ITF/WT/ and everything In-between
By Joshua Littlefield, 2nd Dan Traditional TaeKwon-Do & 3rd Dan WT TaeKwonDo
It is estimated that there are over 3,500 Taekwondo dojangs and clubs with over 7 million practitioners in the United States alone. With that many individuals throwing roundhouse kicks (dollyeo chagi), it’s no wonder that differing opinions abound about what is and is not Taekwondo.
Before embarking on the tedious task of attempting to define modern vs. traditional Taekwondo, let’s start with the two main branches: the International Taekwondo Federation (ITF) and World Taekwondo (WT). These two branches stem from the original tree of the Korean Taekwondo Association (KTA), founded by General Choi Hong-hi, who is considered the originator and founder of Taekwondo.
At some point—largely considered to be for political reasons—General Choi left the KTA and founded the ITF. The Korean government later took control of the KTA and founded the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF), which was later renamed World Taekwondo (WT).
The average person looking to learn Taekwondo will have a hard time telling the difference between ITF and WT. They wear similar uniforms (dobok) and have similar training regimens for the average student. Both practice patterns (tuls in ITF and poomsae in WT), utilize one-steps in their curriculum, and engage in sparring.
However, it’s in sparring that we find our first fundamental difference. WT engages in Olympic-style Taekwondo: a continuous match that lasts, on average, for two two-minute rounds. Players are scored based on how many points they can earn by striking each other in the chest guard (hogu) or helmet. Different organizations, such as USA Taekwondo and the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), sanction tournaments across the United States.
While many in the ITF community might not agree with it, WT is the quintessential version of Taekwondo and the one that the vast majority of people think of when they hear the name Taekwondo.
The ITF, on the other hand, has tried to remain more faithful to the vision of General Choi. They still practice the original 24 patterns (Chang-Hon patterns), as opposed to WT, which performs the more modern Taegeuk series. The ITF curriculum comes largely from the 15-volume encyclopedia authored by General Choi and covers a vast array of topics, including tuls, hosin sul (self-defense), matsogi (sparring), and dallyon (training).
General Choi envisioned Taekwondo training very much like military training:
- Fundamentals would be the equivalent of basic training.
- Dallyon would be maintenance, similar to how a soldier maintains their weapon and gear.
- Patterns would be tactical exercises or the equivalent of battle drills in the United States Army.
- Matsogi would be a field exercise in simulated combat.
- Hosin sul would be actual combat.
This outline showcases the biggest difference between ITF and WT: one is focused on being a martial art, while the other is centered around being a martial sport. Neither is wrong—just concerned with different aspects. Attempting to say one is not Taekwondo is similar to saying Shotokan is not Karate because they do not fight full contact like Kyokushin does.
With that being said, one could argue that ITF represents Traditional Taekwondo, and WT represents Modern Taekwondo. While that statement isn’t incorrect, it doesn’t tell the whole story. Some WT dojangs still teach the Palgwae patterns; while they do not predate the Chang-Hon patterns, they are still considered traditional WT patterns.
The same is true with ITF schools: do they teach Ko-Dang or Juche? Ko-Dang was one of the original patterns and was later replaced with Juche in the 1980s. We haven’t even mentioned that some unaffiliated dojangs still teach the Kuk Mu and Pyong-An patterns originally found in the KTA.
So, with all that being said—what is Traditional Taekwondo?
Based on history and timeline, an academic approach might define Taekwondo’s lifespan like this:
Original Taekwondo (April 11, 1955 – March 22, 1966)
This version of Taekwondo is characterized by a heavy influence from Karate. Practitioners trained in patterns used by General Choi in the 29th Infantry Regiment (Kuk Mu), and the art was primarily focused on being a powerful system for use by soldiers in the military.
Traditional Taekwondo (March 22, 1966 – 1980s)
This version of Taekwondo is characterized by the use of traditional biomechanics rather than the sine wave motion. Practitioners trained in the Chang-Hon patterns as well as techniques developed by the 29th Infantry Regiment, commonly referred to as the Quick Hand Series. A defining trait is the continued practice of original Chang-Hon patterns such as Ko-Dang and Woo-Nam.
Modern Taekwondo (1980s – Present)
This era of Taekwondo can be divided into two main branches: Modern ITF and Modern WT. In the early 1980s, General Choi introduced sine wave movement to ITF Taekwondo. In the early 2000s, WT became recognized as an official Olympic sport (though it had been a demonstration event in previous Olympic Games). These two branches now represent the vast majority of Taekwondo athletes around the world.
