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History.

History of Taekwondo.

The earliest records of Martial Arts practice in Korea date back to about 50 B.C. These earliest forms of korean martial arts are known as 'Taek Kyon'. Evidence that Martial Arts were being practiced at that time can be found in tombs where wall-paintings show two men in fighting-stance. Others reject this evidence and say that these men could be simply dancing.

Back then, time there were three kingdoms:

1. Koguryo (37 B.C. - 668 A.D.)
2. Paekje (18 B.C. - 600 A.D.)
3. Silla (57 B.C. - 935 A.D.)

Silla unified the kingdoms after winning the war against Paekje in 660 A.D. and Koguryo in 668 A.D. The Hwa Rang Do played an important role at this unification. The Hwa Rang Do was an elite group of young noble men, devoted to cultivating mind and body and serve the kingdom Silla. The best translation for HwaRang would probably be "flowering youth" (Hwa ="flower", Rang="young man"). The HwaRang Do had an honor-code and practiced various forms of martial arts, including Taekyon and Soo Bakh Do. The old honor-code of the HwaRang is the philosophical background of modern Taekwondo.

What followed was a time of peace and the HwaRang turned from a military organization to a group specialized in poetry and music. It was in 936 A.D. when Wang Kon founded the Koryo dynasty, an abbreviation of Koguryo. The name Korea is derived from Koryo.

During the Koryo Dynasty the sport Soo Bakh Do, which was then used as a military training method, became popular. During the Joseon-dynasty (also known as the Yi-dynasty. 1392 A.D. - 1910 A.D.) this emphasis on military training disappeared. King Taejo, founder of the Joseon-dynasty, replaced Buddhism by Confucianism as the state religion. According to Confucianism, the higher class should study the poets, read poems and and play music. Martial arts was something for the common, or even inferior, man.

Modern-day Taekwondo is influenced by many other Martial Arts. The most important of these arts is Japanese Karate. This is because Japan dominated Korea during 1910 until the end of World War II. During WWII, lots of Korean soldiers were trained in Japan. During this occupation of Korea, the Japanese tried to erase all traces of the Korean culture, including the martial arts. The influence that Japan has given to Taekwondo are the quick, lineair movements, that characterize the various Japanese systems.

After World War II, when Korea became independant, several kwans arose. These kwans were:

• Chung Do Kwan
• Moo Duk Kwan
• Yun Moo Kwan
• Chang Moo Kwan
• Oh Do Kwan
• Ji Do Kwan
• Chi Do Kwan
• Song Moo Kwan   
• 
  

The Kwans united in 1955 as Tae Soo Do. In the beginning of 1957, the name Taekwondo was adopted by several Korean martial arts masters, for its similarity to the name Tae Kyon.

General Choi Hong-hi required the army to train Taekwondo, so the very first Taekwondo students were Korean soldiers. The police and air force had to learn Taekwondo as well. At that time, Taekwondo was merely a Korean version of Shotokan Karate. In 1961 the Korean Taekwondo Union arose from the Soo Bakh Do Association and the Tae Soo Do Association. In 1962 the Korean Amateur Sports Association acknowledged the Korean Taekwondo Union and in 1965 the name was changed to Korean Taekwondo Association (K.T.A.). General Choi was president of the K.T.A. at that time and was asked to start the I.T.F. as the international branch of the K.T.A. The southern government was overthrown in 1961. General Choi Hong-hi left for America and established I.T.F. (International Taekwondo Federation) Taekwondo, as a separate entity, two years later.

Demonstrations were given all over the world. It took a while before real progress was made, but eventually, in 1973, the World Taekwondo Federation (W.T.F.) was founded. In 1980, W.T.F. Taekwondo was recognized by the International Olympic Commitee (I.O.C.) and became a demonstration sport at the Olympics in 1988. In the year 2000 taekwondo made its debute as an official olympic sport. There were several attempts to unify I.T.F. and W.T.F. Taekwondo, but unfortunately, these failed.

I.T.F. vs W.T.F.

