Though Taekwondo is a widely known sport these days, when it was first introduced in the 1940s, it was purely a martial art.
Chung Do Kwan Taekwondo was the first style to be developed by Lee Won Kuk in 1944. It included techniques for strikes using hands and feet and its aim was to teach students a method to help them survive under conditions of free street fighting.
Since the 1970s, the athletic version of the system has been developed and includes regulations, referees, judges, protective gear and the objective of winning medals. What it lacked was a compilation of techniques, particularly involving the hands, the original fighting spirit, the power and the beauty of an integrated martial art.
If reading this helps you to see the strong fighting image of authentic Taekwondo, then it will have achieved its purpose.