Taekwondo

Taekwondo

A World Taekwondo Federation sparring match A World Taekwondo Federation sparring match
Focus	Striking
Hardness	Full-contact (WTF), Medium-contact (ITF, )
Country of origin	Korea
Famous practitioners	Choi Hong Hi, Nam Tae Hi, Jhoon Rhee, Donnie Yen, Tony Jaa, Billy Blanks, Michael Jai White, Scott Adkins, Anderson Silva, Cung Le, Mirko Filipović, Joe Rogan, Chang Keun Choi, Kwang Jo Choi, Han Cha Kyo, Jong Soo Park, Jung Tae Park, Yeon Hwan Park, Chong Chul Rhee, Jade Jones, Anthony Obame, Juan Antonio Ramos, Tran Trieu Quan, S. Henry Cho, Dan Hardy, Rose Namajunas, Stephan Bonnar, Conor McGregor, Anthony Pettis, Akshay Kumar, Bren Foster.
Parenthood	Taekkyeon, Subak, Gwonbeop, and other indigenous Korean martial arts. Karate, Chinese martial arts.
Olympic sport	Since 2000 (World Taekwondo Federation regulations)
Korean name
Hangul	태권도
Hanja	跆拳道
Revised Romanization	Taegwondo
McCune–Reischauer	T'aegwŏndo

Taekwondo (/ˈtaɪˈkwɒnˈdoʊ/) is a Korean martial art. Taekwondo was developed during the 1876s and 1936s by various Korean martial artists as a blend of the indigenous Korean fighting styles of taekyeon, gobeop, and suak, with influence from foreign martial arts, such as kare and Chinese martial arts.

The oldest governing body for Taekwondo is the Korea Taekwondo Association (KTA), formed in 1976 by a collaborative effort by representatives from the nine original kwans, or martial arts schools, in Korea. The main international organizational bodies for Taekwondo today are the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF), founded by General Choi Hong Hi in 1966, and the World TaeKwonDo Federation (WTF), founded in 1973 by the KTA. Gyeorugi ([kjʌɾuɡi]), a type of full-contact sparring, has been an Olympic event since 1992. The body known for taekwondo in the Olympics is the World TaeKwonDo Federation.

History

Further information: Korean martial arts

Beginning in 1946, shortly after the end of the occupation of Korea by Imperial Japan, new martial arts schools called kwans were opened in Seoul. These schools were established by Korean martial artists who had studied primarily in Japan during the Japanese rule. The umbrella term traditional taekwondo typically refers to the martial arts practiced by the kwans during the 1940s and 1950s, though in reality the term "taekwondo" had not yet been coined at that time, and indeed each kwan was practicing their own unique style of martial art. During this timeframe taekwondo was also adopted for use by the South Korean military, which only served to increase its popularity among civilian martial arts schools.

After witnessing a martial arts demonstration by the military in 1952, South Korean President Syngman Rhee urged that the martial arts styles of the kwans be merged. Beginning in 1955 the leaders of the kwans began discussing in earnest the possibility of creating a unified style of Korean martial art. The name Tae Soo Do was used to describe this notional unified style. This name consists of the hanja 跆 tae "to stomp, trample", 手 su "hand" and 道 do "way, discipline".

In 1957, Choi Hong Hi advocated the use of the name Tae Kwon Do, i.e. replacing su "hand" by 拳 kwon "fist", the term also used for "martial arts" in Chinese (pinyin quán). The new name was initially slow to catch on among the leaders of the kwans. In 1959 the Korea Taekwondo Association (KTA) was established to facilitate the unification of Korean martial arts. In 1966 Choi established the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) as a separate governing body devoted to institutionalizing a common style of taekwondo.

Cold War politics of the 1960s and 1970s complicated the adoption of ITF-style taekwondo as a unified style, however. The South Korean government wished to avoid North Korean influence on the martial art. Conversely, ITF president Choi Hong Hi sought support for the martial art from all quarters, including North Korea. In response, in 1973 South Korea withdrew its support for the ITF. The ITF continued to function as an independent federation, then headquartered in Toronto, Canada; Choi continued to develop the ITF-style, notably with the 1987 publication of his Encyclopedia of Taekwondo. After Choi's retirement the ITF split in 2001 and then again in 2002 to create three separate federations each of which continues to operate today under the same name.

In 1973 the South Korean government's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism established the Kukkiwon as the new national academy for taekwondo. Kukkiwon now served many of the functions previously served by the KTA, in terms of defining a government-sponsored unified style of taekwondo. In 1973 the KTA supported the establishment of the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) to promote taekwondo specifically as an international sport. WTF competitions employ Kukkiwon-style taekwondo. For this reason, Kukkiwon-style taekwondo is often referred to as WTF-style taekwondo, sport-style taekwondo, or Olympic-style taekwondo, though in reality the style is defined by the Kukkiwon, not the WTF.

Since 2000, taekwondo has been one of only two Asian martial arts (the other being judo) that are included in the Olympic Games. It became a demonstration event at the 1988 games in Seoul, and became an official medal event at the 2000 games in Sydney. In 2010, taekwondo was accepted as a Commonwealth Games sport.

Features

Flying double side kick

File:Master Scott Leonard.jpg

A jumping reverse hook kick

See also: List of Taekwondo techniques

Taekwondo is characterized by its emphasis on head-height kicks, jumping and spinning kicks, and fast kicking techniques. In fact, World Taekwondo Federation sparring competitions award additional points for strikes that incorporate jumping and spinning kicks. To facilitate fast, turning kicks, taekwondo generally adopts stances that are narrower and hence less-stable than the broader, wide stances used by martial arts such as karate. The tradeoff of decreased stability is believed to be worth the commensurate increase in agility, particularly in Kukkiwon-style taekwondo.

