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Uma Arte Mortal: A História Não Contada do Tae Kwon Do
Obscure documents, Korean-language books, and in-depth interviews with tae kwon do pioneers tell the tale of the origin of the most popular martial art. In 1938, tae kwon do began at the end of a poker game in a tiny village in a remote corner of what is now North Korea by Choi Hong-Hi, who began the martial art, and his nemesis, Kim Un-Yong, who developed the Olympic style and became one of the most powerful, controversial men in sports. The story follows Choi from the 1938 poker game where he fought for his life, through high-class geisha houses where the art was named, and into the Vietnam War where the martial art evolved into a killing art. The techniques cut across all realms—from the late 1960s when tae kwon do-trained Korean CIA agents kidnapped people in the U.S. and Europe, to the 1970s when Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, and other Hollywood stars master the art’s new kicks. Tae kwon do is also a martial art for the 21st century, one of merciless techniques, indomitable men, and justice pumped on steroids.
402 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2008
72 people are currently reading
366 people want to read
About the author
Alex Gillis
2 books8 followersAlex Gillis is a Canadian university instructor, investigative journalist and author of A Killing Art: The Untold History of Tae Kwon Do. He has trained in the art for 25 years in both ITF and WTF styles (as well as in Karate and Tai Chi). He first heard the incredible stories of Tae Kwon Do from one of his instructors more than a decade ago. Alex Gillis's teachers were some of the pioneers of the martial art, and he has had rare access to these men and their families and students.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
January 5, 2024
The most painfully honest book I've ever read
Discovering the hidden truths behind Taekwondo's history was both shocking and validating, echoing the concerns my mentor, Domingo Tavarez, had shared about the pervasive corruption within National Taekwondo Federations globally.
Master Dagoberto Lockward's recommendation to delve into Alex Gillis' "A Killing Art" proved transformative.
The book's captivating narrative makes it essential reading for martial arts enthusiasts and history buffs alike.
Personally, it altered my perspective significantly, and I wholeheartedly endorse it as a must-read that transcends the boundaries of its subject matter.
Discovering the hidden truths behind Taekwondo's history was both shocking and validating, echoing the concerns my mentor, Domingo Tavarez, had shared about the pervasive corruption within National Taekwondo Federations globally.
Master Dagoberto Lockward's recommendation to delve into Alex Gillis' "A Killing Art" proved transformative.
The book's captivating narrative makes it essential reading for martial arts enthusiasts and history buffs alike.
Personally, it altered my perspective significantly, and I wholeheartedly endorse it as a must-read that transcends the boundaries of its subject matter.
June 3, 2024
If you're really interested in taekwondo, then it's a great book, but it's mostly political.
Going way back to the poker game in 1938 that started it all, there's a lot of corruption throughout its history, even into modern-day Olympics.
Would have liked to have seen more about the history of techniques and patterns and when they came to be discovered since there are only brief mentions. As far as the politics, though, it's very detailed and worth reading. You'd definitely be glad you're not from old Korea.
Going way back to the poker game in 1938 that started it all, there's a lot of corruption throughout its history, even into modern-day Olympics.
Would have liked to have seen more about the history of techniques and patterns and when they came to be discovered since there are only brief mentions. As far as the politics, though, it's very detailed and worth reading. You'd definitely be glad you're not from old Korea.
Read
April 17, 2017Fascinating. I'm sure there is more untold TKD history out there.
August 26, 2020
This book is a short history mostly about the political history of Taekwondo. While I enjoyed some of what it is written here, I found the politics to be taxing and boring. Martial arts is most interesting to me when you are as far away from politics as possible. Because of this, this book wasn’t incredibly interesting to to me. Now, that being said, it did have some enlightening sections with sources that are to be commended. When the history of the art and its development is being talked about this book is as its best for me. However, that is the minority of the time. If you are interested specifically in the politics of the art, then this book will probably be of much more interest to you than it was to me.
