taekwondo history
...nder the name Taekwondo. They formed the Korean Taekwondo Association, and later the International Taekwondo Federation. Modern Taekwondo is used for both self-defense and modern sport. Taekwondo was introduced as an Olympic sport in1988 in Seoul, Korea and 1992 in Barcelona, Spain. It became a full medal sport at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. THE RULES OF TAEKWONDO The matches are three rounds, which are each three minutes in length. The competition takes place in an 8 x 8 meter area, which is enclosed by a 12 x 12 meter competition area line. The winners are determined by awarding points. The points are determined by totals of successful hits by using the hands and feet. One referee, four judges, and two juries supervise the matches. The four judges keep the score, and the jury is responsible for deciding who will be declared the winner. In order to make this decision the jury must take in account any warnings by the referee, deductions of points for violations, and the judges and referees score cards. In the event of a tie, the referee is responsible for declaring the winner. The jury keeps track of scoring, superiority, point deductions, and warnings of each round. The jury then post these stats on an electronic score board after each round so the spectators can see them. Taekwondo’s Road to the Olympics Taekwondo’s road to the Olympics was the shortest of any of the martial arts. It began in 1974 when famous United States instructors worked to obtain admission of Taekwondo into the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). Then on October 5, 1975 Taekwondo became a member of the General Association of International Sports Federation (GAISF). This association had direct ties to both Olympic and non-Olympic sports, and it had direct ties to the International Olympic Committee. On April 9, 1976 the Conseil International du Sport Millitaire made Taekwondo an official sporting event. Kim Un Yong, the president of The World Taekwondo Federation (WTF), was elected Chairperson of the World Federation of Non-Olympic Sports in 1979. On July 17,1980 the IOC recognized the WTF at its general secession at the Moscow Olympics. Taekwondo was made one the primary events in the World Games in 1981 at Santa Clara, California. On February 5, 1982 the IOC decided to make Taekwondo a demonstration sport for the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. Taekwondo’s crowning achievement came in May 1982 when the IOC announced that Taekwondo would be a demonstration sport in both the 1988 Olympics in Seoul and for the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. On September 9,1984 the United States Taekwondo Union (USTU) was approved as a “Group A” member of the U.S. Olympic committee. On July 3, 1986 the first World Cup Taekwondo Championships were held in Colorado Springs, Colorado. On September 30, 1986 seventeen...