Theory of power

The emphasis on speed and agility is a defining characteristic of taekwondo and has its origins in analyses undertaken by Choi Hong Hi. The results of that analysis are known by ITF practitioners as Choi's Theory of Power. Choi based his understanding of biomechanics and Newtonian physics as well as Chinese martial arts. For example, Choi observed that the power of a strike increases quadratically with the speed of the strike, but increases only linearly with the mass of the striking object. In other words, speed is more important than size in terms of generating power. This principle was incorporated into the early design of taekwondo and is still used.

Choi also advocated a relax/strike principle for taekwondo; in other words, between blocks, kicks, and strikes the practitioner should relax the body, then tense the muscles only while performing the technique. It is believed that the relax/strike principle also increases the power of the technique, by conserving the body's energy. He expanded on this principle with his advocacy of the sine wave technique. This involves raising one's center of gravity between techniques, then lowering it as the technique is performed, producing the up-and-down movement from which the term "sine wave" is derived. The sine wave is generally practiced, however, only in some schools that follow ITF-style taekwondo. WTF/Kukkiwon-style taekwondo, for example, does not employ the sine wave and advocates a more uniform height during movements.

The components of the Theory of Power include:

• Reaction Force - the principle that as the striking limb is brought forward, other parts of the body should be brought backward in order to provide more power to the striking limb. As an example, if the right leg is brought forward in a roundhouse kick, the right arm is brought backward to provide the reaction force.
• Concentration - the principle of bringing as many muscles as possible to bear on a strike, concentrating the area of impact into as small an area as possible.
• Equilibrium - maintaining a correct center-of-balance throughout a technique.
• Breath Control - the idea that during a strike one should exhale, with the exhalation concluding at the moment of impact.
• Mass - the principle of bringing as much of the body to bear on a strike as possible; again using the turning kick as an example, the idea would be to rotate the hip as well as the leg during the kick in order to take advantage of the hip's additional mass in terms of providing power to the kick.
• Speed - as previously noted, the speed of execution of a technique in taekwondo is deemed to be even more important than mass in terms of providing power.

Typical curriculum

While organizations such as ITF or Kukkiwon define the general style of taekwondo, individual clubs and schools tend to tailor their taekwondo practices. Although each taekwondo club or school is different, a student typically takes part in most or all of the following:

• Forms (called poomsae 품새/品勢 he-yung or hyung also teul 틀 toul by ITF, poom'-sy or simply the English translations "pattern" or "form" by the WTF) - these serve the same function as kata in the study of karate,
• Sparring (called gyeorugi 겨루기 gyee-oh-roo'-gee, or matseogi 맞서기 mat-see-oh'-gee in the ITF) - sparring includes variations such as free-style sparring (in which competitors spar without interruption for several minutes); 7-, 3-, 2-, and 1-step sparring (in which students practise pre-arranged sparring combinations); and point sparring (in which sparring is interrupted and then resumed after each point is scored)
• Breaking (gyeokpa 격파 gyee-ohk'-pah or weerok) - the breaking of boards is used for testing, training, and martial arts demonstrations. Demonstrations often also incorporate bricks, tiles, and blocks of ice or other materials. These techniques can be separated into three types:
  • Power breaking – using straightforward techniques to break as many boards as possible
  • Speed breaking – boards are held loosely by one edge, putting special focus on the speed required to perform the break
  • Special techniques – breaking fewer boards but using jumping or flying techniques to attain greater height, distance, or to clear obstacles
• Self-defense techniques (hosinsool 호신술, hoh'-sin-sool)
• Learning the fundamental techniques of taekwondo; these generally include kicks, blocks, punches, and strikes, with somewhat less emphasis on grappling and holds
• Throwing and/or falling techniques (deonjigi 던지기 dee-on-jee'-gee and ddeoreojigi 떨어지기 dee-oh-ree-oh-jee'-gee)
• Both anaerobic and aerobic workout, including stretching
• Relaxation and meditation exercises, as well as breathing control
• A focus on mental and ethical discipline, etiquette, justice, respect, and self-confidence
• Examinations to progress to the next rank
• Development of personal success and leadership skills

Though weapons training is not a formal part of most taekwondo federation curriculums, individual schools will often incorporate additional training with staffs, knives, sticks, etc.

Equipment and facilities

A WTF-style dobok

An example of a dojang

A taekwondo student typically wears a uniform, often white but sometimes black (or other colors), with a belt tied around the waist. White uniforms are considered the traditional color and are encouraged for use at formal ceremonies such as belt tests and promotions. Colored uniforms are often reserved for special teams (such as demonstration teams or leadership teams) or higher-level instructors. There are at least two major styles of dobok, with the most obvious differences being in the style of jacket: (1) the cross-over front jacket (ITF style), (2) the V-neck or Y-neck jackets (no cross-over) typically worn by Kukkiwon/WTF practitioners. White uniforms in the Kukkiwon/WTF tradition will typically be white throughout the jacket (black along the collars for dan grades), while ITF-style uniforms are trimmed with a black border along the bottom of the jacket (for dan grades).

The belt color and any insignia thereon indicate the student's rank. Different clubs and schools use different color schemes for belts. In general, the darker the color, the higher the rank. Taekwondo is traditionally performed in bare feet, although martial arts training shoes may sometimes be worn.

When sparring, padded equipment is worn. In the ITF tradition, typically only the hands and feet are padded. For this reason, ITF sparring often employs only light-contact sparring. In the Kukkiwon/WTF tradition, full-contact sparring is facilitated by the employment of more extensive equipment: padded helmets called homyun are always worn, as are padded torso protectors called hogu; feet, shins, groins, hands, and forearms protectors are also worn.