August 24, 2024
A brisk and relatively engaging narrative in its first half, but as is to be expected from something as slim as this, it does begin to unravel and suffer from a lack of direction in its second. More than anything, A Killing Art is a biography of Choi Hong-hi, inventor of Korean Taekwondo imported from the basic framework of Japanese Karate with a pronounced emphasis on high kicks that increased as the art developed.
Gillis frames the creation of the fighting style as a passion project turned into a nationalist one in the wake of the Korean & Viet Nam War by the support of the ROK military dictatorship. He shows the interchangeability between the KCIA and the early founders of the World Taekwondo Federation such as Kim Un-yong and Nam Tae-hi, cataloguing some of their covert operations against Koreans abroad in West Germany and the United States.
With the nominal and formal introduction of democracy to the Republic in the late ‘80s, Gillis’ attention shifts to Taekwondo’s attaining permanent status at the Olympic games and the bribery that made it so. However, aside from some reflection on this bribery by pointing to how men forged under the military dictatorship found themselves unable to adapt to the rules of democracy and his revisionist account of the art’s creation, Gillis fails to develop a compelling and continuous argument with his book.
Of course, I should also make a caveat about the usual boilerplate anticommunism regarding the DPRK that one would expect from a liberal book on Korean history. Otherwise, this was a fine debut book on a subject obviously very dear to its author.
Gillis frames the creation of the fighting style as a passion project turned into a nationalist one in the wake of the Korean & Viet Nam War by the support of the ROK military dictatorship. He shows the interchangeability between the KCIA and the early founders of the World Taekwondo Federation such as Kim Un-yong and Nam Tae-hi, cataloguing some of their covert operations against Koreans abroad in West Germany and the United States.
With the nominal and formal introduction of democracy to the Republic in the late ‘80s, Gillis’ attention shifts to Taekwondo’s attaining permanent status at the Olympic games and the bribery that made it so. However, aside from some reflection on this bribery by pointing to how men forged under the military dictatorship found themselves unable to adapt to the rules of democracy and his revisionist account of the art’s creation, Gillis fails to develop a compelling and continuous argument with his book.
Of course, I should also make a caveat about the usual boilerplate anticommunism regarding the DPRK that one would expect from a liberal book on Korean history. Otherwise, this was a fine debut book on a subject obviously very dear to its author.
April 3, 2018
Decent read. Especially for anyone practicing the art.
I tend to take these kinds of books with a healthy pinch of salt, however the insights into the politics of Taekwon-do is fascinating.
My instructor seems to think the author is biased in favour of the WTF, but I did not find that at all. Regardless of which branch of the Taekwon-do tree you fall on, this is an interesting foray in to the history of the art and its legendary founders.
3.5 stars
I tend to take these kinds of books with a healthy pinch of salt, however the insights into the politics of Taekwon-do is fascinating.
My instructor seems to think the author is biased in favour of the WTF, but I did not find that at all. Regardless of which branch of the Taekwon-do tree you fall on, this is an interesting foray in to the history of the art and its legendary founders.
3.5 stars
October 30, 2025
Good and very interesting book. Some of the tales were based on speculation and rumour rather than fact or history which made it a bit difficult. The more recent history, going into Olympic politics, was quite dull.
July 17, 2020
Educational. Eye-opening. A must-read for anyone studying Tae Kwon Do (either form) IMHO
September 19, 2017
The history of Tae Kwon Do, as related by Alex Gillis, gives me a bit of a pause as I find myself back in Tae Kwon Do class after 14 years. It was full of intrigue, bribes, violence, collusion with the government... wow. It also started from a sincere wish to have a modern Korean martial art, and pride in country after being dominated by the Japanese. The links to an ancient Korean martial art are tenuous at best - TKD really does owe a lot to Karate, but it also owes a lot to some larger than life Korean men who made some questionable choices, but also built something bigger than themselves.
I still love being back in class, and hope to stick with it for a long time. I find it engaging, and definitely a physical challenge. I also love the 5 tenets of Tae Kwon Do - Courtesy, Integrity, Perseverance, Self Control, and Indomitable Spirit - things to aspire to, definitely.
