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Revision as of 23:25, 17 December 2005 by 61.120.189.238 (talk) (→Martial Arts)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Korean martial arts refer to any or all of the various martial arts that originated or were modified in Korea. The most famous Korean martial arts in the West are perhaps Taekwondo and Hapkido, although there has been a revival of the bladed arts of Korean swords and swordsmanship as well as an interest in Korean knives and knife-fighting as well as the revival of archery on foot and on horse-back. The complexity of the Korean martial arts world and its ever-increasing schools rising from obscurity make interesting study.
Origins
Ancient Origin
As with many other martial arts, Taekwondo as it is known today was systemized during the 20th century. Although there are references to and drawings of fighting techniques in ancient documents, the relationship between these references and the schools that systemized Korean martial arts in the 20th century is difficult to document.
Only a few martial arts practiced today in Korea can accurately be said to be traditional Korean martial arts, unbroken, living traditions. Because of Neo-Confucianism, disinterest in martial arts, and Japanese occupation of Korea, some of Korea's traditional arts are survived only by fragmentary records, while others have been preserved in more-or-less complete form.
This is complicated by the use of ancient terminology by modern founders of new schools. For example, Hwarangdo, a modern art similar to Hapkido, claims its roots in the Hwarang (花郎 "flowering knights") of Silla, although very little is known about the martial training of that time.
Taekyon, however, was fairly well known as an ancient Korean tradition that survived the Japanese occupation, if barely. Many modern Korean martial arts systems have consciously incorporated Taekyon's emphasis on kicks and other techniques.
Martial Arts
In the 20th Century, Koreans were exposed to Japanese versions of Chinese martial arts such as karate. A great deal of systemization of martial arts came from Japan to Korea during Japan's colonization of Korea through outlawing traditional Korean practices and only allowing the Japanese education system (which briefly included Judo and Kendo) to be lawful. Even with the ban on Korean practices some Koreans were able to influence Japans martial art style, most notably Choi Yeong-Eui. Korean students in Japan studied Japanese martial arts there as well. Also at the same time, many Koreans studied martial arts from the neighboring Manchuria and China. After the 1945 liberation, Korean martial arts made conscious efforts to re-establish a Korean martial art and distance itself from the influence of Japanese occupation, including incorporating what remained of traditional Korean arts.
Many Korean martial arts have been influenced by both traditional and imported Korean martial arts, while some have also relied on the Muyedobotongji or other old manuals to recreate lost arts, much like in European martial arts. There are also many Korean martial arts that are recompilizations or reorganizations of techniques from traditional or imported arts. Many of the arts here visually appear to have more of a Chinese influence than other Korean martial arts (except for Taekyon). Others have been influenced by boxing or other Western influences as well.
Teaching methods
Korean martial arts are taught in the Confucian tradition, as are Japanese martial arts, i.e. barefoot, with uniforms, classes executing techniques simultaneously following the teacher's commands, and sometimes, showing respect to portraits of the founder by bowing to the picture. Many Korean martial arts also make use of colored belts to denote rank, tests to increase in rank, and the use of Korean titles when denoting the teacher. These include:
- Sabomnim (사범님/師範님): teacher
- Kwanjangnim (관장님/館長님): training hall owner/master
- Dojunim (도주님/道主님): keeper of the way
Many schools also make use of Korean terminology and numbers during practice.
Styles of Korean martial arts
Traditional Korean martial arts
- Taekyon (택견) - a dance-like martial art featuring kicks, sweeps, and strikes
- Ssireum (씨름) - Korean wrestling, similar in some ways to Mongolian wrestling.
- Gungsul (궁술/弓術) - Korean archery, making use of a traditional composite horn bow
- Sonmudo (선무도/禪武道)/Bulmudo (불무도/佛武道) - Korean arts passed down by the Buddhist temples and mostly preserved until today
- Charyok (차력/借力) - a practice similar to Chinese hard qigong, but extremely rare (possibly extinct)
- Subyokchigi (수벽치기) - a kung fu-like art that has a prayer-like stance, but extremely rare (possibly extinct)
Modern Korean martial arts
- Yudo (유도/柔道) - Similar to Judo, although this word appears in older Korean texts
- Komdo/Kumdo/Gumdo (검도/劍道) - Similar to Kendo, with an additional form
- Tangsudo (당수도/唐手道) - Similar to Karate
- Taekwondo (태권도/跆拳道) - Based on Tangsudo and Taekkyon, modified and systemized mainly by Choi Hong Hi, adding many kicks and other techniques, as well as new forms; later further changed by the WTF for Olympic sparring competition.
- Mudokkwan Subakdo (무덕관수박도/武德館手搏道) - Similar to Tangsudo in execution, but said to have Chinese origins with Japanese influences, and later influenced by the Korean martial arts book Muyedobotongji.
- Hapkido (합기도/合氣道) - Same roots as Daito-Ryu Aikijujutsu, but many kicks, acrobatics, and weapons added.
- Kwonbop (권법/拳法) - Imported Chinese martial arts of unknown origin, probably no longer practiced on its own (Chinese word "Quanfa" means "fighting technique").
Korean martial arts with more than one influence
- Shippalgi (십팔기/十八技) - Chinese-like style with many weapons
- Kuksulwon (국술원/國術院) - similar to Hapkido and Kung Fu, with a lot of weapons training
- Hwarangdo (화랑도/花郞道) - similar to Hapkido
- Hanmudo (한무도/桓武道) - similar to Hapkido
- Choson Sebop (조선세법/朝鮮勢法) - a sword style
- Haedong Gomdo (해동검도/海東劍道) - similar to Kendo, but with different methodology and longer swords
- Gwon-gyokdo (권격도/拳擊道) - Korean kickboxing
- Gyongdang - A martial art which uses weapons like the sword, long stick etc. It's origin is the Muye Dobo Tongji, and it's founder is Grandmaster Lim Dong Kyu
Lost traditional Korean martial arts
- Subak (수박/手搏) - an old word for martial arts (also used in China)
- Yusul (유술/柔術) - an old word for certain unknown arts that may have been the origins for Japanese jujutsu.