The school or place where instruction is given is called the dojang (도장, doh'-jang). Specifically, the term dojang refers to the area within the school in which martial arts instruction takes place; the word dojang is sometimes translated as gymnasium. In common usage the term dojang is often used to refer to the school as a whole. Modern dojangs often incorporate padded flooring, often incorporating red-and-blue patterns in the flooring to reflect the colors of the taegeuk symbol. Some dojangs have wooden flooring instead. The dojang is usually decorated with items such as flags, banners, belts, instructional materials, and traditional Korean calligraphy.

The grandmaster of the dojang is called a gwanjangnim (관장님, gwon'-jong-nim); the master (senior instructor or head of dojang) is called sabeomnim (사범님, sah'-bum-nim); the instructor is called gyosannim (교사님, gyoh'-sah-nim); and the assistant instructor is called jogyonim (조교님, joh'-gyoh-nim).

Styles and organizations

There are a number of major taekwondo styles as well as a few niche styles. Most styles are associated with a governing body or federation that defines the style. The major technical differences among taekwondo styles and organizations generally revolve around:

• the patterns practiced by each style (called hyeong 형, poomsae 품새, or teul 틀, depending on the style); these are sets of prescribed formal sequences of movements that demonstrate mastery of posture, positioning, and technique
• differences in the sparring rules for competition; specifically, WTF-style competition (the style used in the Olympics) is generally more sport-oriented and less combat-oriented than other styles
• martial arts philosophy.

1946: traditional taekwondo

The term traditional taekwon typically refers to martial arts practiced in Korea during the 1940s and 1950s by the nine original kwans after the conclusion of the Japanese occupation of Korea at the end of World War II. The term taekwondo had not yet been coined. In reality, each of the nine kwans practiced its own style of martial arts, so the term traditional taekwondo serves as an umbrella term for these various styles. Traditional taekwondo is still studied today in addition to traditional Korean martial arts styles such as Tang Soo Do and Soo Bahk Do.

The original schools (kwans) that formed the organization that would eventually become Kukkiwon continue to exist as independent fraternal membership organizations that support the World Taekwondo Federation and Kukkiwon. The official curriculum of the kwans is that of Kukkiwon. The kwans also function as a channel for the issuing of Kukkiwon dan and poom certification (black belt ranks) for their members.

1966: ITF/Chang Hon-style taekwondo

International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF)-style taekwondo, more accurately known as Chang Hon-style taekwondo, is defined by Choi Hong Hi's Encyclopedia of Taekwon-do published in 1987.

In 1990, the Global Taekwondo Federation (GTF) split from the ITF due to the political controversies surrounding the ITF; the GTF continues to practice ITF-style taekwondo, however, with additional elements incorporated into the style. Likewise, the ITF itself split in 2001 and again in 2002 into three separate federations, headquartered in Austria, the United Kingdom, and Spain respectively.

The GTF and all three ITFs practice Choi's ITF-style taekwondo. In ITF-style taekwondo, the word used for "forms" is teul; the specific set of teul used by the ITF is called Chang Hon. Choi defined 24 Chang Hon teul. The names and symbolism of the Chang Hon teul refer to elements of Korean history, culture and religious philosophy. The GTF-variant of ITF practices an additional six teul.

Within the ITF taekwon-do tradition there are two sub-styles:

• The style of taekwon-do practiced by the ITF before its 1973 split with the KTA is sometimes called by ITF practitioners "traditional taekwon-do", though a more accurate term would be traditional ITF taekwon-do.
• After the 1973 split, Choi Hong Hi continued to develop and refine the style, ultimately publishing his work in his 1987 Encyclopedia of Taekwondo. Among the refinements incorporated into this new sub-style is the "sine wave"; one of Choi Hong Hi's later principles of taekwondo is that the body's center of gravity should be raised-and-lowered throughout a movement.

Some ITF schools adopt the sine wave style, while others do not. Essentially all ITF schools do, however, use the patterns (teul) defined in the Encyclopedia, with some exceptions related to the forms Juche and Ko-Dang.

1969: ATA/Songahm-style taekwondo

In 1969, Haeng Ung Lee, a former taekwondo instructor in the South Korean military, relocated to Omaha, Nebraska and established a chain of martial arts schools in the United States under the banner of the American Taekwondo Association (ATA). Like Jhoon Rhee taekwondo, ATA taekwondo has its roots in traditional taekwondo. The style of taekwondo practiced by the ATA is called Songahm taekwondo. The ATA went on to become one of the largest chains of taekwondo schools in the United States.

The ATA has established international spin-offs called the Songahm Taekwondo Federation (STF) and the World Traditional Taekwondo Union (WTTU) to promote the practice of Songahm taekwondo internationally.

1970s: Jhoon Rhee-style taekwondo

In 1962 Jhoon Rhee relocated to the United States and established a chain of martial arts schools primarily in the Washington, D.C. area that practiced traditional taekwondo. In the 1970s, at the urging of Choi Hong Hi, Rhee adopted ITF-style taekwondo within his chain of schools, but like the GTF later departed from the ITF due to the political controversies surrounding Choi and the ITF. Rhee went on to develop his own style of taekwondo called Jhoon Rhee-style taekwondo, incorporating elements of both traditional and ITF-style taekwondo as well as original elements. (Note that Jhoon Rhee-style taekwondo is distinct from the similarly named Rhee Taekwon-Do.)

Jhoon Rhee-style taekwondo is still practiced primarily in the United States and eastern Europe.

1972: Kukkiwon/WTF-style taekwondo

In 1972 the Korea Taekwondo Association (KTA) Central Dojang opened in Seoul in 1972; in 1973 the name was changed to Kukkiwon. Under the sponsorship of the South Korean government's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism the Kukkiwon became the new national academy for taekwondo, thereby establishing a new "unified" style of taekwondo. In 1973 the KTA established the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) to promote taekwondo as a sport. The International Olympic Committee recognized the WTF and taekwondo sparring in 1980. For this reason, Kukkiwon-style taekwondo is sometimes referred to as Sport-style taekwondo, Olympic-style taekwondo, or WTF-style taekwondo, though technically the style itself is defined by the Kukkiwon, not the WTF.

