TAE KWON DO: THE HISTORY OF AN ART
Introduction
Korean Dynasty Period
The Twentieth Century
-------Kukkiwon
Taekwondo in America
-------TKD Unions
The Future of Taekwondo
INTRODUCTION
As it is literally translated from Korean, Tae means "to kick" or "to strike with the foot," Kwon means "fist" or "to strike with the Hand," and Do means "discipline" or "art." Taken together, Tae Kwon Do means "the art of kicking and punching"--"the art of unarmed combat." Modern-day Tae Kwon Do, as it has come to be developed over the years, is a unique martial art incorporating both the quick, straight-line movements that characterize the various Japanese systems and the flowing circular movements of most Chinese styles. But more than this, what truly distinguished Tae Kwon Do are its varied and uniquely powerful kicking techniques. It is this prominent use of leg and kicking techniques that set taekwondo apart from all other martial arts systems. Yet, taekwondo is far more than simply a system concerned with physical prowess, for it is also an art directed toward the moral development of its students.
Much of the history of taekwondo is based on legend. There is an Indian legend of a wealthy prince who became interested in the most effective methods of unarmed attack and defense, and spent several years studying the anatomy of animals and humans in order to discover their points of strength and vulnerability. He then developed movements designed to aim blows at these critical points.
Another legend involves the Indian monk, Daruma Taishi, or Bodidharma. To protect himself from animal and marauder attacks on a journey in which he was to spread the teachings of Buddha, he adopted and refined existing unarmed fighting techniques. When he arrived in the Hunan Province of China in 520 A.D., he taught the techniques he had learned to his followers at the Shaolin-Ssu monastery as part of their religious training. Buddhist monks from China then took these skills with them and introduced them to northern Korea in the sixth century. 
There is evidence, however, that martial arts were already developing in Korea prior to Bodidharma's journey to China. The earliest records of taekwondo practice date back to about 50 B.C. During this time, Korea was divided into three kingdoms: Koguryo, Silla, and Paekche. Evidence of the practice of Taek Kyon (the earliest known form of taekwondo) has been found in paintings of the ceiling of the Muyong-chong, a royal tomb from the Koguryo dynasty. These and other mural paintings show unarmed combatants using techniques that are virtually identical to those of modern-day taekwondo. Of particular interest are details that show the use of the knife hand, fist and classical fighting stances, all components of modern taekwondo.
The history of Korea is very long and exciting as is the history of Tae Kwon Do. The legendary soldier-king Dongoon forged the various tribes into a unified kingdom 23 centuries before the birth of Christ. This kingdom, founded at the high point of Egyptian history and centuries before the Roman Empire was founded, lasted more than twelve centuries. Korea is a country with a much varied history. Being at the cross roads of Asia, Korea was periodically invaded by the Mongols, the Manchurians, the Chinese and the Japanese. But the indigenous people of what is now known as the Korean Peninsula hung on to their own identity.
The necessity of political unification to expel foreign invasion led to the establishment of tribal federations leading to kingdoms. Among the Ma-han people of the southwest, the city state founded by a contingent of the Puyu people in 18 B.C. grew to become the kingdom of Paekche. In the southeast corner of the peninsula, a confederation of six clans of the Chin-han in 57 B.C. came to be the kingdom of Silla. Composed of tribal people who had been forced from their original homes in northwestern Korea and the Liao-tung peninsula by the expansion of Chinese power in the area, the Kingdom of Koguryo was founded in 37 B.C.
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THE THREE KINGDOMS PERIOD 
PAEKCHE KINGDOM
In the kingdom of Paekche (18 B.C. to 600 A.D.), which was located along the Han river in southwestern Korea, martial arts were sponsored by the Paekche kings. The ancient records show that horseback riding, archery, and bare handed fighting arts were very popular among both the military and common people of this era. Records which have survived from this time "have it that in ancient days there was a self-defense using both the arms and legs."
KOGURYO KINGDOM
In the kingdom of Koguryo (37 B.C. to 668 A.D.), founded along the Yalu River Valley, the governmental organization worked on a type of merit system where the best and brightest fighters, and the most physically fit received high positions. One of the most prominent systems was formed by the sixth King, King Taejo, and was called the "Sun Bae" which means a hermit or predator with super-natural powers. The men with superior skills were chosen, and called "Sun Bae." It is also said that "sunbaes lived in groups, learning history and literary arts at home and going out to construct roads and fortresses for the benefits of society, always devoting themselves to the nation." With its great neighbor China to the North, Koguryo had need of great military strength to survive. They were able not only to survive, but to grow strong, absorb tribes previously under Chinese control, and successfully stave off large armies sent to subdue them.
