History of Tae Kwon Do

The origins of Tae Kwon Do can be traced back to the 1^stcentury B.C., in the three kingdoms that controlled the Korean penninsula at that time: Silla, Paekche, and Koguryo. Nestled between China and Japan, Korean history was widely influenced by both cultures, as well as Mongolian, and their own distinctive culture.

[The Korean Penninsula lies between China and Japan]

Chinese and Japanese martial arts strongly influenced the development of the native Korean systems, known by several names, including tae kyon, kwan su, subak, and t'ang su. These influences continued throughout Korean unification and well into the 20^th century.

In 1910, Japan conquered Korea, and held the nation until its independence in 1946. During this time, Japanese karate was taught extensively in Korea, and the native styles were banned by law, though still practiced in secret. During this period, many Korean nationals worked and studied abroad, particularly in Japan and China. Upon their return to their homeland, they brought a new influx of techniques and strategies which again influenced the Korean martial arts.

The patriotic fervor that accompanied independence led many Korean martial artists to largely unify their fighting styles, coining the term Tae Kwon Do in 1955.

History of American Tae Kwon Do

Grandmaster Jhoon Rhee, the Father of American Tae Kwon Do, introduced chung do kwan Tae Kwon Do to America in 1956. Mr. Rhee founded his first Tae Kwon Do School in San Marcos, Texas in 1958. One of his first nationally recognized Black Belts was J. Pat Burleson, who now holds the rank of 10^th degree Black Belt. Mr. Burleson promoted Southwest Karate Association founder Jim Choate to his present rank of 7^th degree Black Belt on December 15^th, 2000. Both of these men have had a powerful influence on the chung do kwan system, and developed the system we call American Tae Kwon Do.