Tae Kwon Do Gear
What is Taekwondo?
Taekwondo, developed in the 1940s by Major General Choi Hong Hi in Korea, combines elements of Taekkyeon and Okinawan Karate. It has two main branches: Traditional Taekwondo, established in the 1950s and 1960s in the South Korean military and civilian institutions, emphasizes Korean history, culture, and philosophy in its patterns. Sport Taekwondo, which evolved later, focuses on speed and competition. This branch is divided into International Taekwon-Do, created by General Choi in 1955, and the Kukkiwon style, governed by the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF). Kukkiwon, founded in 1973 by Dr. Kim Un Yong, serves as the global headquarters for WTF Taekwondo and features prominently in the Olympic Games.
Despite differences in sparring styles and organizational approaches, Taekwondo universally emphasizes kicks and punches from a mobile stance. Training includes blocks, strikes, throws, joint locks, and self-defense techniques borrowed from arts like Judo, Hapkido, and ssireum. Pressure points, or jiapsul, are also integral to advanced practice.
The name "Taekwondo" comes from Korean words: tae ("to strike with the foot"), kwon ("to strike with the fist"), and do ("way" or "path"), collectively meaning "the way of the foot and the hand." Variants of the spelling include Taekwon-Do, Tae Kwon-Do, and Tae Kwon Do, reflecting its rich global legacy.
