The historical past of Taekwondo is mostly assumed to be quick, merely again to World Conflict Two. This, in reality, just isn’t the actual fact. The historical past of Taekwondo stretches not simply by way of the millenniums, however by way of the varied martial arts imported into Korea.
A few thousand years in the past, when Korea was nonetheless divided into three kingdoms, younger males have been chosen for particular coaching in warfare. This coaching consisted of all elements of army coaching, together with archery, equestrian sports activities, fight technique, and so forth. These males have been the cream of the crop, chosen due to their excessive athletic and psychological talents.
These younger warriors have been referred to as the Hwarang, they usually specialised in a martial artwork referred to as Subak. The varied kinds of Subak have been mixed to present excessive coaching in footwork and fistwork. The preferred of the Subak arts was referred to as taekkyeon.
In the course of the center ages martial arts coaching moved into the background. This was due to Chinese language Confucianism. Society turned extra involved with manners, studying how you can be well mannered and get alongside, and the observe of the martial arts was extra confined to backyards.
Then World Conflict Two arrived, together with the Japanese affect. The Japanese stamped out something resembling Korean tradition, and any traces of Taekyyeon or Subak have been ruthlessly suppressed. Whereas this was merciless and oppressive, there was a shiny facet, for the Japanese launched their very own martial arts to Korea.
Koreans embraced the arduous core rules of Karate joyously. The martial arts flowered, and have been represented by 9 Kwans, or homes. Ultimately, after the conflict, the 9 kwans have been introduced collectively below the Taekwondo identify.
Nonetheless, the Koreans strived for their very own cultural id, and the Japanese varieties, and even the accompanying Chinese language influences, have been uncared for for brand new varieties. These new varieties, although typically missing in energy, have been simpler to study, and taekwondo started to be taught to the world. At present, Taekwondo is among the hottest martial arts on the globe, being realized in over 123 nations, and having over 30 million practitioners.
The ultimate step on this historical past of Taekwondo is starting. Koreans are starting to seek for the ability and great thing about their unique arts, and even appraising the heavy obligation influences of the Japanese impressed kwans. In the end, the Korean martial artwork of taekwondo will reabsorb the ability of the Japanese varieties, the distinctive ideas of the Chinese language arts, and create a hyperlink with the unique Subak arts that have been taught so way back.
