being an ITF TKD practitioner i believe Gen. Choi Hong Hi founded it, would like to know who WTF TKD students think founded this martial art|||The reason that this question is so difficult for many people to answer with any certainty is that there is more than one definition of %26quot;Taekwondo,%26quot; thus there is more than one history that accurately describes the origin of Korean Martial Art and the path that it has taken up to the present.
If you are asking who founded %26quot;Taekwondo,%26quot; you might need to be more specific. Taekwondo is a term which is applied to individual organizations, particular philosophies and methodologies of notable Taekwondo pioneers, and a National Martial Art as well as a National sport.
What is necessary to understand is that we are specifically talking about a Korean variation of the well-known concept which gives an individual student guidance, instruction and development in their physical nature, mental education and control, and spiritual enlightenment that is generally referred to as %26quot;Martial Art.%26quot; While fighting systems, combat, and warrior training has existed world wide for eons, most of the Asian continent became noted for the blend of fighting abilities with moral education, and philosophy of life.
These unique systems of educating from master to disciple have been labeled by many names, and have undergone great transformations over centuries with very little written documentation, and quite a bit of shared knowledge between regions of China, Korea, Japan, and other neighboring cultures. Each country having modified the curriculum, teaching methods, and philosophy to create their own cultural identity, which is only right, but they are all dipped from the same well of knowledge.
During the Japanese occupation of Korea during WWII (1910 - 1945) all things of Korean history, and culture were suppressed and outlawed. Any Martial Art philosophy and curriculum that existed before the occupation (subak, taekyeon, Hwarang, etc.) became scarce, and was only practiced by a very few in secret. Most young Koreans who desired to study the Martial Art at all, were permitted to join Japanese schools set up in Korea, or while visiting Japan (Judo, Aikido, Shotokan Karate, etc.) The small amount of traditional Korean Martial Art which remained in secret, would have little effect on the transformation of the teachings developed in Korea until after the war ended.
The first school specifically intended to be a Korean Martial Art academy was formed in 1944 (just before the end of the war), by Won Kuk Lee and was called %26quot;Chung Do Kwan%26quot; (meaning %26quot;School of the Blue Wave%26quot;) The Korean term %26quot;Kwan%26quot; means a family or relationship, or a system of schools taught under one leader - the %26quot;Kwanjang%26quot; (like a grandfather, or teacher of teachers). From 1945 on, many Black Belt students of the Chung Do Kwan branched out with their own versions of Martial Art curriculum based on individual influences.
Soon, there were dozens of Kwans under various leadership, each doing their own thing, and using different names to describe the new direction Korean Martial Art was taking as it broke free of the Japanese occupation. Some will view this time period as the %26quot;Kwan era,%26quot; and might interpret their curriculum as having originated in Japanese Martial Art, thus being a variation of Karate, or Judo, etc. Others acknowledge the influence of Japanese systems on these individuals who founded the first Kwans, but argue that all unarmed combat is based on techniques refined over centuries by many different cultures, including early Koreans, and their northern ancestors. The true nature of Korean Martial Art is based more in the cultural philosophies, the method of application of power, and the preference of using the legs in kicking while maintaining a balance of throwing and grappling skills.
Choi Hong Hi was a young, teenage student of the earlier Taekyeon (tae kyon), and had studied Shotokan Karate in Japan in his early 20%26#039;s. After the occupation ended, he was a student of the Chung Do Kwan, yet kept his own personalized interpretation of training separate wherein he started the Oh Do Kwan (meaning %26quot;Gym of my way%26quot;). He took the concept of Kata (structured forms or patterns of pre-arranged movements taught in Karate), restructured them slightly, and replaced many of the techniques where the philosophical and technical methods differed from his influences of taekyeon and Chung Do Kwan.
As Choi became more prominent in the Martial Art community, and higher up as a General in the Korean Army, he worked with other Kwan leaders to organize, and unite the various schools of Korean Martial Art emerging after the occupation. Prominent historians, Kwan leaders, and Korean politicians became involved in a quest to revive the ancient skills and philosophies of Korean warriors from the three-kingdoms period (37 BC) through the various dynasties and the creation of the Hwarang Youth Group, to the modern developments. In 1961, the Korean Government officially recognized five Kwans and numbered each. The Chung Do Kwan was considered the civilian branch while General Choi%26#039;s Oh Do Kwan became the military branch.
It was desired by many that a single, new name be accepted as the %26quot;umbrella title%26quot; for all Korean Martial Art schools, regardless of their curriculum. At a meeting in 1955, several suggestions were made on ballots (including the term %26quot;Taekwon-Do,%26quot; reportedly submitted by Choi). The vote determined that this name more accurately described the unique hand and foot method of Korea (differentiating it from Karate), and it closely resembled the ancient term of %26quot;Taekyon%26quot; (kicking method).
The use of this term was contested and debated by some for many years, and some Kwan leaders opted not to unite under this heading. By 1973, the formation of a national headquarters in Seoul, Korea, the Kukkiwon building (%26quot;National Academy), gave a home to what eventually became the KTA (Korea Taekwondo Association - which was established in 1965, only exists and operates in South Korea).