As for the writing, it was okay - sometimes really interesting, sometimes too many names to keep track of, and his organization style was a bit... unique. Still, you could tell it's a subject dear to his heart, and that he also struggled to justify his love of Tae Kwon Do in the face of its dark past.
I still love being back in class, and hope to stick with it for a long time. I find it engaging, and definitely a physical challenge. I also love the 5 tenets of Tae Kwon Do - Courtesy, Integrity, Perseverance, Self Control, and Indomitable Spirit - things to aspire to, definitely.
As for the writing, it was okay - sometimes really interesting, sometimes too many names to keep track of, and his organization style was a bit... unique. Still, you could tell it's a subject dear to his heart, and that he also struggled to justify his love of Tae Kwon Do in the face of its dark past.
April 30, 2012
While the subject matter was fascinating (at least to me as a martial artist), the writing style leaves much to be desired. Much of the book reads as though Gillis were writing an essay for an undergraduate research class.
The author notes in the introduction his reasoning for using different spellings/capitalization of taekwondo/Taekwon-Do/Tae Kwon Do/etc., which I understand, but didn't expect it to be so distracting. Likewise the inconsistent order of given name/family name.
He makes a good attempt to give context for each name that's dropped in a particular section ("Remember, he was head of this dojang at this time"), but more often than not, that just serves to be confusing, or the name in question is quite unnecessary. I'm sure to someone who's been immersed in the research the way Gillis has, it flows really nicely and serves as an important reminder of where events fall in the overall web of the book, but I just found it distracting at best.
Final negative thought: while this didn't happen too often, there was at least one analogy/metaphor that was so ridiculous I actually laughed out loud.
On the whole though, I enjoyed the long and sometimes saddening tale of Choi Hong-Hi and his "2000-year-old" martial art. I felt the book also gave (intentionally or not) a nice basic overview of modern Korean history, something I knew nothing about. I wish Gillis and his daughter the best in their continued training.
The author notes in the introduction his reasoning for using different spellings/capitalization of taekwondo/Taekwon-Do/Tae Kwon Do/etc., which I understand, but didn't expect it to be so distracting. Likewise the inconsistent order of given name/family name.
He makes a good attempt to give context for each name that's dropped in a particular section ("Remember, he was head of this dojang at this time"), but more often than not, that just serves to be confusing, or the name in question is quite unnecessary. I'm sure to someone who's been immersed in the research the way Gillis has, it flows really nicely and serves as an important reminder of where events fall in the overall web of the book, but I just found it distracting at best.
Final negative thought: while this didn't happen too often, there was at least one analogy/metaphor that was so ridiculous I actually laughed out loud.
On the whole though, I enjoyed the long and sometimes saddening tale of Choi Hong-Hi and his "2000-year-old" martial art. I felt the book also gave (intentionally or not) a nice basic overview of modern Korean history, something I knew nothing about. I wish Gillis and his daughter the best in their continued training.
April 11, 2019
I've studied Taekwondo for nearly 45 years, and I had heard that there was some corruption within the ranks... but wow - the reality of it was far beyond what I had been told. I'm a non-ITF traditional guy - I've never liked the Olympic style and after reading this book I'm really glad to not be aligned with the Kukkiwon. This is a well written book that's fully backed up by documented research - and is a must-read for anyone training in the art and way of Taekwondo.
February 2, 2018
A Killing Review
By David B-J
Student, young author and 2nd Degree black belt in CHITF Taekwondo
Edited by: Shawn Rochette & Samuel L-P
A killing Art was written in 2002 by
Alex Gillis. The best-seller is a 264 pages book revealing the Taekwondo’s history. Did you know that this martial hides one of the most controversial story?Most of the
population think that Taekwondo is an old Korean martial art and olympic sport developed after the WWII. The thing is that since its creation in 1955, the martial art had spread so fast in the
world that there are necessarily untold things around it.
