Drysdale’s School Of Tae Kwon Do
History Of Tae Kwon Do – General Choi Hong Hi
Although the origins of the martial arts are shrouded in mystery, we
consider it an undeniable fact that from time immemorial there have been
physical actions involving the use of the hands and feet for purpose of
self-protection.
If we were to define these physical actions as "Taekwon-Do- Do", any
country might claim credit for inventing Taekwon-Do. There is, however, scant
resemblance between Taekwon-Do, as it is practiced today, and the crude forms
of unarmed combat developed in the past.
Modern Tae Kwon Do differs greatly from other martial arts. In fact, no other
martial art is so advanced with regard to the sophistication and effectiveness
of its technique or the over-all physical fitness it imparts to its
practitioners.
Since the theories, terminology, techniques, systems, methods, rules, practice
suit, and spiritual foundation were scientifically developed, systematized, and
named by the author, it is an error to think of any physical actions employing
the hand and feet for self-defense as Tae Kwon Do. Only those who practice the
techniques based on the author's theories, principles and philosophy are
considered to be students of genuine Tae Kwon Do.
WHEN AND WHERE DID TAE KWON DO BEGIN?
A combination of circumstances made it possible for me to originate and develop
Tae Kwon Do. In addition to my prior knowledge of Taek Kyon, I had an
opportunity to learn Karate in Japan during the unhappy thirty-six years when
the Japanese occupied my native land. Soon after Korea was liberated in 1945, I
was placed in a privileged position as a founding member of the newly formed
South Korean Armed Forces.
The former provided me with a definite sense of creation, and the latter gave
me the power to disseminate Tae Kwon Do throughout the entire armed forces,
despite furious opposition.
The emergence of Tae Kwon Do as an international martial art in a relatively
short period of time was due to a variety of factors. The evils of contemporary
society (moral corruption, materialism, selfishness, etc.) had created a
spiritual vacuum. Tae Kwon Do was able to compensate for the prevailing sense
of emptiness, distrust, decadence and lack of confidence.
In addition, these were violent times, when people felt the need for a means of
protecting themselves, and the superiority of Tae Kwon Do technique came to be
widely recognized. My social stature, the advantage of being Tae Kwon Do's
founder and my God-given health also contributed to the rapid growth of Tae
Kwon Do all over the world.
My involvement with the martial arts did much to supplement the health that God
gave me. I had been born frail and weak and was encouraged to learn Taek Kyon
at the age of fifteen by my teacher of calligraphy. In 1938, a few days before
I was due to leave Korea to study in Japan I was involved in an unexpected
incident that would have made it difficult to return home without risk of
reprisals.
I resolved to become a black belt holder in Karate while I was in Japan. The
skills I required were, I felt, sufficient protection against those who might
seek to do me harm. Not only was I able to return to Korea, but I subsequently
initiated the national liberation movement known as the Pyongyang Student
Soldier's Incident. Like so many patriots in the long course of human history,
my actions aroused the wrath of those in positions of power. I was imprisoned
for a time in a Japanese army jail. In January of 1946, I was commissioned as a
second lieutenant in the fledgling Republic of Korea army and posted to the 4th
infantry regiment in Kwangju, Cholla Namdo Province as a company commander.
I began to teach Karate to my soldiers as a means of physical and mental
training. It was then that I realized that we needed to develop our own
national martial art, superior in both spirit and technique to Japanese Karate.
I strongly believed that teaching it throughout the country would enable me to
fulfill the pledge I had made to three of my comrades, who had shared my
imprisonment by the Japanese.
"The reason that our people suffer in this way at the hands of the
Japanese," I had said, "is that our ancestors failed to rule wisely.
They exploited the people and, in the end, lost the country to foreign
domination. If we ever regain our freedom and independence, let us not become
the rulers of the people. Instead, let us dedicate ourselves to advising those
who rule."
It was with this ambition in mind that I began to develop new techniques,
systematically, from March of that same year. By the end of 1954 I had nearly
completed the foundation of a new martial art for Korea, and on April 11, 1955,
it was given the name "Tae Kwon Do".
On the spiritual level, Tae Kwon Do is derived from the traditional, ethical
and moral principles of the orient and, of course, from my personal philosophy.