As mentioned earlier, Gen. Choi established ITF-Taekwondo (which practices a more traditional form of taekwondo) while WTF-Taekwondo (which has a strong emphasis on sparring) became an olympic sport in 2000.

A good-will trip to North-Korea in 1966 caused General Choi to fall in disgrace in the eyes of the South-Koreans. Choi resigned as president of the K.T.A. and founded the I.T.F. on March, the 22nd of that same year. The headquarters of ITF were established in Canada.

ITF started concentrating on the forms developed by General Choi, while the KTA (which later, on May 28, 1973, became the WTF) concentrated on the Palgwe's. Later the WTF abandoned the Palgwe's and started concentrating on Taeguks. Slowly, the WTF emphasis turned to sparring. This is also the reason why a lot of people rather call (WTF) Taekwondo a martial sport than a Martial Art.

The American Taekwondo Association (ATA) is a smaller organization, and has many similarities to the ITF. The ATA has a copyright on the forms of the organization, so these forms cannot be used on competitions by non-members. There are many organizations, but the three mentioned above have the most members.

ITF practices the so-called 'semi-contact' part of Taekwondo, while WTF practices the so-called 'full-contact' part. ITF focuses more on the traditional way of taekwondo. Since the break-up, there have been many attempts to reunite WTF and ITF, so-far without success. There probably will never be a union within Taekwondo.

                                            Taekwondo Hand attacks

Taekwondo hand strikes are performed as a close distance alternative to kicks. They are executed in a number of ways - from standing, jumping, spinning and rushing forwards. Hand strikes make up fast combinations of strikes which can leave an opponent stunned and unable to defend himself. Taekwondo hand strikes can be separated into two distinct styles.                                                                                              

Various surfaces of the hand may be engaged as the striking surface depending on which area of the opponents body which is being targeted. This leads to a large array of hand positions.

• Forefist - A closed fist may be jabbed out directly to strike with the forefist knuckles. This is a suitable position for general punches to soft areas of the body. Without protection, it is inadvisable to strike the bony face as fingers are likely to get broken on the hard temple and jaw bones.
• Hammer fist - A closed fist may be brought down in a hammering motion to strike with the underneath. Such a strike can obliterate an opponent's nose, making it near impossible for him to retaliate.
• Backfist - A Son Deung clenched hand is swung backwards into the face of an opponent. The back of the hand makes contact and the momentum garnered in the swing makes this a powerful strike. Spinning backfists are a knockout punch and banned in most Taekwondo competitions.
• Knife Hand - 'Sonkal' is the Taekwondo name for a move similar to the 'Karate Chop', i.e. where an open hand is hammered down to make impact with the underside. A Ridge Hand is the opposite, where the top of the open hand strikes. These are commonly made to the side of the neck.
• Fingertips - Jumeok can be used to strike vulnerable areas of the body such as pressure points. Four finger strikes engaging the tips of the outstretched hand (known as Spear hand) can be made to vital points in the neck.
• Thumb - Eomji is a fist with the thumb protruding over the top. This is a formidable weapon in pressure point striking. Vulnerable areas can be targeted all over the body such as the sternum, the spaces in between the ribs and other nerve clusters.
• Palm Heel - a classic self-defence strike where the hand is pulled back to engage the base of the palm in an upwards thrusting strike. This is particularly dangerous if applied to the base of the nose or chin and can result in death. Obviously banned in competition Taekwondo.
• Elbow Strike (palgup chigi)- Forearm is folded inwards towards the body and the strike is delivered with the outside of the forearm or elbow.
• Four-knuckle strike - This is a fist shape particular to the Asian martial arts. Instead of closing the fist completely, the fingers are held out and only the knuckles are bent, thereby presenting the upper set of knuckles as the striking surface. This fist is used for breaking boards as the smaller surface area concentrates the punches power. In self-defence, it may be used to purposefully break an attacker's jaw.
• Eagle strike - In this strike, the fingers all touch together, and the hand is pointed down, exposing the top of the wrist,which is then swung upward to strike the underside of the jaw. If done properly, this strike can easily fracture the jawbone, and is usually banned from competitions due to the extreme danger. If done improperly, however, the practitioner may well break his wrist.
• Tiger Claw - A strike using the space between the index finger and thumb. Fingers are made rigid, and the attack is usually directed towards the neck/trachea. Serves as a way to incapacitate an opponent for a few seconds.
• Pincer Hand - A strike which uses thumb and forefinger to strike opponent's throat. In this technique a fist is closed except thumb and forefinger which are fully extended outwards.
• Scissor Finger - A fist in which forefinger and middle finger is extended out as if to dig someone's eye. Similar to Pincer hand except that the forefinger and middle finger is extended outwards.
• Chestnut Fist - Similar to normal fist except that first three knuckles are pushed outward slightly with thumb.

