A History of World Taekwondo-Approved Competition Uniforms

AbstractThe purpose of this article is to explore the establishment of world taekwondo (WT)-approved competition uniforms, and to thereby present the factors that contributed to changes in the uniform and their significance. The first WT-approved competition uniforms were established in 1977 alongside a revision of the competition rules for World Taekwondo Championships. The major reasons for the establishment of the WTF-approved competition uniforms were to preserve the traditionality, legitimacy, and identity of taekwondo and to facilitate the sportsification and popularization of taekwondo as a sport. Following the establishment of WTF-approved competition uniforms consist of kyorugi and poomsae competition uniform. The three main factors of the change in the kyorugi competition uniform approved by the WTF are the intention to enhance the performance of the contestants, efficiency, and to preserve the identity of taekwondo as an Olympic sport. Also, the three main factors of the change in the poomsae competition uniform approved by the WTF are ameliorating the performance of the contestants and to enhance the efficiency to preserve the traditionality and legitimacy of taekwondo. The WTF-approved competition uniforms have been changed considering traditionality, legitimacy, identity, efficiency, and such attempts will continue in the future.Keywords: Doboktaekwondo uniformWTapproved competition uniformsworld taekwondo-approved kyorugi competition uniformworld taekwondo -approved poomsae competition uniform Disclosure StatementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Notes1 Jeong Hyeon Kwak, ‘An Exploration of the Controversy Over Taekwondo Dobok for Cultivation(道) and Taekwondo Competition Uniform(Competition Dress)’, Taekwondo Journal of Kukkiwon 8, no. 4 (2017): 191–211.2 International Wushu Federation homepage, http://www.iwuf.org/ (accessed March 1 2021).3 Ii Hyuk Lim and Yong Kyu Ahn, ‘Philosophical Consideration on Taekwondo Do'bok, Philosophy of Movement’, Journal of the Korean Society for the Philosophy of Sport, Dance & Martial Arts 20, no 2 (2012): 86.4 Chang Hyo Han, ‘A Study on the Amendments of Taekwondo Competition Rule s since 1945 (Masters thesis, Yongin University, 2004), 29; Kyung Hee Han. ‘A Study on Changing Factors of Competition Rules in Korea Taekwondo Assosiation’ (PhD thesis, Kookmin University, 2009), 20.5 Ii Hyuk, Lim and Yong Kyu Ahn, ‘Philosophical Consideration on Taekwondo Do'bok, Philosophy of Movement:’ Journal of the Korean Society for the Philosophy of Sport, Dance & Martial Arts 20, no. 2 (2012): 94.6 Jeong Hyeon Kwak, ‘An Exploration of the Controversy Over Taekwondo Dobok for Cultivation (道) and Taekwondo Competition Uniform (Competition Dress)’, Taekwondo Journal of Kukkiwon 8, no. 4 (2017): 192.7 The World Taekwondo Federation changed its acronym from WTF to WT as of June 2017.8 Korea Taekwondo Association homepage, https://www.koreataekwondo.co.kr/, Article 4 of the competition rules (players and coaches); Article 4 of the Poomsae competition rules (players and coaches).9 World Taekwondo homepage, http://m.worldtaekwondo.org/index.html.10 Ibid.11 Korea Taekwondo Association homepage, https://www.koreataekwondo.co.kr/; World Taekwondo homepage, http://m.worldtaekwondo.org/index.html. According to the competition rules of the Korea Taekwondo Association and World Taekwondo, the date of establishment and revision of the Sparring competition rules of the two organizations have remained the same from 1973 to 2001 (enacted May 28, 1973, revised on October 1, 1977, February 23, 1982, October 19, 1983, June 1, 1986, October 28, 1991, August 17, 1993, November 18, 1997, October 31, 2001). In particular, the establishment of competition rules on May 28, 1973 by the Korea Taekwondo Association was stated to be an administrative error. In addition, according to the concurrent positions held by Un yong Kim who served as the president of the Korea Taekwondo Association (1971–1991, 1998–2001), the president of the World Taekwondo (1973–2004), and the director of Kukkiwon (1974–2004), the establishment and revision date of the Taekwondo competition rules in the early 1970s were the same for the two organizations.; Won Sik Kang and Gyeong Myeong Lee, The Modern History of Taekwondo (Seoul: Sang-A, 2002), 115–119; Kyung Hee Han, ‘A Study on Changing Factor of Competition Rules in Korea Taekwondo Assosiation’ (PhD thesis, Kookmin University, 2010), 214.12 Korea Taekwondo Association homepage, 2021. 03. 