Welcome to our Taekwondo site! Taekwondo is
the youngest sport of the Summer Olympic Games. We hope that this
page will fulfill your desire to learn more about it. We promise
the sport fans will know all about Taekwondo contests regulations
after visiting our site. We tried to introduce you to the basic
sparring moments so that you could enjoy the real beauty of the
performance. We have given a detailed information about Taekwondo
history, philosophy, practice and techniques of Taekwondo to those
who are deeply interested in martial arts and Taekwondo itself. All
of you, who want to touch the martial arts world for the first
time, go on - have fun!
Taekwondo is a modern
martial art with Korean origin. It was developed as a self-defence
system characterized by extremely high kicks. All Taekwondo
techniques and movements are worked out according to the
bio-mechanical principles of human limbs - to be used most
effectively. "Tae" in Korean means "a kick, a jump", "Kwon" - "a
fist, a punch", and "Do" - "an art, a way". So, Taekwondo is "The
art of the kick and the punch", but Taekwondo means also "the way"
to physical and moral self-perfection. In the process of practising
Taekwondo man finds out that it is a way of living as well. That
refers to more of the martial arts, too.
In Taekwondo except the kicks (which are really the
prime part of the system) are studied also punches, hand blocks,
catches, throwings. In its program are included, of course, basic
technique knowledge, sparring, forms (patterns), self-defence and
others.
Taekwondo is an extremely attractive sport with impressive kicks.
That's why it becomes more and more popular. Now there are more
than 30 million practitioners registered officially in WTF. After
its demonstrative participation in the Olympic Games in 1988 in
Seoul and 1992 in Barcelona, Taekwondo WTF has become an olympic
sport included in the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympic Games.
There are three main
Taekwondo organizations in the world: ITF (International Taekwon-do
Federation) - since 1966, WTF (The World Taekwondo Federation) -
founded in 1973, and GTF (Global Taekwon-do Federation) -
established in 1990. There are some differences in the technique
performance and the sports regulations of the three
federations.
Besides the three mentioned organizations there are
many other associations, federations, schools and clubs headed by
well-known masters. They are not in the central structures because
of one or another reason. But these formations are local and do not
pretend for world acknowledgement.
 |
International Taekwon-do Federation |
 |
| Gen. Choi Hong Hi - President of
ITF |
ITF was founded on 22 March 1966, with associations in Vietnam,
Malaysia, Singapore, West Germany, the United States, Turkey,
Italy, Arab Republic of Egypt and Korea. Now more than 50 national
federations and associations are included in ITF. General Choi Hong
Hi is its president since its establishment. The foot technique of
ITF is characterized by a clear path with high amplitude and a long
focusing in its final part (the so called classical or traditional
technique). The movements and the exercises are performed with the
typical ITF "wave" - an up-and-down body movement aiming at the
increasing of the hit power. In the process of practising a block
or a hit there is a characteristic hissing sound made by a sudden
breathing out through the teeth. So in the hit moment the abdominal
press is tough and it protects the inner organs in case of
opponent's counter-attack. The sparring is according to the
semi-contact rules, i.e. the strong hits are forbidden and under
penalty.
 |
The World Taekwondo Federation |
 |
| Dr. Un Yong Kim - President of WTF |
WTF was estabilished on 28 May 1973 with participation of 19
countries. At the present moment 158 countries are its members. In
1980 the federation was officially recognized by the International
Olympic Committee. President of WTF is Dr. Un Yong Kim, a person of
great organization skill. He has a significant contribution to the
quick Taekwondo spread and its proclamation for an olympic sport.
WTF foot technique is with sparring orientation. The hit path is
maximum short directed to the nearest way to the aim. That's the
idea of increasing the speed and the moment of surprize. There is
no "wave" movement. The exhalation is not clear, often soundless,
in order to "hide" the moment of attack start. There is a
full-contact sparring, i.e. the techniques are executed at most
strenght. Naturally, that requires a good safe protective
equipment.
 |
Global Taekwon-do Federation |
 |
| Grand master Park Jung Tae - President of
GTF |
GTF was founded by Grand master Park Jung Tae in 1990. It is most
popular in Europe and North America. Grandmaster Park has been a
secretary general of ITF. He decided to establish a new federation
to purify the politics out of Taekwondo, because he was annoyed by
the constant speculations of ITF and WTF, and of North and South
Korea respectfully. There is no difference in the sport techniques
and rules between GTF and ITF.
It
has to be mentioned at the end that the difference in the technique
performance of WTF and ITF (GTF) is relative. First, because the
sparring technique is with classical origin. Second, sparring
technique is practised in ITF, too, and classical in WTF - in
demonstrations and breakings (the so called power test). The one
federation is orientated more to the sport aspect of Taekwondo, the
other one to the classical martial-practical one - that's just the
difference. Taekwondo "conquered" the world not as WTF, or ITF, or
GTF, but just as Taekwondo. The three federations have their own
tribute to its development, spread and at last to that universal
acknowledgement - Taekwondo to be a member of the great family of
the Olympic Sports.
