Sport in South Korea
Taekwondo, a popular martial sport is often claimed to have historical origins on the Korean peninsula with origins said to have been traced as far back as the 1st century BCE. However, such historical claims are difficult to empirically verify and separate from the influences of neighboring counties. The sport rose to prominence following the end of Japanese occupation with the end of WWII. Formalized rules were established in 1961 and in 1988 the sport became an Olympic event. The name "Taekwondo" literally means "way of foot and fist", although the modern emphasis lies on the kicks. This may be a way to help legitimize the sport's connection to the traditional practice called Taekkyeon, which originated in Korea during the Goguryeo period in the 4th century. Taekkyeon uses open hands and the feet, where as the use of clenched fists is not permitted. The motions are smoother and more curvilinear than in Taekwondo. Although both disciplines start with the sound "tae" in English, there is no relationship.
British Taekwondo Control Board
GB Taekwondo holds the mandate for selecting National Team players and Olympic Team players in the UK. Since Taekwondo's inception at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, The UK has fielded several players into Olympic tournaments, such as Steve Jennings, Paul Green, Sarah Stevenson, Aaron Cook and Michael Harvey. To date, five medals have been won (Sarah Stevenson – Bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Jade Jones – Gold at the 2012 London Olympics and 2016 Rio Olympics as well as, Lutalo Muhammad – Bronze & Silver at the 2012 London Olympics and 2016 Rio Olympics).