History of TaeKwondo

(TaeKwon do Yoksa)

About the 6th century A.D. the Korean peninsula was divided into three kingdoms.The three kingdoms were the Silla (she-lah), The Koguryo, and the Baek je. Out of the three kingdoms, the Silla being the smallest, was always being invaded by the other two more powerful kingdoms. When Chin Heung, the twenty-fourth king of Silla, reigned, an elite class of officer corps was developed. This group composed of aristocrats and a warrior class of young men. They were called the Hwa-rang (flowering men). Training in spear, bow sword, and hook, they also trained in many forms of hand and foot fighting. They also swam cold rivers, climbed rugged mountains to prepare themselves physically for the task of defending their homeland. They incorporated a five point code of ethics (Kyo hoon), developed by their country's greatest buddhist monk and scholar Won Kang to guide their actions. These were:

1. Be loyal to your king.
2. Be obedient to your parents.
3. Be honourable to your friends.
4. Never retreat in battle.
5. Never take a life unjustly.

Because of the Hwa-rang's notoriety in battle, they were respected and feared by their harshest enemies. Their feats in battle caused the people of the Silla to rise and unite. The Korean peninsula for the first time in it's history was united. During this period there is evidence to show that there was some form of foot and hand fighting that resembled Tae Kyon (foot fighting) and Ju Jitsu techniques. By the end of the Yi dynasty, martial arts practice ceased, coupled with an anti-military posture. The Japanese occupation (1909-1945) dealt a final blow to any martial arts practice in Korea. Tae Kyon was practiced in secret by a few but dedicated people.

In 1945 came the liberation of Korea . On January 15, 1946 the New Replublic of Korea Armed Forces was organized. A young second lieutenant by the name of Choi (chey), Hong Hi began teaching his soldiers martial arts.

On April 11, 1955, TaeKwon do (foot/hand way) was given its permanent name by a board of instructors, historians, and other important people. The name "TaeKwon do" gave a sense of nationalism to the art and sounded close to the ancient art of Taek Kyon . The twenty-four patterns (hyungs) of the Chang-hun style of TaeKwon do represent the twenty-four hours in a day, or a person's life.