Question 046: ITF/WTF

 

Since Choi’s death, there has been a struggle amongst various branches of the ITF as to which is the official ITF. When the founder of a large corporation dies, the founder’s choice for a successor is considered as a replacement, but it is the board of directors who decide who the new CEO will be. Sometimes they want to move the corporation in a different direction, so they choose a CEO that agrees with them. Such is what occurred with the ITF. As usual, the ones who favor Choi’s choice of a successor are the ones that will most benefit from that successor. Which organization will prevail is up to the courts and public opinion.

The WTF was formed to take over Taekwondo in South Korea after Choi and the ITF left. The ITF version of Taekwondo used many of the original karate techniques and patterns. The WTF wanted to eliminate karate’s influence and make Taekwondo a uniquely Korean martial art, so they changed the patterns and specialized in kicks, so much so that Taekwondo become known as the “kicking art, ” and changed Taekwondo from a martial art into a martial sport. The WTF was more successful in becoming a governing power in world Taekwondo than was the ITF, which culminated in the WTF gaining control of Taekwondo in the Olympics.

Choi wanted to unify the ITF and the WTF, but, to South Koreans, this would be equivalent to cooperating with the North Koreans, their sworn enemy. In addition, since the WTF already controls Taekwondo in the world, why would it want to relinquish any control to the weaker ITF organization when the WTF would not gain any benefit from the cooperation; only the ITF would benefit.