Westerners were inclined to regard the feats of Taekwondo as mythical and Asian philosophy as unscientific. Recent study of Asian traditions and culture by the Western world has changed attitudes toward the Far East. Regarding Taekwondo, Occidental observers began to see the unbelievable power of the human mind, body, and spirit with which practitioners can break bricks, roof tiles, and concrete blocks with their bare hands and fists. These abilities have been acknowledged by scientists from many fields.
The Korean Taekwondo Association has devoted itself to developing and disseminating the skills, techniques, and philosophy of Taekwondo, which culminated in the formation of the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) and the first World Taekwondo Championship Competitions, held in Seoul, Republic of Korea, in 1973. More than forty countries from all over the world participated.
The WTF was founded in 1973, and is the international federation governing the sport of Taekwondo. The federation has strived for worldwide propagation and development of Taekwondo, a martial art now found in 173 countries with over 100 million practitioners. First staged as a demonstration sport in the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, Taekwondo was also a part of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics as a demonstration program. In 2000, Taekwondo was a gold-medal Olympic event at the Sydney Olympics, and again in 2004, at the Athens Games.