SILLA KINGDOM
Although taek-kyon is believed to have first appeared in the Koguryo Kingdom, it is Silla's warrior nobility, the Hwarang, who are credited with the growth and spread of the fighting art throughout Korea. Silla (57 B.C. to 936 A.D.) was the smallest and least civilized of the three kingdoms. Its coastline under constant harassment from Japanese pirates, Silla appealed for help from the Koguryo Kingdom. King Gwanggaeto, the 19th in the line of Koguryo monarchs, sent a force of 50,000 soldiers into neighboring Silla to help the smaller kingdom drive away the Japanese. It is at this time that taek kyon is thought to have been introduced to Silla's warrior class, handed down in strict secrecy to a few Sillan warriors by early masters of the Art.
A price accompanied Koguryo's assistance in repelling the Japanese. For a number of years that followed, Koguryo insinuated itself into Silla's internal affairs, a situation that Silla could not tolerate. Silla and Paekche (also under constant threat of Koguryo domination) forged an alliance and proceeded to shake off the influence of Koguryo.
As the sixth century progressed, the military and political situation for all three of these kingdoms became even more complex. The alliance between Paekche and Silla ended, with Paekche forging a new alliance between itself and Koguryo. Silla was able to form an alliance with the Chinese T'ang dynasty. Through this alliance, Silla was able to conquer first Paekche in 668 A.D., then Koguryo in 670 A.D. Thus, Silla had accomplished what had not been done before: the unification of the Korean peninsula under one banner. The peninsula remained united until the mid-twentieth century, when a civil war divided the country between the Democratic south and the Communist north.
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THE THREE DYNASTY PERIOD
SILLA DYNASTY
Silla's Taek Kyon-trained warriors played a major role in the unifying of the Three Kingdoms. Founded initially by King Jin Heung as a military academy for the young nobility of Silla, the society of Hwarang-do ("the way of flowering manhood") was an elite group. This group numbered between 200 and 1000 at any given time and consisted of the Hwarang, or leaders, who were selected from among the sons of royalty between the ages of 16 and 20, and the Nangdo, or cadets, who were assembled from the rest of the young nobility. The young men within the society were educated in many disciplines, including history, Confucian philosophy, ethics, Buddhist morality, riding, archery, sword play, military tactics and, of course, taek kyon. The guiding principles of the Hwarang-do education were based on the Five Codes of Human Conduct, as established by the Buddhist scholar Wonkang. These axioms are:
Be loyal to your country
Be obedient to your parents
Be trustworthy to your friends
Never retreat in battle
Never make an unjust kill
Tae kyon was taught in conjunction with the Five codes of Human Conduct so that it became a way of life for the young men, a code of moral behavior that served to guide their lives and the use to which they put their training in taek kyon. Today, these codes are reflected in the so-called 11 commandments of modern taekwondo. As with the original codes of conduct, these modern axioms are used to guide the moral development of students of the art, and no student who does not fully understand these tenets can ever hope to master the true essence of the Art.
Loyalty to your country
Respect your parents
Faithfulness to your spouse
Respect your brothers and sisters
Loyalty to your friends
Respect your elders
Respect your teachers
Never take life unjustly
Indomitable spirit
Loyalty to your school
Finish what you begin
Along with their training in fundamental education and military skills, the Hwarang were also skilled in poetry, singing and dancing, and were encouraged to travel throughout the peninsula in order to learn about the regions and people. From Taoism they borrowed the practice of ordering the management of affairs in a seemingly paradoxical but unique manner (the doctrine of action by non-action, the teaching of communication by non-discourse). From the teachings of Buddha they accepted the commitment to reject evil and to effectively act for the good. These traveling warriors were responsible for the spread of tae kyon throughout the Silla dynasty, which lasted from 668 A.D. to 936 A.D.
Of the outside influences that helped to form the core of Korean religious philosophy, Confucianism and Buddhism played the most significant roles.
