Tae means to ‘jump, kick or smash with the foot’
Kwon mean ‘a fist – chiefly to punch or destroy with the hand or fist’
Do means ‘art, way or method’
“Tae Kwon-Do is a version of unarmed combat designed for the purpose of self-defense. I it the scientific use of the body in the method of self-defense; a body that has gained the ultimate use of its facilities through intensive physical and mental training. It is a martial art with the discipline, technique and mental training to build a strong sense of justice, fortitude, humility and resolve. It is a way of thinking and a way of life, enabling the weak to possess a fine weapon to defend themselves. It is the mental training and the physical techniques of unarmed combat for self-defense as well as health, involving the skilled application of punches, kicks, blocks and dodges with bare hands and feet to the rapid destruction of the opponent or opponents”
General Choi Hong Hi, Father of Tae Kwon-Do
Tae Kwon-Do was inaugurated on April 11th 1955 in Seoul, Korea. It was the culmination of years of extensive scientific and martial arts research by the founder, Major General Choi Hong Hi, 9th Dan commander of the 29th Infantry Division of the Korean Armed Forces. The General and his soldiers rigorously tested Tae Kwon-Do before it was finalised and released to the world.
The early sixties saw an influx of Korean Tae Kwon-Do Masters into the USA and subsequently world-wide. These Masters were to shape and influence students of many nations with their own training and experience. Tae Kwon-Do was officially brought into the UK by Grand Master Rhee Ki Ha, 9th Dan in 1967.