In the early 1950s, Korean practitioners argued over a number of names for the form of Korean Karate they were teaching. On April 11, 1955 a special board comprising masters instructors from various the various kwans, historians, and prominent leaders of society assembled to chose a name for the martial art. The board decided on the name "Taekwondo" that had been submitted by General Choi. This name appealed to the newly nationalistic Koreans and resembled the name of the ancient Korean art of Taekkyon. It more than two years for General Choi and his Ohdokwan to gain enough authority to impose the name "Taekwondo" upon the other kwans, so for a time, only his school was using the name. Gradually, Taekwondo began spread throughout Korea as their own martial art and, in a few years, it had spread to many nations across the world.

General Choi emerged as the new leader of Korean karate. His style of Taekwondo derived much of its power through its association with the military. All Korean men were required to serve three years in the military. The influence of the military had always been quite strong in the martial arts community, and Choi reaped the benefits of that influence.

When Choi retired from the army in 1965, the legacy of the military TKD still continued worldwide as the result of his sending military teams overseas. When his former instructors were discharged from the military they also spread his Taekwondo style of Korean karate around Korea and the world. They opted to teaching TKD overseas under the auspices of Choi's International Taekwondo Federation ITF or they opened their own independent dojangs that taught their original arts such as Moo Du Kwan, but with the strong influence of their military days. Civilian Taekwondo organizations not affiliated with military Taekwondo were snubbed as "not the real" Taekwondo. Choi's solid foundation of advanced instructors dominated the international Taekwondo scene and also had other non-military experienced Taekwondo instructors overseas adopt General Choi's style. Choi was a prime mover in the development of the Korean martial art of Taekwondo; he helped to shape it, name it and spread it all around the world.

TKDTutor Comments: Some question General Choi's military career by making accusations that he was something less than a real general since he did not serve in combat. These are the same type of people who criticize President George W. Bush for his service in the Air National Guard when he could have joined the Air Force and had a better chance of having to serve in the Vietnam War. I served 26 years in the U. S. Navy, through part of the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and many other smaller military interventions, and, I served in many combat zones. However, through good luck, I was never in actual combat even though I could just have easily been sent a command that was in combat or on one of the many ships that were attacked during the cold war years. Does that mean I served my country less than a person who was in the military for two years and served one year in Vietnam? I think not!

Due to the war and the division of Korea into two countries, Choi was unable to return to the land of his birth. Choi's final years were marked by his efforts to return to North Korea. He introduced Taekwondo there in 1981, and won further favor with the government by changing the name of the pattern Kodang (named for a North Korean democratic Christian moderate, presumed slain by the Red Army in 1945) to Juche (named for the isolationist policy of "self-reliance" advocated by North Korean leader Kim Il Sung. Though Choi's intention was reconciliatory, unfortunately South Korea saw it as treasonous.

Tong Il or unification of the two Koreas was Choi's fondest wish. He saw the healing that Taekwondo training is capable of and hoped that by sharing this all-Korea martial art with the people of the North, it might provide a common experience that would hasten the unification. The South Korean government ordered him to stop and threatened to pull his visa and visas of all his instructors. He made an unbelievably difficult decision and one that would shape the rest of  his life and the landscape of Taekwondo forever. He refused this threat, and moved the headquarters of the International Taekwondo Federation to Canada where his dear student Park Jong Soo had already established a strong Taekwondo Foundation and was operating a very successful school. He also knew that the Olympic Games were to be held in Montreal, Canada, in 1976. With a base in Canada, he felt it would be a good opportunity to promote Taekwondo as an Olympic event. 

Since 1972, General Choi had requested permission from the South Korea government to visit his motherland but the requests were always refused. Near the end of April 2002, when nearing death, General Choi again sent an official request to the South Korean government asking to visit his motherland before his death. Choi requested that the South Korean government:

• Recognize him as the founder of Taekwondo.
• Recognize him as a general who fought meritoriously for Korean independence from Japan.
• Conduct a memorial service and allow him to be buried in a national cemetery.

Again the South Korean government refused. Choi then sent the same request to the North Korea government, which agreed to the request. So, in May 2002, Choi went to North Korea where, on June 15, 2002 in the northern part of North Korea, he passed away of stomach cancer.

The North Korean government buried General Choi in a State Funeral in the Patriotic Martyr's for his exploits, bravery, courage, during the Japanese rule and occupation when he was implicated as the planner of the "Korean Independence Movement" and interned at a Japanese prison and sentenced to death. He was also honored for his hard work, dedication, guidance, leadership in the field of Taekwondo. Choi's last wish was to die and be buried in Korea. He did not think of Korea as two countries, but as one, his homeland. "Yon Mu Sun" the diagram of the Taekwondo form Tong Il, symbolizes the north and south uniting into one Korea.

Preface - Introduction - Ancient Beginnings - Korean Geography - Ancient Korea - Three Kingdoms Era - Subak and Sonbae - Subak and Hwarang - Koryo Dynasty - Chosen Dynasty - Korea Divided - Korean War (1950-1953) - Modern Taekwondo - Early Masters - Taekwondo Development - International Groups - Road to Olympics - Sport Taekwondo - Traditional versus Sport - Taekwondo in the United States - Taekwondo Today - References