The Confucian element in Korean philosophic and religious growth stressed social and scholarly virtues. Confucianism upheld the values of correct conduct and filial piety. It taught that the peace, happiness and security of the people was the moral responsibility of the rulers. Confucius also believed in the power of ritual for its own sake, because men in antiquity had left us the traditions of a "Golden Age" which, of course, ties into a reverence for ancestors. Thus, Confucianism was by its very nature conservative, emphasizing man's duties to his follow men and the social order. It was, by and large, a social code, concentrating on ethics and teaching by example, rather that by precepts. While Buddhism also extolled compassion and charity, evidenced in Buddhist hostels for pilgrims, in dispensaries and hospitals and in the humane treatment of animals and men, it was a more dynamic and individualistic form of religion than Confucianism.
KORYO DYNASTY
It was not until the Koryo dynasty (935 A.D. to 1392 A.D.) that the focus of the art was changed. During this time, taek kyon became known as Subak and reached its greatest early popularity. The kingdom under these rulers was strictly militaristic in spirit, a fact dictated by the necessity of defending the country against continual foreign invasions. During the reign of King Uijong (1147-1170) taek kyon/subak again changed from a system designed primarily to promote fitness into a fighting art. The soldiers of the Koryo dynasty were among the finest the country has ever produced, and their martial spirit and bravery has been a source of inspiration ever since. It was during this time that "the science was first technically organized and systemitized by the leading masters of those times," and became practiced not only as a martial art, but also as a skill to enjoy competitively as a sport. It was from the Koryo dynasty that the peninsula gained its modern name, Korea.
Koryo's aristocracy indulged itself and its servants, at the expense of the military. As a result, the military rose and overthrew the regime in 1170. This marked the establishment of military rule in Korea, which continued through a series of popular uprisings, and invasions by both the Mongols and the Japanese, until the late fourteenth century.
At that time, a Koryo general 
by the name of Yi Songye seized political power in a perfectly timed, near-bloodless coup, and established the Joseon dynasty (a.k.a. Yi dynasty). In one form or another, this dynasty ruled Korea until the twentieth century.
JOSEON DYNASTY
During the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1907), there is some speculation that envoys from Okinawa learned subak and introduced it to their people as the forerunner of Okinawa-te karate. The Historical Record of Joseon (also pronounced as Chosun) mentions these envoys and their frequent visits to bring tribute to the kings of Joseon, and of these envoys as the means of Okinawa's adoption of "Nul", the Korean see-saw game.
In 1790, King Chongjo ordered General Lee Duck Muy to compile an official textbook on all martial arts then practiced in Korea. This volume, known as Muye Dobo Tongji, is now considered a definitive early classic of the martial arts of Korea. Prior to this, the art had been restricted primarily to the military nobility. The publication of this book and the subsequent popularizing of the art among the general public were responsible for the survival of subak during the era.
Another Joseon dynasty record indicates that in order to pass a certain degree of martial examination, one had to defeat three or more persons by means of subak. A war history also shows that during the Hideyoshi Invasion in 1592, some 700 volunteer soldiers of the Kumsan area fought Japanese invaders with bare fists by means of subak. Another record shows that subak matches were held time to time among villages of Chungcheong Do.
The popularity of Subak waned in the second half of the Joseon dynasty, due to the negligence of the royal court, which was constantly torn by strife between feuding political factions. With the absence of hostile neighbors, military training and national defense was neglected. King Taejo substituted Confucianism for Buddhism as the state religion, holding scholarships and learning in high esteem and military related pursuits in disrepute. During this period, examples of martial arts training are rare and little is known of them. The martial arts for the most part were passed on from father to son in the form of patterned techniques (forms), usually in secrecy.
The Joseon Dynasty was to last until 1907, with various Kings introducing many social and cultural changes. Generally, it was a period of diplomacy more than continual war, with Korea looking for assistance from Japan when threatened from the north, and looking to China when threatened from the south. Even so, Korea did spend many decades under the control of foreigners, particularly China. From the late 17th century through to the early 19th, Korea was known as the "Hermit Kingdom" because it turned away foreigners, particularly the Europeans who were expanding their own empires at this time. Towards the end of the 19th century, Korea set up relations with many Western Nations in an effort to offset the Japanese influence. In 1894 the Tonghak Rebellion brought both Japanese and Chinese troops onto Korean soil in an effort to protect their interests and to influence the Korean Monarchy. The final Joseon dynasty King was on the throne for only 24 days when a new treaty with Japan stripped him of all power. Thus the annexation of Korea by Japan was merely an achnowledgment of what had already happened.
