The International Tae Kwon-Do Federation (ITF)

The International Tae Kwon-Do Federation (ITF) and was founded on March 22, 1966, by General Choi Hong Hi (최홍희) in Seoul, South Korea. Focus Tae Kwon-Do is a member of the UK ITF.

There is so much to tell you about General Choi and his life’s devotion to Tae Kwon-Do. Today, Tae Kwon-Do has an International status due to the tireless efforts of this one man, General Choi Hong Hi. Below is a brief history of General Choi’s achievements and how Tae Kwon-Do was created, you can also view the videos to the left.

When the ITF was created, nine countries were involved: Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, West Germany, USA, Turkey, Italy, and Egypt. Taekwon-Do is now taught in almost every country in the world, and General Choi is recognized as the Father of Taekwon-Do.

Important Dates in the History of the ITF

1966 March 22nd – ITF founded by General Choi Hong Hi, the Father of Taekwon-Do
1969 First Asian Tournament, Hong Kong
1972 ITF headquarters moved to Toronto (Canada)
1974 First World Championships, Montreal (Canada)
1976 First European Championships, Amsterdam (Netherlands)
1979 First Pacific Championships, Wellington, (New Zealand)
1982 North American Federation created
1983 Central American Federation created
1985 ITF headquarters moved to Vienna (Austria)
2002 June 15th – death of General Choi Hong Hi
2002 Master Choi Jung Hwa, son of General Choi became President