Tae Kwon Do came from Korean Karate (also known as “Shotokan Karate,” “Tang Soo Do” and “Kong Soo Do”). In 2011, TKD Grandmaster Nam Tae-Hi and I spoke about my book and who created and announced the name “Tae Kwon Do.” Using dictionaries, he and General Choi Hong-Hi had made up the name in 1955 to hide the fact that they and their soldiers were training in Karate, Japan’s martial art, which was like saying you were a terrorist. At a martial arts meeting in a geisha house (the “Kugilgwan”) in 1955, Choi presented a fictional argument connecting Taekwon-Do to Taekkyon, an old martial art. The truth is that TKD was Korean Karate, not Taekkyon, at that time. In this video, Nam (in the white suit) talks about some of the issues. Chris Nam, his son, translates.