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THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
The Joseon Dynasty came to a close in 1910 with the Japanese invasion of Korea, who occupied the country for 36 years. This occupation was partly initiated under the pretense of helping to defend Korea against Russian aggression during the Russo/Japanese war. In actuality, is was an attempt to turn Korea into a colony of Japan. The Japanese colonial government, using military force, banned all cultural activities, including team sports and the practice of martial arts. In an attempt to destroy the Korean identity, the Japanese banned the teaching of the Korean language in schools and attempted to change Korean family names. Some martial arts instructors continued to practice their skills in secrecy, and in this way the Korean martial arts were kept alive. One man in particular, Master Song Duk Ki, learned Subak during the later part of the Joseon dynasty from Master Yim Ho, and continued to teach during the Japanese occupation.
Eventually, the Japanese lifted the ban on martial arts to fulfill military requirements during WWII. In 1943, following Judo, Japanese karate and various Chinese forms were introduced into Korea. The teachers of Subak further developed and incorporated these foreign techniques into the Korean forms already being practiced. There were those who even left Korea to work and study in China and even Japan itself. A hybrid form developed utilizing Subak as its core and included techniques from the Chinese kung fu martial arts and Japanese karate-do. This new style was called Tang Soo Do, that is, "the art of the China hand." Other styles included Soo Bak Do and Kwon Bop. There were also those who claimed to teach traditional taek kyon.
Toward the end of the World War II, the Americans invaded Korea to press back the Japanese, but also in an effort to control the post-war occupation of the Korean Peninsula by the Soviets. In 1948, the Americans and Soviets proclaimed the division of Korea into the Republic of Korea (South), with Syngman Rhee as President, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North). In 1950 the North Korean military invaded the South, resulting in the "Korean War" lasting until the 27th of July, 1953.
THE KOREAN KWANS
The first kwan ("school") to teach a native style of martial art was opened in 1945 in Yong Chun, Seoul. This dojang (gymnasium) was named the Chung Do Kwan (a.k.a. Chong Do Kwan, "Gym of the Blue Wave") under master Won Kuk Lee. Soon After, Hwang Kee established the Moo Duk Kwan in Seoul, teaching Tang Soo Do. Later that year, Sup (Jun) Chun Sang established the Yun Moo Kwan in Seoul. And finally, in 1946, Yoon Pyung founded the Chang Moo Kwan at a YMCA. These were believed to be the original kwans.
In 1952, during the Korean War, a demonstration before President Syngman Rhee evolved into the most significant turning point for Korean martial arts. So impressed was Rhee he immediately turned to his military chiefs of staff and ordered that all Korean soldiers receive training in these arts. This dictate ultimately accounted for a tremendous surge in schools and students, including the formal inclusion in the athletic curriculum of elementary and secondary schools of education.
During the War between the Communist government in North Korea and the Republic of Korea in the South, the Russians actively searched for and eliminated famous Taekwondo masters. Among those founding masters were Grand Master Sup Chun Chang (Yun Moo Kwan), and Master Yoon Pyung (Chang Moo Kwan). These were great losses to the Korean people. It is believed that North Korea had no surviving masters until 1972. Many good masters in South Korea were also killed while participating in special commando groups trained in martial arts to fight the North.
In 1953-54, Kwe Byung Yoon and Chong Woo Lee opened and ran Yun Moo Kwan under the new name of Ji (Chi) Do Kwan ("Wisdom Way School"). Byung Chik Ro founded the Song Moo Kwan at Kae Sung, and Hong Hi Choi, with the help of Tae Hi Nam, the Oh Do Kwan ("Gym of My Way"). Counting the original schools, there were now six kwans, all apparently espousing a different style.
In 1954, General Hong Hi Choi organized the 29th Infantry on Che Je island, off the Korean coast, as a spearhead and center for taek kyon training in the military. Choi had been teaching his martial art to his soldiers throughout his military career, and had become an instructor for the American Military Police School in Seoul as early as 1948. In 1949 he visited Fort Riley in the USA and introduced the American people to "Korean Karate". Given fast promotion within the Korean Armed Forces, Choi was named Chief of Staff in 1952 as a Brigadier General and a man of considerable influence in the war time forces of then President Syngman Rhee.
