From time immemorial Korea has been called a land of morning calm in the East. It boasts a martial art culture created and developed independently from 5 000 years ago.

Since the period of national formation, the Korean people have created and developed the indigenous martial art culture.

International Debut

The orthodox martial art of the Korean nation was named Taekwon-Do in 1955. It began to be spread across the world, enjoying public sympathy and support.

In March 1966, the International Taekwon-Do Federation was founded with a mission to popularize the martial art around the world and promote its technical development.

Right after its inauguration, the ITF sent its demonstration teams and competent instructors to Asian, European and American countries to extensively spread Taekwon-Do. As a result, in less than eight years after its birth, national associations were formed in more than 50 countries and regions to ensure regional and organizational development of Taekwon-Do.

In keeping with the growing number of Taekwon-Do practitioners and regional development of Taekwon-Do techniques on a worldwide scale the ITF decided to hold its first championships at Montreal of Canada where its headquarters were situated.

In October 1974 the first ITF World Taekwon-Do Championships, the first of its kind in history, was held at Montreal amid deep concern and expectation of martial arts practitioners around the world.

In fact, the championships were not the first international ones.

The ITF organized the first Asian Taekwon-Do championships in Hong Kong of China in 1969 and the second one in Malaysia in 1972, thus setting precedents for international Taekwon-Do competition.

The first ITF World Taekwon-Do Championships were a worldwide event that stood no comparison with the Asian Taekwon-Do championships in terms of scope and extent.

The two-day championships brought together 450-odd players and officials from 27 countries and regions around the world. It was held divided into four events of pattern, sparring, forte and power show, which were subdivided into 17 events.

The championships touched the heartstrings of spectators.

The pattern event featured by high spirit, mettle and discipline peculiar to Taekwon-Do, and the sparring, forte and power show events showing the excellent and powerful qualities of Taekwon-Do techniques drew the spectators into the world of the mysterious martial art and helped them understand Taekwon-Do once again, stimulating them to get more interested in who would be winners.

“The first ITF World Taekwon-Do Championships showed a new appearance of the world martial art competition as it comprised not only pattern and sparring but forte and power show in its events in line with the technical composition of Taekwon-Do. It demonstrated the superiority of Taekwon-Do and had a positive effect on its worldwide spread. It will remain etched in the memory of the people as the first championships of Taekwon-Do, the orthodox martial art of the Korean nation,” said Kim Jong Chol, vice-chairman of the jury of the ITF Federation.

Yang Ryon Hui