General Choi Hong Hi
Founder of ITF Taekwon-Do
Ambassador Choi Hong-Hi, recognized by the Encyclopedia Britannica as the principal founder of Taekwon-Do, played a pivotal role in its development and global promotion. As a founding member of the South Korean Army, he began teaching martial arts to soldiers in 1946. Choi named and tirelessly promoted Taekwon-Do as a Korean martial art of self-defense.
He served as Vice President of a short-lived Taekwon-Do Association in Korea in 1957 and established the Korean Taekwon-Do Association (KTA) in 1959, becoming its first President. That same year, he authored the first Taekwon-Do book and led a military demonstration team to Vietnam and Taiwan, marking the first international performance of Taekwon-Do.
Early Life and Training
Born in 1918 in Hwa Dae Ri, Korea, during Japanese occupation, Choi was influenced by his father's anti-Japanese sentiment and early exposure to Taek Kyon techniques. Expelled from a Japanese-controlled school for protesting, he studied calligraphy and Chinese classics. Choi later earned a 2nd Dan Black Belt in Shotokan Karate while studying in Japan, where he also taught Karate.
During World War II, Choi was conscripted into the Japanese military and became involved in a plot to overthrow the Japanese government. Imprisoned for his involvement, he continued practicing Karate and even instructed prison guards. After his release at the end of the war, Choi helped establish the South Korean government and taught Karate, later recruiting other martial artists to train soldiers.
Development of Taekwon-Do
Choi created 26 patterns or Tuls, the first Korean martial arts forms. In 1962, he introduced Taekwon-Do to Malaysia as Korea's first Ambassador. In 1965, he led a government-sponsored Kukki Taekwon-Do Goodwill tour, laying the groundwork for the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) in 1966.
The ITF became the first international organization based in Korea, eventually boasting millions of members in over 100 countries. Choi presided over 17 ITF World Championships, authored five books on Taekwon-Do, and oversaw extensive documentation of the martial art.
Legacy
Choi moved the ITF headquarters to Toronto, Canada, and later to Vienna, Austria, to facilitate international growth. These strategic moves helped Taekwon-Do flourish globally, transcending political and cultural boundaries. Today, the ITF has numerous national and allied associations worldwide, fulfilling Choi's vision.
After a life dedicated to Taekwon-Do, General Choi Hong-Hi, founder and President of the ITF, passed away on June 15, 2002, in Pyongyang, North Korea.