General Choi Hong Hi | 崔泓熙將軍
General Choi Hong Hi (1918-2002) was the father of Taekwon-Do, the martial art currently practised by millions of people in more than 120 countries.
崔泓熙將軍(1918-2002)是跆拳道之父，創立了在超過120國家數以百萬計人士修練的武術。
Taekwon-Do was developed by General Choi in Korea during the 1940s as a combination of Korean Taek Kyon (택견) and Japanese Karate. As a method of unarmed combat for practical self-defence, it is concerned with both the physical and the mental, emphasising self-discipline, humility and a sense of justice. In 1955 General Choi gave it its name, comprising Tae (which means to kick with the foot), Kwon (to strike with the fist), and Do (art).
崔將軍於1940年代，揉合了韓國傳統武術Taek Kyon(택견)及日本的空手道，創立了跆拳道。作為一種以赤手空拳作實用自衛的方法，跆拳道包含了體能上及精神上的層面，著重律己、謙卑及正義感。崔將軍於1955年將這武術命名為跆拳道，意即包含「跆」(以腳踢)、「拳」(以拳擊)及「道」(武術)的意思。
General Choi was born on 9 November 1918 in the rugged and harsh area of Myong Chun (명천) in what is now North Korea. In his youth, he was frail and sickly, a constant source of worry for his parents. At the age of 12, he was expelled from school for agitating against the Japanese authorities who were governing Korea. After his expulsion, his father sent him to study calligraphy under Mr Han Il Dong. Mr Han, in addition to his skills as a calligrapher, was also a master of Taek Kyon, the ancient Korean art of foot fighting. Concerned over the frail condition of his new student, Mr Han began teaching him the rigorious exercises of Taek Kyon to help build up his body.
崔將軍於1918年11月9日生於現今北韓明川(명천)的偏僻小鎮。他年幼時體弱多病，使他的父母經常為他的健康憂心。12歲時，因被指煽動反抗當時統治韓國的日本政府而被逐出校，於是他的父親把他送到韓溢東老師那裡學習書法。韓溢東既是書法家，亦是修練Taek Kyon這種韓國傳統以腳搏擊的武術的大師。有見這個新來的學生身體孱弱，韓溢東便開始教他修練Taek Kyon，藉以幫助他建立強健的體魄。
In 1937, General Choi went to Japan to further his education, where he also studied Karate, the Japanese martial art, and attained the rank of a 2nd Degree Black Belt. With the outbreak of the World War II, General Choi was forced to enlist in the Japanese army. While at his post in Pyongyang, he was implicated as the planner of the Korean Independence Movement, known as the Pyongyang Student Soldiers Movement, and was imprisoned. He practised Taek Kyon and Karate in prision to alleviate the boredom and keep physically fit.
1937年，崔將軍前往日本升學，在那裡學習日本的武術空手道，並取得黑帶2段的資格。第二次世界大戰爆發後，崔將軍被徵召到日軍入伍。在平壤服役期間，他被指為策劃名為「平壤學兵義舉」的朝鮮獨立運動而被囚禁。在獄中他仍繼續修練Taek Kyon，以作解悶及保持其強健體魄。
With the liberation of Korea in August 1945, General Choi was released and went to Seoul where he organized a student soldier’s party. In 1946 he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the new Korean army, the “Launching Pad” for putting Taekwon-Do into a new orbit. He then developed a new martial art with reference to Taek Kyon and Karate.
1945年8月朝鮮解放後，崔將軍獲釋，亦前往首爾組織學生兵團。1946年，他獲任命為新成立的朝鮮陸軍的少尉，此乃他將跆拳道帶入新軌道的跳板。他揉合了Taek Kyon及空手道，自成一家創立了新的武術。
In 1953, General Choi established the crack 29th Infantry Division at Cheju Island, which was also known as the "Fist Division" because of its flag with General Choi's fist over the Korean peninsula, which became the spearhead of Taekwon-Do in the military. He established the Oh Do Kwan where he not only trained the cadre instructors for the entire military but also developing the Taek Kyon and Karate techniques into a modern system of Taekwon-Do.
1953年，崔將軍於濟州島建立了第29步師團，亦因該兵團的旗幟以崔將軍在朝鮮半島上的拳為圖案而被稱為「拳隊」，並成為軍隊中跆拳道的先鋒。崔將軍創立了吾道館，不但為整個軍隊訓練導師，並將Taek Kyon及空手道的技術，發展成現代的跆拳道。
With the name of “Taekwon-Do” was formally recognized in 1955, the martial art was quickly spread as a recognised art in Korea. In 1959 General Choi established the Korean Taekwon-Do Association and he became the first president of the Association. Besides, General Choi and 19 of his top black belt holders toured the Far East and in the subsequent years, he went on to spread the martial art to the world. In 1966 General Choi founded the International Taekwon-Do Federation in Seoul, with associations in 9 countries and continued to promote Taekwon-Do through visits to various countries.
1955年，當「跆拳道」這個名稱獲正式確立後，跆拳道成為獲承認的武術，迅速在韓國本土內發展。1959年，崔將軍成立了大韓跆拳道協會，並就任為首任會長。崔將軍亦帶同19個黑帶高竹前往遠東地區，其後數年間，不斷將這武術推廣到全世界。1966年，崔將軍於首爾成立了國際跆拳道聯盟，共有9個成員國，並繼續出訪世界各地，以推廣跆拳道。
In 1972, owing to political reasons, General Choi was forced to leave Korea for Canada and the headquarters of the International Taekwon-Do Federation was also moved to Canada later in the same year. Nevertheless, he continued to teach Taekwon-Do throughout the world, including North Korea, and in 1974 he organised the first Taekwon-Do world championship in Montreal. He devoted all his efforts to the teaching and promotion of Taekwon-Do until he passed away on 15 June 2002 in Pyongyang, North Korea.
1972年，基於政治理由，崔將軍被逼離開韓國前往加拿大，而國際跆拳道聯盟的總部，亦在同年稍後時間遷移往加拿大。然而，崔將軍繼續到世界各地包括北韓，教授跆拳道，並於1974年在滿地可舉辦首屆跆拳道世界錦標賽。崔將軍一生致力教授及推廣跆拳道，直至他在2002年6月15日於北韓平壤與世長辭，終年83歲。