History Of Taekwondo, Equipment And Health Benefits

Taekwondo is one of the traditional Korean martial arts that is most methodical and scientific and teaches more than just how to battle physically. It is a discipline that exemplifies how physical and mental training can be used to better one’s soul and life. It is now one of the acknowledged official sports competed in the Olympic Games and has developed into a well-liked global activity.

Let’s look at “Tae” “Kwon” “Dodefinition “‘s in more depth. Although it only has one term in Korean, it has three parts in the English spelling. Different words such as “foot,” “leg,” or “to walk on,” as well as “the technique” or “discipline,” are used to denote Tae, Kwon, and Do. We can see two important ideas that underlie “Tae Kwon Do” if we combine these three elements.

The “method” of using Tae and Kwon is called taekwondo, or all the bodily parts are represented by fists and feet. It also contributes to peacekeeping by containing or diffusing disputes. Tae Kwon, which means “to manage fists” or “to walk on fists,” is where this concept originated. Taekwondo is described as “the proper method of employing all parts of the body” in an effort to put an end to fights and contribute to the development of a better and more peaceful world.

History

New martial arts schools called kwans began to spring up in Seoul beginning in 1945, not long after World War II and the Japanese Occupation ended. These schools were established by Korean martial artists who had studied Chinese and Japanese martial arts. Indigenous disciplines (like Taekkyeon) were being lost at the time as a result of years of decline and repression by the Japanese colonial government. Even though the term “Taekwondo” had not yet been created, each kwan (school) was indeed teaching its own unique form of the Korean martial art at that time. Traditional Taekwondo typically refers to the martial arts that the kwans performed in the 1940s and 1950s.

The 29th Infantry Division ROK Army officers Choi Hong-hi and Nam Tae-hi performed a martial arts display in front of South Korean president Syngman Rhee in 1952. He incorrectly identified the demonstrated skill as Taekkyeon and pushed the army to adopt martial arts under a single system. The chiefs of the kwans started seriously debating the idea of forming a one Korean martial art in 1955. Up until that point, Korean karate was referred to as Tang Soo Do and was written with the Korean hanja version of the Japanese kanji (). Another term for a unified style of Korean martial arts was Tae Soo Do (). [Reference needed] This name is made up of the hanjas tae, meaning “to trample, hand,” su, meaning “hand,” and do, meaning “way, discipline.”

With the Chinese character for “martial arts” (pinyin quán), kwon (Revised Romanization: gwon; McCune-Reischauer: kkwn), which is pronounced “fist,” Choi Hong-hi advocated for the use of the name Tae Kwon Do. [16] The president claimed that the moniker was also the one that sounded most similar to Taekkyeon. It took some time for the kwan leaders to get used to the new moniker. During this period, Taekwondo gained popularity among public martial arts schools as a result of its acceptance by the South Korean military.

To aid in the unification of Korean martial arts, the Korea Taekwondo Association, or KTA (formerly known as the Korea Tang Soo Do Association), was founded in 1959. General Choi of the Oh Do Kwan wanted his own Chan Hon-style of Taekwondo to be adopted by all the other member kwans of the KTA as a unified style. The other kwans opposed this, however, as they preferred that a single, unified style be developed based on suggestions from all the kwans in order to incorporate the history and traits of all the styles, not simply the style of a single kwan. The International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF), a separate governing body devoted to institutionalizing Choi’s Chan Hon-style of Taekwondo in Canada, was founded in 1966 as a response to this as well as political disagreements regarding teaching Taekwondo in North Korea and unifying the entire Korean Peninsula.

Due to his close relationship with General Choi, the president of South Korea first provided the ITF with only sporadic backing. A North Korean impact on the martial art was something the South Korean government intended to prevent. In contrast, ITF President Choi Hong-hi lobbied everyone, including North Korea, to support his Chan Hon-style of Taekwondo. In retaliation, South Korea stopped supporting the ITF in 1972. Choi continued to develop the ITF-style, most notably with the 1983 release of his Encyclopedia of Taekwon-Do. The ITF continued to operate as an independent federation, with its headquarters situated in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Following Choi’s retirement, the ITF split twice, first in 2001 and then again in 2002, resulting in three distinct ITF federations, each of which is still in existence today and still uses the same name.

