Taekkyon is an ancient form of unarmed self-defense from Korea. The name is first mentioned in the book Manmulbo, published around 1790 by Lee, Sung-Ji. Before that, it was known as Subak.
History of Taekkyon
The history of Taekkyon is not entirely clear. Some people claim that it was a folk sport whose sole purpose was to unbalance the opponent.
It is generally assumed, however, that it originated from Subak and later spread among ordinary people, where it developed into a sport. The 1846 painting Dae Kwae Do probably depicts two Taekkyon practitioners.
Taekkyon might have been lost if Shin Han-seung had not encountered Song Dok-ki around 1971, probably one of the last Taekkyon practitioners.
During the Japanese colonization of Korea from 1910 to 1945, it was forbidden for Koreans to practise their own martial arts, which nearly led to the disappearance of Taekkyon.
From 1971 onward, the two men worked on the further development and promotion of Taekkyon. This even led to the Korean government designating it as an ‘intangible cultural asset’ in 1983 (registration no. 76).
Taekkyon is not, as is often assumed, the precursor of modern taekwondo. Or rather, taekwondo did not originate from traditional Korean Taekkyon.
The principles of the two sports differ greatly. Taekkyon is much more rhythmic and ‘softer’ than taekwondo. In Taekkyon, every kick is actually a push, and it also includes many throws and pushing and pulling movements.
Taekkyon exams
Traditionally, Korean martial arts, including Taekkyon, had no grading system. Today, as in other modern Korean martial arts, practitioners can take exams to advance to the next grade.
A system of geup and dan grades is used. The student’s grade is indicated by a colored sash and/or a different uniform.
Taekkyon in modern times
Today, it is represented in Korea by several different organizations and is steadily growing there. In 1984, Lee Yong-bok founded the ‘Korea Traditional Taekgyeon Institute’ to promote the spread of Taekkyon.
The first Taekkyon competitions in Korea were held in Busan in 1985. Various competitions have recently been broadcast on Korean television (KBS), providing a major boost to the sport’s growth and popularity.
Internationally, however, its growth has been limited, with small groups practising the sport here and there.
