Taekwondo Around the World

The globalization of Taekwondo started after the Korean War (1950~1953), when many martial arts instructors emigrated to the United States. Following this period, various Taekwondo organizations and styles started to form and interact. Taekwondo was agreed upon as the official common name in 1959 by nine original kwans, followed by efforts to unify various Taekwondo teachings into a systematic curriculum. In 1963, a Taekwondo demonstration was held at the New York City United Nations headquarters. After this event, the Korea Taekwondo Association (KTA) was established in 1967 to achieve the goal and as result, developed Kukkiwon and the Kukki Style of Taekwondo.

Soo Bahk Do
Image Reference:한국민족문화대백과사전(encykorea.aks.ac.kr), 한국학중앙연구원

In 1966, the International Taekwon-do Federation (ITF), which emphasized the self-defense aspect of Taekwondo in Taekwondo teachings, was founded. Around 1974, approximately 600 ITF instructors were teaching in various countries around the world. Several Taekwondo schools branched off from ITF and integrated ITF style with the new Taekwondo style.

Jhoon Rhee teaching Taekwondo to Bob Livingston, the Representative from Louisiana
Image Reference: TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

In 1962, Jhoon Rhee established multiple martial arts schools in Washington, D.C. He was well-known for his friendship with Bruce Lee with whom he shared knowledge and skill in martial arts. During the 1970s, he developed his own style of Taekwondo named Jhoon Rhee-style Taekwondo. His style integrated traditional, ITF style and original Taekwondo elements. Jhoon Rhee contributed significantly to the popularization of Taekwondo in the United States by actively teaching Taekwondo to the public and connecting with famous figures including Muhammad Ali. Today, Jhoon Rhee is recognized as the ‘Pioneer of American Taekwondo’ in the Taekwondo hall of Fame. His Taekwondo style is still widely practiced in the United States and eastern Europe.

In 1973, World Taekwondo Federation, an international Taekwondo organization, was formed alongside the first World Taekwondo Championships held in Seoul by the Korea Taekwondo Association (KTA). They standardized Taekwondo tournament rules and continued to hold many other world competitions. Consequently, the Korean government acknowledged the World Taekwondo Federation as the official international regulating body for Taekwondo. Their standardized style is Kukkiwon-style or Kukki-style, also called Sport-style Taekwondo, Olympic-style Taekwondo, or WT-style Taekwondo. Kukki-style uses Poomsae as the word for ‘forms’ and defines varied standard types of Poomsae including Palgwae Poomsae and Taegeuk Poomsae.

Taekwondo at the 1988 Summer Olympics
Image Reference: Korea Taekwondo Association

In the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, Taekwondo became one of the official Olympic sports. Consequently, Korean became the official language of the Olympic Games alongside English, French, and Japanese. Now, Taekwondo is practiced in more than 203 countries by over 80 million practitioners.