History
Tae Kwon-Do was founded in Seoul, South Korea, in 1955 by General Choi Hong Hi. Since its inception, many changes have been 
implemented to continually develop Tae-kwon-Do, both as a martial art and as a formidable form of self defence.
The early sixties saw an influx of Korean Taekwon-Do Masters into the USA and subsequently world-wide. Today in Taekwon-Do, there are two world bodies, the original International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) and the World Taekwon-Do Federation (WTF), which was founded in 1977.
Tae kwon-Do was introduced into the UK in 1967 by Master Rhee Ki Ha; today many groups operate their own organisations as the popularity of Taekwon-Do increases. Based on the ITF system, the Global Tae Kwon Do International GTI was founded in 1993 and now has schools established throughout the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
It is very important that you learn the History of Tae Kwon Do and where it comes from. General Choi the founder (the man who invented Tae Kwon Do) died in 2002 so you should now refer to him as ‘the late General Choi.’ You should be proud of your club, style and organisation but always make sure when talking to students from other styles and clubs that you show respect. It is better to learn from each other than to criticise.
