Authentic Taekwon-Do Australia

General Choi Hong Hi, born in 1918, is the founder of Taekwon-Do and past President of the International Taekwon-Do Federation (I.T.F). He is a retired General in the South Korean Army and was the country's first ambassador to Malaysia. General Choi holds a Ninth Degree Black Belt, the highest in his chosen art. Towards the end of the Second World War, he was forced to join the Japanese Army as a student volunteer. Later, he was sentenced to seven years gaol for planning to overthrow the Japanese Military High Command. It was during this time that General Choi first started developing the movements and patterns that make up the art of Taekwon-Do. He was later sentenced to death and execution was scheduled to take place on August 18, 1944. Korea was liberated from the Japanese on August 16 and he was released.

General Choi originally studied the ancient art of Taekyon, a foot sparring form that was first practiced approximately 1300 years ago in the Silla dynasty in Korea before he developed Taekwon-Do. The name Taekwon-Do actually describes a system of self-defence devised and named by General Choi Hong Hi. The actual words did not exist in that form in the Korean Language until General Choi Hong Hi put it before a specifically formed naming committee on April 11, 1955. So it would be seen as a mistake to use the name Taekwon-Do to describe a system of Self-Defence other than that laid down by General Choi and illustrated in his latest text on Taekwon-Do.

General Choi's Taekwon-Do is proof of his tenacity of dedication to keeping the original Taekwon-Do free from improved imitations and with the co-operation of all true Taekwon-Do students, no matter which grade, weed out those who seek to destroy his teachings.

General Choi Hong Hi passed away from stomach cancer on June 15, 2002. He is succeeded by his son Grandmaster Choi Jung Hwa.

Choi Jung Hwa, was born on Cheju Island, and received his first training at 5 years of age from General Choi himself. From 7 years old, Choi Jung Hwa was trained by the top military Taekwon-Do masters, for example the legendary Han Cha Kyo and also by Master Kong Yon Il.

Grandmaster Choi Jung Hwa replaced his father as president of I.T.F and still holds this position today.