This history covers Taekwondo from its primitive origins to modern Taekwondo of the 20th century. Taekwondo rules and CODE of behavior are also included.
EARLY HISTORY OF TAEKWONDO
People in primitive ages, no matter where they lived, had to develop personal skills to fight in order to obtain their food and to defend themselves against their enemies, including wild animals.
They also had to invent weapons for more effective defense and easier subsistence. However, even after they learned to use weapons, they never stopped their efforts to promote the development of their bodies and minds by practicing various games, especially in the form of religious rites.
A GLIMPSE OF THE KOGURYO DYNASTY
The Korean ancestors who settled in several tribal states in this land after the Neolithic age had many of such activities. Yongko in Puyo state, Tongmaeng in Koguryo, Muchon in Ye and Mahan, and Kabi in the Silla dynasty are some of the striking examples of the "sports activities" which ancient Koreans practiced in their religious rites. These eventually were developed into exercises to improve health or martial abilities.
The long experience of ancient people in defending themselves against the attacks of animals as well as their imitation of the defensive and offensive positions assumed by the animals slowly led the people to develop more effective skills of their own in the use of their hands in fighting, thus creating a primitive form of Taekyon (an old name of Taekwondo).
The origin of Taekwondo in this country can be
traced back to the Koguryo dynasty, founded 37 B.C.
since mural paintings found in the ruins of the royal tombs built by that
dynasty show scenes of Taekwondo practice. Muyong-chong and Kakshu-chong are
two royal tombs built in the Koguryo dynasty, which
were discovered by a group of archaeologists in 1935. They were located in Tungku, Chain county, Tunghua province in
The ceiling of the Muyong-chong carried a
painting depicting two men facing each other in Taekwondo
practice, while the mural paintings of Kakchu-chong
show two men wrestling. In reference to this particular painting, Tatashi Saito, a Japanese historian, in the "Study of
Culture in Ancient
'The painting either shows us that the person buried in the tomb practiced Taekwondo while he was alive or it tells us that people practiced it, along with dancing and singing, for the purpose of consoling the soul of the dead."
The construction of the above two tombs dates back to the period between 3 A.D. and 427 A.D., during which, historians say, Hwando province remained the capital of Koguryo. It can therefore be inferred that Koguryo people started practicing Taekwondo during that period.
HWARANGDO OF THE SILLA DYNASTY
Taekwondo was also practiced during the Silla dynasty. Silla was a
kingdom founded in the southeastern part of the land some 20 years before Koguryo in the north. At Kyongju,
the ancient capital of Silla, two Buddhist images are
inscribed on the inner walls of Sokkuram cave in
Silla was famous for its Hwarang. Korean culture and martial arts of the period were strongly influenced and enriched by the Hwarangdo, a military, educational and social organization and noble youths of the Silla dynasty. The code of honor on which the Hwarang was based was loyalty to the nation, respect and obedience to one's parents, faithfulness to one's friends, courage in battle and avoidance of unnecessary violence and killing.
The influence of the Hwarangdo played an important role in unifying the three kingdoms.
Many scattered descriptions in written documents of the three kingdoms such as the Samguk Yusa, the oldest document of Korean history, show that Hwarang do not only regarded the Taekwondo practice for their unarmed combat study as an essential part of physical and military training, but also recommended it as a recreational activity.
Archaeological findings such as mural paintings on the royal tombs of the Koguryo dynasty, the stone sculptures of pagodas of temples produced during the Silla period, and many scattered descriptions in written documents show that many studies of fighting stances, skills and formalised movements closely resemble the present stances and forms of Taekwondo. Therefore, it can be inferred that people in the three kingdoms practiced an art very like the one we study today.
SUBAK IN THE PERIOD OF KORYO AND CHOSUN DYNASTIES
In the history of Koryo, Taekwondo which was then termed "Subak" was practiced not only as a skill to improve health and as a sport activity but it was also encouraged as a martial art of considerably high value.
Here are a few extracts from the historical record of Koryo that testify to the popularity of Taekwondo as a martial art.
"King Uijong admired the excellence of Chosun Ui-min in Subak and promoted him from Taejong(military rank)to Pyolchang."
'The king appeared at the Sang-chun Pavilion and watched Subak contests."
"The king watched Subak contest at
"The king came to Ma-am and watched Subak contests."
These records indicate that Subak in the Koryo dynasty was also practiced as an organized sport for spectators.
Subak is believed to have gained its highest popularity during the reign of King Uijong, between 1,147 and 1,170 A.D. This period roughly corresponds to the era that includes part of the Chinese Song and Ming dynasties, during which the Chinese "Kungfu" became widely popular after this self-defense art was developed into two advanced systems, namely Neikya and Weikya. These two systems differ chiefly in that the one employs more defensive skills and the other more offensive skills.
The above fact is worth noticing as it further shows that Taekwondo is not only of a pure Korean origin but it has achieved independent development throughout the long history of Korea.
What is very important about Subak in the Chosun dynasty is that there was a book published to teach the game as a martial art and that it became more popular among the general public whereas earlier it had been to a certain degree monopolized by the military in the preceding Koryo dynasty.
