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 then it was known as Subak.
History of Taekkyon
The history of Taekkyon is not entirely clear, there are also people who claim that it was a popular sport, where the sole aim was to unbalance the opponent. However, it is generally assumed that it originated from the Subak and later found its way among the common people where it developed into a sport. The painting Dae Kwae Do from 1846 probably depicts two Taekkyon practitioners.
Taekkyon might have been lost if Shin Han-seung had not come into contact with Song Dok-ki, probably one of the last Taekkyon practitioners, around 1971. During the Japanese colonization of Korea from 1910 to 1945, Koreans were forbidden to practice their own martial arts, and this almost led to the loss of Taekkyon. From 1971 onwards, the two gentlemen worked on the further development and promotion of Taekkyon. This even led to it being assigned the designation 'intangible cultural asset' (registration no. 76) by the Korean government in 1983.
Taekkyon is not, as is often assumed, the predecessor of modern taekwondo. Or rather: taekwondo does not have its origins in the traditional Korean Taekkyon. The principles of both sports are very different from each other. Taekkyon is much more rhythmic and 'softer' than taekwondo . In Taekkyon, every kick is actually a push, and there are also many throws and pushing and pulling movements.
Taekkyon exams
Traditionally, Korean martial arts, including Taekkyon, did not have a graduation system. Nowadays, as in other modern Korean martial arts, exams can be taken to obtain subsequent degrees. We work with a system of up and then degrees. The student's grade is indicated by a colored sash and/or other uniform.
Taekkyon in modern times
Today it is represented in Korea by a number of different organizations, and is growing steadily there. In 1984, Lee Yong-bok founded the 'Korea Traditional Taekgyeon Institute' for the spread of Taekkyon. In Korea and in 1985, Taekkyon competitions were held for the first time in Busan. Recently, several matches were shown on Korean Television (KBS), which provided a huge boost to the growth and popularity of the sport. However, international growth has been limited, with small groups here and there practicing this sport.