Before giving you my thoughts of the novel, you need to know its summary. At the beginning, we see the Korea’s circumstances under Japanese occupation by living the story of General Choi, one of the creating member of Taekwondo who called himself “The Taekwondo Father”. After, we learn how all the other pioneers helped to teach Taekwondo overseas. Then arrives Choi’s nemesis, Kim Un-yong, who will become the World Taekwondo Federation president while Choi will run the International Taekwondo Federation. A Killing Art presents how the martial art was popularized with agencies such as the KCIA, the CIA, the KGB and others.
Here are some reasons why I personally didn’t enjoyed this best-seller. I would have prefered the book if Gillis would have sticked to Taekwondo history instead of passing few pages on money controversial and how a certain Kim Un-yong tried to reach International Olympic Committee’s presidence. Furthermore, I was confused because of the countless amount of characters in it.
Why have-I enjoyed so much the novel? Well, for a Taekwondo adept such as myself, I loved to learn that all the credits weren’t only for Gen. Choi, some were given to others pioneers such as Nam Tae-hi. “Choi ran the show, but Nam was the show.” wrote the author while referring to the martial art demonstrations . I also appreciated the parallels between the Taekwondo and The Cold War because the famous martial art is implicated a lot with communism. I am grateful to all the research made by the author to provide surprising hidden facts. For example when he wrote “ It is likely that Choi was mad not only about the mission’s brazenness but at the KCIA for failing to notify him..” indicating the East Berlin Incident where KCIA agents (taekwondo trained spies) kidnapped Koreans.
The book covers up the martial art history including the two sides of the medal with brilliance. Personally, the author demystified a lot of my questions about Taekwondo and I appreciate. For someone passionated by the martial, it is a must for understanding what happened in Taekwondo.
By David B-J
Student, young author and 2nd Degree black belt in CHITF Taekwondo
Edited by: Shawn Rochette & Samuel L-P
A killing Art was written in 2002 by
Alex Gillis. The best-seller is a 264 pages book revealing the Taekwondo’s history. Did you know that this martial hides one of the most controversial story?Most of the
population think that Taekwondo is an old Korean martial art and olympic sport developed after the WWII. The thing is that since its creation in 1955, the martial art had spread so fast in the
world that there are necessarily untold things around it.
Before giving you my thoughts of the novel, you need to know its summary. At the beginning, we see the Korea’s circumstances under Japanese occupation by living the story of General Choi, one of the creating member of Taekwondo who called himself “The Taekwondo Father”. After, we learn how all the other pioneers helped to teach Taekwondo overseas. Then arrives Choi’s nemesis, Kim Un-yong, who will become the World Taekwondo Federation president while Choi will run the International Taekwondo Federation. A Killing Art presents how the martial art was popularized with agencies such as the KCIA, the CIA, the KGB and others.
Here are some reasons why I personally didn’t enjoyed this best-seller. I would have prefered the book if Gillis would have sticked to Taekwondo history instead of passing few pages on money controversial and how a certain Kim Un-yong tried to reach International Olympic Committee’s presidence. Furthermore, I was confused because of the countless amount of characters in it.
Why have-I enjoyed so much the novel? Well, for a Taekwondo adept such as myself, I loved to learn that all the credits weren’t only for Gen. Choi, some were given to others pioneers such as Nam Tae-hi. “Choi ran the show, but Nam was the show.” wrote the author while referring to the martial art demonstrations . I also appreciated the parallels between the Taekwondo and The Cold War because the famous martial art is implicated a lot with communism. I am grateful to all the research made by the author to provide surprising hidden facts. For example when he wrote “ It is likely that Choi was mad not only about the mission’s brazenness but at the KCIA for failing to notify him..” indicating the East Berlin Incident where KCIA agents (taekwondo trained spies) kidnapped Koreans.
The book covers up the martial art history including the two sides of the medal with brilliance. Personally, the author demystified a lot of my questions about Taekwondo and I appreciate. For someone passionated by the martial, it is a must for understanding what happened in Taekwondo.
March 29, 2018
I had purchased and read the original edition and was excited when I learned about this updated version. I gave the original one away but from what I remember, this edition is much improved. The narrative style flows much better than the previous edition.
