General Choi Hong Hi (1918-2002) was born ''frail and weak'', so was encouraged by his calligraphy teacher to study Taek Kyon at the age of 15. Then during the occupation of the Japanese in Korea, he was unable to return to Korea due to an unforeseen incident in Japan. During that time he was determined to become a black belt of Karate. Then in January 1946, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the fledgling Republic of Korea army and posted to the 4th infantry regiment in Kwangu, Cholla Namdo Province as company commander. It was Karate that he began to teach the soldiers under his command, but quickly realized that Korea needed their own national martial art; one superior to the Japanese Karate. Therefore, he began to to develop new techniques in March of that same year. By 1955, the foundation of a new martial art for Korea was close to completion. On April 11, 1955 in Seoul Korea, by a committee chaired by General Choi Hong Hi, it was given the name ''Taekwon-Do''. more... See more text