About
Taekwondo
History of Korean Martial Arts
Taekwondo
has evolved by combining many different styles of martial arts that
existed in Korea
over the last 2,000 years and some martial
arts styles
from countries that surround Korea. Taekwondo incorporates the abrupt
linear movements of Karate
and the flowing, circular patterns of
Kung-fu with native
kicking techniques. However, Taekwondo is famed for
its use of kicking techniques, which distinguishes it from martial arts
such as Karate or southern styles of Kung fu. The rationale is that the
leg is the longest and strongest weapon a martial artist has, and kicks
thus have the greatest potential to execute powerful strikes without
successful retaliation. One defining kick of Taekwondo is the Back Kick
which is usually exclusive to Taekwondo.
The
name Taekwondo, however, has only been used since 1957 while the arts'
roots began 2,300 years ago in Korea. Known as a martial art and way of
life, the evolution of Taekwondo was a direct result of the happenings
in Korea long ago, and knowledge of the history is an important step in
understanding Taekwondo. The earliest records of Taekwondo practice
date back to about 50 B.C. During this time, Korea was divided into
three kingdoms: Silla, founded on the Kyongju plain in 57 B.C.;
Koguryo, founded in the Yalu River Valley in 37 B.C.; and Paekje,
founded in the southwestern area of the Korean peninsula in 18 B.C.
Archeological findings during these times, such as the mural
paintings
on the royal tombs during the Koguryo period, stone sculptures at
pagodas during the Silla period and documents written in the Paekje
period, show techniques and fighting stances that were probably the
first forms of Taekwondo. The paintings from this period, which have
been found on the ceiling of the Muyong-chong, a royal tomb from the
Koguryo dynasty, show unarmed people using techniques that are very
similar to the ones used by Taekwondo today.
Silla
unified the kingdoms after winning the war against Paekje in 660 A.D.
and Koguryo in 668 A.D. The Hwa Rang Do, an elite group of young noble
men, played an important role at this unification. They devoted to
cultivating mind and body and served the kingdom Silla. The HwaRang Do
had an honor-code and practiced various forms of martial arts,
including Taekyon and Soo Bakh Do. The old honor-code of the HwaRang is
the philosophical background of modern Taekwondo. The honor- codes are:
1. Be loyal to your king
2. Be obedient to your parents
3. Have honor and faith among friends
4. Have perseverance in battle
5. Justice never to take a life without cause
What
followed was a time of peace. In 936 A.D. Wang Kon founded the Koryo
dynasty, an abbreviation of Koguryo. The name Korea is derived from
Koryo. The Koryo Dynasty was a time for growth and development in the
martial arts. During this time unarmed combat gained its greatest
popularity. Martial arts were on an upswing and even new styles began
to appear. One such style was TaeKyon(also called Subak), which was
considered the earliest known form of Taekwondo. Tae Kyon involved many
more and new kicking techniques and was designed as more of a fighting
sport than a discipline.
Modern-day Taekwondo is influenced by many other Martial Arts. The most
important of these arts is Japanese Karate. This is because Japan
dominated Korea during 1910 until the end of World War II. During WWII,
lots of Korean soldiers were trained in Japan. The influences that
Japan has given to Taekwondo are the quick, linear movements that
characterize the various Japanese systems.
Within
Korea there were five major martial art academies or Kwans. They were
called Mooduk Kwan, Jido Kwan, Changmu Kwan, Chungdo Kwan, and Songmu
Kwan. The way of teaching and employing many of the techniques varied
as much as the schools. The Kwans united in 1955 as Tae Soo Do. In the
beginning of 1957, the name Taekwondo was adopted by several Korean
martial arts masters, for its similarity to the name TaeKyon.
Taekwondo today is just as exciting as ever. Taekwondo, under the
leadership of the World Taekwondo Federation has grown into an
international art and sport practiced in over 190 counties worldwide.
About
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