If you practice Taekwondo then I strongly recommend that you buy and read this book. The author presents the history of it's creation with a beginning from Japanese Karate to what it is now with numerous footnotes. I had no idea of just how political and.. well... crazy the history of it is. It's filled not just with political intrigue but also espionage and assassinations (attempts and actual). Wow.
There are still a few issues I have with the book. The writing style from time-to-time falls into a clunky delivery that reads like a direct translation from another language into English. There a few times when some bit of history gets inserted without being properly introduced and it's appears like we should have known about it. Some things are repeated and written multiple times and each time as if it's being introduced for the first time. And the five tenets of Taekwondo are never really discussed in much detail and there's nothing about how they were developed and introduced into the martial art.
A note about the publisher. Once you buy the book you can send your purchasing information to them and receive a free ecopy of it which is very cool. A hard copy for the home library and an ecopy to carry with you. A very nice perk!
To finish up, even though I wrote a long paragraph about the few issues I have with the book, this really is 5-star book. Anyone who aspires to earn a black belt in Taekwondo really needs to read the book in order to know the history of it.
If you practice Taekwondo then I strongly recommend that you buy and read this book. The author presents the history of it's creation with a beginning from Japanese Karate to what it is now with numerous footnotes. I had no idea of just how political and.. well... crazy the history of it is. It's filled not just with political intrigue but also espionage and assassinations (attempts and actual). Wow.
There are still a few issues I have with the book. The writing style from time-to-time falls into a clunky delivery that reads like a direct translation from another language into English. There a few times when some bit of history gets inserted without being properly introduced and it's appears like we should have known about it. Some things are repeated and written multiple times and each time as if it's being introduced for the first time. And the five tenets of Taekwondo are never really discussed in much detail and there's nothing about how they were developed and introduced into the martial art.
A note about the publisher. Once you buy the book you can send your purchasing information to them and receive a free ecopy of it which is very cool. A hard copy for the home library and an ecopy to carry with you. A very nice perk!
To finish up, even though I wrote a long paragraph about the few issues I have with the book, this really is 5-star book. Anyone who aspires to earn a black belt in Taekwondo really needs to read the book in order to know the history of it.
July 10, 2020
The Untold History of Taekwon-do
The book reads like a spy novel, which is more or less the best way to describe South Korean politics from 1960-1980. The author, though, is openly hostile to General Choi and his tone mars an otherwise good read.
What We Do Know
Did General Choi invent Taekwon-do and how does it relate to ancient Korean styles? Choi invented the term. To the degree such moves were practiced in ancient Korea we simply don't know. There are Karate elements to it, but Choi's style is recognizably is.
His theory of power is notably different from Karate, and with his later use of "sine-wave" it is different from breakaway Taekwon-do styles.
Reaction Force (based on Newton's 3rd Law)
Concentration (pressure being equal to force multiplied by area)
Equilibrium (maintaining center of gravity)
Breath control
Mass
Speed (united the previous five)
Be glad you didn't live in Korea in the 20th century. General Choi was imprisoned and tortured by the Japanese around WWII, which was common to many Koreans.
Battle Stories
~Battle of Yongmunsan: Chinese special forces and North Korean elements overran a Korean outpost. It was completely dark. One Korean leader, Second Lt. Nam, singlehandedly, with his hands, killed 20 men in the dark. He knew the communists had shorter hair and when he approached one, he felt his head and killed or spared him accordingly.
The 1960s began a series of coups and counter-coups and later saw the KCIA (Korean secret police) abducting and terrorizing Korean citizens across the globe. Even worse, the KCIA fronted many organizations and laundered its money through the Moonie Cult. To his credit, and the author grudgingly admits this, the General wasn't involved.
The book reads like a spy novel, which is more or less the best way to describe South Korean politics from 1960-1980. The author, though, is openly hostile to General Choi and his tone mars an otherwise good read.
What We Do Know
Did General Choi invent Taekwon-do and how does it relate to ancient Korean styles? Choi invented the term. To the degree such moves were practiced in ancient Korea we simply don't know. There are Karate elements to it, but Choi's style is recognizably is.