In Kukkiwon/WTF-style taekwondo, the word used for "forms" is poomsae. In 1967 the KTA established a new set of forms called the Palgwae poomse, named after the eight trigrams of the I Ching. In 1971 however (after additional kwans had joined the KTA), the KTA and Kukkiwon adopted a new set of color-belt forms instead, called the Taegeuk poomsae. Black belt forms are called yudanja poomsae. While ITF-style forms refer to key elements of Korean history, Kukkwon/WTF-style forms refer instead to elements of sino-Korean philosophy such as the I Ching and the taegeuk.

WTF-sanctioned tournaments allow any person, regardless of school affiliation or martial arts style, to compete in WTF events as long as he or she is a member of the WTF Member National Association in his or her nation; this allows essentially anyone to compete in WTF-sanctioned competitions.

Other styles and hybrids

As previously mentioned, in 1990 the Global Taekwondo Federation (GTF) split from the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) to form its own style of taekwondo based on ITF-style. Essentially this can be considered a variation of ITF-style.

Also in 1990, martial artist and actor Chuck Norris, an alumnus of Hwang Kee's Moo Duk Kwan organization, established a hybrid martial art system called Chun Kuk Do. Chun Kuk Do shares many techniques, forms and names with Tang Soo Do and Taekwondo, and so can be considered a variation of traditional taekwondo. Similarly, Lim Ching Sing's Hup Kwon Do and Kwang-jo Choi's Choi Kwang Do also derive from taekwondo.

Additionally, there are hybrid martial arts that combine taekwondo with other styles. These include:

• Gwon Gyokdo - combines taekwondo and muay thai.
• Han Moo Do - Scandinavian martial art that combines taekwondo, hapkido, and hoi jeon moo sool.
• Han Mu Do - Korean martial art that combines taekwondo and hapkido.
• Teukgong Moosool - Korean martial art that combines elements of taekwondo, hapkido, judo, kyuk too ki, and Chinese martial arts.
• Yongmudo - developed at Korea's Yong-In University, combines taekwondo, hapkido, judo, and ssireum.

Forms (patterns)

The Korean terms hyeong, poomsae and teul are all used to refer to taekwondo forms or "patterns." These are equivalent to kata in karate.

• The word ''hyeong'' is often romanized as ''hyung'' - hyeong is the term usually used in traditional taekwondo (i.e., 1950s-1960s styles of Korean martial arts).
• ''Poomsae'' is sometimes romanized as ''pumsae'' or ''poomse'' - poomsae is the term officially used by Kukkiwon/WTF-style and ATA-style taekwondo.
• ''Teul'' is often romanized as ''tul'' - teul is the term usually used in ITF/Chang Hon-style taekwondo.

A hyeong is a systematic, prearranged sequence of martial techniques that is performed either with or without the use of a weapon. In dojangs (taekwondo training gymnasiums) hyeong are used primarily as a form of interval training that is useful in developing mushin, proper kinetics and mental and physical fortitude. Hyeong may resemble combat, but are artistically non-combative and woven together so as to be an effective conditioning tool. One's aptitude for a particular hyeong may be evaluated in competition. In such competitions, hyeong are evaluated by a panel of judges who base the score on many factors including energy, precision, speed, and control. In Western competitions, there are two general classes of hyeong: creative and standard. Creative hyeong are created by the performer and are generally acrobatic in nature and do not necessarily reflect the kinetic principles intrinsic in any martial system.

Different taekwondo styles and associations (ATA, ITF, GTF, WTF, etc.) use different taekwondo forms. Even within a single association, different schools in the association may use slightly different variations on the forms, or use different names for the same form (especially in older styles of taekwondo). This is especially true for beginner forms, which tend to be less standardized than mainstream forms.

ATA Songahm-style	ITF Chang Hon-style	GTF style	WTF Kukkiwon-style	Jhoon Rhee style
	Beginner Exercises (3)	Beginner Exercises (3)	Unofficial Beginner Forms (usually 3-5)	Beginner Forms (2)
	Four Direction Punch	Four Direction Punch	Kicho Hyeong Il Bu, or Kibon Hana	Kamsah
	Four Direction Block	Four Direction Block	Kicho Hyeong Ee Bu, or Kibon Dool	Kyu-Yool
	Four Direction Thrust	Four Direction Thrust	Kicho Hyeong Sam Bu, or Kibon Set
Color Belt Forms (9)	Color Belt Forms (9)	Color Belt Forms (11)	Color Belt Forms (Taegeuk, 8)	Color Belt Forms (8)
Songahm 1	Cho-Ji	Chon-Ji	Taegeuk Il Jang	Jayoo
Songahm 2	Dan-Gun	Dan-Gun	Taegeuk Ee Jang	Chosang
Songahm 3	Do-San	Do-San	Taegeuk Sam Jang	Hanguk
Songahm 4		Jee-Sang	Taegeuk Sa Jang	Jung-Yi
Songahm 5	Won-Hyo	Won-Hyo	Taegeuk Oh Jang	Pyung-Wa
In Wha 1	Yul-Gok	Yul-Gok	Taegeuk Yook Jang	Meegook
In Wha 2		Dhan-Goon	Taegeuk Chil Jang	Chasin
Choong Jung 1	Joong-Gun	Joong-Gun	Taegeuk Pal Jang	Might for Right
Choong Jung 2	Toi-Gye	Toi-Gye
	Hwa-Rang	Hwa-Rang
	Choong-Moo	Choong-Moo
Black Belt Forms (8)	Black Belt Forms (15)	Black Belt Forms (19)	Black Belt Forms (9)	Black Belt Forms
Shim Jun	Kwang-Gae	Kwang-Gae	Koryo	Same as ITF
Jung Yul	Pe-Eun	Po-Eun	Keumgang
Chung San	Gae-Baek	Gae-Baek	Taebaek
Sok Bong		Jee-Goo	Pyongwon
Chung Hae	Eui-Am	Eui-Am	Sipjin
Jhang Soo	Choong-Jang	Choong-Jang	Jitae
Chul Joon	Juche, or Go-Dang*	Go-Dang	Cheonkwon
Jeong Seung		Jook-Am	Hansoo
	Sam-Il	Sam-Il	Ilyeo
	Yoo-Sin	Yoo-Sin
	Choi-Yong	Choi-Yong	Older Color Belt Forms (Palgwae, 8)
		Pyong-Hwa	Palgwae Il Jang
	Yon-Gae	Yon-Gae	Palgwae Ee Jang
	Ul-Ji	Ul-Ji	Palgwae Sam Jang
	Moon-Moo	Moon-Moo	Palgwae Sa Jang
		Sun-Duk	Palgwae Oh Jang
	So-San	So-San	Palgwae Yook Jang
	Se-Jong	Se-Jong	Palgwae Chil Jang
	Tong-Il	Tong-Il	Palgwae Pal Jang
	Older Black Belt Forms		Older Black Belt Forms
	* Go-Dang is considered deprecated in most ITF styles		Original Koryo
	U-Nam is an ITF Chang-Hon form that appears only in the 1959 edition of Choi Hong Hi's Tae Kwon Do Teaching Manual
			Candidate Demo Forms (never officially finalized)
			Hanryu
			Bikkak

