Taekwondo History
Although it is possible to trace its roots back over a thousand years, the practise of Taekwondo, as a distinct martial art did not exist prior to the mid twentieth century. Taekwondo is a name coined in 1955 to unify a number of native Korean martial arts, the origin of which can also be traced back through Korean history with various evolutionary influences drawn from Japanese and Chinese martial arts.
In its early days, Taekwondo was seen by many as nothing more than a Korean interpretation of Japanese Karate. However, during the second half of the twentieth century, the martial art of Taekwondo changed dramatically and established its own distinct identity. This was mostly as a result of Korean attempts to purge foreign influences as well as the application of modern western medical science to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of techniques.
In Korea, the practise of Taekwondo spread from the Army into schools and universities, and dojangs (schools) appeared everywhere to spread the art to the general public. Internationally, instructors and demonstration teams travelled the world. By the early 1970s, interested governments had called for instructors to establish schools and teach in their countries, initially in the armed forces and than to the public at large.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Taekwondo as a sport grew in popularity, and was accepted as a demonstration sport at the 1988 and 1992 Olympic games, before becoming a permanent sporting event at the Olympics in 2000. It is currently estimated that there are over fifty million Taekwondo practitioners worldwide in over 167 countries.