His theory of power is notably different from Karate, and with his later use of "sine-wave" it is different from breakaway Taekwon-do styles.
Reaction Force (based on Newton's 3rd Law)
Concentration (pressure being equal to force multiplied by area)
Equilibrium (maintaining center of gravity)
Breath control
Mass
Speed (united the previous five)
Be glad you didn't live in Korea in the 20th century. General Choi was imprisoned and tortured by the Japanese around WWII, which was common to many Koreans.
Battle Stories
~Battle of Yongmunsan: Chinese special forces and North Korean elements overran a Korean outpost. It was completely dark. One Korean leader, Second Lt. Nam, singlehandedly, with his hands, killed 20 men in the dark. He knew the communists had shorter hair and when he approached one, he felt his head and killed or spared him accordingly.
The 1960s began a series of coups and counter-coups and later saw the KCIA (Korean secret police) abducting and terrorizing Korean citizens across the globe. Even worse, the KCIA fronted many organizations and laundered its money through the Moonie Cult. To his credit, and the author grudgingly admits this, the General wasn't involved.
January 16, 2023
Taekwon-Do has been the one constant in my life, and I've got the techniques, moral culture and narrative of General Choi Hong-Hi and his ITF spoonfed since childhood. Needless to say, the subject matter of this book is fascinating to me, as it offers a more nuanced, more realistic (and therefor uglier) story about the inception and evolution of Taekwon-Do than the one I've heard over and over. Lots can be said about mystification of the martial arts, and Alex Gillis does his part in debunking a couple of stubborn myths about Taekwon-Do. (Spoiler alert: the Korean art is not created in a mystical vaccuum, nor by a holy man. It also isn't rooted in ancient Korean dynasties.)
The author does well in encapsulating Taekwon-Do within the wider context of a modern, divided Korea. It is now clear to me how the contradiction ITF-tradition-North Korea and WTF-innovation-South Korea came about, and why that is a harsh simplification of reality. Corruption, conflict and violence always was inherent in both branches. Unfortunately it continues to do so today, but that doesn't stop Taekwondo/Taekwon-Do from bringing together and empowering millions of people - myself being one of them.
A Killing Art is therefor a compelling read, although one that at times suffers from the breakneck speed at which names of pioneers, KCIA agents and gangsters are being mentioned. As an eighty year long history unravels over merely 200 dense pages, it can be hard to keep up and remember who's who.
The author does well in encapsulating Taekwon-Do within the wider context of a modern, divided Korea. It is now clear to me how the contradiction ITF-tradition-North Korea and WTF-innovation-South Korea came about, and why that is a harsh simplification of reality. Corruption, conflict and violence always was inherent in both branches. Unfortunately it continues to do so today, but that doesn't stop Taekwondo/Taekwon-Do from bringing together and empowering millions of people - myself being one of them.
A Killing Art is therefor a compelling read, although one that at times suffers from the breakneck speed at which names of pioneers, KCIA agents and gangsters are being mentioned. As an eighty year long history unravels over merely 200 dense pages, it can be hard to keep up and remember who's who.
January 3, 2020
I have mixed feelings about this book. A bit about myself. I've been studying World Taekwondo for about four months with my nine year old. I’ve really enjoyed the opportunity to do something with my son and hope to get my 14-year old involved. I love martial art movies.
This book is good because it reminds me to question my assumptions. Before reading this book I assumed there was one unified system of Taekwondo originating from the mythic past of Korea. This book reads like a real-life spy story. It illustrates how the art started from a lost poker game in the 1930s, took from Japanese Karate, was a killing art during the Korean and Vietnam wars, and spread to the world via political intrigue in the Olympics. Each book division is based around the authors “rule of opposites” showing how the founders of the art did not follow the tenets of the art they created.
This brings up the great philosophical question can anything good come from an art founded and used by thugs? I imagine this is the same question that can be asked about any martial art. My answer to this question is absolutely yes. I want to be as strong and as skilled as a thug but with better values. I enjoy the discipline and opportunity to learn an art with my kids.
