Taekwondo in Korea

The earliest records of Martial Arts practice in Korea date back to around 50 B.C. At this time there were three kingdoms: Koguryo (37 B.C. - 670 A.D.), Paekje (18 B.C. - 668 A.D.), Silla (57 B.C. - 936 A.D.). Paintings from this time period found on the ceiling of a royal tomb from the Koguryo dynasty are considered evidence that a martial art, called 'Taekkyon', was practiced.

The Silla kingdom, small and under attack, accepted help from soldiers from the Koguryo, the northern kingdom believed to have adapted Chinese Kung Fu to their own systems of combat. The Silla then borrowed this system and set up a military academy, Hwa Rang Do, for the sons of royalty where everything from academics and philosophy to martial arts were studied. The Silla unified with Paekje in 668 A.D. and Koguryo in 670 A.D., forming one kingdom under its own name. The Hwa Rang Do played an important role in this unification. The common translation for HwaRang is "flowering youth" (Hwa="flower", Rang="young man"). The HwaRang Do had an honor-code and practiced various forms of martial arts, including Taekkyon and Soo Bakh Do. The honor-code of the HwaRang is the philosophical background of modern Taekwondo.

A time of peace followed the unifications of the kingdoms, and the HwaRang turned from a military organization to a group of academicians, specializing in poetry and music. In 936 A.D., Wang Kon founded the Koryô dynasty, an abbreviation of Koguryo. From this Koryô, Korea and its martial arts got their modern names.

The Koryô Dynasty is considered the complete unfication of the latter Three Kingdoms. The birth of this newly found Korean identity set the stage for generations to come. The period went through political, social, and cultural changes. The Koryô Dynasty is viewed as the transition period between Silla and the Chosôn, where much of the foundation for the next dynasty, even modern day Korea, were laid.

The Chosôn period began in 1392 and ended in 1910. The Chosôn Dynasty is commonly regarded as the last 'traditional' kingdom before the onslaught of 'modern' culture. Where Soo Bakh Do had become a popular sport during the Koryô Dynasty, despite its original military intent, the interest in martial arts faded with the next dynasty. King T'aejo, founder of the Yi-dynasty replaced Buddhism with Confucianism as the state religion. According to Confucianism, the higher class should fill the mind with academics, poetry and music, not war strategies and combat. Martial arts was something for the common, or even inferiour, man. It is believed that the martial art continued a life among the "commoners."