Factors in the spread of taekwondo?

[StudentCarl]

If I have my information right, the 1960s and '70s saw the internationalization of taekwondo, with Korea actively sending masters out to spread the art around the world. This also was the period when sport/competitive sparring evolved. Can anyone address to what extent the development of sparring contributed to the spread of TKD? What other factors helped the spread--the exotic nature of eastern fighting arts, greed, attempt to spread culture, etc? I'm wondering how much the game of sparring has been a key in the growth of TKD to become one of, if not the most popular/common martial arts.

Thanks,
Carl

 

[ATC]

I read somewhere that boad breaking was one of the biggest factors as well. Lots of demos with lots of board breaking. In the begining not just demo boards but real hardwood stuff with power breaking being the focus.

I will try to find the source of that info and post later.

 

[Earl Weiss]

In the late 1950's or so General Choi was allowed to head a new division, the 29th Infantry division. He recruited the top matial art athletes for that division and had them trained in what was the new MA of TKD. The athletes who could jump the highest and break the most boards made the biggest impression. These instructors were able to use military resources and transportation to visit other countries and do demos. They were also able to station military people in other countries like Malaysia and Vietnam to teach there as well.

General Choi traveled extensively and recruited Korean Instructors abroad from other styles to adopt and teach the system he developed. In the USA Jhoon Rhee was a noteable and developed many leading Texas Kwon Do people.


Many other early Kwan noteables like Nam Tae Hi and Han Cha Kyo ended up in the USA as well in tle late 1960's early 1970's.

Later - 1973 or so KKW was formed and they continued and expanded upon the development and dispatch of instructors throught the world as well as converting Instructors from General Choi's system to their system.

Read "A Killing Art" for a lot more details.

Then of course you get whatever PR the Olympic sport added. However, the Olympic Style of sparring to everyone outside of Olympic style sparring was as much a detraction as anything else.

 

[KarateMomUSA]

In the late 1950's or so General Choi was allowed to head a new division, the 29th Infantry division. He recruited the top matial art athletes for that division and had them trained in what was the new MA of TKD. The athletes who could jump the highest and break the most boards made the biggest impression. These instructors were able to use military resources and transportation to visit other countries and do demos. They were also able to station military people in other countries like Malaysia and Vietnam to teach there as well.
General Choi traveled extensively and recruited Korean Instructors abroad from other styles to adopt and teach the system he developed. In the USA Jhoon Rhee was a noteable and developed many leading Texas Kwon Do people.
Many other early Kwan noteables like Nam Tae Hi and Han Cha Kyo ended up in the USA as well in tle late 1960's early 1970's.
Later - 1973 or so KKW was formed and they continued and expanded upon the development and dispatch of instructors throught the world as well as converting Instructors from General Choi's system to their system.
Read "A Killing Art" for a lot more details.
Then of course you get whatever PR the Olympic sport added. However, the Olympic Style of sparring to everyone outside of Olympic style sparring was as much a detraction as anything else.

Yes read The Killing Art.
This is a good summary. I would also add that south Korea was a very poor country. They controlled who left the country & applicant countries always try to control their borders & the intake of new people looking to live there. Koreans were eager to live abroad, especially in affluent western nations. Being aligned with the west politically, even though they were not yet a democracy made it easier for them to go to the west. The 1960s coincided with the introduction of eastern fighting arts to Hollywood & main street. This created an explosion of interest & became the fade of the late 60s & 70s.
South Korea had a good relationship with west Germany, in part due to their struggle with their communists halves who opposed them. West Germany which was an affluent nation imported many Korean men to work their coal mines & many Korean female nurses, as nurses were/are in demand.
On a trip to west Germany the Korean dictator Gen Park was unexpectedly greeted at the airport by German & American TKD students holding the south Korean flag. Gen park was most impressed by this & this is said to have influenced his great continued sponsorship of TKD. In fact his govt made an official decree back in 1961 to consolidate their martial arts. TKD played an important role nationally in re-invigorating & spreading Korean pride. It was an effective tool for teaching the world about this poor nation that few ever heard of. Remember it was only freed from Japanese rule at the end of WWII. It also was an important source of money for Koreans, these Korean instructors sent money back home. The dictators also used some martial arts instructors as agents of the terrible KCIA, who held Koreans living abroad in check, via their Embassies & Consulates. TKD & the Olympics were vital to masking & rehabilitating the terrible human rights abuses of the military dictators, as the world saw in their own living rooms the miracle of Korea in 1988, with the largest Olympics ever to that date. Beijing did something like this in 2008.
TKD becoming an Olympic sport also helped Korea become a leading medal winner. In south Korea they have Universities that grant college academic degrees in the sports science of TKD, all the way up to PhD level.
Never before has any martial art had such total govt support at a time when the world was thirsty for the product that they developed.
When TKD was introduced to north Korea in 1980 by Gen Choi & the ITF, this part of Korea joined in the push for many of the same reasons, but lacked the funds to accomplish more.