When people discuss Korean martial arts, they rarely mention taekyon. They are usually totally unfamiliar with the name because there hasn’t been much written about it. The four chapters in this anthology give an excellent overview of taekyon as a system noted for it’s dance-like qualities and combative style, especially for leg techniques. Taekyon stands unique as it represents most closely to a pure Korean martial tradition. Chapter one by Stanley Henning gives a detailed overview of martial arts in Korea. From the beginning, Korean martial arts were intertwined with those of China. Even the historical references to Korean martial arts are all in Chinese. The author concludes that traditional Korean martial arts are but a vague memory, with taekyon being the sole survivor. In the next chapter, Robert Young skillfully presents what is known about taekyon. With over 150 years of verifiable history, taekyon is the most thoroughly documented of Korean martial arts. Its skills and techniques greatly differ from those of other modern Korean styles. It is the only plausible candidate for the descendant of ancient subak. This well-researched chapter includes theory and techniques and lineage chart. Dr. Willy Pieter expands upon the historical development of Korean martial sports as presented by Young. There is an emphasis on the hwarang (“flower boy”) and their presence in Korean culture and martial traditions in particular. The etymology of Korean martial systems are questioned. The final chapter by Yung Ouyang offers a fuller picture of what taekyon represents as a moving art. Traditionally, taekyon was a game as well as a martial art, so many did not credit taekyon for its combative elements. It has largely been ignored by those interested in the fighting arts. It is gaining recognition as a legitimate heir to the traditional Korean martial arts, but is also undergoing influences from Japanese traditions and Western sports. Taekyon deserves to be recognized for its uniqueness among the martial arts of Asia. This anthology will serve as solid reference for all interested in the Korean combative traditions, and especially taekyon for its aesthetic appeal as a form of dance and graceful yet powerful combative method.

Tae Kwon Do is acknowledged today as the world's most popular martial art, with the current number of practitioners of the sport standing at 18 million.

Taekkyeon is an authentic and completely Korean fighting art (often confused as a martial art) that was developed by the people on the Korean peninsula 1500 years ago when the Tang military assisted and remained in the Silla Kingdom in the 5th century and is recognized as the original form of empty hand fighting art. Taekkyeon players did not adopted the word "Do" because the word "Do" was from the Japanese who added the sophisticated, philosophical aspects of Bushido to Okinawa's Karate and without the addition of the word "Do" to Taekkyeon, Taekkyeon instructors did not purport to improve the personal growth of Taekkyeon players as is done in styles of martial arts that have added the word "Do" to their martial art keeping Taekkyeon as a modern day fighting art and purely Korean in all aspects and not a martial art.Before the 5th century, Taekkyeon was practiced by the ruling classes and from the 9th to 12th century, became very popular, even among the common people. According to a Korean history book written in the 15th century, Taekkyeon was widely encouraged and practiced by everyone from the King himself to locals. This interest continued until the early Chosan Dynasty.But as the society moved toward a system that encouraged education and literary pursuits and discouraged military pursuits, the practice of Taekkyeon declined. By the 14 century, Taekkyeon was considered a folk dance rather than a fighting art.During the Japanese colonial period, Taekkyeon was banned and nearly vanished. Fortunately Song Duk-ki (1893-1987) the only known player of Taekkyeon in the 19th and 20th centuries as a student, player and referee and through his work, preserved the art and handed it down to modern day players. After the independence of Korea, the practice of Taekkyeon became considerably less popular than the many new Korean martial arts styles with their focus on student growth and personal development rather than becoming a better fighter. The establishment of Taekwondo after the Korean War and its subsequent popularity as an Olympic sport with direct ties to taekkyeon for many of its more demanding technques served to further overshadow the practice of Taekkyeon. Today's Tekkyeon players execute amazing precision and complex techniques that are unrivaled in both the fighting arts and martial arts.Taekkyeon began to rise in popularity again in the early 1980s. It was designated by the Korean government and UNESCO as Important Intangible Cultural Asset No. 76 on June 1, 1983 owing to the extensive efforts by Shin Han-seung (1928-1987), who learned Taekkyeon from Song Duk-ki. After the death of both masters, Lee Yong-bok, who learned Taekkyon from these two masters in 1984, established the Korea Traditional Taekkyon Institute to revive Taekkyon. Through his efforts, a resurgence in Taekkyeon practice resulted and on June 30, 1985, the first Taekkyeon game in 80 years took place in Kooduk stadium, Pusan.The author has included a year by year history of events that caused the colonization of Korea, the reason for the decline in interest in everything Korean and the development of modern Taekkyeon using modern techniques and many dozens of photos for learning the new techniques and those used in the new Yondan Shippal Soo (4th Dan 8 Hnads) Hyung/Form that was added to reduce the likelihood of Taekkyeon being lost again. The author includes a huge Taekkyeon modern terminology in English, Hangul and Sino-Chinese, an exhaustive bibliography, Glossary and Index all for the readers convenience. The author also includes the work of Grandmaster Hwang Kee founder of the Moo Dyuk Kwan to resurrect Subak another lost fighting art and the instructions for learning the Subak's new Chil Sang Hyungs created by Grandmaster Hwang Kee based on the information in the book titled, Moo Yei Do Bo Tong Ji that he discovered in 1957 and worked for decades to get the Korean government to accept for Korea's national martial art and Olympic sport.

