Chung Do Kwan Taekwondo

Taekwondo

Taekwondo is a Korean martial art involving the way ("do") of the foot ("tae") and fist ("kwon"). It combines striking and holding techniques for fitness and self-defense, as well as meditation. It is one of the most widely practiced martial arts (over 70 million practitioners across 200 countries), as it is suitable for people with many different levels of fitness and goals. A sparring aspect of Taekwondo has been included as an Olympic event since year 2000.

Origin of Taekwondo

Taekwondo has it's roots in ancient unarmed technique called Subak, which was practiced in Goguryeo to train warriors. The style was adapted and modified by elite practitioners called Hwarang, who studied scholarly aspects including philosophy, morality and history.
After the Japanese occupancy of Korea, many schools opened and combined traditional Korean martial arts with influences from neighbouring countries' martial arts. The nine kwans were unified under the name of Korea Taekwondo Association, but standardisation proved difficult and remains branched as International Taekwondo Federation and World Taekwondo Federation.

Chung Do Kwan

Chung Do Kwan School of Martial Arts was founded in 1944 under G.M. Won Kuk Lee, which was the first of the kwans which later became Taekwondo. The name means "The school of the Blue Wave", which was inspired by the strong and unstoppable nature of the blue ocean waves.
The teachings of Chung Do Kwan is centered on the mastery of the basics, strong and precise techniques, as well as manner and etiquette. It is said by some that the officially recognised Taekwondo by Kukkiwon is Chung Do Kwan Taekwondo.
The Chung Do Kwan logo contains the Um and Yang symbol with a clenched fist holding a scroll. This symbolises the balance between physical power and scholarliness.

Aspects of Taekwondo

Taekwondo emphasises on kicking techniques over hand techniques (7:3 ratio), as the leg is the longest and strongest weapon in unarmed combat. Many schools of Taekwondo also teaches non-striking techniques, such as grappling and throwing, to increase the repertoire for varying situations.
The curriculum differs between clubs, but they generally include the following:

Learning the various techniques.
Self defense.
Fitness and flexibility.
Sparring.
Throwing and break falling
Board breaking.
Etiquette, confidence, respect and discipline.
Patterns.

Ranking

The practitioners typically wear a white uniform with a belt of varying colour. The pattern of the uniform and the colour of the belt indicates the seniority and expertise, where darker colour often represents more seniority. There are 20 ranks in total with 10 ranks wearing the coloured belt and 10 wearing a black belt. The belts are typically accompanied by stripes which indicate the precise rank held by the practitioner.
Progress through each of the ranking is achieved through demonstrating one's abilities according to a set curriculum to an examiner. A beginner practitioner starts off at 10th gup and works their way to 1st gup. Upon completing the subsequent grading exam, the practitioner is awarded a black belt and is given the rank of 1st dan. This process continues up to 9th dan, since the 10th dan is only given to those who have made lifetime contribution to the art. The senior members are also given titles, such as Grand Master and Master. See the listings in the terminologies for more details.

Organisation

Kukkiwon - Official Taekwondo governing organisation. Official site
World Taekwondo Federation - Governs the function of Taekwondo competitions and related support services. Official site
International Taekwondo Federation - Promote and encourages the growth of the Korean martial art of Taekwondo.
Taekwondo Australia - National Association for Taekwondo participants in Australia. Official site
Taekwondo S.A. - Local division of Taekwondo Australia. Official site