Taekwondo, the Traditional Art of Korea

Korea's traditional martial art taekwondo is a form of wholesome exercise that has taken its place as a sport in worldwide competition.

But taekwondo is more than just a sport. It is also a performing art infused with the Korean spirit. The beauty of art is of two kinds, stable and dynamic. Stability is expressed in the contemplation that forms the mental component of taekwondo training with its emphasis on stillness in repose. More than other sports or martial arts, the movement style of taekwondo places mental cultivation above the skill. It has less to do with offense and defense than with the unity of mind and body that arises from the movement itself. When the body moves in union with the mind, we experience stillness in motion and movement at rest. Within this movement lies a mind in repose.

Dynamism is the beauty that is manifested in movement. In that the movement of the body expresses the thoughts of the mind, it is founded on the same principle as dance. The taekwondo costume consists of a white jacket and pants tied with a belt. The belt is an important part of the uniform and comes in five colors indicating the levels of achievement: white, yellow, blue, red, and black. Worn with some variations, it forms a large tie-string for the pants.

The dynamic element in the technique of taekwondo lies in the basic movements of the hands and feet. The fist and limbs are used in the block, punch, thrust, and chop, and the feet in kicking, each with various standing postures.

Skill in taekwondo is measured with a grading system in which the learner progresses from an ungraded beginner to a grade holder and then a holder of a dan or level of accomplishment. The grades are counted in reverse from 10th grade (the lowest) to 1st grade (the highest), while the dan progress from level 1 to level 9. The terms dan and dan holder are applied only to competitors aged fifteen or older, while for younger students who have reached the requisite level, the term pum is used instead.

Subyeok Chigi

Subyeok chigi is a traditional martial art unique to Korea. In the Goryeo period (918-1392) it was called subak or "hand hitting," while in the succeeding Joseon era (1392-1910) the Chinese character for "hitting" (bak) was either read with a different pronunciation (byeok) or replaced with a different character pronounced byeok and meaning "accumulation" or "habit."

Subyeok chigi was a form of training or combat in which the opponent was attacked mainly with the hands, and in the Joseon period it became one of the necessary qualifications of a warrior, along with archery, javelin throwing, and polo.

The theory behind subyeok chigi is that when the body adopts a straight posture and brings the palms together naturally without bending the arms, the center line is properly formed and the energy of the body is focused on the center line.

The most important aspect of training in subyeok chigi is the attitude of the body and mind. First, a sloppy posture must be corrected to a balanced and orderly stance. Second, the breath must be calm and steady, not rough or heavy. Third, the mind must be at peace.

Taekgyeon

With a tradition stretching back 2000 years to the Goguryeo Kingdom (37 B.C. - 668 A.D.), taekgyeon could be described as the root of Korean martial arts. Its graceful and unhurried movements combine swaying and swaggering, kicking, and tripping the opponent's legs to make him fall.

The movement style emphasizes smooth, supple bends in which offense and defense come together simultaneously. With cries of exertion and shouts of "Stop!" "I've stopped!" and "Oh no!" the opponents' feet move as nimbly as flitting butterflies.

The unusual footwork and the swaggering and strutting movements aim to make the opponent lose his target and weaken the force of his attack, while the fluid, creeping motion of the body lessens the impact of the blows. All these things make taekgyeon a unique traditional martial art of Korea.