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History of Tae-Kwon-Do


BY:   Dr. Daeshik Kim

Copyright 1987 by NANAM Publications, Co.

Printed in the Republic of Korea.

NANAM Publications, Co.

Seoul Marketing Communications Research Institute.

(02) 393-5418, (02) 362-8542

70 3-Ka Ch'ungjongno

Suh Dae Moon Ku

Seoul, Korea

(Registered .1979. 5. 12)

About the Author:

Dr. Kim earned a four-year diploma from the Korean Yudo College in Seoul, Korea and came to the United States in December, 1960. He graduated from Georgia Southwestern College and received a B.A. in political science from Georgia State University. From Emory University he earned an M. Ed., a his Ed. D. in physical education and safety education from the University of Georgia. He engaged in post-doctoral studies at Teachers College of Columbia University and Concordia University in Montreal. Dr. Kim has also received a Doctor of Science and Doctor of Laws degrees from two American institutions of
History

[This article has been published in Moo Duk Kwan Journal, Co-authored with Choi Byung Ho.]

Tae Kwon Do, a distinctly Korean martial art, has an interesting history which spans several thousands of years. Tae Kwon Do has been practiced as a sport and as a martial art since its inception. The study of Tae Kwon Do not only improves one's physical fitness and health but also employ as its highest goal inner peace and serenity. The lengthy history of Tae Kwon Do, and its association with the principles of Zen Buddism, are reflected in the basic forms and skills of this combination of healthful sport and mental discipline. The evolution of Tae Kwon Do from its origin as a martial art and sport in a relatively small Asian country to its present day world wide popularity is involved and complex. It is the purpose of this article to describe the influences of Korean history on the development of Tae Kwon Do over a span of millennia, to its position today as an internationally acclaimed martial art.

The origin of Tae Kwon Do is obscured by four thousand years of Korean history. In its earliest form, it was probably practiced as a means of protection from the attacks of wild animals. Since these attacks could originate from any direction, a series of self-defense movements was developed that allowed one to instantly and reflexively defend himself from any possible attack. Specific stylized patterns were formed for instinctive self-defense, and these patterns became a system of blocks, kicks and punches that was the ancestor of today's modern Tae Kwon Do.

There has been some speculation that Tae Kwon Do is not indigenous to Korea but is a synthesis of martial arts from Chine and other Asian countries. The evidence, however, does not support this conclusion. The legendary origins of the Eastern martial arts are, as a rule, ascribed to a Buddhist monk from India, Bodhidharma. According to legend and Chan Buddhist texts, Bodhidarma came to China in the sixth century A.D.. He founded a monastery at Shaolin-So where he began to teach special techniques of breath control and meditation. His followers were physically incapable of practicing the strenuous techniques.

So Bodhidarma taught them methods of strengthening their bodies and at the same time, their spirit. These methods later combined with the principles of the I-Ching and Taosim, formed the basis for the Chinese martial arts forms of Kung Fu, Kempo and Tai Chi Chuan.

In Korea, the first tangible evidence of a martial art form that resembles modern Tae Kwon Do dates from the Three Kingdoms period. A mural painted on the wall of a tomb which was built in the kingdom of Koguryo (37 B.C.-66 A.D.) located in southern Manchuria (N. Korea) clearly shows "two youths engaged in Tae Kwon Do sparring."l Since the Myung-Chong tomb is located in Tunsko, capitol of Koguryo from 3 A.D. until 427 A.D., the evidence indicates that Koreans were developing a native martial art form long before Bodhidharma arrived in China. The tomb mural shows one man in the left forward stance protecting his midsection with his left hand in the left forward position while his sparring partner is an attacking position with his left hand outstretched. Both of these positions correspond closely to movements used in modern Tae Kwon Do sparring. Since the tomb mural has been dated between 3 A.D. and 427 A.D., "It can be safely said that Tae Kwon Do was known by this time at the latest."2
{insert standard graphic of 6th Century Ancient Korea here}
Further evidence that Tae Kwon Do has been long practiced in Korea as sport as well as a martial art form has been found in another tomb of the Koguryo period. A mural painted on the wall of this tomb depicts a man in a drill suit with a belt around the waist, much like the modern belted doboks (or practice uniforms) used by modern students of Tae Kwon Do. The figure in the tomb painting is posed in a pattern using his left hand is used to protect his head with an overhand block. Both blocks are used in modern Tae Kwon Do forms and sparring.

