History of Taekwondo
History of Taekwondo The earliest records of Martial Arts practice in Korea date back to about 50 B.C. These earliest forms of Korean martial arts are known as 'Taek Kyon'. Evidence that Martial Arts were being practiced at that time can be found in tombs where wall paintings show two men in fighting-stance. Others reject this evidence and say that these men could be simply dancing. Back then there were three kingdoms:??1. Koguryo (37 B.C. - 668 A.D.) - in the north?2. Paekje (18 B.C. - 600 A.D.) - in the southwest?3. Silla (57B.C. -936 A.D.) - in the southeast Unification?Silla unified the kingdoms after winning the war against Paekje in 668 A.D. and Koguryo in 670 A.D. At this time a special group of young men, many of them teens, arose as a tangible model for the government in Silla. They would both serve the state and uphold its highest virtues. In doing so, the Hwa Rang Knights played an important role in aiding the unification of the three kingdoms. The Hwa Rang Knights were an elite group of young noble men, devoted to cultivating mind and body and to serve the kingdom of Silla. The best translation for HwaRang would probably be "flowering youth" (Hwa ="flower", Rang="young man"). 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 was given to them by a monk by the name of Won Kwang and is the philosophical background of modern Taekwondo. 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. Many scattered descriptions in written documents of the three kingdoms show that Hwarang not only regarded Taekwondo practice for their unarmed combat study as an essential part of physical and military training, but also recommended it as a recreational activity. Korean culture and the native martial arts were strongly influenced and enriched by this group of young men, and modern students of Taekwondo owe them a debt of gratitude for preserving and refining the various forms of unarmed combat. What followed was a time of peace and the HwaRang turned from a military organization to a group who specialized in poetry and music.??Koryo Dynasty?Although a unified Silla eventually splintered back into separate kingdoms, it would once again become unified in 936 A.D. when the Koryo Dynasty was founded, an abbreviation of "Koguryo." The name Korea is derived from "Koryo." This unification would remain until the division of North and South Korea following World War II. During the Koryo dynasty as there was a stronger emphasis on religion, monks' power grew significantly, giving them more wealth and privileges. With increased wealth came more of a demand to be prepared to defend this wealth so the study of martial arts become more pronounced during the Koryo era, especially behind the walls of monasteries. Also during this time, martial arts grew again as primarily a militaristic activity, as it had in the Koguryo dynasty. Eventually the military became so powerful that it took over the government. In 1392 the Yi dynasty or Chosun period ("Land of the Morning Calm") had begun.??Chosun Dynasty?During the Chosun dynasty (1392 A.D. - 1910 A.D.) this emphasis on military training disappeared somewhat, due to the increasing use of gunpowder and other technological advances that made traditional martial arts almost obsolete, except as forms of exercise (there are records though that show that there was a requirement of winning three bouts of Taekwondo against different opponents in order to become a soldier). However, the established government thought that the higher class should study the poets, read poems and play music. Martial arts was something for the common, or even inferior, man.?The Chosun period also brought about some significant contributions to Korean society as a whole, including the Korean phonetic alphabet known as Hangul in 1443. In addition, in 1394 the capital was moved to Hanyang-gun, present day Seoul, where it has remained ever since. Lastly there was an increased emphasis on family values during this period. Despite many invasions by the Chinese and Japanese the Chosun period lasted until1910 when Japan forced the annexation of the Hermit Kingdom (a nickname based on it's anti-trade policy to keep foreigners out). This Chosun period is considered the last of the true traditional Korean eras.??Twentieth Century?Throughout the Japanese occupation of Korea, anything Korean was stamped out, including martial arts. Again, practice of what we now know as Taekwondo was taken on in privacy. After WWII, when Korea became independent, several kwans (associations) arose:??Chung Do Kwan?Moo Duk Kwan?Yun Moo Kwan?Chang Moo Kwan?Oh Do Kwan?Ji Do Kwan?Chi do Kwan?Song Moo Kwan??The Kwans united in 1955 as Tae Soo Do. In the beginning of 1957, the name "Tae Kwon Do" was adopted by several Korean martial arts masters, for its similarity to the name "Tae Kyon." This name was influenced by General Choi Hong Hi, who would eventually bring this art to the United States.??In the 20th century, Taekwondo grew tremendously in popularity. In 1962 the Korean Amateur Sports Association acknowledged the Korean Taekwondo Union and in 1965 the name was changed to Korean Taekwondo Association (K.T.A.). General Choi was president of the K.T.A. at that time and was asked to start the I.T.F. as the international branch of the K.T.A. The southern government was overthrown in 1961. General Choi Hong Hi left for America and established I.T.F. (International Taekwondo Federation) Taekwondo, as a separate entity, two years later. Demonstrations were given all over the world. It took a while before real progress was made, but eventually, in 1973, the World Taekwondo Federation (W.T.F.) was founded. The World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) is made up of Taekwondo National Governing Bodies (NGBs), such as the KTA for Korea and the USTU for the United States. These NGBs are members of the WTF, and not individuals. Individuals may be affiliated to the WTF through their NGB, but individuals cannot join the WTF directly.??In 1980, W.T.F. Taekwondo was recognized by the International Olympic Committee (I.O.C.) and became a demonstration sport at the Olympics in 1988. In the year 2000 Taekwondo made its debut as an official Olympic sport in Sydney, Australia, making it the second martial art to become an official Olympic game (Judo was first). Today, Tae Kwon Do is the most recognized Korean martial art and is one of the fastest growing sports, second only to soccer. Tae Kwon Do is now practiced in over 138 different countries and continues to grow in popularity.