This book is good because it reminds me to question my assumptions. Before reading this book I assumed there was one unified system of Taekwondo originating from the mythic past of Korea. This book reads like a real-life spy story. It illustrates how the art started from a lost poker game in the 1930s, took from Japanese Karate, was a killing art during the Korean and Vietnam wars, and spread to the world via political intrigue in the Olympics. Each book division is based around the authors “rule of opposites” showing how the founders of the art did not follow the tenets of the art they created.
This brings up the great philosophical question can anything good come from an art founded and used by thugs? I imagine this is the same question that can be asked about any martial art. My answer to this question is absolutely yes. I want to be as strong and as skilled as a thug but with better values. I enjoy the discipline and opportunity to learn an art with my kids.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 6, 2022
This is an essential work as the background of Tae Kwon Do is much in need of exploration. This book shows how the political and social pressures changed the path of this martial art and its acceptance alongside other such sports. As others have noted, this is a consideration of the sport's history, including the politics which played such a significant role in how it expanded as a competitive sport. While the politics may seem complicated, this is a wonderful introduction and consideration of the sport that is limited, partly due to its focus on specific figures (all worthy of note) that marginalize others. For this, it is evident that the author is not to blame, but rather, there is a need for further histories - more focused on the social and educational aspects of Tae Kwon Do, perhaps.
Still, it is rare to see such a book that focuses on the political and social history of a sport that would rise to be part of the Olympics. Thus I recommend anyone interested in sports and their development consider reading this one. It's worth your time.
Still, it is rare to see such a book that focuses on the political and social history of a sport that would rise to be part of the Olympics. Thus I recommend anyone interested in sports and their development consider reading this one. It's worth your time.
Currently reading
October 26, 2020The book is able to inform the reader without making it boring. Although that should come with every book, the history martial arts isn't exciting for all people. This book is able to make the history of a martial art even for an average reader. On page 8 it stated "...World Taekwondo Federation (the WTF, perhaps the most unfortunate acronym in sports history)...". I'm not going to explain the joke because I think we all know and I'm not sure if I can put this here. The book talks about the seperation of the North and South Korea's taekwondo, WTF taekwondo and ITF taekwondo. This seperation is still strong today between North and South Korea.
The author did a good job because of his ability to get information across without boring the average reader. I might be biased because I enjoy martial arts but I enjoyed the book because it gave me insight on a popular martial art.
The author did a good job because of his ability to get information across without boring the average reader. I might be biased because I enjoy martial arts but I enjoyed the book because it gave me insight on a popular martial art.
September 19, 2024
Ok yeah this was actually great. The book answers all the questions I've had about the martial art since I started more than two decades ago, while presenting me with a much wilder ride than I anticipated along the way—and with stories that are so heavily cited that you'd be hard pressed to doubt them, incredible though they sound! I feared an ITF/WTF bias going in (either direction) but was happy to find none: this author delivers kicks equally to all sides—and yet he manages to end on a happy and hopeful note, focusing in on the core spirit of the martial art, and the unsung heroes who dedicate their lives to uphold it.
Could use another round of editing though, as several characters, concepts, and organizations are introduced and re-introduced between chapters, each time as if it were the first time, which gets a bit tiresome after a while.
Could use another round of editing though, as several characters, concepts, and organizations are introduced and re-introduced between chapters, each time as if it were the first time, which gets a bit tiresome after a while.
January 29, 2025
An intriguing and shocking depiction of the origins of the martial art of Taekwon-Do. A story of war, hardship, politics and perseverance, the author delves into both the context and the personal journeys of the figures at the centre of the creation of Taekwon-Do.
For those interested in such stories this is an eye-opening read which firmly plants the noble martial art in the realm of personal fallibility, grudges and corruption. This is the real world and these are the real people and the story is fascinating, even if at times the book does digress into world politics a little much for my taste. But, it all helped shape the landscape of Taekwon-Do as it stands today and is important in it's own right.
Well worth a read for practitioners of Taekwon-Do, whether they be from an ITF or WT background.
