A Brief History
General Choi Hong Hi
General Choi Hong Hi is widely considered the founder of modern Taekwondo. Born in what is now North Korea in 1918, General Choi began training in martial arts at a young age, and later went on to study Shotokan Karate in Japan.
After returning to Korea, he began to develop his own martial art, which he called Taekwondo. This name, which translates to “the way of the foot and fist,” was chosen to reflect the art’s focus on both striking and kicking techniques.
In the late 1950’s, General Choi established the Korean Taekwondo Association, which became the first official organisation dedicated to promoting the practice of Taekwondo. He also wrote the first textbook on the art, called “Taekwondo: The Korean Martial Art.”
General Choi continued to develop and promote Taekwondo throughout his life, and in 1966, he founded the International Taekwondo Federation (ITF). The ITF was established to promote the spread of Taekwondo around the world, and under General Choi’s leadership, it quickly grew to include member nations from all over the globe.
Despite facing opposition from some quarters in South Korea, General Choi’s efforts to promote Taekwondo were ultimately successful. Today, the art is practiced by millions of people around the world and is recognized as an official sport by the International Olympic Committee.
General Choi Hong Hi passed away in 2002, but his legacy lives on through the continued practice and development of Taekwondo. He will always be remembered as the “Father of Taekwondo” who dedicated his life to promote this martial art.