Even though I am only five feet tall, I pride myself on having lived in strict
accordance with my moral convictions. I have tried to fight on the side of
justice without fear of any kind. I believe that this was possible for me only
because of the formidable power and indomitable spirit instilled by Tae Kwon
Do.
The physical techniques of Tae Kwon Do are based on the principles of modern
science, in particular, Newtonian physics which teaches us how to generate
maximum power. Military tactics of attack and defense have also been
incorporated.
I wish to make it clear that although Karate and Taek Kyon were used as
references in the course of my study, the fundamental theories and principles
of Tae Kwon Do are totally different from those of any other martial art in the
world.
In March of 1959, I led the military Tae Kwon Do demonstration team on a tour
abroad. We visited South Vietnam and Taiwan. It was the first such visit in the
history of Korea. On this occasion, I renewed my resolution to leave my
personal legacy to the world, in the form of Tae Kwon Do, and I formulated the
following basic ideals for the Tae Kwon Do practitioners:
1. By developing an upright mind and a strong body, we will acquire the
self-confidence to stand on the side of justice at all times;
2. We shall unite with all men in a common brotherhood, without regard to
religion, race, national or ideological boundaries;
3. We shall dedicate ourselves to building a peaceful human society in which
justice, morality, trust and humanism prevail;
I also resolved to dedicate myself to the world-wide propagation of Tae Kwon
Do, in the sincere hope that it would provide the means by which the
unification of the divided halves of my fatherland would become possible.
My study of Tae Kwon Do proceeded in two parts, spiritual discipline and
technical perfection. Because the human spirit belongs to the realm of
metaphysics, what I mean by spiritual discipline is not easy to describe. One
cannot touch, see or hear the spirit of man; it is wider and deeper than
anything we can perceive. In this respect, I, myself, am only another student
participating in a continuing and never-ending learning process.
I have come to define the spiritual dimensions of Tae Kwon Do as fusing oneself
with the ideals of Tae Kwon Do and attaining and understanding the full meaning
of each of the Tae Kwon Do patterns. If we consider ourselves as one with Tae
Kwon Do, we will respect it as we respect our own bodies and Tae Kwon Do will
never be used in a dishonorable way.
The names of the patterns are derived from the most illustrious people to have
been produced by nearly five thousand years of Korean history. A proper
understanding of the patterns leads, inevitably to the realization that Tae
Kwon Do is a martial art to be used only for self-defense and only in the cause
of justice.
The history of Korea contains not a single sample of its military forces being
employed for the invasion of its neighbors or for any other purpose except
national defense.
In the technical area, I created a wide variety of techniques that can be
used in almost any situation. They are based on the following principles:
1. All movement should be designed to produce maximum power in
accordance with scientific formulas and the principle of kinetic energy;
2. The principles behind the techniques should be so clear that even
those ignorant to Tae Kwon Do will be able to distinguish correct from
incorrect movement;
3. The distance and angle of each movement should be exactly defined in
order to achieve more efficient attack and defense;
4. The purpose and method of each movement should be clear and simple,
in order to facilitate the teaching and learning process;
5. Rational teaching methods should be developed so that the benefits of
Tae Kwon Do can be enjoyed by everyone, young and old, men and women;
6. Correct breathing methods should be devised, enhancing the speed of
each movement and reducing fatigue;
7. Attack should be possible against any vital spot on the body and it
should be possible to defend against all varieties of attack;
8. Each attacking tool should be clearly defined and soundly based on
the structure of the human body;
9. Each movement should be easy to execute, enabling the student to
enjoy Tae Kwon Do as a sport and recreation;
10. Special consideration should be paid to promoting good health and
preventing injuries;
11. Each movement should be harmonious and rhythmical so that Tae Kwon
Do is aesthetically pleasing;
12. Each movement in a pattern must express the personality and
spiritual character of the person it is named after.
General Choi Hong Hi – Encyclopedia of Tae Kwon Do
Master David D. Drysdale Sr. VII Dan –
ITF/USITF/DSOTKD
Mrs.
Joan M. Drydale Sr. VI Dan– ITF/USITF/DSOTKD