A Taekwondo practitioner typically wears a uniform (dobok 도복), often white but sometimes black (or other colours), with a belt tied around the waist. White uniforms are considered the traditional colour and are usually encouraged for use at formal ceremonies such as belt tests and promotions. Coloured uniforms are often reserved for special teams (such as demonstration teams or leadership teams) or higher-level instructors. There are at least three major styles of dobok, with the most obvious differences being in the style of jacket:
White uniforms in the Kukkiwon/WT tradition will typically be white throughout the jacket (black trim along the collars only for dan grades). The belt colour and any insignia thereon indicate the student’s rank. The colour schemes for belts, in general, are white, yellow, green, blue, red and black. Taekwondo is traditionally performed in bare feet, although martial arts training shoes may sometimes be worn.
Plain white uniform for kup grades (10th-1st Kup).
White uniform with black collar for dan grades (1st-9th Dan).
Cross over black collar with light blue (female) or black (male) trousers.
Cross over reb/black collar with red (female) or light blue (male) trousers.
When sparring, padded equipment is usually worn. Kukkiwon/WT full-contact sparring is facilitated by the employment of extensive protective equipment: helmet, body protector, hands, feet, shins, forearms, groin guard and gum shield.
Includes: helmet, body protector, forearms, shins, hands, feet, groin guard and gum shield.
All sparring kit must be a WT recognised brand.
The school or place where instruction is given is called a dojang (도장). Specifically, dojang refers to the area within the school in which martial arts instruction takes place; the word dojang is sometimes translated as gymnasium. In common usage, the term dojang is often used to refer to the school as a whole. Modern dojangs often incorporate padded flooring, often incorporating red-and-blue patterns in the flooring to reflect the colours of the taegeuk symbol. Some dojangs have wooden flooring instead. The dojang is usually decorated with items such as flags, banners, belts, instructional materials, and traditional Korean calligraphy.
GB Taekwondo’s senior and junior athletes train at the National Taekwondo Centre in Newton Heath, Manchester.
Sport England, UK Sport and Manchester City Council have all supported the creation of this new home for our Elite and Development athletes.
Currently there are just over 20 athletes in full-time training on the World Class Performance Programme.
The facility is currently managed by GLL and they are also providing programmes and activities for clubs and schools, ensuring that the National Taekwondo Centre is fully utilised in the hours that our athletes are not training.
Kukkiwon (Korean: 국기원), also known as World Taekwondo Headquarters, and home of the World Taekwondo Academy, is where the official taekwondo governing organization was established by the South Korean government. It is supervised by the International Sports Division of the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.
Kukkiwon is based at 635 Yeoksam-dong in the Gangnam-gu district of Seoul, South Korea. Construction of the main building commenced on 19 November 1971 and was completed on 30 November 1972, with the organisation being officially named on 6 February 1973. The main building accommodates up to 3,000 people for events. Standing at three stories in height, the building’s roof features kiwa (blue Korean tiles), the same type of roofing as the Blue House (the official residence of the President of South Korea).
In May 1973, the Korea Taekwondo Association and Kukkiwon hosted the first World Taekwondo Championships with 200 taekwondo competitors from 17 countries in attendance. Kukkiwon has had a permanent taekwondo demonstration team since September 1974.
Un Yong Kim was the first President of Kukkiwon and resigned from the position on 15 November 2001. Woon Kyu Uhm of the Chung Do Kwan was elected President on 2 March 2004. The President in late 2005 was Yong Gye Um. On 10 December 2009, Seung Wan Lee of the Jidokwan was elected as Kukkiwon’s next President.
In mid-2010, Won Sik Kang became the president; he was also the current president of Song Moo Kwan, Korea. President Kang stepped down at the end of his term of office in early 2013. After him the interim president while awaiting an election was Grandmaster Kyu Sok Lee, who also serves as Secretary General for the Asian Taekwondo Union. Kim Chung Gun later acted as the Chair-in-Office. The next president was Grandmaster Lee Kyu Hyung (9th dan) after being provisionally named by the Director of the organization’s board as of August 20, 2013; he resigned after a short period, claiming he was unable to perform the role to the best of his abilities due to political issues.
The current president is Grandmaster Lee Dong Sup, who was elected January 28, 2021.
Taekwondwon is a place where people can learn and experience about the national sport of Korea. This Martial Art complex was built solely for the study of Taekwondo and concentrates on matters relating to this art form such as competitions, training, education and research.