In the kingdom of Paekje (18 B.C. - 600 A.D.), which was located along the Han river in southwestern Korea, martial arts were sponsored by the Paekje kings. The ancient records show that horseback riding, archery, and bare handed fighting arts were very popular among both the military men and common people of this era. Records which have survived from this time "have it that in ancient days there was a self defense art using both the arms and legs."3 The fact that unarmed combat skills were practiced by the common people as well as by military men emphasizes again the body building/sport aspect that has characterized Korean martial art forms since their inception. The records from Paekje offer more evidence that Tae Kwon Do is a native Korean form, handed down from the earliest recorded eras in Korea's history.

It was in the kingdom of Silla (57 B.C. - 936 A.D) which existed along the southeastern portion of the Korean peninsula, that the Korean martial art forms reached their highest level yet. Silla unified the Three Kingdoms and, after taking over Paekje in 668 A.D. and Koguryo in 670 A.D., held control for three centuries. A military, educational and social organization started by King Jin Heung, and known as the Hwa Rang Do, played a major role in the unifying of the Three Kingdoms. The Hwa Rang Do was made up of youths of noble families, devoted to cultivating mind and body in order to better serve Silla. The martial spirit represented by the Hwa Rang Do "become the root of Sillas' national morality and strength."4 They followed a code of honor comprised of rigid loyalty to the nation, respect and obedience to one's parents, unswerving loyalty to friends, courage in battle and prudence on using violence or taking life. This code of honor remains the philosophical backbone of the Korean martial arts even today. The Hwa Rang Do trained in all forms of martial skills, including an unarmed fighting form known as Soo Bak, which they refined into a highly effective series of combative movements. In addition to advocating the study of unarmed combat as a part of physical and military training, the Hwa Rang Do also recommended it as a recreational activity. Korean culture and the native martial arts were strongly influenced and enriched by this group of men, and modern students of Tae Kwon Do owe them a debt of gratitude for preserving and refining the various forms of unarmed combat present during this era. Modern students would also do well to study and live by this code of honor followed by the Hwa Rang Do, as an understanding of this philosophy is still an essential part of mastering Tae Kwon Do.

During the Koryo Dynasty (935 A.D.-1392 A.D.) the study of unarmed combat in Korea reached its greatest early popularity. Soo Bak Do, as Tae Kwon Do was then called, was practiced as sport with detailed rules as well as being a martial arts form. It was also during the Koryo Dynasty that "the science was first technically organized and systemized by the leading masters of those times."5 The study of Soo Bak was supported by the royal family and those skilled in the art were often favorably considered for promotion in the military or civil service. The kings of Koryo staged matches and demonstrations of Soo Bak annually. Military men and masters of the art were invited by the royal family to demonstrate their skills at the royal court. The support given to Soo Bak by the royal family military men and the general public during this period indicates the strong social position it occupied as a martial arts form and a recreational activity.

With the coming of the Yi Dynasty an 1392 A.D., however, the strong emphasis placed on military training, physical fitness and the ability to defend the nation was weakened. King Taejo, founder of the Yi Dynasty, replaced Buddhism with Confucianism as the state religion. The ruling class adopted Confucian guidelines in their political and cultural outlook as well as in their personal lives. Confucian thinking advocated classical Chinese learning and played down physical activity. According to the Confucian way of thought, the "superior man" spent his time reading the Chinese classics, composing poetry or learning to play musical instruments. Only "inferior men" engaged in strenuous physical activities such as the martial arts. With ideas like this dominating the ruling class, it is little wonder that popularity of Tae Kwon Do, then known as Tae Kyon, began to decline among the people and that its technical development was also hindered during this period".8 [Ed: Not sure what happened to footnote #6??] Civil officers gained higher esteem than military officers, socially as well as politically, and the development of Korean martial arts was stifled during the reign of the early Yi rulers.

Fortunately for the later generations of Tae Kwon Do students, one Yi Dynasty ruler, King Chongjo, took an active interest in the native martial arts in Korea. In 1790 A.D. he ordered General Lee Duck Mu to compile an official textbook on all martial art forms then present in Korea, including a chapter on the forms of unarmed combat. This volume, known as the Muye Dobo Tongji, is now considered a definitive early classic of the martial arts of Korea. The Muye Dobu Tongi was a martial arts manual of the time using drawings from carved wooden blocks and consisting of about forty pages of Korean style paper. The illustrations and text of the volume describe the Korean martial arts of the Yi Dynasty very clearly. The traditional Korean unarmed combat skills, including Soo Bak and Tae Kyon, are codified and illustrated in the Muye Dobo Tongji as well. While King Chongjo was not able to reverse the trend of disinterest in the martial skills, the volume he ordered General Lee Duck Mu to compile preserved a written record of the native Korean forms for the instruction of future generations.

