Taekwondo 1988 Sth Korean v England

Taekwondo was a demonstration sport at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. It was the first time that the sport was included in the Olympic program; it would become an official sport twelve years later at the 2000 Games. A total of 120 men and 62 women from 35 nations competed in eight weight classes. Each event featured a single-elimination tournament to determine the winner. Competition was held at the Changchung Gymnasium from September 17 to 20. Fighters from the host nation of South Korea won nine of the sixteen events.

[@Lexthebarbarian]

This type of Taekwondo no longer exists. 80's and 90's Taekwondo, men got on the mat and fought like warriors. It was a feast for the eyes to see.

[@paulz4667]

Itf taekwondo exists

[@cwh521]

a fight vs a game.

[@hailongtran2247]

Back then, KO was a thing, now people kick like a wet noodle...

[@carlosvidal559]

​@@paulz4667ITF is semi-contact.

[@dokwon20]

I remember my instructor showing me this video when I started Taekwondo

[@EVEROSFP1]

Back then the gap of the level of Koreans and not Koreans was huge...

[@tkvoda]

Real tkd.

[@user-fh3zu5eu5b]

Superbe archive

[@yogi8337]

Power era!

[@xusmico187]

loved observing ROK Marines training in the 80s hard a woodpecker lips.

[@user-fh3zu5eu5b]

Ils sont trop chaud

[@user-tc4wz5zu6t]

7:36

[@MichaelWilliams-mo1vv]

The England fighters had a korean coach?

[@prestonwoods8197]

Back then, many countries hired Korean coaches

[@ceedelosreyes6357]

First fight, there was excellent technique/power in that reverse side kick that winded the England competitor through the body armour. Having competed in ITF/WTF and MT, myself, I know that WTF TKD is a total mess, the rules ruin WTF and have created an impractical fighting system/unimpressive spectacle. The South Koreans need to put politics aside, and unify TKD under ITF rules, then we would be off to the races. Back in the day, I took a GF to a WTF tournament, I told her we were going to see a martial arts tournament for people who had lost the use of the hands. She sat through it all, and never once commented that they seemed to be using their hands when not fighting. I asked her what she thought, she said they were great for handicapped people! and in a way, she was right, lol.

[@carlosvidal559]

Thats yellow belt level today.