The Kukkiwon was formed as the new national Taekwondo academy in 1972 by the KTA and the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of the South Korean government. When it comes to developing a unified style of Taekwondo that is supported by the government, Kukkiwon currently performs many of the duties that the KTA once performed. The World Taekwondo Federation was founded in 1973 with backing from the KTA and Kukkiwon to develop the athletic aspect of Kukki-Taekwondo. In 2017 the name was changed to World Taekwondo to avoid confusion. Taekwondo in the Kukkiwon style is used in WT tournaments. Due to this, Kukkiwon-style Taekwondo is frequently referred to as WT-style Taekwondo, sport-style Taekwondo, or Olympic-style Taekwondo, despite the fact that the Kukkiwon, not the WT, is the organization that established the form.

Since 2021, taekwondo has been a part of the Olympic Games. It is one of three Asian martial arts and one of six total martial arts (the others being karate, boxing, Greco-Roman wrestling, and freestyle wrestling) (the others being judo and karate). It began at the Seoul Olympics in 1988 as a demonstration event before debuting as an official medal event at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, a year after becoming a medal event in the Pan Am Games. In 2010, Taekwondo was accepted as a sport for the Commonwealth Games.

Internationalization of TaeKwonDo

•November 30, 1972 – Kukkiwon’s construction was finished.
•The first World Taekwondo Championships took place on May 25, 1973. (biannual event).
The World Taekwondo Federation was founded on May 28, 1973.
The first Asian Taekwondo Championships were held on October 18, 1974. (biannual event).
The World Taekwondo Federation joined the General Association of the International Sports Federation on October 5, 1975. (GAISF).
•Taekwondo was recognized as an official sport by the CISM (Council International Sportive Militaire) Executive Committee on April 9, 1976.
•On July 17, 1980, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognized the World Taekwondo Federation at its 83rd General Session in Moscow.
•On July 24, 1981, Taekwondo was one of the main non-Olympic events at the World Games in Santa Clara, California.
•At the IOC Executive Board Meeting on February 5, 1982, Taekwondo was approved as a demonstration sport for the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games.
•September 28, 1984 – At the 90th session of Executive Board of IOC held in Berlin, Taekwondo was formally recognized as a Demonstration Sport in the 1988 Olympic Games.
•In Colorado Springs, Colorado, on July 3, 1986, the first World Cup Taekwondo Championship was held.
On September 30, 1986, Seoul hosted the 10th Asian Games Taekwondo Tournament, which had 17 participant countries.
•The First World University Taekwondo Championships took place on November 29, 1986.
•Taekwondo was a part of the 10th Pan-American Games, which were held in Indianapolis, Indiana, on August 9, 1987.
•On October 7, 1987, Barcelona, Spain hosted the inaugural Women’s World Taekwondo Championships.
•September 17–20, 1988 – A Demonstration Sport of the 24th Olympiad, 192 participants from 25 countries (males) and 16 countries (female).
Taekwondo was a part of the 11th Pan-American Games, which were held in Havana, Cuba, from August 14–17, 1991.
•August 3–5, 1992 – Barcelona, Spain hosts a demonstration sport for the second consecutive olympics.

Taekwondo Equipment

Depending on the sort of Taekwondo you’re practicing and whether you’re competing, you’ll need different equipment. It’s crucial to remember that the Taekwondo uniform cannot have any tape on it.

A white Taekwondo V-neck outfit that has been approved by the World Taekwondo Federation and is in acceptable shape is required for participants in sparring matches. Black collared uniforms are necessary for those with black belts.

Poomsae competitors are required to wear WTF-designated Y-neck competition Poomsae uniforms. These uniforms must adhere to all WTF regulations, including those pertaining to rank designations.

In addition, Taekwondo contestants must wear protective gear such as:

•Approved trunk protector
•Headgear
•Groin guard
•Gloves
•Forearm protectors
•Shin protectors
•Sensing socks
•Mouth guard

Taekwondo Health Benefits

There are other health advantages for individuals who practice Taekwondo, in addition to the obvious benefits of teaching trainees self-defense. Taekwondo:

Improves mental health by raising self-esteem, focus, confidence, concentration, and self-discipline; increases flexibility, balance, posture, strength, and stamina; improves muscular tone and physical condition; enhances agility and reflexes
lessens tension

Taekwondo Tips

As a way of life, taekwondo is. Therefore, it’s crucial for all Taekwondo practitioners to develop oneness of the mind, body, and life. You should keep your thoughts calm and in tune with your movements when practicing Taekwondo. Always keep in mind that your opponent can always recover and start a new battle.

Instead, to perfect Taekwondo, you must practice the path of unification, which calls for balanced growth and self-improvement. This will help you to reach lasting serenity.

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