Military training and national defense continued to be neglected in Korea during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. No organized instruction was available and the forms were handed down from father to son, or teacher to disciple, always in the greatest secrecy. As the Yi Dynasty came to a close in 1909 A.D. with the Japanese occupation of Korea, the practice of military skills declined even further. The Japanese colonial government banned all cultural activities, including team sports and the practice of martial arts, in an attempt to destroy the Korean identity. Some martial arts instructors continued to practice their skills in secrecy, and in this way the Korean martial arts were kept alive. Japanese Karate and various Chinese forms were introduced into Korea during this time, and the teachers of Soo Bak and Tae Kyon further developed and incorporated these foreign techniques into the Korean forms already being practiced. A hybrid form developed utilizing Soo Bak as its core and including techniques from the Chinese Shaolin-Ssu martial arts and Japanese Karate. This new form was called Tang Soo Do or Kong Soo Do.

After liberation of Korea in 1945, Tae Kwon Do began another developmental leap. Because of the foreign influence on Korean martial arts during the Japanese occupation, many instructors saw the need to unify the various styles present in Korea. Immediately after World War Two, many masters returned top the traditional Korean forms of unarmed combat and combined them into a unified, organized national sport. There was much discussion among the master instructors about how best to unite the various dojangs (martial arts schools) and recover traditional Tae Kyon. The first conference that attempted to unite the different dojangs took place in 1946, but without much success. Still, there was a continuing and conscious effort to unite the major schools and standardize instruction method throughout the country. What the master instructors sought was a return to a distinctly Korean form of unarmed martial skills, as free as possible from the foreign influences Tae Kyon undergone during the years of the Japanese occupation. Finally, after years of discussion and debate, the leaders of six major schools were able to agree on a new, unified form, and standardized methods of instruction. The name chosen for this form was Tae Kwon Do. In the Korean language, "Tae means to jump or kick or smash with the foot; Kwon means to punch or strike with the hand or fist; Do means, "a philosophical way or ways of life."7 In English this new unified form translates as "the way of fist and foot fighting." The form the master instructors finally settled on was characterized by four basic kinds of skills; blocking, punching and kicking techniques, coordinated sequences of basic techniques called forms, or Poomse, free sparring, and breaking methods, a measure of concentration or focus. Finally, after years of intense discussion and research, the master instructors had developed a Korean martial arts form, one that used traditional ancient Korean movements, those in use before foreign influences had altered the native methods of unarmed combat.

The vision of the men who made up the Korean Tae Soo Do Association, to make Tae Kwon Do into a national sport as well as a martial art form, began to be realized in the early 1960's. By governmental decree, the Tae Soo Do association was recognized and given official membership in the Korean Amateur Sports Association in 1961. Tae Kwon Do was admitted as an official event for the first time at the forty-third Korean National Games in October of 1962. In August of 1965, the Korean Tae Soo Do Association, the name Tae Kwon Do was fully accepted by all Koreans, however, the effort to make Tae Kwon Do into a national sport was far from finished.

In January of 1971, Dr. Un Yong Kim was elected president of the Korea Tae Kwon Do Association. The dynamic leadership of this man provided the impetus to develop Tae Kwon Do activities even more extensively. Under Dr. Kim's able guidance, the Korea Tae Kwon Do Association "has been significantly developed and advanced spiritually, physically and technically, both in Korea and internationally." In May, 1973, the World Tae Kwon Do Federation was organized under Dr. Kim's leadership to promote Tae Kwon Do on an international level. In addition, Dr. Kim was instrumental in helping to organize the building of the Kuk Ki Won in Seoul. The Kuk Ki Won, literally the Institute for a National Sport, has become the "Mecca of World Tae Kwon Do" and the main educational and training center for the Korea Tae Kwon Do Association."9 In addition to the World Tae Kwon Do Federation, there are two other major Korean martial art organizations that promote the native martial skills of Korea on a local and international level; Korean Soo Bak Do, under the leadership of Grandmaster Hwang Ki, and the International Tae Kwon Do Federation, under General Hi Hong Choi. In May of 1973, the First World Tae Kwon Do Championship was held at the Kuk Ki Won. Over two hundred champions from seven nations competed in this event. The success of this event was proof that Tae Kwon Do had been internationally recognized as a method of promoting physical fitness and as a valid sport, in addition to being an extremely effective method of self defense. The preceding history of Tae Kwon Do gives some insight into the roots and traditions of the Korean unarmed combat skills, but it does not satisfactorily explain why Tae Kwon Do has become so popular in the United States and the rest of the world in the past fifteen years. In the United States, very few people had heard of martial arts until well after World War Two. In 1952, Master Masutatsu Oyama of Japan traveled across the United States, giving demonstrations of intricate karate katas. Few Americans were able to appreciate his skill, however, and his demonstrations were met with boos and hisses until Master Oyama began to demonstrate board and brick breaking techniques. This effective demonstration of the potential power of Karate was something the American audience could appreciate and the boos changed to applause. Unfortunately, this method of getting the audience's attention implanted a false notion of what martial arts are all about in the minds of most Americans. In reality, breaking techniques play only a small part in Karate and Tae Kwon Do training, but the exaggerated emphasis placed on them has changed very slowly in the American concept of the Eastern martial arts. Today, most Americans, and certainly those who practice some form of Oriental martial art skill, recognize that Tae Kwon Do is a complex art and sport as well as an effective self-defense technique.

