Lee Jang-Kwan was born on 1974-07-04.
The modern-day curriculum for the Korean National Martial Art, and the chosen term of Taekwondo was founded and named in the city of Seoul, South Korea, beginning with the first official Kwan (affiliated school) called Chung Do Kwan in 1944, followed by the establishment of the Korea Taekwondo Association in 1961, and the unification of Kwans in the Kukkiwon National Academy and World Taekwondo Headquarters in 1972.
KTA - Korea Taekwondo Association Taekwondo was a name submitted by ballot and selected on April 11, 1955 to represent a unification of Korean Martial Art Kwans (affiliated schools). The first original kwan was the Chung Do Kwan, founded in Seoul, South Korea, in 1944 by Grandmaster Won-Kuk Lee. The first and original Taekwondo organization was the Korea Taekwondo Association (KTA) founded in 1961 with the uniting of the major Kwans. This was the original Taekwondo and has given rise to the official authority of the Kukkiwon, World Taekwondo Headquarters in Seoul, South Korea. The Kwan system was officially retired, yet Kwan affiliated organizations and federations still remain today with most official Kwan associations following the Kukkiwon curriculum, and others who do not. There are a large number of independent schools as well, but any legitimate school can trace their Taekwondo lineage through instructors, masters, and grandmasters back to one of the five original Kwan.
There are many, many Taekwondo organizations that are labeled as "federations," "associations," or "unions," and any of those that are legitimate can trace their lineage back to one of the original Kwans (A Kwan is school or family of schools under one leader - the Kwanjang). The first official Kwan was the Chung Do Kwan, established by Won-Kuk Lee in 1944. Taekwondo began by uniting the various schools of Korean Martial Art in Post World War II Korea which were known as Kwans. The first official Taekwondo organization established in 1961 was named the Korea Taekwondo Association (KTA) The Korean government ordered that nine primary Kwans be recognized, numbered, and then merged into the KTA with a 10th Administrative Kwan. One pioneer of Taekwondo, Korean General Hong-Hi Choi, founder of the military Oh Do Kwan, was permitted to establish the International Taekwondo Federation (ITF) in Korea, but was later forced out, and moved his organization to Canada. It spread worldwide from there, but after his death, the organization splintered with at least three groups claiming to be the duly authorized successor of the ITF name. The Kukkiwon building was built in Korea to house the National Taekwondo Acadamy, and the offices of the KTA, and the Korean Olympic Committee. The World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) was also established, originally as a link from foriegn countries to Taekwondo credentials in Korea. However, the duties of the WTF were shifted solely to be a sports governing body, and has nothing to do with the teaching of Taekwondo, nor the promotion of ranks in either color belt geup (grade), or Black Belt Dan (Degree). Unlike the ITF, the WTF has never had its own curriculum for teaching Taekwondo or promoting students, and you can not join the WTF or become a member as a student or school. In virtually every country around the world, Taekwondo organizations have sprung up, either as approved efforts of renowned Taekwondo Masters, or unauthorized creations of independent instructors. Some national associations and federations are recognized by the WTF as member National Assoiciations for sport purposes, and are authorized by the Olympic Committee in each nation. The WTF is the only organization recognized by the International Olympic Commitee (IOC), but that is because the only purpose of the WTF is regulating the sport aspect of Taekwondo. Other associations and federations might have member schools and instructors who participate in Taekwondo competitions, but also provide instruction in Taekwondo as a Martial Art. Some examples are: ITF - International Taekwondo Federation USAT - USA Taekwondo (Member National Association for WTF in the U.S.) USTF - United States Taekwondo Federation USNTF - United States National Taekwondo Federation USCDKA - United States Chung Do Kwan Association ATA - American Taekwondo Assoicaition STF - Songahm Taekwondo Federation (offshoot of the ATA) AFT - Afghan Taekwondo Federation BUTF - British United Taekwondo Federation ETU - European Taekwondo Union UITF - Unified International Taekwondo Federation HTF - Hwarang Taekwondo Federation and the list goes on and on....
Taekwondo is not capitalized in AP style. Taekwondo is written as one word, and would only be capitalized if it were used at the beginning of a sentence.