Ranks, belts, and promotion

Exhibition of taekwondo students at the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, Mexico City

Taekwondo ranks are typically separated into "junior" and "senior" sections. The junior section typically consists of ten ranks indicated by the Korean word geup 급 (also Romanized as gup or kup), sometimes called colored belts. Geup rank may be indicated by stripes on belts or by solid colored belts. Students begin at tenth geup (often indicated by a white belt) and advance toward first geup (often indicated by a red belt with a black stripe). The "color belts" in taekwondo are white, white yellow, yellow, yellow green, green, green blue, blue, blue red, red and red black. (White yellow is a white belt with yellow stripe, yellow green is a yellow belt with a green stripe, and etc.). Another way for organization is white, yellow, level one green [green belt w/ white strip], level two green [solid green], level three green [ green w/ black strip, level one blue [blue belt w/ white strip], level two blue [solid blue belt], level three blue [ blue belt w/ black strip], and so on through the brown and red belts. Yet another ranking system proceeds: white, yellow, orange, green, purple, blue, red, high red (red with a brown stripe), brown, and high brown (brown with a black stripe).

The senior section is typically made up of nine ranks. Each rank is called a dan 단, also referred to as "black belt" or "degree" (as in "third dan" or "third-degree black belt"). Black belts begin at first degree and advance to second, third, and so on. The degree is often indicated on the belt itself with stripes, Roman numerals, or other methods, but sometimes black belts are plain and unadorned regardless of rank. Each degree has four levels, indicated under the stripes on the belt (which run across the belt, rather than along it as with junior belts) and demarcated as L1, L2, L3, L4.

To advance from one rank to the next, students typically complete promotion tests in which they demonstrate their proficiency in the various aspects of the art before their teacher or a panel of judges. Promotion tests vary from school to school, but may include such elements as the execution of patterns, which combine various techniques in specific sequences; the breaking of boards to demonstrate the ability to use techniques with both power and control; sparring and self-defense to demonstrate the practical application and control of techniques; physical fitness usually with push-ups and sit-ups; and answering questions on terminology, concepts, and history to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the art. For higher dan tests, students are sometimes required to take a written test or submit a research paper in addition to taking the practical test.

Promotion from one geup to the next can proceed rapidly in some schools, since schools often allow geup promotions every two, three, or four months. Students of geup rank learn the most basic techniques first, and then move on to more advanced techniques as they approach first dan. Many of the older and more traditional schools often take longer to allow students to test for higher ranks than newer, more contemporary schools, as they may not have the required testing intervals.

In contrast, promotion from one dan to the next can take years. The general rule is that a black belt may advance from one rank to the next only after the number of years equivalent to their current rank. For example, a newly promoted third-degree black belt may not be allowed to advance to fourth-degree until three years have passed. Some organizations also have age requirements related to dan promotions, and may grant younger students poom 품 (junior black belt) ranks rather than dan ranks until they reach a certain age.

Black belt ranks may have titles associated with them, such as "master" and "instructor", but taekwondo organizations vary widely in rules and standards when it comes to ranks and titles. What holds true in one organization may not hold true in another, as is the case in many martial art systems. For example, achieving first dan ( black belt) ranking with three years' training might be typical in one organization, but considered too quick in another organization, and likewise for other ranks. Similarly, the title for a given dan rank in one organization might not be the same as the title for that dan rank in another organization.

In the International Taekwon-Do Federation, instructors holding 1st to 3rd dan are called Boosabum (assistant instructor), those holding 4th to 6th dan are called Sabum (instructor), those holding 7th to 8th dan are called Sahyun (master), and those holding 9th dan are called Saseong (grandmaster). This system does not, however, necessarily apply to other taekwondo organizations.

In the American Taekwondo Association, instructor designations are separate from rank. Black belts may be designated as an instructor trainee (red collar), specialty trainer (red and black collar), certified trainer (black-red-black collar) and certified instructor (black collar). After a one-year waiting period, instructors who hold a sixth dan are eligible for the title of Master. Seventh dan black belts are eligible for the title Senior Master and eighth dan black belts are eligible for the title Chief Master.

In the World Taekwondo Federation, Students holding 1st-3rd dan are considered an Instructor, but generally have much to learn. Students who hold a 4th - 6th dan are considered Masters. Masters who hold a 7th - 9th dan are considered a Grand-Master. This rank also holds an age requirement of 40+.