Unfortunately the spiritual side of Tae Kwon Do, and its relationship to meditation and Buddhist principles of non-violence, is still somewhat neglected by many American students. While they are readily able to grasp the self-defense and physical fitness aspects of Tae Kwon Do, the spiritual side of the art seems to elude them, especially at the lower ranking levels. As one advances in Tae Kwon Do and gains a better understanding of its history, and philosophy, the spiritual aspects become more readily apparent. Holders of upper Dan grades (Black belts) especially, are likely to seek out qualified instructors to show them this neglected side of their training. Tae Kwon Do is, after all, both a mental and a physical exercise. According to Master Kiel Soon Park, President of the International Council on Martial Arts Education, "Tae Kwon Do is a way of life. Its purpose is to enable men and women to realize their full potential both mentally and physically. If the mental aspect is ignored, its physical aspect is meaningless." These worlds bring to mind the code of honor followed by the Hwa Rang Do who deplored unnecessary violence and practiced Tae Kwon Do for spiritual as well as physical improvement. Tae Kwon Do has a long history behind it; the average American student would do well to learn both the history and philosophy of the form in order to become truely proficient in it.

With the influx of qualified instructors into the United States during the last twenty years, it is no wonder that interest in the Oriental martial arts has greatly increased. Many American service men returning home after being stationed in Japan or Korea, and studying Karate or Tae Kwon Do there, brought their interest in the martial arts home with them. There were very few qualified Tae Kwon Do instructors in the United States, however, until the late the 1950's and early 1960's, when a small number of Korean masters, attracted by the growing interest in Tae Kwon Do among Americans, came to the United States. Among the "early pioneers" and masters of Tae Kwon Do in America were Jhoon Rhee, Ki Whang Kim in the Northeastern States, Dae S. Kim in Georgia, Henry Cho and Richard Chun, as well as approximately twenty-five other master instructors". These men offered highly qualified instruction in the martial arts bringing with them the years of experience in Tae Kwon Do, Judo and other Korean martial arts. Unlike some other Eastern martial arts forms, which were being taught in the U.S.A. by unqualified instructors, the early migration of skilled instructors has supported quality instruction in Tae Kwon Do.

From this beginning in the late 1950's, the practice of Tae Kwon Do has increased dramatically, both as a sport and self-defense form. Today, there are over one thousand two-hundred Korean master instructors in the U.S. and the total number of students has increased accordingly. A number of regional Tae Kwon Do associations were formed in the early 70's to handle organizational problems and promote local tournaments. In addition, colleges and universities in the U.S. formed associations of their own. In 1972, the American Collegiate Tae Kwon Do Association was formed to sponsor tournaments and insure quality Tae Kwon Do instruction in American universities. In October of 1979, Tae Kwon Do was admitted into the Amateur Athletic Union of the United States. his was largely due to the efforts of Mr. David Rivenes, then president of the Amateur Athletic Union, and Mr. Ken Min of the University of California at Berkeley. This official recognition of Tae Kwon Do as an amateur sport launched it into a period of substantial growth. The First Annual National AAU Tae Kwon Do Championship was held at Yale University in March of 1975, followed by the Second National Championship held in Kansas City in March of 1976. A third national championship tournament was held at the University of Berkeley in California in 1977. In September of 1977, the AAU hosted the Third Tae Kwon Do World Championships at the Chicago Amphitheater. More than forty-six national teams, consisting of over five hundred contestants, officials and master instructors participated in the event. Each year hundreds of Tae Kwon Do championships are held in the United States under the sponsorship of various Tae Kwon Do organizations. Interest in Tae Kwon Do has obviously increased a great deal in the U.S.A. since its introduction here in the late 50's.