The first official Kwan (school of Martial Art) opened in Korea by a Korean was the Chung Do Kwan, founded in 1944 by Won Kuk Lee. In the early years after Korea's liberation from Japanese occupation during World War II, there were five original Kwans. 1. Chung Do Kwan 2. Song Moo Kwan 3. Moo Duk Kwan 4. Kwon Bop Bu/Chang Moo Kwan 5. Yun Moo Kwan/Jidokwan In the years between 1945 and 1955, as many as 18 different Kwans had opened teaching a variety of curricula under different names. Several Kwans were "annex" Kwans opened by Black Belt graduates of the Chung Do Kwan. On April 15, 1955, representatives of the largest civilian Kwan (Chung Do Kwan), and the military Kwan (Oh Do Kwan) met with prominent politicians and historians for the purpose of unifying the Kwans of Korean Martial Art, and choosing one name for to represent both ancient Korean culture and traditions, as well as modern technical advancements. The name of Taekwondo was chosen. Shortly thereafter, the Korea Taekwondo Association (KTA) was formed. After another decade of dispute between the less prominant Kwans about using the name Taekwondo, the KTA (with the backing of the Korean government) recognized 9 official Kwans and numbered them, adding a 10th Kwan as an administrative Kwan #1. Songmookwan #2. Hanmookwan #3. Changmookwan #4. Moodukkwan #5. Odokwan #6. Kangdukwan #7. Jungdokwan #8. Jidokwan #9. Chungdokwan #10. KwanRiKwan The KTA ordered all of the Kwans to be dissolved in favor of the unified KTA. The KTA is currently the National Governing Body for Taekwondo in Korea with the Kukkiwon building being the National Academy and World Headquarters for Taekwondo. However, the Kwan system still remains active in teaching variations of Taekwondo, and promoting their particluar Kwans around the world, yet they all support the Kukki Taekwondo curriculum of the Kukkiwon.
Using Roman characters, grandmaster is sometimes spelled Kwan Jang Nim in Korean.
Grandmaster Hwang Kee (1914-2002) founded the the Moo Duk Kwan and lead the federation.Moo Duk Kwan is a Korean martial art split into two groups.One is Soo Bahk Do, formerly Tang Soo Do, and earlier Hwa Soo Do.The other is Taekwondo Moo Duk Kwan.Soo Bahk Do was founded by Grand Master Hwang Kee, November 9, 1945. Moo Duk Kwan Taekwondo merged together with eight other Kwans to form Taekwondo.
Due to a controversial debate among experts, it might be difficult to identify or agree upon what was the first school, student, or master of Taekwondo. With a broad definition of exactly what Taekwondo is, and who is responsible for its origins, it is nearly impossible to say what constituted the first school, and its members.While there are many influences of native Korean tradition and fighting tactics in modern Taekwondo, the culmination and restructuring of Korean Martial Art into what was labeled as Taekwondo in 1955 began from the unification of various Kwans (schools) that were operating in Korea between 1945, and 1955. Many of the founders of the original Kwans were students of Japanese Martial and Chinese Martial Art systems during the Japanese occupation of WWII.The first official Kwan that was the forerunner for several of the later annex Kwans was the Chung Do Kwan ("School of the Blue Wave"), established in 1944 by Korean college professor Won Kuk Lee. The Chung Do Kwan became the largest civilian Kwan in Korea. The instructors of the Chung Do Kwan trained the Korean Police officers, and its Black Belt members became the President's secret service body guards at the Blue House (Presidential House). The military Kwan, Oh Do Kwan, that taught the soldiers of Korea was started by a few graduates of the Chung Do Kwan.Some key figures important in the organization and development of Taekwondo as a modern Korean Martial Art included the first generation graduates of the Chung Do Kwan:Duk Sung Son (3rd Kwanjang of the Chung Do Kwan - Founder of World Taekwondo Association)Suh Chong Kang (Founder of Kyu Mu Kwan - Co-founder and 1st President of ATA: American Taekwondo Association)Woon Kyu Uhm (current Chung Do Kwan Kwanjang and Kukkiwon President)Later Graduates of the Chung Do Kwan include:Hae Man Park (Vice President, Taekwondo Chung Do Kwan)Hyun Ok Shin (President, United Chung Do Kwan Association)Tae Zee Park (President, Tae Park Taekwondo)In Mook Kim (President, American ChungDoKwan Taekwondo Association)Edward B. Sell (Founder, United States Chung Do Kwan Association in 1967)Jhoon Rhee (First permanent Tae Kwon Do Instructor in America)There are those who argue that Hong-Hi Choi, who eventually became a General in the newly formed South Korean Army after WWII, was the founder or "father" of Taekwon-do because he is believed to have been the one who submitted the term "Tae Kwon" on a ballot during a meeting for the naming of the art on April 11, 1955. However, like other Kwan founders, Choi had studied Japanese Martial Art systems during the Japanese occupation of Korea (1910 - 1945), and created his own curriculum for teaching known as a "Kwan." He founded the "Chang Hon" system which teaches his version of what Taekwondo is.Both Choi and Chung Do Kwan's founder Won Kuk Lee had become Black Belts of Shotokan Karate-do under Gichen Funakoshi, but Lee was the senior rank, and began teaching much earlier. Choi was a student in the Chung Do Kwan under Won Kuk Lee before breaking away to form his own Kwan (school) for training of soldiers in the military which he called Oh Do Kwan ("Gym of my way"). When the various Kwans of Korean Martial Art united in 1961, they formed the Korea Taekwondo Association (KTA), but the curriculum was sill being developed, and was mostly a blend of all of the Kwans with influence from the senior master and founder of the Chung Do Kwan, Won Kuk Lee.The first national academy for Taekwondo in Korea is called the Kukkiwon, and was completed in 1972 in Seoul, Korea. The Kukkiwon stands today as the World Taekwondo Headquarters, and supreme international authority for issuing Dan (Black Belt), and instructor certification in the Martial Art of Taekwondo from Korea. Many independent organizations, as well as descendents of the original Kwans still issue their own school or organizational color belt grades (geup), Black Belt Degrees (Dan/Poom), Instructor certification, and school charters which are only recognized within their respective organizations.
