Chung Do Kwan represents the establishment of the first Taekwondo “Kwan”, that is to say “Academy”, in the world.

The name of the Academy, "Chung Do Kwan", translates literally as "the Blue Waves Academy".

Waves symbolise an infinite source of energy and knowledge. From these the “water principle” system was created.

It was during this same period that Taekwondo was declared the National Martial Art of Korea. Since 1957, the Academy has been led by Grand Master Won Kyu Uhm, World President of Chung Do Kwan, Chairman of the Taekwondo Association in Seoul, the first Secretary General of the Korean Taekwondo Association (KTA), Vice-President of the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF), Chief Instructor of the Military Academy and Chief Examiner for Military Dans.

He is the source of modern Taekwondo, responsible for the formulation of the rules of the Taekwondo athlete. What is more, he is viewed by thousands of followers who have been trained by him as the leader of Taekwondo in Korea and, by extension, all over the world.

Grand Master Won Kyu Uhm has devoted almost his entire life to the development of Taekwondo. Since his initial founding of the Academy, many other “Kwan” have been created and many have opened Dojangs.

Chung Do Kwan has been adopted as a "school" for the Korean army, mainly for the strict discipline of its training methods and the expertise of its instructors, who possess far-reaching skills in terms of both technique and practical combat.

Chung Do Kwan masters led the majority of army units in the Korean War. In 1953, the special military section of the Chung Do Kwan school, called "Oh Do Kwan”, was placed under the control of General Choi Hong Hi and Commander Nam Tae Hi, the direction of whose special forces was also assisted by Han Cha Kyo. They were both top brass of the Chung Do Kwan school. These appointments represent the birth of the Elite Division of the Korean Army.

From 1959, many Chung Do Kwan Taekwondo instructors were sent to the Vietnam War.

Currently, the technical director of the Chung Do Kwan academy is Grand master Park Hae Man, a first hand student of Grand Master Won Kyu Uhm.

Today’s teaching is ruled by the same discipline as before. This adherance to the philosophy of its founder is the main characteristic of Chung Do Kwan.

Post-1944, many Kwans began to emerge; it was decreed at the governmental level by Rhee, the South Korean President, that all soldiers had to practice military martial arts.

On April 11, 1955, a special committee consisting of leading Masters and historians met to discuss the fixing of a common national term for their art. The term “Taekwondo” was chosen on the suggestion of General Choi Hong Hi, and was adopted principally because it was so close to the old Korean term "Taekyon": “Tae” meaning "to strike with the foot, "Kwon ", “to strike with the fist" and "Do”, “the way".

In the early 1960s, there were no less than 17 different Kwans established in Korea. In 1972, President Park Chung Hee hoped that Taekwondo would become the national sport of Korea. In 1973 the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) was created and is regarded as both the National and World Body of Korean National Martial Arts.

The Taekwondo Masters teaching in France who arrived before 1980 are mostly from the Chung Do Kwan Academy. [The rigour of its methods have meant that] very few French practitioners have earned DANS from this academy. The different academies are ‘Chung Do Kwan’, ‘Moo Duk Kwan’, ‘Yun Moo Kwan’, ‘Chang Moo Kwan’, ‘Oh Do Kwan Do’, ‘Ji Kwan Do’, ‘Chi Do Kwan’, ‘Song Moo Kwan’, ‘Kang Duk Kwan’.