Tae Kwon Do also makes use of reverse and front elbow strikes.

Taekwondo players vow to win golds for Pakistan.
RAWALPINDI : Pakistan produced so many international stars in almost every sporting field and Taekwondo is also one of the sports in which Pakistan male and female athletes, despite limited resources, earned laurels for the country.
In an exclusive interview with The Nation, country's brightest future and international medal hope Najia Khan, who represented country in -73kg middleweight category both at national and international levels, was full of confidence that females were not less than males, when it came to winning laurels for the country.
Najia, against the advice of the doctors, participated in the 9th Korean Ambassador Taekwondo Championship and won gold medal for her department Army and was also declared the best female athlete.
Sharing her views, Najia said: “I had a severe problem in my leg and the doctors advised me to take complete bed rest for four months, but it was my dream to not only to participate in the main events but also try to win medals for my department. I was playing with one leg in the entire event, but self belief and hard work paid dividend and I managed to fulfill my dream.” She said there were five to six very talented female players and if they were given international exposure and training and provided with proper facilities, they could in return bring laurels for the country at international level.
Najia, 23, who have participated in five international events and also attended a training course in Korea, has won one silver and two bronze medals for her country at Korean and Commonwealth Games in India. She also has won seven gold medals in national championships. “It is my wish to win gold medal for the country in the 2014 Asian Games, but this dream can come true only if I will be provided with six-month training in Scotland under the worlds best coach TK Low of Indonesia and it is my promise if the POA, the PSB and Army Sports Directorate manage my training at Scotland, I will not disappoint the country and win a medal at the Asian Games.”
Sharing his views, Shah Adil, 25, who represented country in -87 middle weight category and was deprived by the Iranian officials of the bronze medal in Asian Games in 2012, was very optimistic about the male players chances in the Asian Games. Adil won bronze medal in SAF Games in 2010 and also wanted to win more medals for the country. But he also needs special attention of the POA and the PSB to acquire training in Scotland. “If provided with an opportunity to train there, I will win medal in Asian Games.”
Another young lad from Fata Syed Afnan Shah, 23, had won two gold medals in the national championships and also represented Army at SAF Military Games in Nepal and Vietnam. Unfortunately, he failed to win any medal but his performances were eye-catching.
“Fata is blessed with natural talent and there is an urgent need to pay attention to that region, as sports can play a significant role in curbing the militancy and youth could be utilised in healthy sporting activities,” Afnan said.
“We have requested provincial Fata associations to arrange training camps but no heed was paid. It is my humble request to governor KPK to play his due role in arranging sporting activities in Fata. I have detailed conversations with the youth of my area and they are willing to turn their attentions to sports, but the non-active role of the associations is the big hurdle in their way,” he added.
PTF secretary Col Waseem Ahmed Janju said: “I have talked to the Fata Taekwondo Association (FTA) secretary to arrange camps. I will personally visit the camps and also take top players with me. I have donated a mat to the FTA worth Rs five million and I am quite hopeful that Fata posses great talent but the only need is to provide them proper platform where they may showcase their skills and play their due role in helping the country winning laurels at international level.”
“The PTF despite a meager annual grant and limited recourses has done a really wonderful job keeping in mind how expensive this sport is, but it is the time government should think seriously about other sports too. This individual sport can guarantee at least five to six medals from single individual unlike of other sports, which can only ensure one medal. Neglected sports need urgent attention of authorities concerned otherwise youth will only prefer to play cricket or to some extent hockey while all the other sports will die due to lack of interest,” Waseem concluded.
Rana Usman .

