ABSTRACT
The most significant and largely unacknowledged event separating taekwondo from karate, not only in name, but also in substance, was the introduction of fullcontact competition. This development shifted the nature of Korean karate from a martial art, with a central emphasis on self-defense, toward the formation of a competition-driven martial sport – taekwondo.1 This process led to a gradual transformation of taekwondo’s techniques, focus, and purpose.2
