MAN BREAKS WOODEN BOARD WITH FOOT; MAN BREAKS PILE OF TILES WITH HAND; MEN SPARRING (NATSOF).




Initials JB/V/AS/MH


SPORT: TAEKWON-DO

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Background: COMPETITORS SMASH TILES AND WOODEN BOARDS IN THE FIRST ASIAN TOURNAMENT OF TAEKWON-DO, THE KOREAN-STYLE KARATE, HELD IN HONG KONG.

TAEKWON-DO, IS A MIXTURE OF KARATE, IN WHICH THE HANDS, ARMS AND FEET ARE USED, AND THE ANCIENT MILITARY ART OF T'AE-KYON IN WHICH ONLY THE FEET ARE USED.

IT WAS DEVISED A FEW YEARS AGO BY GENERAL CHOI HONG HI, A SOUTH KOREAN SOLDIER AND DIPLOMAT. IN 1956 HE GAVE IT THE NAME TAEKWON-DO, WHICH TRANSLATED LITERALLY, MEANS "TO SMASH-WITH-FOOT AND DESTROY-WITH-HAND METHOD".

THE ART - AS IT IS KNOWN - IS A COMPULSORY QUALIFICATION FOR ENROLMENT IN THE SOUTH KOREAN POLICE AND ARMED FORCES. IT IS ALSO PART OF THE BASIC TRAINING AT THE UNITED STATES'S ARMY'S WEST POINT ACADEMY.

IN 1962, GENERAL CHOI WAS APPOINTED AMBASSADOR TO MALAYA AND WHILE THERE HE INTRODUCED THE ART TO MALAYA, SINGAPORE AND NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES.

THE GENERAL, WHO IS PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL TAEKWON-DO FEDERATION, IS NOW WORKING ON AN ENLARGED TEXTBOOK OF THE ART.

HE SAYS OF TAEKWON-DO: "ALTHOUGH IT IS A LETHAL WEAPON IT MUST NOT BE USED FOR WAR. IT MUST BE USED TO SAFEGUARD PEACE AND PROTECT THE JUST AND THE WEAK."