Taekwondo history, lineages, masters and schools
A curated, sourced Taekwondo reference: history, kwans, founders, organizations and a growing directory of schools.
- 13Wiki
- 16People
- 9Kwans
- 17Schools
Start here
Read in this order: what Taekwondo is, where it came from, who governs it, then training and competition.
- TaekwondoTaekwondo is a Korean martial art and combat sport known for dynamic kicking, practised worldwide under several organizations and rule sets.
- History of TaekwondoHow Taekwondo developed from the post-1945 Korean kwans through naming, unification disputes, rival federations and the Olympic Games.
- Major Taekwondo organizations comparedHow World Taekwondo, the Kukkiwon, the ITF, USA Taekwondo and the ATA differ and how they relate to one another.
- Belt ranks and gradesTaekwondo ranks: ten gup grades counted down, nine dan grades counted up, and why colours and requirements differ between schools.
- Techniques and formsTaekwondo kicks, hand techniques, blocks and stances, and the patterns (poomsae, tul, hyeong) taught in the Kukkiwon and ITF traditions.
- Taekwondo at the OlympicsTaekwondo was an Olympic demonstration sport in 1988 and 1992 and has been an official medal sport since the 2000 Sydney Games.
The nine kwans
Modern Taekwondo grew out of these Korean schools: the original five of the mid-1940s and four later kwans of the 1950s.
The original five · mid-1940s
Four later kwans · 1950s
Browse the library
- Wiki Reference articles on the history, practice and organization of Taekwondo.
- People The founders of the kwans from which Taekwondo developed, followed by the teachers and school founders who came after them, with documented lineage links where sources allow. No one person is credited as the founder of Taekwondo.
- Kwans The Korean martial arts schools (kwans) from which modern Taekwondo developed: the original five of the mid-1940s and four later kwans of the 1950s.
- Organizations Federations, technical authorities and independent organizations that shape Taekwondo today.
- Schools A directory of Taekwondo schools by country, state and city, with address, phone and website.
Find a school
Recently updated
- ATA Martial Arts Organization ·
- Haeng Ung Lee Person ·
- Chang Moo Kwan Kwan ·
- Choi Hong-hi Person ·
- Chung Do Kwan Kwan ·
- Han Moo Kwan Kwan ·
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Every page shows its sources and a review status. All pages are currently Provisional, which means they have not had a full primary-source review. Pages move to Reviewed as their facts are confirmed. tkd.wiki is curated by the editors, and core access is free and will stay free. How we handle facts · About the project