- Speed, power, and precision in striking
The history of martial arts in Korea can be traced back to the first century BC. However, Taekwondo itself is less than a century old. During the Japanese occupation between 1910 and 1945 all traditional Korean martial arts were banned. Following the end of World War II there was a push to rebuild these traditional styles with nine dominant styles emerging in the years that followed.
The Korean War drove a wedge into the philosophy and goals behind Taekwondo leading to two major schools, the International Taekwondo Federation and World Taekwondo Federation (now simply World Taekwondo). Following the split ITF Taekwondo has remained more focused on self defense, while WT can be seen as being more sport focused.
ITF Taekwondo retains its combat focused roots, with a solid striking and defensive regime. This is coupled with light grappling and locking techniques to help set up more power strikes that can potentially end an engagement quickly.
Associated Weapons: Officially none, however, it is not uncommon for staff, stick, and sword training along with other weapons such as a Sai, Spear, or Kama.
Taekwondo uses a neutral stance, often with a deceptively low guard. This allows them to quickly pivot as needed to put weight on the front or back foot as needed. It’s not uncommon to see some Taekwondo repositions even with a chambered leg. While it may seem risky to move on one foot, the fighter is prepared to strike if their opponent closes ranks.
Author’s Note: All builds presented in this series should not be taken as the only way to interpret a given style. Players and GMs are encouraged to treat these as a framework to build their own character’s style.
Style Progression – Slow
Fighting Style: ITF Taekwondo
- Parent Attribute: Dexterity or Intelligence
- Primary Role: Offense
- First Secondary Role: Support: Initiative
Common Specialties:
- Bypass Armor
- Heavy Blow
- Open Foes (Bypass Armor)
- Set Up
Common Combos:
- Aerial (Bullrush but it’s a single flying kick): Move – Heavy Blow – Trip
- Lunge: Move – Set Up
- Reassess: Move – Bypass Armor
- Size Up: Bypass Armor – Set Up
Key Talents:
- Acrobatics
- Forensics
- Intuition
- Movement
- Sport: Taekwondo
- Study: Korean History
- Tactics
- Supported / Supporting Offense
Additional Boons
- Languages: Korean, Spanish, Turkish TY
- Acrobatics Supports Movement Combos MA
- Tactics Supports Heavy Blow TY
- Intuition Supports Interrupting Actions
- Surprising MA
- Tricky TY
Super Style – ITF Taekwondo
It was important to capture a number of touchstones for ITF Taekwondo, speed and precision being a key quality. Boons like Passive Defense, and Defends Against are not from some form of super armor, but rather the martial artist’s ability to move and react in a battle with almost superhuman ability. Automatic adds an extra hit, on top of a hit to represent the accurate and rapid fire kicks associated with Taekwondo.
Example (Classic Power Level)
ITF Taekwondo 12
- Parent Attribute: Dexterity
- Primary Role: Offense
Automatic MA
Secondary Role: Defense MA
Passive Defense TY
Unique Drawback: Activation Required
Defends Against: Might, Quickness TY
Secondary Role: Support: Movement (Full Role) MA2
Added Support: Acrobatics MA
Specialties
- Aerial 7
- Open Foes 7
- Set Up 7
- Size Up 4
This acrobatic style is capable of landing multiple consecutive blows with rapid fire kicks and strikes. With its superior mobility the martial artist can control the ebb and flow of combat.
Cost 1 Power + 12 Selections + 11 AP
Boons
Combo: Aerial TY
Combo: Size Up TY
Languages: Korean, Spanish, Turkish TY
Acrobatics Supports Movement Combos TY
Tactics Supports Heavy Blow TY
Intuition Supports Interrupting Actions TY
Surprising MA
Tricky TY
Cost 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 2 + 1 = 9 AP
Use In Conflict
Which combos the martial artist focuses on can really dictate the flow of a battle. Lunge and Reassess like you move into or out of close range with ease Swap out Lunge for Aerial for more severe damage when closing ranks. Once an opponent has been Sized Up (Bypass Armor), each strike becomes that much more impactful, especially for those fighters that Specialize in Heavy Blow. If things get too heavy, ITF Taekwondo mobility lets the martial artist slide back out of Close Range to make space as needed. This also positions them up to deliver another Aerial.