For those interested in such stories this is an eye-opening read which firmly plants the noble martial art in the realm of personal fallibility, grudges and corruption. This is the real world and these are the real people and the story is fascinating, even if at times the book does digress into world politics a little much for my taste. But, it all helped shape the landscape of Taekwon-Do as it stands today and is important in it's own right.
Well worth a read for practitioners of Taekwon-Do, whether they be from an ITF or WT background.
July 16, 2017
For anyone who isn't very familiar with Tae Kwon Do and thinks that they won't be able to follow what's going on or might finding it too technical or boring, I don't believe that this would be the case. It's really a look at the founders of the art and at the personal, political, and business aspects which have affected Tae Kwon Do.
There is a lot of history here which was forgotten, ignored, and at times suppressed. I would have given this five stars but it focused a lot on Choi and the ITF (International Taekwon-Do Federation) and not as much on the WTF (World Taekwondo Federation). I would have liked more info on the WTF before the Olympics, especially the how and why the Palgwe and later the Taeguek series of forms were created.
There is a lot of history here which was forgotten, ignored, and at times suppressed. I would have given this five stars but it focused a lot on Choi and the ITF (International Taekwon-Do Federation) and not as much on the WTF (World Taekwondo Federation). I would have liked more info on the WTF before the Olympics, especially the how and why the Palgwe and later the Taeguek series of forms were created.
June 20, 2024
I've been practicing taekwondo for more than twenty years now and had heard a lot of these stories from masters and grandmasters over that time. I had taken a lot of it with a grain of salt, assuming a kind of shared mythology around the toughness and mystique of the founding members. As it turns out, this guy cites his sources. It was interesting for me as a practitioner, if a little cringe at times. You'd need to be pretty invested in TKD to get into it. It says something about the continuing state of the politics that I feel vaguely anxious writing this review that I'll run into this dude at some event and get iced out for calling him cringe on the internet.
June 30, 2020
This book covers the history of Taekwondo well!
Considering this martial art has no roots in eastern mysticism and is only around some 50 odd years old there's not too much to cover but a lot of political intrigue and backroom dealings on par with many a political scandal.
I'm glad Gillis wrote this to give clarity and demystify the art for everyone.
WARNING: Do not expect insight into the martial art itself relating to techniques and such. This is a historical book covering just that: History.
Considering this martial art has no roots in eastern mysticism and is only around some 50 odd years old there's not too much to cover but a lot of political intrigue and backroom dealings on par with many a political scandal.
I'm glad Gillis wrote this to give clarity and demystify the art for everyone.
WARNING: Do not expect insight into the martial art itself relating to techniques and such. This is a historical book covering just that: History.
March 26, 2020
Absolute must read for anyone interested in the history of Taekwon-do or even martial arts in general. Follows the story of Gen Choi Hong Hi, the credited founder of taekwon-do from the perspective of Taekwon-do black belt and author of the book Alex Gillis. Captivating read and does not hold back debunking myths, falsifications and reveals the true history behind one of the world most visually spectacular martial arts.
October 19, 2020
Reads like a spy novel. Thrilling tales of internal struggles and crazy dictators leveraging a sport to bolster their country’s reputation and kidnap people criticizing their way of governing. It’s hard to believe a martial art with seemingly decent values was created by such a political man with an outsized ego.
January 3, 2018
Great read about the surprising history of Tae Kwon Do that few people will tell you. It's more about history than the actual sport, but Martial Arts itself should be about more than sport, so i recommend it to anybody who has an interest in Tae Kwon Do.
January 2, 2025
A thoroughly researched and pretty objective look at the origins and development of taekwon-do.
I was expecting some degree of worship of Gen Choi, but the author did well to present a balanced view.
Highly recommended for practitioners of olympic and ITF taekwon-do.
I was expecting some degree of worship of Gen Choi, but the author did well to present a balanced view.
Highly recommended for practitioners of olympic and ITF taekwon-do.
June 15, 2019
Nice precise history of tae kon do .
April 30, 2020
Couldn't put the book down. An absolute must read for the Taekwon-do enthusiast.
October 9, 2021
Great book, great history, well told!
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