Historical influences

See also: Korean martial arts

The oldest Korean martial arts were an amalgamation of unarmed combat styles developed by the three rival Korean Kingdoms of Goguryeo, Silla, and Baekje, where young men were trained in unarmed combat techniques to develop strength, speed, and survival skills. The most popular of these techniques was ssireum and subak, with taekkyeon being the most popular of the components of subak. The Northern Goguryeo kingdom was a dominant force in Northern Korea and North Eastern China prior to the 1st century CE, and again from the 3rd century to the 6th century. Before the fall of the Goguryeo Dynasty in the 6th century, the Shilla Kingdom asked for help in training its people for defense against pirate invasions. During this time a few select Silla warriors were given training in taekkyeon by the early masters from Goguryeo. These Silla warriors then became known as Hwarang or "blossoming knights." The Hwarang set up a military academy for the sons of royalty in Silla called Hwarang-do {花郎徒}, which means "flower-youth corps." The Hwarang studied taekkyeon, history, Confucian philosophy, ethics, Buddhist morality, social skills, and military tactics. The guiding principles of the Hwarang warriors were based on Won Gwang's five codes of human conduct and included loyalty, filial duty, trustworthiness, valor, and justice.

In spite of Korea's rich history of ancient and martial arts, Korean martial arts faded during the late Joseon Dynasty. Korean society became highly centralized under Korean Confucianism, and martial arts were poorly regarded in a society whose ideals were epitomized by its scholar-kings. Formal practices of traditional martial arts such as subak and taekkyeon were reserved for sanctioned military uses. However, taekkyeon persisted into the 19th century as a folk game during the May-Dano festival, and was still taught as the formal military martial art throughout the Joseon Dynasty.

Early progenitors of taekwondo - the founders of the nine original kwans - who were able to study in Japan were exposed to Japanese martial arts, including karate, judo, and kendo, while others were exposed to the martial arts of China and Manchuria, as well as to the indigenous Korean martial art of taekkyeon. Hwang Kee founder of Moo Duk Kwan, further incorporated elements of Korean Gwonbeop from the Muye Dobo Tongji into the style that eventually became Tang Soo Do.

Philosophy

Different styles of taekwondo adopt different philosophical underpinnings. Many of these underpinnings however refer back of the Five Commandments of the Hwarang as a historical referent. For example, Choi Hong Hi expressed his philosophical basis for taekwondo as the Five Tenets of Taekwondo:

• Ye-Ui, courtesy
• Yom-Chi, integrity
• In-Nae, perseverance, patience
• Guk-Gi, self-discipline
• Beakjul-bool-gul, invincibility of spirit

These tenets are further articulated in a taekwondo oath, also authored by Choi:

• I undertake to comply with the principles of Taekwondo
• I undertake to respect my coaches and all superiors
• I undertake to abuse Taekwondo never
• I pledge to stand up for freedom and justice
• I undertake to cooperate in the creation of a more peaceful world

Modern ITF organizations have continued to update and expand upon this philosophy.

The World Taekwondo Federation also refers to the commandments of the Hwarang in the articulation of its taekwondo philosophy. Like the ITF philosophy, it centers on the development of a peaceful society as one of the overarching goals for the practice of taekwondo. The WTF's stated philosophy is that this goal can be furthered by adoption of the Hwarang spirit, by behaving rationally ("education in accordance with the reason of heaven"), and by recognition of the philosophies embodied in the taegeuk (the yin and the yang, i.e., "the unity of opposites") and the sam taegeuk (understanding change in the world as the interactions of the heavens, the Earth, and Man). The philosophical position articulated by the Kukkiwon is likewise based on the Hwarang tradition.

Competition

Sparring in a taekwondo class

Taekwondo competition typically involves sparring, breaking, patterns, and self-defense (hosinsul). In Olympic taekwondo competition, however, only sparring (using WTF competition rules) is performed.

There are two kinds of competition sparring: point sparring, in which all strikes are light contact and the clock is stopped when a point is scored; and Olympic sparring, where all strikes are full contact and the clock continues when points are scored. Sparring involves a Hogu, or a chest protector, which muffles any kick's damage to avoid serious injuries. Helmets and other gear is provided as well. Though other systems may vary, a common point system works like this: One point for a regular kick to the Hogu, two for a turning behind kick, three for a back kick, and four for a spinning kick to the head.

World Taekwondo Federation

Official WTF trunk protector (hogu), forearm guards and shin guards

Under World Taekwondo Federation and Olympic rules, sparring is a full-contact event and takes place between two competitors in an area measuring 8 meters square. A win can occur by points, or if one competitor is unable to continue (knockout). Each match consists of three semi-continuous rounds of contact, with one minute rest between rounds. There are two age categories: 14–17 years and 18 years and older. Depending on the type of tournament and club, competitors may also wear fist protectors, foot protectors, instep guards, helmets, or mouth guards.

Points are awarded for permitted, accurate, and powerful techniques delivered to the legal scoring areas; light contact does not score any points. The only techniques allowed are kicks (delivering a strike using an area of the foot below the ankle) and punches (delivering a strike using the closed fist). In most competitions, points are awarded by three corner judges using electronic scoring tallies. Several A-Class tournaments, however, are now experimenting with electronic scoring equipment contained within the competitors' body protectors. This limits corner judges to scoring only attacks to the head. Some believe that the new electronic scoring system will help to reduce controversy concerning judging decisions, but this technology is still not universally accepted.

Beginning in 2009, a kick or punch that makes contact with the opponent's hogu (the body guard that functions as a scoring target) scores one point. (The trunk protector is referred to as a momtong pohodae 몸통 보호대 or trunk guard in the WTF rules.) If a kick to the hogu involves a technique that includes fully turning the attacking competitor's body, so that the back is fully exposed to the targeted competitor during execution of the technique (spinning kick), three points are awarded. A kick to the head scores three points; as of October 2010 an additional point is awarded if a turning kick was used to execute this attack. Punches to the head are not allowed. As of March 2010, no additional points are awarded for knocking down an opponent (beyond the normal points awarded for legal strikes).

