Tae Kwon Do - Martial Arts Profile

Origins: Korean martial arts in general can be traced back to the Koguryo dynasty (37 BC - 668 AD), but the arts practiced at this time bore little to no resemblance to modern TKD.

Modern TKD was formed during the 40s from Okinawan, Japanese and Chinese styles. After the Japanese occupation of Korea, there was nationalist fervor, and in 1955 the name of Tae Kwon Do was given to "Korean Karate" and a process was begun to utilize Korean arts to create a unique nationalist martial art.

Modern TKD: During the 60s, TKD was governed by two major bodies, the ITF and the WTF. During this time, the art was standardized and the old Japanese based katas were replaced by newly created poomse, and the martial art moved more towards a sport, much in the way contemporary wushu was created as the national sport of China during this same time period. Tae Kwon Do is now of course, an official Olympic sport.

Characteristics: TKD is famous for its kicks. Most kicks are thrown from the back leg. In Olympic style TKD, punches to the head are not allowed.

Sub Styles: ITF - Slightly more traditional and "martial" oriented.

WTF - More sport oriented, much higher focus on sparring. WTF TKD is the style that is accepted in the Olympics.