WT Taekwondo

WT taekwondo is the competitive and Olympic branch of taekwondo, governed by World Taekwondo. The federation was founded on 28 May 1973 at the Kukkiwon in Seoul at a meeting of representatives from thirty-five countries, with Kim Un-yong as its first president. Until June 2017 it was called the World Taekwondo Federation; the abbreviation WTF was dropped because of the meaning it had acquired in internet English. The branch has no founder in the personal sense — it came out of an organisational decision rather than the work of a single master. What separates it from the ITF, the other major branch founded by Choi Hong Hi, is both political and technical. WT is tied to the Kukkiwon, which awards dan grades and maintains the set of forms called poomsae, while the ITF keeps its own tul. The Olympic path ran through demonstration status at Seoul 1988 and Barcelona 1992 to full medal status at Sydney 2000, approved back in 1994. The competition format is what sets WT taekwondo apart most. Bouts are fought on an octagonal mat eight metres across, over three two-minute rounds, with the PSS electronic scoring system built into the trunk protector and the headgear. The point scale rewards kicks delivered high and with a turn far more than a straight punch, which has gradually produced a distinctive style with a side-on stance, a very high kicking rate and almost no hand work. Alongside sparring there is also competition in forms, both individually and synchronised in teams.

Similar styles

Selected by overlap in the style profile, not by historical lineage.

ITF Taekwondo Engolo (Zebra Combat Dance)Chausson Kyokushin Taekkyon Taido