Most of what are referred to as Korean martial art styles are actually derived from Japanese/Okinawan karate systems or find their roots in Chinese boxing. The Korean peninsula has existed as a fragile territory between China and Japan and thus shared many cultural elements from their neighbors. To what degree has the Japanese and Chinese arts influenced those practiced in Korea over the centuries? Can we distinguish any original Korean martial art style? Chapters in this anthology are derived from the Journal of Asian Martial Arts specifically in response to such questions as asked above. The authors provide great detail on the military/martial manuals that recorded both battlefield arts and personal combative arts and use these sources to give a picture of the martial traditions practiced in Korea for hundreds of years. In chapter one, Stanley Henning provides an excellent overview of martial arts in Korea since the earliest dynasties. These include bare-hand arts as well as those with weaponry. His overview illuminates the time and place of highly influential military manuals as discussed in the chapter by Manuel Adrogué. John Della Pia’s two chapters focus on a particular manual—the Muye Dobo Tongji (1790)—providing details of open-hand and weapons training, in particular with the unique Korean “native sword.” Two chapters provide the theory and practice of qigong methods for health and martial effectiveness. Dr. Patrick Massey et al. offer results on the use of breathing methods affecting lung capacity. Sean Bradley’s chapter goes deeply into the medical theories that parallel the practice of Sinmoo Hapkido’s qigong methods. The final two chapters focus on practical fighting applications from Hapkido. Marc Tedeschi’s chapter provides sound advice for self-defense against multiple opponents. In addition to detailing principles that give any defender a helpful advantage, Tedeschi shows nineteen examples of techniques against two, three, and four opponents that include pressure point striking, throws, arm bars, locks, and a variety of kicks. In the closing chapter, Sean Bradley discusses a few of his favorite techniques, where he learned them, and why they are memorable. Rich in historical details and practical advice, this anthology will prove to be a prized reference work to all interested in the Korean martial traditions.

An introduction to tae kwon do, a Korean martial art.

Taekkyeon is an authentic and completely Korean fighting art (often confused as a martial art) that was developed by the people on the Korean peninsula 1500 years ago when the Tang military from across its border with what we call China today, assisted in Silla's defense and thremained in the Silla Kingdom in the 5th century. Taekkyeon players did not adopted the word "Do" because the word "Do" was from the Japanese who added the sophisticated, philosophical aspects of Bushido to Okinawa's Karate and without the addition of the word "Do" to Taekkyeon, Taekkyeon instructors did not purport to improve the personal growth of Taekkyeon players as is done in martial arts that have added the word "Do". Taekkyeon as a modern day fighting art can be considered to be purely Korean in all aspects and not a martial art. In the 5th century, Taekkyeon was practiced by the ruling classes and from the 9th to 12th century and became very popular, even among the common people. According to a Korean history book written in the 15th century, Taekkyeon was widely encouraged and practiced by everyone from the King himself to locals. This interest continued until the early Chosan Dynasty. But as the society moved toward a system that encouraged education and literary pursuits and discouraged military pursuits, the practice of Taekkyeon greatly declined. By the 14 century, Taekkyeon was considered a folk dance rather than a fighting art. During the Japanese colonial period, Taekkyeon was banned and nearly vanished. Fortunately Song Duk-ki (1893-1987) the only known player of Taekkyeon in the 19th and 20th centuries as a student, player and referee and through his work, preserved the art and handed it down to modern day players. After the independence of Korea, the practice of Taekkyeon became considerably less popular than the many new Korean martial arts styles with their focus on student growth and personal development rather than becoming a better fighter. The establishment of Taekwondo after the Korean War and its subsequent popularity as an Olympic sport with direct ties to taekkyeon for many of its more demanding technques served to further overshadow the practice of Taekkyeon. Today's Tekkyeon players execute amazing precision and complex techniques that are unrivaled in both the fighting arts and martial arts. Taekkyeon began to rise in popularity again in the early 1980s. It was designated by the Korean government and UNESCO as Important Intangible Cultural Asset No. 76 on June 1, 1983 owing to the extensive efforts by Shin Han-seung (1928-1987), who learned Taekkyeon from Song Duk-ki. After the death of both masters, Lee Yong-bok, who learned Taekkyon from these two masters in 1984, established the Korea Traditional Taekkyon Institute to revive Taekkyon. Through his efforts, a resurgence in Taekkyeon practice resulted and on June 30, 1985, the first Taekkyeon game in 80 years took place in Kooduk stadium, Pusan. The author has included a year by year history of events that caused the colonization of Korea, the reason for the decline in interest in everything Korean and the development of modern Taekkyeon using modern techniques and many dozens of photos for learning the new techniques and those used in the new Yondan Shippal Soo (4th Dan 8 Hnads) Hyung/Form that was added to reduce the likelihood of Taekkyeon being lost again. The author includes a huge Taekkyeon modern terminology in English, Hangul and Sino-Chinese, an exhaustive bibliography, Glossary and Index all for the readers convenience. The author also includes the work of Grandmaster Hwang Kee founder of the Moo Dyuk Kwan to resurrect Subak another lost fighting art and the instructions for learning the Subak's new Chil Sang Hyungs created by Grandmaster Hwang Kee based on the information in the book titled, Moo Yei Do Bo Tong Ji that he discovered in 1957 and worked for decades to get the Korean government to accept for Korea's national martial art and Olympic sport.

Tae Kwon Do is currently practiced in more than 163 countries by more than 30 million students of the art. It will make its debut as an official Olympic sport at the Sydney games in 2000. Now, the authors of Tae Kwon Do, the definitive and best-selling reference to the sport, have created a follow-up guide designed expressly to meet the needs of students who have mastered the basics and come up through the ranks of the lower-level belts. Following the format of its predecessor, Black Belt Tae Kwon Do combines a complete explanation of the physical aspects of the martial art with a full description of the philosophical elements of its training.