01.13 Soo Ah Choi, ‘The Development of New Kukkiwons Authorized Taekwondo Uniform Design Inspired from Korean Tradition’, Journal of Korea Design Knowledge 26 (2013): 325; Han, ‘A Study on Changing Factor of Competition Rules’, 218.14 Hyun Bae Kim, John A. Johnson, Eun Jae Lee and Peter Ha, ‘An Investigation into the History of the Taekwondo Uniform since the Korean Peninsula’s Liberation from Japan’, The International Journal of the History of Sport 33, no. 9 (2016): 963–70.15 Choi, ‘The Development of New Kukkiwons Authorized Taekwondo Uniform Design’, 325.16 Gi Hwang, SubakdoEncyclopedia (Seoul: SamGang Publication House), 60.17 Kim, et al., ‘Investigation into the History of the Taekwondo Uniform’, 969.18 It is stipulated in ⑩ of the division of competitions in Article 2 of the detailed rules of the Competition Subcommittee of the Korea Taekwondo Association Technical Deliberation Committee and detailed rules of the Umpireship Subcommittee (full text revision, March 1, 1972). These detailed rules have been referenced by comparing and analysing the main restored and examined contents of the 7th full text revision (Han, February 5, 1974), the 5th revision (January, 1972) included in Sports Encyclopedia (1974), and the 6th revision (March 1, 1972) in literature by Won Sik Kang and Gyeong Myeong Lee (2002); Kyung Hee Han, ‘A Study on Changing Factor of Competition Rules in Korea Taekwondo Assosiation’ (PhD thesis, Kookmin University, 2010), 218.19 Korea Taekwondo Association, TaeKwondo (Korea Taekwondo Association, 1972), 27–8.20 Kukkiwon. Taekwondo dobok development, (Kukkiwon, 2018), 1.21 Hyun Seok Yang, ‘The Transition of TaeKwondo’s Globalization since the Independence of Korea (1945–2005)’, (PhD Thesis, Korea national Sport University, 2005), 128; Chang Hyo Han, ‘A Study on the Amendments of Taekwondo Competition Rules since 1945’ (Masters thesis, Yongin University, 2004), 73.22 Han, ‘A Study on Changing Factors of Competition Rules’, 82.23 Ibid.24 Mookas Media, November 22, 2010; Jeong Hyeon, Kwak, ‘The Diversification of Taekwondo Uniforms and the Identity of Taekwondo’, The Korea Journal of Sports Science 25, no. 3 (2016): 32.25 Korea Taekwondo Association, TaeKwondo (Korea Taekwondo Association, 1978), 36.26 The World Taekwondo uses the WT mark, and the Korea Taekwondo Association uses the KTA mark.27 Korea Taekwondo Association, TaeKwondo.28 Ibid.29 Taekwondo Times, July 15, 2010.30 Patent Information Net KIPRIS, March 1, 2021, http://kpat.kipris.or.kr/kpat/searchLogina.do?next = MainSearch#page2).31 Patent Information Net KIPRIS, March 17, 2021.32 Korea Taekwondo Association, TaeKwondo, 36; Patent Information Net KIPRIS, March 1, 2021.33 Korea Taekwondo Association, 2006; Taekwondo Competition Uniform Renewal Forum, 2006.34 Korea Taekwondo Association homepage., https://www.koreataekwondo.co.kr/f001?findex=&category_id=&sfield=post_both&skeyword=%EA%B3%B5%EC%9D%B8), ‘Detailed standards for each official item’ by Korea Taekwondo Association, enacted on 2017, December 14, 2017, revised on December 19, 2018. December 19, 2019 and November 13, 2020.35 Detailed standards for each official item certified by the Korea Taekwondo Association, 202036 Approval regulations for official competition equipment by Korea Taekwondo Association, 2020, 3.37 Mooto Media, November 17, 2006.38 The Korean Economic Daily, July 22, 2016.39 Cindy, Park and Tae Yang Kim, ‘A study on the Change of Competition in Accordance with Change of Taekwondo Protective equipment’, Korean Journal of Sports Science 28, no. 3 (2019): 12.40 Taekwon Chosun, June 15, 2011.41 Taekwondo Chosun, September 28, 2017.42 Mookas Media, September 29, 2017.43 JTBC, December 19, 2019.44 The Korea Times, September 5, 2019.45 Korea Taekwondo Association, TaeKwondo, (Korea Taekwondo Association, 2019), 21.46 International Olympic Committee, March 31, 2021.47 World Taekwondo homepage, http://www.worldtaekwondo.org/index.html (accessed April 25, 2022).48 The Korea Times, July 11, 2018; Taekwon Box Media, September 27, 2019.49 World Taekwondo homepage, http://www.worldtaekwondo.org/index.html (accessed April 25, 2022).50 MASTKD, July 20, 2021.51 MASTKD, March 10, 2022.52 MASTKD, July 20, 2021.53 Reuters, July 2, 2021.54 Ahn and An reported that the Taekwondo suits are lighter and more contact-type than the old ones, showing the target parts accurately. They also prevent the foul of hin order to clearly identify the striking point and minimize errors in judgment olding the other player for kicking and contribute to the smooth performance of kicks; Jin Young Ahn and Geun A An, ‘A Discussion about taekwondo Suits for 2020 Tokyo Olympics: With a Focus on Female Players Representing South Korea’, The Korean Journal of Sport 18, no. 1 (2020): 635.55 The Korea Times, July 22, 2011.56 Dolsilnai homepage, https://dolsilnai.co.kr/ (accessed March 9, 2021); World Taekwondo, 2012.57 The Korea Times, July 22, 2011; Chosun Ilbo, June 15, 2011.58 Suk Kyung Lee, ‘The Relationship between Product Attributes, Brand Image and Quality Satisfaction of Poomsae Uniforms’, Taekwondo Journal of Kukkiwon 8, no. 4 (2012): 82.59 Dolsilnai homepage, https://dolsilnai.co.kr/ (accessed March 9, 2021).Additional informationNotes on contributorsCindy ParkCindy Park is professor at the Department of Asian Martial Arts, Youngsan University of Korea and obtained a doctoral degree from National Taiwan normal University and National Kanazawa University in Japan.Tae Yang KimTae Yang Kim is research professor at the Youngsan University of Korea and obtained a doctoral degree from Shanghai University of sport in China.