
There are two governing bodies or 'systems' of Tae Kwon-Do, the International Tae Kwon-Do Federation (I.T.F - 1966 onwards) and the World Tae Kwon-Do Federation (W.T.F - 1977 onwards). Due to the the popularity and growth of Tae Kwon-Do other more localised organisations have been created which follow one of these two main bodies. Cheltenham Tae Kwon-Do belongs to one these bodies - Global Tae Kwon-Do International (G.T.I - 1993 onwards) which is based on the ITF system. The GTI now has schools established throughout the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
Matt warming up
General Choi Hong Hi
"To put it simply, Tae Kwon-Do is a version of unarmed combat designed for the purpose of self-defence. It is more than just that, however. It is the scientific use of the body in the method of self-defence; a body that has gained the ultimate use of its facilities through intensive physical and mental training."
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