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         MARTIAL  ARTS TERMINOLOGY

                                KOREAN

 1. Dan:  Degree

 2. Do: The way.

 3. Dobok:  Uniform

 4. Do Jang:  Training room.

 5. Jeja:  Student

 6. Ki hap:  Power yell.

 7. Kuk ki: Flag

 8. Kup:  Rank (color belts only)

 9. Kwan:  School

 10. Mook Nyum:  Meditation

 11. Poomse:  Forms

 12. Sa ba nim:  Means Master given to 4th Dan Black Belt or higher.

 13. Taegeuk:  Tae means bigness while geuk means eternity.

 14. Ti:  Belt

                               JAPANESE

  1. Dogi (gi):  Karate uniform.

  2. Dojo:  Place to learn the way.

  3. Kata :  Forms

  4. Kumite :  Sparring. Meaning meeting of the hands.

  5. Makiwara:  Striking board.

  6. Obi:  Belt.

  7. Sensei :  Karate teacher. It means person born before another.  A title used as a mark of respect.

  8. Shihan:  Chief instructor, teacher of teachers.

  9. Soke:  Head of family or lineage.  

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                                                     TAEKWONDO  HISTORY  TIMELINE

2333 BC:  According to legend, Tangun founds a civilization on the Korean peninsula.

50 BC    :  Possible date of early cave drawings on walls of Korean caves, depicting men in 

                   Taekwondo poses.

57 BC    :  Kingdom of Silla is founded.

37 BC    :  Kingdom of Kogryo is founded.

18 BC    :  Kingdom of Packje is founded, establishing the three kingdom dynasty.  The early 

                 martial art Subak spreads through Packje and Silla.

540 - 576 AD :  Chin Heung, 24th king of Silla, commissions the formation of the Hwa Rang Do.

668 - 935 AD :  The Hwa Rang Do of Silla practice Subak and also develop the next form of                            Taekyon, which has more order and structure.  Subak and Taekyon become popular

                with the general public, not just the military. 

935 AD  :  General Wang Kon leads an insurrection against koryo, overthrowing the government 

                 and founding the Koryo dynasty.  Taekyon is required for all military training and is

                 practiced by the general public as well.

1392      :  The Yi Dynasty (also called Chosun Dynasty) begins.  This government promotes 

                 a Confucian philosophy, which downplays martial arts.  Although the general public

                 Practices Taekyon and Subak, some instructors flee to other Asian countries.  The 

                 name Taekyon is sometimes replaced by the name Soo Back Ki (hand striking

                 techniques).

1909      :  Japan conquers Korea and outlaws all Korean culture, including the practice of any

                 native martial art.  Taekyon instructors practice in hiding or flee to other countries,

                 where they are influenced by other martial arts.  Han Il Dong and his student, Choi 

                 Hong Hi, practice Taekyon in secret.

1945      :  At the end of World War Two, Korea is liberated from Japanese occupation.  Korean

                 martial arts are rejuvenated but lack consistency and organization.  Many schools 

                 (kwans) practice forms and kicks containing Japanese influences.

1946      :  Hwang Kee founds a martial art called Moo Duk Kwan, which later splits into 

                 Taekwondo style and Tang Soo Do style.

1946      :  Taekyon is taught to police in Seoul, Korea.

1946      :  First Lietenant Choi Hong Hi teaches his style of Taekyon to the military under his

                 command.

1950-1953:  The Korean War divides the country in two.

1953      :  The Korean Taekwondo Association (K.T.A), the precursor to the World Taekwondo 

                 Federation is formed by nine kwans.

1955      :  Nine kwans (schools) of Korean martial arts, including Taekyon, agree to combine the

                 arts and rename the Korean martial art Tae Soo Do.

1957      :  General Choi recommends to the kwans that the name be changed to Taekwondo.                         Adopted by the kwans.

1958      :  Master Hwang Kee Hwang removes the kwan Tang Soo Do Moo Duck Kwan from the 

                 Taekwondo umbrella.  He forms the Korean martial art Tang Soo Do. 

1960      :  Organization by the K.T.A begin to dispatch Korean masters of Taekwondo to other

                 countries to hold demonstrations and to open dojangs (schools).

1963      :  Master Duk-Sung Son (Chung Do Kwan) comes to New York City, United States, and

                 founds the World Taekwondo Association.

1966      :  General Choi founds the International Taekwondo Federation (ITF) with support from

                 Vietnam, West Germany, Malaysia, Turkey, Italy, United Arab Republic, Taiwan and                       United States. The ITF is a separate organization from the Korean Taekwondo 

                 Association.  

1967      :  The US Taekwondo Association is formed.  

1969      :  American Taekwondo Association is founded by Master Haeung Lee, based in Omaha,

                 Nebraska.

1972      :  Kukkiwon building is completed.

1972      :  General Choi leaves South Korea, moving ITF Headquarters to Toronto, Canada.

1973      :  The World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) is established and dissolves all associations 

                 with the ITF.  Kukkiwon becomes the official headquarters and training facility of the 

                 WTF.  Chung Do Kwan aligns itself with the WTF. 

1974      :  US Taekwondo Association is renamed the US Taekwondo Federation.

1975      :  Mr. Jamal Muhammad Shabazz  took his first Martial Arts instruction at the Naval                           Training Center in San Diego, California under the instruction of Filipino Kuntaw Kung                   Fu Grand Master and US Navy first class petty officer Mike Balbo.

1977      :  The nine different kwans (Chung Do Kwan, Ji Do Kwan, Moo Duk Kwan, Chang Moo                         Kwan, Soo Moo Kwan, Han Moo Kwan, Oh Do Kwan, Jung Do Kwan, and Kang Du                           Won) recognize the Kukkiwon and WTF as the promotional body of Taekwondo, and                       agree to the black belt certification process and certificates.

1979      :  African Taekwondo Union holds first African Taekwondo Championships.  

1982      :  Master Soo Kon Kim founded the United States Taekwondo Association (USTA) later                     called the Universal Taekwondo Association (UTA).

1984      :  Mr. Jamal Muhammad Shabazz joined the UTA and started Taekwondo classes in                           Chicago under the guidance of Master Soo Kon Kim and his two brothers.

1988      :  Sensei Shabazz was promoted to first degree black belt and opened up his own                               Dojang in Chicago and started teaching Taekwondo.  

1988      :  Taekwondo is an exhibition sport in the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games.

1990      :  Sensei Shabazz was promoted to second degree black belt in Taekwondo and several                   years later received his third degree.

1992      :  Taekwondo is again an exhibition sport at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games.

1994      :  WTF Taekwondo is adopted as a full participatory sport for the 2004 Sidney Olympic

                 Games. 

2000      :  The IOC committee confirms that Taekwondo will be an official sport in the 2004                            Athens Olympic Games.    

2020       :  Sensei Shabazz and the Shabazz Taekwondo School permanently relocated from the

                  state of Illinois to the state of Tennessee.

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                                                TRADITIONAL TAEKWONDO FORMS

1) PALGWAE POOMSE :  A set of 8 older poomse (forms) that came before the Taegeuk poomse.

2) TAEGEUK POOMSE :  A set of 8 modern poomse (forms) that came after the Palgwae poomse.

 

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                                           MEANING OF TAEKWONDO

Taekwondo is from the Korean word "Tae" which means foot, "kwon" which means fist and "do" which means way of life.  The word and name Taekwondo has only been used since 1955.  But it's roots started over 2,300 years ago in ancient Korean.

 

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