As the popularity of Taekwondo spread around the world (much through the military travels of General Choi, and demonstrations by the soldiers he trained), it was determined that a world wide governing body was needed to set criteria and standards for certifying Black Belts from other countries. Therefore, the ITF (International Taekwondo Federation) was created by the KTA and General Choi was elected as its first president.
In time, it became apparent that General Choi was attempting to mold all of the Kwans into his version of %26quot;Taekwon-Do%26quot; as he taught in the Oh Do Kwan. He began to claim %26quot;Taekwon-Do%26quot; as his creation by having allegedly been the first to blend hand techniques (common in Chinese and Japanese schools) with the kicking of Taekyon. He held close relationships with the communist North Korea, and visited there performing demonstrations. This rubbed many people the wrong way, and he was accused of supporting communism and associating with the enemy of South Korea.
General Choi was pressured to step down as president of the KTA%26#039;s ITF and fled the country in fear of his life from political opponents. He established his own organization in Canada, with hopes that this might lead to inclusion in the Olympic games. One confusing point was that he took the name of the %26quot;ITF%26quot; with him. Rather than dispute over the title, the senior Grandmasters at the KTA replaced the ITF with the WTF (World Taekwondo Federation).
At that point, General Choi%26#039;s ITF became an individual organization with a curriculum from color belt to Black Belt and through the various degrees. The WTF became the international certifying body of Korean Taekwondo (representing the Kukkiwon) for Black Belt ranks only - having nothing to do with individual school operations, or color belt requirements. Since that time, the WTF has be restructured to only deal with the sport aspect of Taekwondo, competition matters, and Olympic rules and regulations. Black Belt certification in Korea is now done directly through the Kukkiwon. Those outside of Korea may elect to seek Kukkiwon certification, or attain recognition through an organization such as the ITF, ATA, or one of the various Kwans still in existence.
Therefore, Korean Martial Art goes way back into Korea%26#039;s history with little record available as to who did what, and when. The %26quot;founding%26quot; of modern Korean %26quot;Taekwondo%26quot; was, and still is a group effort. It began with the Chung Do Kwan, and came together with the 1955 meeting which chose a new name to label the Korean National Art. The %26quot;founding%26quot; of one version of %26quot;Taekwon-Do%26quot; as originating in the Oh Do Kwan, and developing into the ITF can be attributed to General Choi. In this regard, many have called him the %26quot;Father of Modern Taekwon-Do,%26quot; but this title would really be more accurately limited to his family (Kwan), and generations of Taekwon-Do instructors following his teachings. There were many Grandmasters who were older, and senior to General Choi, who had as much to do with the re-emergence of Korean Martial Art, its unique identity, and the choosing of the name Taekwondo. General Choi dedicated a life-time to teaching and promoting what he believed in as his Taekwon-Do, attempting to unify the Kwans, and for this he should always be admired and respected, in my opinion.
The history and opinions expressed above are mine, and were gained through more than 30 years of teaching experience, personal conversations with Korean Grandmasters of various Kwans, and a great deal of research. However, many historians have different viewpoints, and might disagree with my interpretations of historical events, and conclusions drawn.
Chief Master D.J. Eisenhart
Taekwondo 6th Dan
U.S. Chung Do Kwan Association|||I agree with u! =) Ukitf|||General Choi Hong Hi,1918 - 2002.|||I dont really know or care(and i do WTF) but here is a link.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taekwondo.|||I agree.|||There is a considerable amount of controversy surrounding this question, to this day, based on politics, bad blood, and poor manners at the upper echelons of TaeKwon-Do.
There are so many contradictory stories about the naming of TaeKwon-Do, the deicsion of the South Korean government with regard to Gen. Choi when he was a diplomat, the history of his establishment of the ITF etc. I don%26#039;t know if it%26#039;s even possible to sift through the considerable amount of chaff out there to determine the single wheat stalk of truth :)
I personally have studied both ITF and WTF and currently teach a combination of both styles - taking the best elements of each, and leaving the less beneficial of each out of my curriculum. I teach that Gen. Choi is the founder of TaeKwon-Do, but also discuss the politics, controversy, and rift between the WTF, ITF, and the many other TaeKwon-Do associations out there today.
It is undoubtedly true that Gen. Choi had a significant influence on what we now know as TaeKwon-Do. He did introduce it to the Korean Army during his tenure, and he took it around the world to many other armies as a demonstration event. There are also undoubtedly many other masters and Kwan%26#039;s of the same era that have had a significant influence on the development of TKD in all of it%26#039;s many forms.
I think it%26#039;s up to us as instuctors to encourage our students to research the matter and determine their own view - after all, part of the journey of TKD or the martial arts is self-discovery. An ability to independently assess and rationalize what is being taught by the instructors is a positive thing for students to develop. We do have curriculum knowledge we expect our students to know and recite, which states Gen Choi founded TaeKwon-Do, but we are always willing to discuss alternatives that our students find in many sources these days.
Ken C
9th Dan HapMoosaKi-Do
8th Dan TaeKwon-Do
7th Dan YongChul-Do
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