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A Brief History Of Taekwondo
Well over two thousand years ago, when Kyoungju was the capital of the ancient kingdom
of Silla, in what is nowadays modern Korea, two giants were carved on the tower wall of a
Budhist temple. The giants are shown facing each other and assuming a fighting stance
which bares some resemblance to those employed, to this day, in modern martial arts. It's
been argued that these giants demonstrate the early developments of the modern fighting
art of Taekwondo.
Records show that Taekwondo was practiced as early as 50 B.C. During that time, Korea
was divided into three separate kingdoms: Silla, Koguryo and Baekche. Paintings on the
ceiling of the Muyong-chong, a royal tomb from the Koguryo dynasty, provide us with
evidence of the practice of Taek Kyon, the earliest known form of Taekwondo. These, as
well as other paintings from the time, show unarmed combat using techniques that resemble
those of modern Taekwondo, specially the use of the knife hand, the closed fist and
various classical fighting stances.
Although Taekwondo first appeared in the Koguryo kingdom, it is Silla's warrior
nobility, the Hwarang, who are credited with the growth and spread of the art throughout
the Korean peninsula. Of the three kingdoms, Silla was the first to be formed but it
remained the smallest and less civilized. Silla's coastline was constantly being raided by
Japanese pirates. King Gwahggaeto, the 19th monarch in the Koguryo dynasty line, sent
armed forces to help his neighboring kingdom fight the pirates. It appears that it was at
this time that Taek Kyon was first introduced to Silla's warriors class, taught directly,
and in secret, to a few Sillan warriors by early masters of the art.
These warriors trained in Taek Kyon became known as the Hwarang. The Hwarang are
credited with establishing a military academy for the young nobility of Silla. From this
academy emerged a elite society called Hwarang-do, loosely translated into English as
"the way of the flowering manhood". This society adopted Taek Kyon as part of
its basic training regimen. The students of Hwarang-do, all members of the nobility, they
were trained in several different disciplines, including: History, Confucian philosophy,
ethics, Buddhist morality, riding, archery, sword play, military tactics and Taek Kyon.
The guiding principles of this educational system, were based on the Codes of Human
Conduct, credited to the Buddhist scholar Wonkang. These principles or qualities are
loyalty, obedience, trustworthiness, valor in battle and respect for human life. This code
of moral conduct has found its way into modern Taekwondo and is reflected into its basic
underlying Philosophy.
 The Hwarang traveled throughout the Korean peninsula in order to learn more about the
different peoples and cultures that inhabited it. These traveling warriors were
responsible for the spread of Taek Kyon throughout Korea during the Silla dynasty which
lasted from A.D. 668 to A.D. 935. During this period, Taek Kyon remained primarily a sport
and recreational activity designed to improve the physical fitness of its practitioners.
Its potential as a self-defense system was not realized until the the Koryo dynasty (935
to 1392) when the focus of the art shifted towards its fighting aspect. During this time
Taek Kyon became known as Subak and it changed from being merely a fitness system to a
potentially lethal fighting art.
The first widely available book concerned with the art of Subak was written during the
Yi dynasty (1397 to 1907) as a means to promote the art among the general population. The
popularization of the Subak during this era was responsible for its rapid adaptation and
survival. Unfortunately, during the second part of the Yi dynasty, the art began to lose
its popularity due to changes in the political views on the military and its activities.
Because of this shift Subak was preserved only by a few families throughout Korea, which
handed down the art from generation to generation. It follows that, during this period,
Subak was kept alive by the commoners, rather than by of the nobility.
In 1909 Korea was invaded by Japan and remained under its occupation for the next 36
years. Japanese authorities completely banned the practice of any native Korean martial
arts. However, this only increased the interest of the population on these arts, and lead
to the resurgence of Subak. The underground nature of martial arts in Korea changed
drastically in 1943, when their prohibition was lifted and various fighting disciplines
were introduced to the country.
After Korea was finally liberated in 1945 the first Kwan dedicated to teaching a native
Korean martial art opened in Yong Chun, Seoul. This dojang was named the Chung Do Kwan.
The same year the Moo Duk Kwan and the Yun Moo Kwan made their appearance in Seoul. The
following year the Chang Moo Kwan and the Chi Do Kwan opened their doors to students.
Seven other schools opened between 1953 and the early 1960's. Although all these schools
claimed to teach the traditional Korean martial arts, each one emphasized a different
aspect of Taek Kyon/Subak and, as a result, various names emerged: Soo Bahk Do, Kwon Bop,
Kong Soo Do, Tae Soo Do and Dang Soo Do, besides those that claimed to teach the
traditional Taek Kyon.
Differences between the many Kwans prevented the formation of a regulating body for 10
more years. However, the instruction of these fighting methods found a strong acceptance
by the military. In 1952 then President Syngman Rhee watched a half-hour demonstration by
Korean martial arts masters. Rhee was impressed to such point that he ordered training in
the martial arts to be adopted as part of the regular military training.
 On April 11, 1955 a meeting was convened to unify the various Kwans under a common
name. At first, the name of Tae Soo Do was accepted by most Kwan masters. However two
years later the name was changed to the now familiar Taekwondo. This name was chosen for
two primary reasons, the first being that it accurately describes the nature of the art
(both hand and foot techniques). Secondly, it closely resembles the art's early name, Taek
Kyon. On September 14, 1964, the Korean Taekwondo Association was created. During the
1960s thousands of Taekwondo demonstrators performed around the world before fascinated
government officials, many of whom proceeded to invite Korean instructors to teach their
art in their own countries. By the 1070s Taekwondo had a well established world-wide
reputation.
On May 28, 1973 a new worldwide organization was formed: The World Taekwondo Federation (WTF). Since then the WTF
has regulated Taekwondo at the international level. In May 1973 the first biennial WTF
Championships were held in Seoul as a prelude to the inauguration of the WTF. World
championships since then have been held in countries all over the world. (The 1999 World Taekwondo Championships where held in
Alberta, Canada, in June.)
Under the auspices of the General Association of
International Sports Federation (GAISF), Taekwondo was introduced to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in July, 1980. The
crowning achievement of Taekwondo, as an international sport, came in 1982 when the IOC
designated it an official Demonstration Sport for the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea.
Taekwondo will take its rightful place along side the other official sports at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney,
Australia.
Taekwondo is practiced officially in 120 countries and its membership is well over 20
million people, making it the most popular martial art in the world.
For more information about the history and development of Taekwondo, please visit the
following sites:
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