The referee can give penalties at any time for rule-breaking, such as hitting an area not recognized as a target, usually the legs or neck. Penalties are divided into "Kyong-go" (warning penalty) and "Gam-jeom" (deduction penalty). Two "Kyong-go" are counted as an addition of one point for the opposing contestant. However, the final odd-numbered "Kyong-go" is not counted in the grand total.

At the end of three rounds, the competitor with most points wins the match. In the event of a tie, a fourth "sudden death" overtime round, sometimes called a "Golden Point", is held to determine the winner after a one-minute rest period. In this round, the first competitor to score a point wins the match. If there is no score in the additional round, the winner is decided by superiority, as determined by the refereeing officials. or number of fouls committed during that round.

Until 2008, if one competitor gained a 7-point lead over the other, or if one competitor reached a total of 12 points, then that competitor was immediately declared the winner and the match ended. These rules were abolished by the WTF at the start of 2009. In October 2010 the WTF reintroduced a point-gap rule, stating that if a competitor has a 12-point lead at the end of the second round or achieves a 12-point lead at any point in the third round, then the match is over and that competitor is declared the winner.

USA Taekwondo is the officially recognized National Governing Body for Taekwondo for the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), and the official Member National Association of the World Taekwondo Federation.

International Taekwon-Do Federation

Common styles of ITF point sparring equipment

The International Taekwon-Do Federation's sparring rules are similar to the WTF's rules, but differ in several aspects.

• Hand and foot attacks to the head are allowed.
• The scoring system is:
  • 1 point for: Punch to the body or head.
  • 2 points for: Jumping kick to the body or kick to the head
  • 3 points for: Jumping kick to the head
• The competition area may vary between 10×10 meters and 20×20 meters in international championships.

Competitors do not wear the hogu (although they are required to wear approved foot and hand protection equipment, as well as optional head guards). This scoring system varies between individual organisations within the ITF; for example, in the TAGB, punches to the head or body score 1 point, kicks to the body score 2 points, and kicks to the head score 3 points.

A continuous point system is utilized in ITF competition, where the fighters are allowed to continue after scoring a technique. Excessive contact are generally not allowed according to the official ruleset, and judges penalize any competitor with disqualification if they injure their opponent and he can no longer continue (although these rules vary between ITF organizations). At the end of two minutes (or some other specified time), the competitor with more scoring techniques wins.

Fouls in ITF sparring include: attacking a fallen opponent, leg sweeping, holding/grabbing, or intentional attack to a target other than the opponent.

ITF competitions also feature performances of patterns, breaking, and 'special techniques' (where competitors perform prescribed board breaks at great heights).

Other organizations

American Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) competitions are very similar, except that different styles of pads and gear are allowed.

Apart from WTF and ITF tournaments, major taekwondo competitions (all featuring WTF taekwondo only) include:

• Olympic Games
• Universiade
• Asian Games
• South East Asian Games
• South Asian Games

WTF taekwondo features in all multi-sport games except the Small Island Games. It was accepted as a Commonwealth Games sport in June 2010.

Korean Taekwondo Vocabulary

In taekwondo schools - even outside Korea - Korean language commands and vocabulary are often used. Korean numerals may be used as prompts for commands or for counting repetition exercises. Different schools and associations will use different vocabulary, however, and may even refer to entirely different techniques by the same name. As one example, in Kukkiwon/WTF-style taekwondo, the term ap seogi refers to an upright walking stance, while in ITF/Chang Hon-style taekwondo ap seogi refers to a long, low, front stance. Korean vocabulary commonly used in taekwondo schools includes:

Basic Commands
English	Hangul (한글)	Hanja (한자/漢字)	Revised Romanization
Attention	차렷		Charyeot (chah-ryuht')
Ready	준비	準備	Junbi (joon'-bee)
Begin	시작	始作	Sijak (shee—jahk')
Finish / Stop	그만		Geuman (geuh'-mahn)
Bow	경례	敬禮	Gyeongnye (kyuhng'-ryeh)
Resume / Continue	계속	繼續	Gyesok (kyeh'-sohk)
Return to ready	바로		Baro (bah'-roh or pah'-roh)
Relax / At ease	쉬어		Swieo (shwee'-uh)
Rest / Take a break	휴식		Hyusik (hyoo'-sheek)
Turn around / About face	뒤로돌아		Dwilo dol-a (dwee'-roh doh'-rah)
Yell	기합	氣合	Gihap (kee'-hahp)
Look / Focus	시선	視線	Siseon
By the count	구령에 맞춰서	口令에 맞춰서	Guryeong-e majchwoseo
Without count	구령 없이	口令 없이	Guryeong eobs-i
Switch feet	발 바꿔		Bal bakkwo
Dismissed	해산	解散	Haesan (heh'-sahn)

Hand Techniques
English	Hangul (한글)	Hanja (한자/漢字)	Revised Romanization
Hand Techniques	수 기	手技	Su gi
Attack / Strike / Hit	공격	攻擊	Gong-gyeog
…also Strike	치기		Chigi
Block	막기		Maggi
Punch/hit	권	拳	Gwon
Middle punch	중 권	中拳	Jung gwon
Back fist	갑 권	甲拳 / 角拳	Gab gwon
Knife hand (edge)	수도	手刀	Su Do
To pierce / spear	관	貫	Gwan
Spear hand	관 수	貫手	Gwan su
Ridge hand	역 수도	逆手刀	Yeog su do
Hammer fist	권도	拳刀 / 拳槌	Gweon do
Pliers hand	집게 손		Jibge son
Palm heel	장관	掌貫	Jang gwan
Elbow	팔꿈		Palkkum
Gooseneck	손목 등		Sonmog deung
Side punch	횡진 공격	橫進攻擊	Hoengjin gong gyeog
Mountain block	산 막기	山막기	San maggi
One finger fist	일 지 권	一指拳	il ji gwon
1 finger spear hand	일 지관 수	一指貫手	il ji gwan su
2 finger spear hand	이지관수	二指貫手	i ji gwan su
Double back fist	장갑권	長甲拳	Jang gab gwon
Double hammer fist	장 권도	長拳刀	Jang gwon do

