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Taekwondo is a popular form of martial arts that originated in Korea. The word Taekwondo itself translates to mean a technique of kicking and punching, although the emphasis lies more on the kicks. The practice of Taekwondo in South Korea goes back to centuries with the origins of this martial art been traced as far back as the 1st century BC. However, even though it was a popular sport in South Korea, its worldwide popularity is ascribed to World War II as it became standard military training in Korea and in 1961 and the rules were standardized. Though the Koreans for self-defense used Taekwondo in its crude form since the 1st century, a better-outlined form of Taekwondo evolved during the Goguryeo period in the 4th century and was called Taekkyeon. This traditional martial art used open hands and the feet, whereas the use of clenched fists was not permitted. In addition, the motions practiced then were smoother and more curvilinear than Taekwondo. Origin of Taekwondo in South Korea Tracing back the origin of Taekwondo, an amalgamation of unarmed combat styles developed by three rival kingdoms of Goguryeo, Silla and Baekje is the oldest ancestor of this martial art. The earliest propose of training young men in Taekwondo was to teach them certain unarmed combat techniques to develop their strength, speed, and survival skills. Subak was the most popular of these techniques and taekkyon was the most popular of the segments of "subak". Organizations that promote Taekwondo in South Korea The World Taekwondo Federation is the largest taekwondo tournament organization in the world, with its headquarters based in South Korea. A common mistake done by many is using the term "WTF" and "Kukkiwon" interchangeably to refer to this organization, however, the "Kukkiwon" is the physical building that contains the administrative offices of World Taekwondo Headquarters (aka Kukkiwon). Being a premier Taekwondo organization World Taekwondo Federation administers the Olympic taekwondo competition, setting the rules for it as well.
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