For Taekwondo practitioners all over the world, Taekwondowon is the place they’ve always dreamed of. Located in the historic city of Muju in the heart of South Korea, it is, without a doubt, the mecca of the time-honored martial art.
Boasting a rich South Korean heritage, enchanting cultural diversity, and breathtaking scenery, Taekwondowon not only represents Taekwondo in its past and present forms, but will also be a bridge to the martial arts’ future. Opened in 2014 after 7 years of construction, the £175 million complex measures nearly 3,300 square kilometres and spans over nine valleys. The complex has six bridges that not only connect the entire complex but also exemplifies each level of Taekwondo advancement.
The levels are uniquely divided into the symbolic colors of Taekwondo belts. The creative energy of the complex is on display by the geometric positioning of the six bridges, as well as in harmony with the natural terrain.
This is a nature-friendly designed complex that offers Taekwondo fans the panoramic view of the surrounding scenery. It is designed to reflect three important aspects of Taekwondo:
This entails the synchronization of nature and human beings. It features the modern state-of-the-art Taekwondo stadium, a sculpture garden, a Roman Amphitheatre-style outdoor performance space, restaurants, accommodations, experience plaza, exhibition hall, and Poomsae Architecture Park.
The body zone has a flowing stream that signifies the importance of maintaining peace and harmony between human beings and the natural surroundings.
It is home to the World Taekwondo Academy (WTA), as well as other training facilities such as the practice room, teachers’ rooms, Hansu court, and Taekwondo laboratory. This is a place where discipline, training, and practice are given utmost priority. This is where all the Taekwondo’s rigorous physical programs are conducted.
This is the place where both visitors and trainees can practice the intricate philosophy of Taekwondo. It’s a sacred place where people can synchronize their minds with nature.
It has numerous water terraces, a meditation area in front of a natural waterfall, an honorary park, and an observatory. Through the observatory, visitors can have a spectacular aerial view of the entire park and its surrounding areas.
Built as a sanctuary to a national sport that is right in the heart of South Korea’s national pride, Taekwondowon meets the high level of expectations of every visitor. It also functions as a sacred gateway to popularizing Taekwondo: South Korean tourism and cultural heritage.
Having hosted the 2017 World Taekwondo Championship, Taekwondowon heightens Taekwondo’s standing as one of the most popular sports in the world.
Through its museum, Taekwondowon preserves the time and monumental spirit of Taekwondo, as well as the prosperous future of a type of martial art that has become a contemporary sport. That’s not all; it exhibits South Korea’s unique culture and rich tradition.
With the world’s largest Taekwondo training space, Taekwondowon offers a perfect environment for anyone looking to learn Taekwondo. Whether it’s by watching Taekwondo practitioners training and learning the art or by being actively involved, Taekwondowon offers visitors the opportunity to learn at the World Taekwondo Academy.
There are daily programs that enable participants to learn a wide range of Taekwondo techniques, self defence skills, and gymnastics. For example, you can take the famous Taekwondo gymnastics program, which is essentially a fitness training program that allows you to perfectly combine the hand and kicking techniques of Taekwondo.
You can also learn a self defence martial art program, which allows you to acquire skills that can help you in unsafe situations. This is particularly important for women.
You can also take the Taekwon Healing Therapy program, which is vital in bringing peace to the mind and body. This program revolves around the Taekwondo skills of breathing and meditating. You can as well take the Physical Activity Promotion System (PAPS) program.
This is of great importance in systematically managing your physical strength, as well as the mind and spirit that are required to practice and enhance your Taekwondo skills.
While there are entrance fees as well as fee guides at the facility, you can choose between a watch experience program and an actual training program.
The fees vary from program to program and it’s essential to confirm the fees for any program that you’re willing to partake. For instance, a single-day package program will cost:
Children: Individuals £1.90 (3,000 won)/A group of 20 or more £1.25 (2,000 won)
Teenagers: Individuals £2.20 (3,500 won)/ A group of 20 or more £1.55 (2,500 won)
Adults: Individuals £2.50 (4,000 won)/ A group of 20 or more £1.90 (3,000 won)
Getting there – No matter where you’re coming from, Seoul Incheon International Airport is the closest airport to Muju. It is a three-hour drive from Seoul to Muju by bus.
Entry Fees – Entering Taekwondowon will cost you around £2.50 (4,000 won). Tickets to the Experience Centre cost from £3.70 (6,000 won). There are free Taekwondo demonstration lessons, taking place twice a day; at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., local time.
Accommodation – Taekwondowon provides double occupancy accommodation at the complex. It will cost you around £65 (104,500 won) without breakfast.
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