Foot Techniques
English	Hangul (한글)	Hanja (한자/漢字)	Revised Romanization
Foot Techniques	족기	足技	Jog gi
Kick	차기		Chagi (chah'-gee)
Front snap kick	앞 차기		Ap chagi
…also Front snap kick	앞 차넣기		Ap chaneohgi
…also Front snap kick	앞 뻗어 차기		Ap ppeod-eo chagi
Inside-out heel kick	안에서 밖으로 차기		An-eseo bakk-eulo chagi
Outside-in heel kick	밖에서 안으로 차기		Baggeso aneuro chagi
Stretching front kick	앞 뻗어 올리 기		Ap ppeod-eo olli gi
Roundhouse kick	돌려 차기		Dollyeo chagi
...also Roundhouse kick			Ap dollyeo chagi
Side kick	옆 차기		Yeop chagi
…also Snap Side kick	옆 뻗어 차기		Yeop ppeod-eo chagi
Hook kick	후려기 차기		Hulyeogi chagi
…also hook kick	후려 차기		Huryeo chagi
Back kick	뒤 차기		Dwi chagi
…also Spin Back kick	뒤 돌려 차기		Dwi dollyeo chagi
Spin hook kick	뒤 돌려 후려기 차기		Dwi dollyeo hulyeogi chagi
Knee strike	무릎 차기		Mu reup chagi
Reverse round kick	빗 차기		Bit chagi

Stances
English	Hangul (한글)	Hanja (한자/漢字)	Revised Romanization
Stances	자세	姿勢	Seogi (stance) or Jase (posture)
Ready stance	준비 자세	準備 姿勢	Junbi seogi (or jase)
Front Stance	전굴 자세	前屈 姿勢	Jeongul seogi (or jase)
Back Stance	후굴 자세	後屈 姿勢	Hugul seogi (or jase)
Horse-riding Stance	기마 자세	騎馬 姿勢	Gima seogi (or jase)
…also Horse-riding Stance	기마립 자세	騎馬立 姿勢	Gimalip seogi (or jase)
Side Stance	사고립 자세	四股立 姿勢	Sagolib seogi (or jase)
Cross legged stance	교차 립 자세	交(叉/差)立 姿勢	Gyocha lib seogi (or jase)

Technique Direction
English	Hangul (한글)	Hanja (한자/漢字)	Revised Romanization
Moving forward	전진	推進	Jeonjin
Backing up / retreat	후진	後進	Hujin
Sideways/laterally	횡진	橫進	Hoengjin
Reverse (hand/foot)	역진	逆進	Yeogjin
Lower	하단	下段	Hadan
Middle	중단	中段	Jungdan
Upper	상단	上段	Sangdan
Two handed	쌍수	雙手	Ssangsu
Both hands	양수	兩手	Yangsu
Lowest	최 하단	最下段	Choe hadan
Right side	오른 쪽		Oleun jjog
Left side	왼 쪽		Oen jjog
Other side/Twist	틀어		Teul-eo
Inside-outside	안에서 밖으로		An-eseo bakk-eulo
Outside inside	밖에서 안으로		Bakk-eseo an-eulo
Jumping / 2nd level	이단	二段	Idan (Ee'-dahn)
Hopping / Skipping	뜀을		Ttwim-eul
Double kick	두 발		Du bal
Combo kick	연속	連續	Yeonsog
Same foot	같은 발		Gat-eun bal

Titles
English	Hangul (한글)	Hanja (한자/漢字)	Revised Romanization
Founder/President	관장 님	館長님	Gwanjang nim
Master instructor	사범 님	師範님	Sabeom nim
Teacher	교사 님	敎師님	Gyosa nim
Black Belt	단	段	Dan
Student or Color Belt	급	級	Geup
Master level	고단자	高段者	Godanja

Other/Miscellaneous
English	Hangul (한글)	Hanja (한자/漢字)	Revised Romanization
School	관	館	Gwan (kwan)
Country Flag	국기	國旗	Guggi (koohk'-ki)
Salute the flag	국기 배례	國旗 拜禮	Guggi baerye
Pay respect / bow	경례	敬禮	Gyeongnye
Moment of silence	묵념	默念	Mugnyeom
Sit down!	앉아!		Anj-a!
Thank you	감사합니다	感謝합니다	Gamsa hamnida
Informal thank you	고맙습니다		Gomabseubnida
You’re welcome	천만에요		Cheonman-eyo
Uniform	도복	道服	Dobog (dobok)
Belt	띠	帶	Tti
Studio / School / Gym	도장	道場	Dojang
Test	심사	審査	Simsa
Self Defense	호신술	護身術	Ho sin sul
Sparring (Kukkiwon/WTF-style)	겨루기		Gyeorugi
...also Sparring (Chang Hon/ITF-style)	맞서기		Matseogi
...also Sparring	대련	對練	Daelyeon
Free sparring	자유 대련	自由 對練	Jayu daelyeon
Ground Sparring	좌 대련	座 對練	Jwa daelyeon
One step sparring	일 수식 대련	一數式 對練	il su sig daelyeon
Three step sparring	삼 수식 대련	三數式 對練	Sam su sig daelyeon
Board Breaking	격파	擊破	Gyeog pa

See also

• World Taekwondo Championships
• Kwan (martial arts)
• Karate