Foundations of Taekwondo - History, Theory, Academics
About the Book
Foundations of Taekwondo aims to provide those interested in Taekwondo, be they athletes, teachers, or scholars, a basis for understanding its theory and practice. What is Taekwondo today, and how did it get there? Which activities constitute, or should constitute, Taekwondo?
The structure of the book mirrors the three-stage pedagogical process found in Taekwondo. The Beginning section looks at martial arts in general in order to understand Taekwondo in context. The Intermediate section explains Taekwondo practice in physical education. The final, Advanced section explores aspects of training for mastery and the more spiritual side of Taekwondo practice, with its Buddhist and Confucian influences. At the end, Dr. Kim explains his ultimate goals for Taekwondo practice.
Dr. Daeshik Kim, late Professor, University of Texas at Austin, is the author of many books on the martial arts. He was one of the first Korean masters to introduce Taekwondo into the United States. Dr. Allan Bäck, Professor, Kutztown University has written widely on many subjects and is a recipient of the Research Prize, Humboldt Foundation. Dr. John Johnson has published on many aspects of Taekwondo and is a Professor of Taekwondo at Keimyoung University.
About iACT
The International Academic Conference for Taekwondo (iACT) was established in 2014 to promote and conduct various activities related to Taekwondo research, academics, and learning. iACT began as a grassroots campaign to encourage professional development through annual meetings, research conferences, tutorials, tournaments, and other special projects related to Taekwondo and martial arts. To date, iACT has held academic conferences at New Mexico State University, Stanford University, and Youngsan University (Korea). A secondary goal was to nurture academic and professional development. Supporting this book is a means to that end.
All proceeds from Foundations of Taekwondo: History, Theory, Academics will be used in academic scholarships for students wishing to study or major in Taekwondo at the university level. Through a special foundation overseen by iACT, the proceeds will fund the Daeshik Kim Foundation, which will be overseen and administered by iACT to young scholars in order to assist with their quest to advance the academic understanding and knowledge of Taekwondo.
For more information on the Daeshik Kim Foundation and iACT, please visit www.iactkd.com.
About the Authors
Daeshik Kim, PhD
Dr. Daeshik Kim was born in Seoul, Korea in 1934 and began his training in Judo and kwonbop (Korean: boxing) in 1948. He then earned a four-year diploma from the Korea Yudo College. He came to the United States in December, 1960. He graduated from Georgia Southwestern College and then received a BA in political science from Georgia State University. He then earned a MEd from Emory University and his EdD in physical education and safety education from the University of Georgia. He also had post-doctoral study at the Teachers’ College of Columbia University and at Concordia University in Montreal.
Dr. Kim held ninth dan, the highest possible rank, in both Judo and Taekwondo, as well as masters ratings in several other martial arts. He was one of the first three Korean Judo masters and one of the five Taekwondo masters to introduce these martial arts to the United States. He also pioneered the development of martial art sport in the southeastern United States.
In the United States, Dr. Kim taught the martial arts in the Physical Education departments of Georgia Southwestern College, Emory University, Georgia State University, the City College of New York, and the University of Texas at Austin. He returned to Korea in 1971 and served as the chairperson of the Department of Physical Education at Yonsei University in Seoul. There, he served as director of both the Korean Amateur Sports Association and the Korean Judo Association. He was instrumental in forming the Korean Collegiate Taekwondo Federation and the Korean Collegiate Judo Federation.
Back in the United States, Dr. Kim, as the secretary general, helped to organize the third WTF World Taekwondo Championships in Chicago in 1977. He was also the senior vice president of the Pan American Taekwondo Union and the president of the National College (USA) Judo Association, as well as a consultant for the first three World Open Karate Tournaments of Greatmaster Master Oyama’s Kyokushinkai–kan Karate in Tokyo.
Dr. Kim wrote over 25 books and over 80 articles. He was the editor of Martial Arts Sports and the associate editor of The Judo Times. He was the senior vice president of the International Council on Martial Arts Education. He retired from being a professor in the Department of Health and Kinesiology at the University of Texas. He was honored with several honorary doctorates from American universities and resolutions honoring him for his service from the Georgia State House of Representatives in 1970 and from the Texas State House of Representatives in 1999.
Allan Bäck, PhD
Dr. Allan Bäck has been training in the martial arts for over fifty years. He holds a seventh dan in Taekwondo (2000), a sixth dan in Hapkido, as well as other ratings in other martial arts. He is a certified master instructor in Ho Sin Sul (Korea for self-defense). He has held various offices in martial arts organizations, including being advisor to the United States Martial Arts Institute and the International Council on Martial Arts Education, and contributing editor to the Korean Judo Times. He has won teaching awards from the American Athletic Union (now the USTU) and from the World Taekwondo Federation (now World Taekwondo).