A historical record indicates that people from both Chungchong
and Cholla provinces once gathered at the
Furthermore, people who aspired to be employed by the military department of the royal government were eager to learn Subak because it was included as one of the major subjects of the test to be taken by the applicants.
Meanwhile, King Chongjo published "Muye Dobo Tongji," an illustrated textbook on martial arts, which included Taekwondo as one of the major chapters.
It is obvious, therefore, that Subak became an important national sport and attracted much attention from both the royal court and the general public during the Chosun dynasty.
However, in the latter half of the Chosun dynasty, the importance of Subak as a martial art began to decline due to negligence of the royal court, which was constantly disturbed by strife between feuding political factions. As a result, Subak remained merely as a recreational activity for ordinary people.
TODAY
Taekwondo in the first half of the 20th century:
Along with the deterioration of national fortunes, the fall of the
military was accelerated by the dismantling of the army; finally Japanese
imperialists colonized
The oppression of the Korean people by the Japanese imperialists worsened, and the practicing of martial arts, which could have been used as a means of revolt, was forbidden.
However, Taekwondo persisted in the spirit of the Korean people as a physical and spiritual training method of anti-Japanese organizations such as the Independence Army and the Liberation Army, and as a legacy which had to pass on to the younger generation.
After liberation from the Japanese invasion-1970s:
After liberation from the Japanese invasion on August 15, those with an aspiration to revitalize the traditional art of Taekwondo taught their followers. Several kwans arose. These kwans were: "Chung Do Kwan", "Moo Duk Kwan" "Yun Moo Kwan", "Chang Moo Kwan", "Oh Do Kwan", "Ji Do Kwan", "Chi Do Kwan" and "Song Moo Kwan". 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 Tae Kyon. General Choi Hong-hi required the army to train Taekwondo, so the first students were Korean soldiers. The police and air force had to train Taekwondo as well.
At last, on September 16, 1961, the
Korean instructors began going abroad to teach Taekwondo
in the 1960s, which could be called a turning point in the history of Taekwondo. The nomination of Taekwondo
as a national martial art in 1971 was a monumental achievement, as was the Kukkiwon founding in 1972 as the central repository as well
as the site of various Taekwondo competitions. Taekwondo made
its way to the world sport through the 1st World Taekwondo
Championships held in Seoul,
1980-1995:
Presently, member countries of
the WTF total 142 and the global Taekwondo population
are estimated at 30 million people. Spurred by the recognition of Taekwondo by the IOC at its 83rd General Session in 1980, Taekwondo has been rapidly becoming an international sport.
It was adopted as a demonstration sport of the 24th
TAEKWONDO RULES AND CODE OF BEHAVIOR
As in all Martial Arts, ethics are of great importance. One can look at individual ethics, treat a fellow-man right, or one can look at social ethics, as part of a whole. It all comes down to one part, the difference between good and evil. But does this mean that we can kick one in the head? Because we don't want a person to be injured we wear protection, so this is not really a problem. It is all part of the sport. Taekwondo is not a destructive sport, but a sportive one. As I see it, joining a competition is not to hurt your opponent, but to test your strength, in both physical and mental ways. Taekwondo students can improve themselves physically, and mentally by training. The final goal is to achieve harmony with nature and yourself. Balance is gained by controlling both evil and good forces (Yin vs. Yang): A true Taekwondo student knows how to behave in all situations. Practicing Taekwondo gives the student more self confidence, but this should not result in a false sense of superiority.
Because of the military background, there is a general code. These codes are reflected in the so-called "Commandments of Modern Taekwondo" and is strongly influenced by the Buddishm. These commandments are influenced by the HwaRang Do code of honor:
Be loyal to your country
Be obedient to your parents
Be trustworthy to your friends
Never retreat in battle
The commandments of Taekwondo are used as a guide for moral development of students of the art, and no student who does not fully understand these tenets can ever hope to master the true essence of the art.
Commandments of modern Taekwondo:
Loyalty to your country
Respect your parents
Faithfulness to your spouse
Respect your brothers and sisters
Loyalty to your friends
Respect your elders
Respect your teacher
Indomitable spirit
Loyalty to your school
Finish what you begin
DOJANG RULES
No shoes on the workout floor and always wear a clean white uniform.
You should bow to the flags as you enter the training hall.
You should respect and obey your instructor and higher ranking belts.
You should bow to your instructor before starting and after finishing
classes.
You should answer to your instructor "Yes, Sir" or "No,
Sir" and call him by the proper title.
You should not smoke, chew gum or drink (water,
soft drinks, etc.) Additionally, there should be no loud talking, laughing or
horseplay while you are in class.
A Taekwondo practitioner should never willingly
argue or fight, no matter what the reason.
All the Korean names of the basic Tae Kwon Do movements should be memorized
in the Korean language.
You should endeavor to develop yourself mentally and physically in the
spirit of
Tae Kwon Do and to develop strength of character through brotherhood and friendship.