Taekwondo and its worldwide success
The worldwide success of Taekwondo
If you ever get the chance to visit the spectacular country of South Korea (also known as the Republic of Korea), chances are you’ll be mesmerized by the hordes of Korean children running through the streets in their yellow doboks. Taekwondo, which means uniform. .
Is it the latest trend among Korean children? The answer is no; Taekwondo is the national sport of South Korea, and parents regularly sign their children up for after-school lessons.
Despite cricket being England’s summer sport, how often do you see children running around in cricket gear during the warmer times of the year? Probably never, right? Well, it seems there are other reasons why Korean parents are so eager for their sons and daughters to master the art of Taekwondo.
They say that Taekwondo is not just about self defense techniques; it also teaches you to control your mind and the sport promotes self-discipline, among other life skills, to help you lead a happy life. Koreans believe in the power of Taekwondo, and it seems people all over the world like it too, as it is now practiced in more than 100 countries.
spreading the word
Taekwondo is currently the most popular form of martial arts in the world and this may be due to the fact that General Choi Hong Hi, the founder of taekwondo, traveled the world to promote Korea’s national sport during the 1970s.
General Choi chose the best black belts from the International Taekwondo Federation (ITF) to accompany him on his tour to demonstrate the art of Taekwondo in each country.
The demonstrations took place amid much fanfare in countries as far away as Australia, the Netherlands and Malaysia, and new ITF branches began to open around the world. With General Choi’s dedication and hard work, Taekwondo re-emerged stronger than ever.
Taekwondo as a martial art
Taekwondo isn’t just about sparring while yelling, throwing punches and showing off some impressive kicks; it also has many benefits for mental health and physical well-being. Looking at Taekwondo as a marital art form rather than just a sport, there is more emphasis on patterns also known as ‘poomsae’.
During Taekwondo classes, students begin by learning basic poomsae, which is a sequence of movements that incorporates kicks, punches, and blocks. A lot of concentration is needed to perform all the movements in the correct order, and as a result, the participants’ breathing, stamina and fighting techniques are often greatly improved.
People are realizing that Taekwondo is a form of meditation that connects the body with the mind. The beauty of Taekwondo is that you can start practicing at a young age or even learn the Korean martial art at the age of 70, there is no age restriction.
Taekwondo as a sport
Perhaps the most significant factor in Taekwondo becoming known worldwide as a sport was its debut in the capital at the South Korean Olympic Games in 1988. It was performed as a demonstration sport and was praised for its ability to capture the attention of the spectators thanks to his elegant kicking and spike techniques. -biting action, Taekwondo made a name for itself.
Since then, the sport has appeared again and again in Olympic events, from the 1992 Barcelona Olympics to becoming an official Olympic event at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Taekwondo gained increasing recognition after appearing in Athens in 2004 and again in Beijing in 2008.
London 2012
It is important to note that while there are many Taekwondo governing organizations around the world, the two main ones are the ITF, founded in 1966, and the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF), founded in 1973.
To illustrate the popularity of Taekwondo, a total of 109 countries applied to participate in the four-day World Taekwondo Qualification Tournament held in Azerbaijan this year. Of the 345 athletes who entered (a mix of men and women), only 24 qualified to compete at the 2012 London Olympics.
Taekwondo in the UK
The British Taekwondo Control Board (BTCB), part of the WTF, is charged with promoting awareness of Taekwondo and helping the Korean martial art thrive in Britain. The BTCB is also responsible for selecting teams to compete in national and international competitions.
With the help of funding from reputable associations like Sport England, academies like Great Britain Taekwondo are able to give aspiring stars the training and support they need to help them reach their full potential.
aiming for gold
While 345 athletes from around the world battled it out in Azerbaijan to qualify for the London 2012 Taekwondo Games, four members from the UK will automatically apply to participate. As the hosts of the 2012 Olympics, there is pressure for Team GB to perform well during the games.
However, things are looking bright for the athletes in Britain’s Taekwondo World Class Performance Program. Reigning women’s welterweight world champion Sarah Stevenson has her eyes set on gold at the upcoming Olympics and we have high hopes for her to make it.
The continued success of Taekwondo
Although the Korean athletes led the way at the 2011 World Taekwondo Championships with 10 total medals, Iran followed closely by winning six medals, three of which were gold. Iran also knocked South Korea off the top of the list in the men’s team overall ranking table.
Other Asian countries, such as China, are catching up with the country that gave the world Taekwondo by falling just three points short of the lead in the women’s team leaderboard. European countries that made it to the top 10 in the men’s and women’s team rankings include the UK, France, Spain and Italy.
Americans have also been fans of Taekwondo since General Choi’s visit during the 1960s. The General met students at the Jhoon Rhees-owned Karate Club in San Antonio. It was here that the Korean general convinced the students to use the name Taekwondo instead of Karate. For more information on this topic, click here for Taekwondo equipment and doboks.