Dr. Bäck received his BA in philosophy (Phi Beta Kappa) from Reed College, and his PhD in philosophy from the University of Texas at Austin. He has published widely in such areas as the history and philosophy of logic, ancient philosophy, medieval philosophy, and comparative philosophy. His first book received a prize from VG–Wort. He was a recipient of the Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung Forschungspreis for his research, as well as an American Philosophical Association Fellowship to the Institute of Advanced Study at Edinburgh. He is a professor of philosophy at Kutztown University in Pennsylvania where he has received its lifetime research and teaching awards. Professor Bäck teaches philosophy courses and martial arts classes. He has taught at other schools, including Rice University and Emory University.
About the Editor
John A. Johnson, PhD
Dr. John A. Johnson has studied Korean martial arts for over thirty-five years. He currently holds the rank of sixth dan in ITF Taekwon-Do, sixth dan in hapkido (Korea Hapkido Federation; KHF), and a fourth dan from the Kukki Taekwondo. After earning a BA in English Language and Literature, Dr. Johnson moved to South Korea in 1999. He subsequently earned a MS in Education (Shenandoah University), and a PhD from the Department of Taekwondo at Kyung Hee University (Korea). Prior to his academic work, he worked for the KHF in several capacities, co-produced the Hapkido episode of Fight Quest for the Discovery Channel, organized Hapkido demonstrations at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), and taught ITF Taekwon-Do and Hapkido in Seoul. Dr. Johnson has published widely on Taekwondo philosophy, pedagogy, international relations, and other areas. He presents regularly at international conferences and is now an assistant professor in the Department of Taekwondo at Keimyung University (Daegu, Korea) and is the vice president of the International Academic Conference for Taekwondo (iACT).
Reviews of Earlier Books
Martial Meditation
“The book’s greatest virtue will be to correct the distorted view which many people have of the martial arts. Martial Meditation is the first sustained philosophical attempt to grasp the nature of this family of human activities... Their advice is that, if you really want to find out what a martial art is, start a practice of one of them, and my advice is that you also read Martial Meditation... It is an awesome by-product of training, practice and wisdom. The book is by far the best work on this intriguing subject, and I encourage you to meditate with these two masters.”
Professor Spencer K. Wertz
(former) President of the Philosophic Society for the Study of Sport
“Martial Meditation...is a very strong, readable, and well-argued book from two knowledgeable authors who provide a clear and critical perspective of martial arts from its Oriental heritage to its present-day development.”
Professor Burt Konzak
Contemporary Sociology
Listing Powered by Reading Modern Technology
Visit us at our website!
Foundations of Taekwondo aims to provide those interested in Taekwondo, be they athletes, teachers, or scholars, a basis for understanding its theory and practice. What is Taekwondo today, and how did it get there? Which activities constitute, or should constitute, Taekwondo?
The structure of the book mirrors the three-stage pedagogical process found in Taekwondo. The Beginning section looks at martial arts in general in order to understand Taekwondo in context. The Intermediate section explains Taekwondo practice in physical education. The final, Advanced section explores aspects of training for mastery and the more spiritual side of Taekwondo practice, with its Buddhist and Confucian influences. At the end, Dr. Kim explains his ultimate goals for Taekwondo practice.
Dr. Daeshik Kim, late Professor, University of Texas at Austin, is the author of many books on the martial arts. He was one of the first Korean masters to introduce Taekwondo into the United States. Dr. Allan Bäck, Professor, Kutztown University has written widely on many subjects and is a recipient of the Research Prize, Humboldt Foundation. Dr. John Johnson has published on many aspects of Taekwondo and is a Professor of Taekwondo at Keimyoung University.
About iACT
The International Academic Conference for Taekwondo (iACT) was established in 2014 to promote and conduct various activities related to Taekwondo research, academics, and learning. iACT began as a grassroots campaign to encourage professional development through annual meetings, research conferences, tutorials, tournaments, and other special projects related to Taekwondo and martial arts. To date, iACT has held academic conferences at New Mexico State University, Stanford University, and Youngsan University (Korea). A secondary goal was to nurture academic and professional development. Supporting this book is a means to that end.
All proceeds from Foundations of Taekwondo: History, Theory, Academics will be used in academic scholarships for students wishing to study or major in Taekwondo at the university level. Through a special foundation overseen by iACT, the proceeds will fund the Daeshik Kim Foundation, which will be overseen and administered by iACT to young scholars in order to assist with their quest to advance the academic understanding and knowledge of Taekwondo.
For more information on the Daeshik Kim Foundation and iACT, please visit www.iactkd.com.
About the Authors
Daeshik Kim, PhD
Dr. Daeshik Kim was born in Seoul, Korea in 1934 and began his training in Judo and kwonbop (Korean: boxing) in 1948. He then earned a four-year diploma from the Korea Yudo College. He came to the United States in December, 1960. He graduated from Georgia Southwestern College and then received a BA in political science from Georgia State University. He then earned a MEd from Emory University and his EdD in physical education and safety education from the University of Georgia. He also had post-doctoral study at the Teachers’ College of Columbia University and at Concordia University in Montreal.
