What is Taekwondo?

Taekwondo is a modern Korean martial art, characterized by fast, high, jumping, spinning kicks and extensive footwork. It is an all-around program that offers self-defense training, physical exercise, and artistic expression; all taught by an experienced professional instructor. For more information, click here.

What is the difference between Taekwondo, Tae-Kwon-Do, Taekwon-do, T'aegwondo, Tang-soo-do, Tae-soo-do, Kong-soo-do, Soo-bahk-do, and Korean karate?

Not much. The differences are basically in what set of patterns are required and what rules of sparring are used. All these arts have the same background. Koreans who had studied Japanese/Okinawan karate during the Japanese occupation of Korea opened schools (kwans) after the liberation of Korea after World War II. Each kwan had its own style of a new Korean martial art based on a mixture of what the founders had learned from Karate and what they knew of the ancient Korean martial arts of Taekkyon and Subak.

The 5 original kwans were:

• Chung Do Kwan. Founded in 1944 by Won Kyuk Lee who had studied Shotokan karate. He called his art Tang-soo-do.

• Moo Duk Kwan. Founded in 1945 by Hwang Kee who had studied Tai Chi and some types of kung-fu with Kuk Jin Yang in China. Kee often met with Won Kyuk Lee and frequently visited the Chung Do Kwon. Lee claims Kee was his student but Kee says no, that he learned the Shotokan patterns from Gichin Funakoshi's books. Kee was obviously influenced by Japanese karate. Kee originally called his art Hwa-soo-do, then Tang-soo-do, then Soo-bakh-do.

• Song Moo Kwan. Founded in 1946 by Byung Jick Ro who had studied Shotokan karate. He called his art Tang-soo-do.

• Kwon Bop Bu/Chang Moo Kwan. Founded in 1947 by Byung in Yoon who had studied kung-fu in China and Shudokan karate with Kanken Toyama in Japan. He called his art Won-bop-kong-soo-do. Yoon disappeared during the Korean War, but his teachings were carried on by his top student Nam Suk Lee, who changed the name of the school to Chang Moo Kwan.

• Yun Moo Kwan. Founded in 1946 by Kyung Suk Lee who had studied Judo and by Sang Sup Chun who had studied karate. Originally called Choson-yun-moo-kwan, after Lee became missing and Chun died, and the kwan essentially became the Ji-do-kwan.

Variations in the spelling style of Taekwondo is due to conflicts between the kwans. Each kwan wanted its version of Taekwondo to be the "official" Korean style of Taekwondo, so to differentiate themselves, they changed its spelling style. The "Taekwondo" version is used by the World Taekwondo Federation. The "TaeKwon-do" version is used by the International Taekwondo Federation. The "Tae-Kwon-Do" version is used by smaller federations that consider themselves to be more "traditional." Also see are: "Tae Kwon Do," "Taekwon-do," and "Tae-Kwon-Do"

All these arts place more emphasis on the kicking aspects than did their forebears. How much emphasis is placed upon competition, sparring, forms, etc in a particular school varies depending on the organization to which the school is affiliated, and on the particular teaching style of the head instructor. For more information, see Taekwondo History

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