FOUNDER OF TAEKWON-DO — GENERAL CHOI HONG HI
Choi Hong Hi was born on November 9, 1918, in the town of Hwa Dae, now located in North Korea (DPRK). His parents were concerned about his poor health, but even then noticed his determined and stubborn character. At the age of 12, he was sent to a Buddhist monastery to study calligraphy under Han Il Dong, who was also a master of the traditional Korean martial art Taekkyon. Due to his poor health, Choi was unable to fully engage in calligraphy, so the teacher began instructing him in Taekkyon. Thanks to his diligence, Choi progressed quickly, and by the time he left for Japan, he was already a master calligrapher with a solid foundation in martial arts.
In 1937, he traveled to Japan to continue his education. Alongside his academic studies, he began learning karate. After two years of intense training, he earned his 1st Dan black belt, and by the time he graduated from Tokyo University, he had achieved 2nd Dan. It was during this period that the idea of creating a national martial art, combining traditional Korean techniques with new approaches, began to form. During World War II, as a young lieutenant, he joined the Korean independence underground movement, for which he was arrested and spent nearly seven years in prison. Even in captivity, he continued training and teaching fellow prisoners, gradually shaping the foundation of what would later become Taekwon-Do.
After the war, Choi Hong Hi was released and in 1946 joined the South Korean army, where he served as a physical training and hand-to-hand combat instructor. He actively trained himself and taught others, while continuing to develop his own martial art system. He studied ancient manuscripts, communicated with masters of other schools, and systematized knowledge to create a complete Korean martial art.
On April 11, 1955, the new martial art was officially introduced under the name Taekwon-Do. In 1966, General Choi founded the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF), which united instructors and athletes from all over the world. The ITF became the guardian of classical technique and the philosophy of Taekwon-Do.
In 1972, General Choi Hong Hi was forced to leave South Korea, and the ITF headquarters was moved to Canada. At the same time, a new organization was created in South Korea — the World Taekwondo Federation (now known as World Taekwondo, formerly WTF).
To highlight the differences, WT introduced new techniques, changed terminology, uniforms, and rituals. WT focused primarily on developing Taekwon-Do as a sport. The WT version is commonly referred to as "Taekwondo," while the original ITF style is called "traditional" or "northern" Taekwon-Do, as it continued to grow in the DPRK after the 1980s.
Despite the variety of styles, it is important to remember that until 1972, Taekwon-Do was developed as a unified system within the ITF. After that, the number of federations grew rapidly. Today, there are dozens of organizations in the United States alone — some adhering to original techniques, others having significantly modified them.
On June 15, 2002, General Choi Hong Hi passed away at the age of 83 in Pyongyang, in a government hospital where he was undergoing treatment. Doctors fought for his life until the end. The Taekwon-Do he created continues to live on in millions of students around the world.