Dr. Kim held ninth dan, the highest possible rank, in both Judo and Taekwondo, as well as masters ratings in several other martial arts. He was one of the first three Korean Judo masters and one of the five Taekwondo masters to introduce these martial arts to the United States. He also pioneered the development of martial art sport in the southeastern United States.
In the United States, Dr. Kim taught the martial arts in the Physical Education departments of Georgia Southwestern College, Emory University, Georgia State University, the City College of New York, and the University of Texas at Austin. He returned to Korea in 1971 and served as the chairperson of the Department of Physical Education at Yonsei University in Seoul. There, he served as director of both the Korean Amateur Sports Association and the Korean Judo Association. He was instrumental in forming the Korean Collegiate Taekwondo Federation and the Korean Collegiate Judo Federation.
Back in the United States, Dr. Kim, as the secretary general, helped to organize the third WTF World Taekwondo Championships in Chicago in 1977. He was also the senior vice president of the Pan American Taekwondo Union and the president of the National College (USA) Judo Association, as well as a consultant for the first three World Open Karate Tournaments of Greatmaster Master Oyama’s Kyokushinkai–kan Karate in Tokyo.
Dr. Kim wrote over 25 books and over 80 articles. He was the editor of Martial Arts Sports and the associate editor of The Judo Times. He was the senior vice president of the International Council on Martial Arts Education. He retired from being a professor in the Department of Health and Kinesiology at the University of Texas. He was honored with several honorary doctorates from American universities and resolutions honoring him for his service from the Georgia State House of Representatives in 1970 and from the Texas State House of Representatives in 1999.
Allan Bäck, PhD
Dr. Allan Bäck has been training in the martial arts for over fifty years. He holds a seventh dan in Taekwondo (2000), a sixth dan in Hapkido, as well as other ratings in other martial arts. He is a certified master instructor in Ho Sin Sul (Korea for self-defense). He has held various offices in martial arts organizations, including being advisor to the United States Martial Arts Institute and the International Council on Martial Arts Education, and contributing editor to the Korean Judo Times. He has won teaching awards from the American Athletic Union (now the USTU) and from the World Taekwondo Federation (now World Taekwondo).
Dr. Bäck received his BA in philosophy (Phi Beta Kappa) from Reed College, and his PhD in philosophy from the University of Texas at Austin. He has published widely in such areas as the history and philosophy of logic, ancient philosophy, medieval philosophy, and comparative philosophy. His first book received a prize from VG–Wort. He was a recipient of the Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung Forschungspreis for his research, as well as an American Philosophical Association Fellowship to the Institute of Advanced Study at Edinburgh. He is a professor of philosophy at Kutztown University in Pennsylvania where he has received its lifetime research and teaching awards. Professor Bäck teaches philosophy courses and martial arts classes. He has taught at other schools, including Rice University and Emory University.
About the Editor
John A. Johnson, PhD
Dr. John A. Johnson has studied Korean martial arts for over thirty-five years. He currently holds the rank of sixth dan in ITF Taekwon-Do, sixth dan in hapkido (Korea Hapkido Federation; KHF), and a fourth dan from the Kukki Taekwondo. After earning a BA in English Language and Literature, Dr. Johnson moved to South Korea in 1999. He subsequently earned a MS in Education (Shenandoah University), and a PhD from the Department of Taekwondo at Kyung Hee University (Korea). Prior to his academic work, he worked for the KHF in several capacities, co-produced the Hapkido episode of Fight Quest for the Discovery Channel, organized Hapkido demonstrations at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), and taught ITF Taekwon-Do and Hapkido in Seoul. Dr. Johnson has published widely on Taekwondo philosophy, pedagogy, international relations, and other areas. He presents regularly at international conferences and is now an assistant professor in the Department of Taekwondo at Keimyung University (Daegu, Korea) and is the vice president of the International Academic Conference for Taekwondo (iACT).
Reviews of Earlier Books
Martial Meditation
“The book’s greatest virtue will be to correct the distorted view which many people have of the martial arts. Martial Meditation is the first sustained philosophical attempt to grasp the nature of this family of human activities... Their advice is that, if you really want to find out what a martial art is, start a practice of one of them, and my advice is that you also read Martial Meditation... It is an awesome by-product of training, practice and wisdom. The book is by far the best work on this intriguing subject, and I encourage you to meditate with these two masters.”
Professor Spencer K. Wertz
(former) President of the Philosophic Society for the Study of Sport
“Martial Meditation...is a very strong, readable, and well-argued book from two knowledgeable authors who provide a clear and critical perspective of martial arts from its Oriental heritage to its present-day development.”
Professor Burt Konzak
Contemporary Sociology
Listing Powered by Reading Modern Technology
Visit us at our website!
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