Army retain National Taekwondo Championship.

ISLAMABAD -

Pakistan Army retained the title of the 9th Korean Ambassador National Taekwondo Championship which concluded here at the Liaquat Gymnasium on Friday.
Army retained the title by winning 21 gold, three silver and two bronze medals while Wapda secured second position with one gold, six silver and two bronze medals and HEC grabbed third slot with one gold, three silver and seven bronze medals. Sindh with three silver and 10 bronze medals was on fourth, KPK with five silver and four bronze medals was on fifth and Punjab with one gold, one silver and 10 bronze medals was on sixth position.
The Pakistan Taekwondo Federation (PTF) also invited Korean international demonstration team to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Pakistan-Korea diplomatic relationship, which is really a great honour for Pakistan.
The teams from all provinces, departments and affiliated units of the PTF participated in this mega event which was being sponsored by Samsung. PTF secretary Col Waseem Ahmed Janju was full of praise for Director General Pakistan Sports Board Syed Amir Hamza Gilani for helping the federation in conducting the event in a befitting manner.  For the first time in the history of Pakistan, electronic sensors were used during the event, which were acquired by the support of government, ministry of sports IPC and Pakistan Sports Board. Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) president Lt Gen (retd) Syed Arif Hassan was the chief guest at the concluding ceremony and distributed the equipments among all affiliated provinces and departments. He also gave away a complete taekwondo mat to Fata.
At the end, the chief guest distributed medals among the top performers. Public Service Commission member Mansoor Sohail and Fata Olympic Association secretary Shinwari were the guests of honour.
Talking to The Nation, Col Waseem said: “Keeping in mind excellent arrangements to conduct the event in a superb fashion, I hope it will help the players to get boost and motivation to do well in the local, national and international events. It is very helpful for bringing the new talent and introducing new faces in sports arena.”

Pakistan Army Maintain Dominance in National Taekwondo.

Pakistan Army continued their dominance on the second day in the 9th Korean Ambassador National Taekwondo Championship here at the Liaquat Gymnasium. Pool fights of 4 X Khyorugi male/female events in fin and fly weight categories were completed.

DG PSB Syed Amir Hamza Gillani was the chief guest on the occasion and distributed medals among the top players. Army clinched three gold medals on second day of the championship while Railways earned one gold. In fin weight male category, Ghazanfar Ali of Army claimed gold, Hidayat Ullah of Fata silver and Abdul Raheem Sindh clinched bronze. In fly weight male category, Taufeeq of Railways received gold, Umar of Army silver and Nadeem of Sindh bronze, in fin weight female category, Kiran Bano of Army notched up gold, Tanzeela of Sindh silver and Simra of Railways bronze, in fly weight female category, Maham Aftab of Army grabbed gold, Faiza of Railways silver and Marrayum of HEC bronze.

Pakistan Taekwondo Federation (PTF) secretary Col Waseem Ahmed Janju said: “I am delighted to watch such amount of spectators turning up to watch players in action. I was not expecting such a huge crowd but the event has been getting such a overwhelming response which is a good omen towards the promotion of sport.”“I am grateful to Pakistan Sports Board DG Amir Hamza Gilani for providing us all the facilities at Liaquat Gymnasium.

The Korean Ambassador was personally present here last night and he was of full praise for excellent arrangements being made to facilitate the players and especially the visiting international Korean team, who performed in front of the spectators and got standing ovation from the pack to capacity crowd,” he concluded.  He said that the purpose of holding the events was to promote taekwondo among youth and provide them much-needed experience which would not only groom them as professional player but also provided them opportunity to exhibit their skills.