History of the Korean Martial Arts

 

Early History
A tradition of secrecy makes the early history of the Martial Arts difficult to trace.
Masters of old revealed their knowledge only to a priviledged few, and fighting traditions were rarely recorded, but rather passed on by word of mouth.

Ancient Need for Self Protection
It is likeley, that for at least 2000 years, the Asian martial arts have played an important part in the great Eastern cultures. It is impossible to say exactly who invented martial arts or where the art was first practiced. Before the invention of weapons, all primitive people, no matter where they lived, had to develop fighting skills in order to defend themselves against their enemies. The ancient masters observed the movements of various birds and animals , and from the examples of these wild creatures, the masters created their own defensive and fighting postures. Empty hand fighting, therefore, did not originate in any one country, but in all parts of the world.

The Three Kingdoms
In the beginning, Korea was divided into three kingdoms: Silla, Korguryo, and Paekche.
Silla, formed in 57 B.C. in the southeastern part of the peninsula, was at first the smallest and weakest of the three kingdoms.
Koguryo was founded in 37 B.C. in the northern part of the country. Mural paintings on the ceiling of a royal tomb from the Koguryo Dynasty show unarmed men using techniques identical to those of modern day Tang Soo Do. This indicates that the martial arts were practiced very early in Korea's history.
Paekche was founded around 18 B.C. in the southwest peninsula in the vicinity of present day Seoul. Among the three kingdoms, the Silla Dynasty was the most famous for the development of the martial arts.

Silla Dynasty 668 to 935 A.D.
After a long series of wars, the three kingdoms were unified under the Silla Dynasty around 668 A.D. During the Silla Dynasty, young noblemen banded together to form a patriotic society called the Hwa Rand-Do which means "The Way of Flowering Manhood." This order trained select aristocratic youth of Korea to be great military and spiritual leaders.
Influenced by Confucianism, these young warriors learned empthy-hand combat and military tactics as well as history, philosophy, poetry, and morality. The Hwa Rang were responsible for the spread of Tae Kyun throughout Korea.
Koreans and practitioners of the Korean martial arts take special pride in the heritage of the Hwa Rang warriors, who serve as examples of a unique blend of spiritual and physical training. The spirit of Hwa Rang is still present today in the courage and strength of the Korean people

Ko Ryo Dynasty 935 to 1392
During the 9th century, the Silla Dynasty was overthrown, and the three kingdoms emerged again for a brief time. Wnag Kon, a warrior and statesman, unified the kingdoms once again and called the new kingdom Ko Ryo. The name Korea comes from this ancient dynasty. During this time great advances were made in the development of Soo Bahk Ki, another style of Korean martial art. Also, the focus of the art changed from a system designed to promote fitness into a fighting art.

Yi Dynasty 1392 to 1907
This was a "dark ages" period for martial arts in Korea. The state religion changed from Buddhism to Confucianism. Martial Arts were frowned upon in favour of classical Chinese learning. During the second half of the Yi Dynasty, Tae Kyun / Subak's importance declined due to political conflict and the de-emphasis of military activities in favour of more scholarly pursuits. However, in 1790, Yi DUk Moo compiled a text on Korean martial arts entitled Moo yei Dobo Tong Ji. The Book illustrated many parts of martial training and became the standard text for instruction. The publiction of this book popularized the martial arts among the general population, whereas before, the art had been restricted primarily to the military nobility.

Japanese Occupation 1909 to 1945
The occupation of Korea by the Japanese took place from 1909 to 1945. The Japanese banned the practice of all martial arts for the Korean people. To maintain their martial arts' tradition, many Koreans secretly studied and practiced the fighting arts. When Korea was liberated from the Japanese at the end of World War II, many martial arts schools opened through Korea.
Modern History of the Martial Arts
Because the masters had studied in different places and even in different countries during the japanese occupation, the masters were influenced by different styles. One master, Hwang Kee, spent his early years in Korea secretly training, practicing, and perfecting his skills in Tae Kyun and Soo Bahk Do.
During the Japanese occupation, Master Hwang was arrested and imprisoned by the Japanese. He escaped and fled to Manchuria, where he continued to train in empty hand forms. When he returned to Korea from China in 1945, Grandmaster Hwang Kee established his first school in Seoul, Korea: Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan. Grandmaster Hwang Kee's school promoted brotherhood and the development of virtue according to "the way of the worthy hand."
For many years after the libertaion, a variety of martial art styles were taught in Korea. Although each school claimed to teach traditional Korean martial arts, each emphasized a different aspect of Tae Kyun/Subak, and so various names emerged such as Soo Bahk Do, Kwon Bob, Tang Soo, Hwa Soo and Kong Soo Do.
In 1955, many of the kwans (schools) were unified under a common name, Tae Soo Do Association. Several name changes occured but, in May 1973, the organization was renamed the World Tae Kwon Do Federation (WTF).
Between 1955 and 1960 when the majority of masters agreed to merge their various styles, Tang Soo Do practitioners and Tae Kwon Do practitioners divided.
To preserve the traditional style of the martial arts as influenced by Tae Kyun and Soo Bahk Do, Grandmaster Hwang Kee maintained his original Moo Duk Kwan organization. While many of the techniques of Tang Soo Do are similar to those of Tae Kwon Do, Tang Soo Do differs in it's approach. Tang Soo Do is not a sport, and it is not primarily concerned with competition. Tang Soo Do strives to remain a fully traditionalart, which is designed to develop character through equal emphasis on physical, mental and spiritual instruction.