Like most other marital arts, Tae Kwon Do's history is a little blurred. Korea's two most popular native martial arts were called subak and taekkyeon.

During the Japanese occupation of Korea, Choi Hong Hi (also known as General Choi) traveled to Japan to further his studies in the martial arts. There, he met Gichin Funakoshi and began to train in Shotokan. In 1939 he earned his 1st degree black belt and eventually his second.

In 1952, South Korean President Syngman Rhee ordered Choi to introduce martial arts to the Korean army. Choi combined taekkyeon and karate, the result being Tae Kwon Do, so named in April of 1955. Tae Kwon Do can therefore be considered a military discipline since it was created for instruction to the military.

Tae Kwon Do is characterized by an emphasis on kicking and flexibility.