Welcome
Modern development
Although its origins date back many centuries, modern taekwondo was primarily formed during the Japanese occupation of Korea during World War II. The Japanese banned all facets of Korean identity including many traditions, language and history, in an attempt to erase Korean culture. When the occupation ended, Korean martial arts schools began opening across the country, but there are varying opinions on how much of the Japanese arts of kung fu and karate influenced the development of taekwondo as it is known today.
Taekwondo is currently practiced in as many as 123 countries, with more than 30 million practitioners and 3 million individuals with black belts throughout the world. Also, it is now one of only two Asian martial arts that are included in the Olympic Games; taekwondo became a demonstration event starting with the 1988 games in Seoul, and became an official medal event starting with the 2000 games in Sydney.