Tae Kwon Do has also continued to become more and more popular on an international level. The World Tae Kwon Do Federation became an affiliate of the General Assembly of International Sports Federation in October of 1975. In 1976 the International Military Sports Council recognized Tae Kwon Do as an official sport and added it to their list of events. In 1979 the Fourth World Tae Kwon Do Championships were held in West Germany and the Fifth World Championships are scheduled for the spring of 1982. Tae Kwon Do's status as an internationally practiced sport has recently been elevated to that of an Olympic sport by the International Olympic Committee in 1980. This recognition of Tae Kwon Do as a competitive sport that promotes physical fitness as well as being an effective martial art form has contributed greatly to the prestige it enjoys today.

Even with the preceding history of Tae Kwon Do, from its inception as a self-defense form to its current position as an Olympic Games event, the exact reasons as to why Tae Kwon Do's history and evolution cover four thousand years of recorded history and the reasons for its continuing popularity are involved and complex. Many Americans still incorrectly assume that "Tae Kwon Do is simply a technique to forge hands and feet into lethal weapons."10 The history of Tae Kwon Do proves that it is far more than a self-defense form or a method of hurting people. As these writers state "Tae Kwon Do develops balance, speed, agility, strength and rhythm, it offers both a physical and mental challenge."11 Far from leading a person into violent or savage behavior, regular practice of Tae Kwon Do encourages self discipline, self control and inner peace. Tae Kwon Do provides a setting for a feeling of emotional well being, free from stress and fear. Tae Kwon Do sparring teaches one trust in one's instructors and fellow students. Its link to Buddhist techniques of meditation and concentration make Tae Kwon Do a much more involved sport than most. In short, in addition to encouraging positive moral values such as trust and courage, Tae Kwon Do develops self confidence and respect. In combining all the different aspects of martial arts skills such as philosophical reflection, sport and physical fitness, Tae Kwon Do emerges as a truly unique approach to living. When practiced as a way of life, Tae Kwon Do can help one to see problems in a manner which benefits everyone concerned. For all these reasons, Tae Kwon Do has remained popular and its popularity is certain to increase in years to come.

FOOTNOTES
1. Kim, Un Yong. Tae Kwon Do Korea Background Series (Korean Overseas Information Service, Seoul, Korea, 1976). p. 11.
2. Ibid, p. 13
3. Ibid, p. 14.
4. Yurochka, John, Tae Kwon Do, An Ancient Art in a Modern World (writing in the program for the Third Annual AAU Tae Kwon Do Championships).
5. Kim, D.S., Leland, Tom. Karate. (Wm. Brown Co. Publishers. Dubuque, lowa, 1978. p. 4.
6. Ibid, p. 4.
7. Ibid, p. 2.
8. Ibid, p. 5.
9. Kim, Un Yong. Tae Kwon Do Korea Background Series. p. 27.
10. Kim, D.S. and Leland, Tom. Karate. p. 3.
11. Ibid, p. 3.

REFERENCES
Back, Allan and Kim, Daeshik. "Towards a Western Philosophy of the Eastern Martial Arts," Journal of the Philosophy of Sports, Philosophic Society for the Study of Sport, Vol. 5, Fall 1979.

Kim, Daeshik. Tae Kwon Do: Brief History of Tae Kwon Do and Korea Third Tae Kwon Do World Championships, September 1977.

Kim, Daeshik and Allan Back. "Martial Arts in Physical Education Programs," U.S. Tae Kwon Do Journal, Vol. 1, #2, Spring 1981, pp. 20-21.

Kim, Daeshik and Richard B. Goldgar. "Athletics & Personal Development in Tae Kwon Do," U.S. Tae Kwon Do Journal and Martial Arts Research Quarterly, Vol. #1, No. 3, Fall, 1981, pp. 6-7.

Kim, Daeshik and Richard B. Goldgar. "The History and Philosophy of the Tae Kwon DoŅA New Olympic Sport." A paper read at the Martial Art Institute, Austin, Texas, December 12, 1981.

Kim, Un Yong. Tae Kwon Do: Korea Background Series. Korean Overseas Information Service, Seoul, Korea, 1976.

Lee, Chong Woo., ed. Tae Kwon Do Kyo Bon. Korean Tae Kwon Do Association, 1976, pp. 9-11

Son, Duk Sung and R.J. Uark. Korean Karate: The Art of Tae Kwon Do. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall, Inc., 1968.

Yurechko, John. Tae Kwon Do: An Ancient Art in a Modern World, 3rd National AAA Tae Kwon Do Championship, March 5, 1977.


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