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GENERAL CHOI HONG HI, 9th Degree Black Belt, President and Founder of The International Taekwon-Do Federation
General Choi Hong Hi invented Taekwon-Do while in prison during the Japanese Occupation. He completed its foundation in 1955. His ideal was to spread Taekwon-Do world wide. He died in 2002 having completed his goal.
1918 General Choi Hong
Hi was born.
1933
(Choi was 15 years old, small, and frail.) Choi Studies Taek Kyon.
1936 Choi studies in Japan
during the Japanese occupation of Korea.
1938 Choi Initiated the
National Liberation Movement, "Pyongyang Student Soldiers Incident".
1943 Choi was forced to
join the Japanese Army.
1944 Choi tries to escape
and join the Underground Korean Liberation Army
1944
Choi was imprisoned for treason in a Japanese Army Jail for a seven year sentence.
He spent most time practicing martial arts in his
cell and ended
up teaching the prison guard and others his art. While in jail he developed
new techniques and movements of his own.
1945 Choi's was sentenced
to be executed on Aug. 18th 1945.
1945 August 15th Korea
was liberated and Choi left the prison.
1945
Choi joined the South Korean Armed Forces.
1946 Commisioned 2nd lieutenant
in Republic of Korea Army. During this time he taught his form of karate to
his soldiers.
1954
Choi has nearly completed the foundation of a new martial art of Korea.
1955 The name "Tae
Kwon-Do" is given to his new martial art style.
1959 Choi led his military
TKD Demonstration Team to South Vietnam and Taiwan spreading Tae Kwon Do.
(He continued traveling to many other countries
spreading Tae Kwon Do.)
1962 Choi developed TKD's
1st form - "Chon-Ji". (He continues to develop new forms).
1966 Choi establishes the
International Tae Kwon-Do Federation (ITF)
1983 Choi publishes
the "Encyclopedia of Tae Kwon-Do"
2002 June 15th
General Choi Hong Hi passed away having accomplished his ideal of spreading
Tae Kwon-Do world wide.
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