The first formalized martial arts school in Korea was founded in 1944 in Seoul, by a man named Lee, Won Kook.  Master Lee founded not only the first, but also the largest and most influential martial arts school in Korea.  Born in Korea on April 18, 1907, Lee moved to Japan in 1926 at the age of nineteen. Lee was then trained in "Shotokan" karate with the founder and legendary teacher, the great Grandmaster Gichen Funakoshi.
 

Lee came back to Korea in 1944, just before the end of World War II.  He felt that training in Karate-do, "the empty hand," would benefit the Korean people.  Korea was still under Japanese occupation.  In order for Master Lee to obtain permission to start a martial arts school in Korea, he had to make an application to the Japanese government.  The application was rejected twice, but Lee received permission on his third try.  Master Lee began teaching Tang Soo Do ("Empty Hand") in Seoul.  In Japan, Grandmaster Funakoshi had changed the letter representing the name of his school from "Chinese Hand Art" to "the Empty Hand."  By changing the name, Funakoshi was able to make his introduction of the martial art more palatable to the Japanese.

To decide the name of his new school, Lee used the Korean custom of changing the first name of a child, but keeping the rest of the name the same as the parents.  Sung Do Kwan ("Shotokan") became Chung Do Kwan, the name of Master Lee’s new martial arts school.  The full name of the academy was "Tang Soo Do, Chung Do Kwan" School.  After Korea’s independence on August 15, 1945, other martial arts schools (called "kwans") were opened in addition to Master Lee’s Chung Do Kwan School.

On June 25, 1950, war broke out in Korea.  Master Lee was forced to flee back to Japan.  Son, Duk Sung as the senior student, was appointed headmaster becoming the second leader of the Tang Soo Do, Chung Do Kwan School.  In 1955, an effort was made by the various kwans to create some sort of unity in the Korean martial arts.  Master Son and General Choi of the Korean Military, were on the panel that decided upon the name "Tae Kwon Do" (which means "foot and hand" fighting), for the marital art of Korea.  At that 1955 conference, Master Son was the highest-ranking Korean karate practitioner and teacher.  Master Son awarded General Choi an honorary 4th degree black belt.  Another noteworthy student who trained and received his Black Belt under Master Son was Jhoon Rhee.  Jhoon Rhee left Korea in the early 1960s to come to the United States, where he is known as the "Father of Tae Kwon Do."

When the Korean military government took over in 1961, a wave of Korean pride and nationalistic fervor gripped the country.  Many areas of life, including the martial arts, cut off the old ties to other countries. A cultural movement to become more "purely Korean" had an impact on the martial arts.  Many Korean karate masters had a problem with the government mandates placed on Tae Kwon Do training.  In response, the government formed the Korean Tae Kwon Do Association (K.T.A.) with General Choi in charge.  In 1962, the Korean Government only recognized the rank of those in the K.T.A.

During the 1960s, many Korean karate masters left to form Tae Kwon Do organizations outside of Korea.  In 1963, Master Son came to the United States, united with several of the Tae Kwon Do instructors to form the "World Tae Kwon Do Association," (W.T.A.) to be an alternative to the Korean Tae Kwon Do Association (K.T.A.)

A new organization was set up in Korea in the early 1970s with the goal of making Tae Kwon Do a new Olympic sport.  New forms were devised, using the Korean flag as a pattern for the movements.  Additionally, gymnastics were included in the new training methods.  In 1973, the organization became a new unified Korean Tae Kwon Do organization called the "World Tae Kwon Do Federation," (W.T.F.).

Today, the W.T.F. is the largest Tae Kwon Do school in the world.  The W.T.F. considers modern Tae Kwon Do a "SPORT," with the emphasis on "competition," as opposed to classical Tae Kwon Do, which is an "ART" which places its emphasis on "self-defense."

Modern Tae Kwon Do bears little resemblance to classical Korean karate.  But luckily for those who wish to study classical Tae Kwon Do, our school, "South Central Tae Kwon Do Association," offers us the opportunity to train in the traditional Korean martial art.  Our school’s roots can be followed back to the first Tang Soo Do, Chung Do Kwan school, with its transition from Korean karate to Tae Kwon Do. This evolution can be traced through our headmasters: