Almost since its inception in 1955, taekwondo has been used as a form of soft diplomacy for the Republic of Korea (ROK) and then later by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). Taekwondo demonstrations have been instrumental to bringing the ROK and DPRK back to the negotiating table, but how this has been possible has yet to be addressed. This research therefore addresses two questions: (1) What efforts early in taekwondo’s history facilitated its soft diplomacy efforts today? and (2) How do taekwondo organizing bodies teach and promote soft diplomacy today? Systematic literature reviews of taekwondo moral virtues, pedagogy, history, and organizing bodies’ constitutions as well as elite interviews were conducted with those directly involved with taekwondo diplomatic efforts to determine when and how taekwondo soft diplomacy tactics were initiated. This interdisciplinary, qualitative study elucidates that early taekwondo pioneers’ efforts were focussed on soft diplomacy and how their efforts play an ongoing role in ROK and DPRK rapprochement. Furthermore, taekwondo diplomacy has occurred at the governmental, organizational, and grassroots levels, indicating it may be the only sport used at all three levels of diplomacy.

Many Korean universities grant undergraduate and graduate school degrees in part on coursework, theses, and dissertations that explore Taekwondo through various academic lenses in Taekwondo Studies programs, yet only a few individuals have traveled to the Korean Peninsula to study Taekwondo academically. Traveling internationally to earn a university degree in a martial art can be considered extreme martial arts tourism. This multidisciplinary study explores the motivations of non-Koreans who have studied Taekwondo academically in Korea as well as their aspirations after graduation. The study utilized a combination of autoethnographic techniques and interviews with individuals who have given up years of their lives, thousands of dollars, their home cultures, languages, and food, and their families to travel to a foreign university in order to study Taekwondo. Twelve participants were identified that met the selection criteria, but eight responded to the interview requests. The nine participants, including the author, came from a wide assortment of backgrounds, but all shared a passion for Taekwondo; now, most participants (n = 5) have jobs within the Taekwondo industry, including two professors in separate Departments of Taekwondo. This study’s findings elucidate why non-Koreans study Taekwondo academically and thereby offer suggestions on how to improve this educational market.

Introduction: This study’s purpose was to measure and compare isokinetic muscle function and anaerobic exercise capacity of knee joints according to the three Kukki Taekwondo competition types. Methods: A total of 21 elite Korean male poomsae (forms), gyorugi (sparring), and demonstration athletes majoring in Taekwondo were selected as the subjects of the study. Subjects’ physical fitness levels were measured using standardized strength, endurance, agility, balance, and flexibility tests. In particular, the isokinetic muscle function measurement system was used to measure the muscle function of subjects’ knee joints, and the Wingate test was used to measure their anaerobic exercise ability. Results: Gyorugi athletes showed better results than their poomsae and demonstration counterparts in nearly all metrics, including body composition, physical fitness factors, isokinetic muscle function (60°/sec), muscle power (180°/sec), and anaerobic exercise capacity. Gyorugi athletes were also taller and showed higher muscle mass, strength, muscular endurance, and agility. However, poomsae athletes showed a higher level of flexibility. The results found isokinetic muscle function and anaerobic exercise capacity of the knee joint to be most important for gyorugi athletes and then for demonstration and poomsae athletes, in that order. Conclusions: This study provides useful information needed to identify the physical fitness factors of the different Kukki Taekwondo athletes, and, in turn, it is may serve as important fundamental data for developing future systematic Taekwondo training programs.

This report outlines the 7th International Congress of the International Martial Arts and Combat Sports Scientific Society (IMACSSS) and the 4th World Scientific Congress of Sports and Martial Arts (Rzeszow, Poland, October 17-19, 2018) to provide constructive criticism for future conferences. The conference drew numerous scholars from four continents and showcased research on both well-known martial arts and combat sports (e.g., Judo and Taekwondo), while providing a spotlight for less-researched arts (e.g., Malaysia’s Silat and various Polish art forms) as well. Presentations were on qualitative and quantitative research and spanned several academic disciplines. While the three-day conference was organized well and expertly run, slight changes to the schedule could maximize participants’ overall experience at future IMACSSS events.