Choi Hong Hi — The Founder of Taekwondo

Overview

General Choi Hong Hi is one of the most contested figures in martial arts history — celebrated as the creator of Taekwondo, viewed by others as a man too driven by political ambition. The truth lies between: Choi was a Korean officer who grew up under Japanese occupation, secretly nurtured Korean fighting arts, and after liberation was determined to give the Korean people their own unmistakable martial art. The result — Taekwondo — is today the most practiced combat sport in the world with over 80 million practitioners.


Birth name	Choi Hong-hi (崔泓熙)
Born	November 9, 1918, Hwa Dae, Korea
Died	June 15, 2002, Pyongyang, North Korea
Martial art	Taekwondo (ITF founder), Tang Soo Do, Karate
Teachers	Han II Dong (Taek Kyon), Karate teachers in Japan
Founded	ITF (1966), Oh Do Kwan (1954)

Early Life and Training

Choi grew up under Japanese colonial rule — an experience that defined him. At 12 he was expelled from school for leading a student protest against the occupiers. His father sent him to Han II Dong, a calligraphy master who also secretly taught Taek Kyon (the ancient Korean foot-fighting art) throughout the occupation.

In 1937 Choi traveled to Japan, studied mathematics and English — and trained Karate, earning his first Dan by 1939. In 1942 he returned to Korea to avoid Japanese military conscription — but was arrested, and spent war years in prison, where he taught martial arts to fellow prisoners.

Turning Points

From 1946, Choi as an officer of the newly formed Korean Army systematically taught his soldiers martial arts — initially labeled Tang Soo Do, with elements of Karate and Taek Kyon.

April 9, 1955: At a historic meeting of leading Korean martial arts masters, Choi proposed the name Taekwondo — Tae (foot), Kwon (fist), Do (way). The name was adopted.

On March 22, 1966, he founded the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) — with eight member countries including West Germany and the United States. This marked the beginning of international expansion.

In 1972 he broke with the South Korean regime under President Park Chung-hee, who wanted to use Taekwondo as political propaganda. Choi went into exile in Canada. In 1980 he traveled to North Korea — a decision that made him persona non grata in South Korea but secured him support in Pyongyang.

Techniques and Principles

ITF Taekwondo differs significantly from the Olympic WTF/WT style:

Feature	ITF Taekwondo
Protection	Hand guards, no hard shell protectors as in WT
Techniques	Hand AND foot techniques in equal measure
Tul (patterns)	24 required patterns (corresponding to 24 hours of the day)
Sine Wave	Characteristic up-down movement as power generator
Hosinsul	Self-defense techniques
Competition	Semi-contact scoring for technique and control

Philosophy

Choi’s 24 patterns (Tul) are named after historical figures of Korean history — a deliberate act of cultural reclamation after Japanese occupation. Each pattern tells a story.

His guiding principle: Taekwondo should develop a person who is “reasonable, just, humane, modest, and indomitable.” He composed the Spirit of Taekwon-Do codifying these values — similar to Kano’s principles for Judo.

For Choi, Taekwondo also meant national identity: the rediscovery of Korean Taek Kyon within a modern system was an act of cultural sovereignty.

Students and Legacy

The ITF exists today in several competing factions. Olympic Taekwondo is governed by World Taekwondo (WT) — a successor organization founded by the South Korean government in 1973 in response to Choi’s exile.

ITF and WT differ significantly in rules, technique, and philosophy. Choi never recognized the Olympic WT.

Connections to Other Arts

Taekwondo grew from Tang Soo Do and the ancient Korean Taek Kyon, strongly influenced by Japanese Karate (especially Shotokan). Hapkido developed in parallel — some masters of the early Taekwondo scene also incorporated Hapkido elements.

Today

Taekwondo has been an Olympic sport since 2000 (WT style). The debate between ITF (tradition and philosophy) and WT (competition and Olympics) continues. Choi died in 2002 in Pyongyang — an ending that reflects his complicated political journey.