Taekwondo did not originate from a federation. In post WWII Korea, there were many new Martial Art schools teaching a variety of skills. The Chung Do Kwan being the first official school (recognized and approved by the occupying Japanese government) in 1944. Each school was known as a "Kwan," a family run by one founder. There was an effort to restructure, and revive traditional Korean Martial Art, and create a new national art. By 1955, a group of Kwan leaders, historians, and politicians gathered to name the new art. The name "Taekwon" is believed to have been submitted among several written ballots by Korean Army General, and Martial Art pioneer, Hong Hi Choi. The name Taekwondo was chosen as the official Martial Art of Korea. A few years later, the Korea Taekwondo Association (KTA) was established (1961). From there, the Kukkiwon (World Taekwondo Headquarters) was founded in 1973. The Kukkiwon provides Black Belt and Instructor certification for Taekwondo students in Korea, and throughout the world. Many other organizations have been formed as off-shoot Kwans, or independent organizations, through the leadership of individual founders who teach their own version of Taekwondo with a curriculum and promotion guidelines unique to that Kwan.
Many countries excel and do quite well in Taekwondo, both as a Martial Art and as a sport. In Korea, where Taekwondo originated, it is the national Martial Art and sport, so there is a great deal of pride among their people. Taekwondo is taught in universities in Korea as an educational course. In the United States, many Korean Grandmasters of Taekwondo have been immigrating here since the 1960's. The U.S. has been the breeding ground for numerous Taekwondo organizations, some independent, and others remaining connected to the source of their original Kwan (family school) in Korea, and to the Kukkiwon (world headquarters) in Seoul. The Unites States has produced a number of Olympic Champions in the sport of Taekwondo. Canada and the UK have extensive Taekwondo programs that are also quite successful. Just about every country in the world has been introduced to Taekwondo, and it is growing rapidly in each of them.
When Taekwondo was first being organized into a standardized curriculum of Korean Martial Art (1944 - 1961), the majority of the philosophy, techniques, and tactics were drawn from various traditional forms of Korean Martial Art. Many of the pioneers of Taekwondo were the founders of the original nine Kwans (family of schools under one founder). Each of them contributed a wide range of backgrounds from China, Korea, and Japan. A few of them were previously certified Black Belts and instructors of Japanese Karate-do since the Japanese occupation restricted much of their freedom to openly teach native Korean traditions. Kata (prearranged forms) was one of the training tools that was a part of Karate-do which came from the Okinawa-te (hand fighting), but did not previously exist in Korean Martial Art systems. The Korean Kwan founders borrowed the concept of forms and its basic framework, but redesigned them for the application of Taekwondo techniques and tactics. The first version created and published in written text was called the Chang Hon (Blue Cottage) system developed by Korean Army General Hong-Hi Choi who founded the Oh Do Kwan, and later the International Taekwondo Federation (ITF). Some of the early Taekwondo schools used variations of the older Karate forms, while others adopted Choi's Chang Hon "tul" (patterns). The Korea Taekwondo Association (KTA) was formed in 1961 to unite the various Kwans. In 1972, the Kukkiwon building (National Academy and World Taekwondo Headquarters in Seoul, Korea) was built. Taekwondo was named by the Korean government as the national Martial Art of Korea, and Taekwondo competition was named as the national sport of Korea. The Korean government recognized nine Kwans, created a 10th administrative Kwan, and numbered them to unify and replace the Kwan system. After years of research and development, a panel of Korean Grandmasters at the Kukkiwon completely redesigned the practice of forms into "Poomsae" and developed the Palgwae set of 8 forms, and Black Belt forms for each of the nine degrees. A few of the Kwan founders were not consulted on the creation of the Palgwae, so a new panel representing all of the original Kwans was formed, and the Taegeuk poomsae were developed. These are the official forms of Taekwondo at the Kukkiwon, and for Olympic competition as approved by the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF).