Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and combat sport involving punching and kicking techniques. The word taekwondo can be translated as tae, kwon, and do. In addition to its five tenets of courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control and indomitable spirit, the sport requires three physical skills: poomsae (품새), kyorugi (겨루) and gyeokpa (격파).
Choi Hong-hi was a South Korean Army general, and martial artist who was an important figure in the history of the Korean martial art of Taekwondo, albeit controversial due to his introduction of taekwondo to North Korea.
International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) is an international taekwondo organization founded on March 22, 1966, by Choi Hong Hi (Korean: 최홍희) in Seoul, South Korea. The ITF was founded to promote and encourage the growth of the Korean martial art of taekwon-do.
Sparring is a form of training common to many combat sports including kickboxing. Although the precise form varies, it is essentially relatively 'free-form' fighting, with enough rules, customs, or agreements to minimize injuries. By extension, argumentative debate is sometimes called sparring.
Rhee Taekwon-Do, also known as Rhee Tae Kwon-Do, Rhee Tae Kwon Do, or Rhee Taekwondo,[a] is a martial art school in Australia[b] teaching the Korean martial art of taekwondo. Its full name is "Rhee International Taekwon-Do (Australia)". Chong Chul Rhee, one of the original masters of taekwondo, founded the school in the mid-1960s. Two of Rhee's brothers, Chong Hyup Rhee and Chong Yoon Rhee, later came to assist him in the 1970s.
Korea Taekwondo Association, originally the Korea Tang Soo Do Association (1961), is the first taekwondo organisation. It was founded in 1959,[a] although official South Korean sources give 1961 as its year of establishment.[b] 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.
Rhee Chong-chul was a South Korean Master of Taekwondo who arrived to Australia in the 1960s. He is the founder of Rhee Taekwon-Do, which is widely publicised as Australia's first and biggest Taekwondo school. Rhee holds the title 'World Master' and the rank of 8th Dan in Taekwondo. He is one of the twelve Original Masters of Taekwondo of the Korea Taekwon-Do Association (KTA).[a]
Rhee Ki Ha is a South Korean Grandmaster of Taekwon-Do. He is widely recognised as the 'Father of British Taekwon-Do' for introducing the martial art to the United Kingdom since arriving in 1967. He is also considered the 'Father of Irish Taekwon-Do', and is one of the twelve original masters of taekwondo of the Korea Taekwon-Do Association. Following a career in the South Korean military, GM Rhee emigrated to the UK in 1967. He was a notable officer of the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) during Choi Hong-hi's leadership.
Tomaž Barada is a former Slovenian martial artist in kickboxing and taekwon-do. He gained several titles during his career.
Park Jung-tae was a South Korean master of taekwondo and a pioneer of that martial art in Canada. He was one of the twelve original masters of taekwondo of the Korea Taekwon-Do Association. Following a career in the South Korean military, Park emigrated to Canada in 1970. He was a key leader in the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) under Choi Hong-hi, but founded the Global Taekwon-Do Federation in 1990 after leaving the ITF. After teaching taekwondo for many years, Park died in 2002.
The original masters of taekwondo is a group of twelve South Korean martial art masters assembled by the Korea Taekwondo Association (KTA) in the early 1960s to promote the newly established art of taekwondo. In alphabetical order following Korean naming conventions, they are: Choi Chang-Keun, Choi Kwang-Jo, Han Cha-Kyo, Kim Jong-Chan, Kim Kwan-Il, Kong Young-Il, Park Jong-Soo, Park Jung-Tae, Park Sun-Jae, Rhee Chong-Chul, Rhee Chong-Hyup, and Rhee Ki-Ha.
Henk Meijer is a Dutch taekwondo coach and former Olympic taekwondo competitor. He was the men's heavyweight champion at the 7th World Taekwondo Championships in 1985, becoming the first non-Korean to win a world title in taekwondo in South Korea. He was Olympic taekwondo coach for the Netherlands at the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics, and was later national taekwondo coach for France. In February 2010, he began working as Head Coach for the Greek Taekwondo Federation.
Chang Ung is a North Korean sports administrator and former athlete. He is currently the honorary life president of the International Taekwon-Do Federation, having previously served as its President from 2002 to 2015 following the death of General Choi Hong Hi from stomach cancer on 15 June 2002. Chang previously served as a member of the International Olympic Committee representing North Korea, and now serves as an honorary member of the IOC.
Perry M. Johannes Ubeda is a Dutch former super middleweight kickboxer. Between 1992 and 2008 he won thirteen titles in kickboxing, as well as titles in taekwondo and pro-boxing and he is also a keen Motocross racer. Ubeda is now retired and runs his own gym, Ubeda Gym, in his home town of Nijmegen.
Gilbert Ballantine is a Surinamese-Dutch retired professional kickboxer and a nine-time kickboxing and Muay Thai world champion. He also took part in mixed martial arts competition, winning three Rings Dutch championships.
Hilal Ben Moussa is a Dutch-Moroccan footballer who plays as a midfielder for DVS '33. He formerly played in the Netherlands and Romania for FC Groningen, FC Volendam, FC Emmen and Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe.
Género Zeefuik is a retired Dutch footballer who played as a striker.
Deyovaisio Zeefuik is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a right back for 2. Bundesliga club Hertha BSC.
