Full-contact hogu-style Taekwondo was introduced to Korea by Dr. Yun Kwai-Byung of the Jidokwan. His first instructor was Kenwa Mabuni, the founder of Shitō-ryū Karate. Dr. Yun later trained under Toyama Kanken, who promoted him to Shihan (Sabam) and was widely recognized as the foremost advocate of full-contact karate in Japan at the time.
The earliest protective equipment consisted of bamboo hogu covered with coarse canvas, which later evolved into a heavier foam chest protector. This form of hogu became standard equipment in KTA and WTF-style tournaments.
During this period, scoring was conducted by corner judges using handheld pads to record points, a system that remained in use until the introduction of modern electronic scoring technology. Notably, Chong Woo Lee, after whom the Jidokwan was named, was the first to experiment with an electronic chest protector, laying the groundwork for today’s electronic scoring systems.