Meet the Founder - Part 1

In this first issue we will look at his life as a kid, growing up in a small mountain village called Ha-Ga-myun, in what is now of North Korea.

You’d expect someone who invented a martial art to be big, strong and fit, wouldn’t you? His older brother was huge and strong, but the young Choi Hong Hi was a weakling: often ill, and very small and puny for his age. His parents were always worried about his health, and wondered how he survived, when 5of his 7 brothers and sisters did not. Even when he had finished growing he was still short at 1.5 metres. His mother decided she should try and make him taller.

Which one of these was her brilliant idea?

1. She made him eat lots of meat and vegetables
2. She made him wear special really high shoes
3. She pulled on his legs to stretch them when he was sleeping.

Actually she pulled on his legs. It didn’t work though. Poor Choi Hong-hi! As ayoung child though, he never gave up when he wanted something, or had decided to accomplish something. He must have driven his poor mum crazy, because he always got what he wanted in the end.

He was not a very good student at school : bottom of the class, but top in mischief! His school reports must have been terrible! He was always good at sports and games, but couldn’t swim very well. He got into trouble for taking part in a protest at school, and had to stay home for 3 months. This turned out to be lucky, because this is when Choi Hong-Hi started to learn calligraphy, which he became really good at. To help him overcome his ill health and small size, his calligraphy master also taught him Taek-Kyun, a traditional Korean martial art which uses mostly leg techniques.This was the very beginning of what would much later become Taekwon-Do. General Choi was proof that even the smallest person can truly make a difference.

Go to part 2

Text from Taekwon-Do and I, The Memoirs of Choi Hong Hi, the founder of Taekwon-Do