Taekwondo, also spelled tae kwon do or taekwon-do, is a Korean martial art involving punching and kicking techniques. The literal translation for taekwondo is "kicking", "punching", and "the art or way of". It sometimes involves the use of weapons.
World Taekwondo, called the World Taekwondo Federation until June 2017, is an international federation governing the sport of taekwondo and is a member of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF).
Dae Sung Lee is a Korean-American master of taekwondo who holds the rank of 7th dan. Lee is a 10-time US national taekwondo team member and two-time Olympic coach. He served as taekwondo coach for the US Summer Olympic team in 1992.
Korea Taekwondo Association, originally the Korea Tang Soo Do Association (1961), is the first taekwondo organisation. It was founded in 1959, although official South Korean sources give 1961 as its year of establishment. In 1966, some members of the KTA, led by H. H. Choi, broke off from the KTA and formed the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF). The Kukkiwon and the then-World Taekwondo Federation were created by the KTA in the early 1970s. The KTA sits under the Korea Sports Council, is aligned with Kukkiwon, and is a Member National Association (MNA) of the WT. Its goal is to promote the martial art taekwondo as a national sport within South Korea.
Taekwondo was introduced to the Philippines through the efforts of Kim Bok Man and Young Man Park. Grand Master Kim Bok Man arrived in 1970 to continue Park's legacy of propagating Taekwondo upon the invitation of President Marcos. Kim continued to pioneer Taekwondo worldwide and left the Philippines in 1971. In 1975, Grand Master Hong Sung-chon came to the Philippines to promote Taekwondo, eventually establishing the Philippine Taekwondo Association (PTA). The current central headquarters of the PTA is at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex. The PTA is a member of the Kukkiwon, World Taekwondo Federation, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee and Asian Taekwondo Union.
Chung Do Kwan, created by Won Kuk Lee in 1944, is one of the first of nine schools or kwan teaching Tang Soo Do. Later, the school began to teach what came to be known as taekwondo. This style of Tang Soo Do is known for its overall power and emphasis on kicks to the head.
Park Dong-keun, also known as D. K. Park, is a South Korean Grandmaster of taekwondo. He holds the title "Grandmaster," the rank of 9th dan in taekwondo, and was Korea's only undefeated taekwondo fighter in more than 200 International championship competition. Park introduced the martial art of taekwondo to Thailand in 1966, before settling in the United States of America, and was the taekwondo coach of both the US National Team and the US Olympic Team.
Edward B. Sell was an American martial arts instructor, and the highest ranking non-Korean practitioner of tae kwon do, holding the honorary rank of 10th degree black belt in the art. Sell founded the U.S. Chung Do Kwan Association.
Kyongwon Ahn, 9th dan (Kukkiwon), is a South Korean taekwondo master who founded the United Taekwondo Association (UTA) in the United States.
Jordan first participated at the Olympic Games in 1980, and has sent athletes to compete in every Summer Olympic Games since then. The nation has never participated in the Winter Olympic Games, however at the 1992 Albertville Olympics 43-year-old Mohamed Hadid competed for Jordan in the demonstration sport of speed skiing.
George Ashiru is a Nigerian Taekwondo grandmaster and sports leader, political leader, and an entrepreneur.
Dr. Mohamed Riad Ibrahim is a taekwondo international referee who participated in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece and the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.
Sun-hwan Chung, also known as James Sun-hwan Chung, is one of the highest-ranking Tang Soo Do, Hapkido, and taekwondo grandmasters in the world. He is founder of the Moo Sool Do form of martial arts and is president of the World Academy of Martial Arts, LLC.
Sang-chul Lee is a Korean born Taekwondo grandmaster 8th Dan, US Olympic Taekwondo head coach, entrepreneur, and owner of the US Taekwondo Center. Sang-chul Lee is a leading taekwondo innovator and missionary and has played an instrumental role in the promotion and development of Taekwondo throughout the United States and the world.
Brenda J. Sell is an American martial arts instructor, and the highest ranking non-Korean female practitioner of taekwondo, according to the Kukkiwon, an international ranking body within Taekwondo. She holds the rank of 9th degree black belt in the art.
Mohammad Esmail Azarpad is a pioneer of taekwondo in Iran, and is referred to as The Father of Iran’s Taekwondo.
Puran Andrew Gurung is an Indian Taekwondo practitioner and coach. He is a 9th dan Taekwondo professional and is known for establishing Taekwondo in India. Gurung founded his first Taekwondo gymnasium at Kalimpong in 1974 and by 1982 had become the most popular Taekwondo instructor in India. He established a vast chain of academies across the nation, and for his efforts towards promoting Taekwondo in India he was acknowledged by the then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He was requested to train Indian National Congress' Seva Dal cadets. In 1983, Mrs. Gandhi asked him to join INC, which he readily accepted, where he is still serves as the General Secretary (Organiser) of the Seva Dal.
Badri Asadi is a Taekwondo practitioner and member of national team in Iran. At the first presence of women Team in the World championships in Turkey (2008) Asadi received first world individual women silver medal from Iran in this competition, she received second place in the world championships in Egypt 2009 as well.
Kabiraj Negi Lama is a former Nepalese taekwondo athlete, National Para Taekwondo Team Coach and 2020 Summer Paralympics Coach, who participated in different taekwondo competitions. He is the grandson of former minister Tilak Bahadur Negi Lama.
