IDO MOVEMENT FOR CULTURE

Background. Taekwon-Do academic literature has tended to focus on Olympic (sport) taekwondo, relegating General Choi’s Taekwon- Do, a martial art, to near-obscurity, thus showing a potential bias toward the sport.
Problem and Aim. While interest in International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) Taekwon-Do research has increased recently, there remains a dearth of information. This systematic review is a starting point for experienced academics, early career researchers, and lay practitioners to discover what research has been conducted on the ITF Taekwon-Do.
Methods and Materials. First, the terms associated with ITF Taekwon-Do (e.g., “Taekwon-Do,” “International Taekwon-Do Federation,” and “General Choi, Hong Hi”) were searched in Google Scholar, Koreanstudies [SIC] Information Service System (KISS), and a research university database in English and Korean. Inclusion criteria included articles on the ITF, ITF practices, and General Choi, Hong Hi. Next, leading ITF scholars were identified from the articles using purposeful sampling. Third, the names of the top four leading scholars and the keyword “Taekwon-Do” were entered into the same databases and articles were found using the same selection criteria as the first state. Finally, the found articles were catalogued by their areas of study and a thematic analysis was performed.
Results and Conclusions. The majority of ITF research has been in biomechanics (n = 49), history (n = 25), and political science (n = 18). Four researchers were identified as ITF “leading scholars.” Papers on the history of the ITF have evolved into political science discussions on sports diplomacy, but there are still many issues needing to be discussed. Disconcerting trends in ITF research include the failure to recognize that the ITF splintered after General Choi’s death and the lack of test-retest studies in ITF biomechanics research.