Martial Arts
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THE HISTORY OF TAEKWONDO By Glen R. Morris A Report for Recommendation Black Belt Testing 1994 Before I get into the history of Taekwondo, I would like to define what it means. I read the definition from many books and the one that I like best comes from the book Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts (1) written by Donn F. Draeger and Robert W. Smith. "Taekwondo is an empty-hand combat form that entails the use of the whole body. Tae means "to Kick" or "Smash with the feet," Kwon implies "punching" or "destroying with the hand or fist," and Do means "way" or "method." Taekwondo thus, is the technique of unarmed combat for self defense that involves the skillful application of techniques that include punching, jumping kicks, blocks, dodges, parrying actions with hands and feet. It is more than a mere physical fighting skill, representing as it does a way of thinking and a pattern of life requiring strict discipline. It is a system of training both the mind and the body in which great emphasis is placed on the development of the trainee's moral character." Taekwondo is a martial art that in "todays" form of self defense has evolved by combining many different styles of martial arts that existed in Korea over the last 2,000 years and some martial arts styles from countries that surround Korea. Taekwondo incorporates the abrupt linear movements of Karate and the flowing, circular patterns of Kung-fu with native kicking techniques. Over fifty typically Chinese circular hand movements can be identified in modern Taekwondo.(1) A few of the earlier martial arts styles that contributed to Taekwondo are: T'ang-su, Taek Kyon, also known as Subak, Tae Kwon, Kwonpup and Tae Kwonpup. There are also influences from Judo, Karate, and Kung-fu. "The earliest records of Taekwondo practice date back to about 50 B.C. During this time, Korea was divided into three kingdoms: Silla, which was founded on the Kyongju plain in 57 B.C.; Koguryo, founded in the Yalu River Valley in 37 B.C.; and Paekche, founded in the southwestern area of the Korean peninsula in 18 B.C.."(2) Tae Kyon ( also called Subak) is considered the earliest known form of Taekwondo. Paintings from this time period have been found on the ceiling of the Muyong-chong, a royal tomb from the Koguryo dynasty. The paintings show unarmed people using techniques that are very similar to the ones used by Taekwondo today. Although Taekwondo first appeared in the Koguryo kingdom, it is the Silla's Hwarang warriors that are credited with the growth and spread of Taekwondo throughout Korea. Silla was the smallest of the three kingdoms and was always under attack by Japanese Pirates. Silla got help from King Gwanggaeto and his soldiers from the Koguryo kingdom to drive out the pirates. During this time a few select Sillan warriors were given training in Taek Kyon by the early masters from Koguryo. The Taek Kyon trained warriors then became known as the Hwarang. The Hwarang set up a military academy for the sons of royalty in Silla called Hwarang-do, which means "The way of flowering manhood." The Hwarang studied Taek Kyon, history, Confucian Philosophy, ethics, Buddhist Morality, and military tactics. The guiding principles of the Hwarang warriors were loyalty, filial duty, trustworthiness, valor, and justice.(3) The makeup of the Hwarang-do education was based on the Five Codes of Human Conduct written by a Buddhist scholar, fundamental education, Taek Kyon and social skills. Taek Kyon was spread throughout Korea because the Hwarang traveled all around the peninsula to learn about the other regions and people. Today, The original Five Codes of Human Conduct have been correlated into the so-called Eleven Commandments of modern day Taekwondo, which are: Loyalty to your country Faithfulness to your spouse Respect your brothers and sisters Respect your teachers Indomitable spirit Finish what you begin
Respect your parents Loyalty to your friends Respect your elders Never take life unjustly Loyalty to your school (2)
During the Silla dynasty (A.D. 668 to A.D. 935) Taek Kyon was mostly used as a sport and recreational activity. Taek Kyon's name was changed to Subak and the focus of the art was changed during the Koryo dynasty (A.D. 935 to A.D. 1392). When King Uijong was on the throne from 1147 through 1170, he changed Subak from a system that promotes fitness to primarily a fighting art. The first widely distributed book on Taekwondo was during the Yi dynasty (1397 to 1907). This was the first time that Subak was intended to be taught to the general public, in previous years the knowledge was limited to the military. During the second half of the Yi dynasty, political conflicts and the choice to use debate instead of military action almost lead to the extinction of Subak. The emphasis of the art was changed back to that of recreational and physical fitness. The lack of interest caused Subak as an art, to become fragmented and scarcely practiced throughout the country. In 1909 the Japanese invaded Korea and occupied the country for 36 years. To control Korea's patriotism, the Japanese banned the practice of all military arts, Korean language and even burned all books written in Korea. This ban was responsible for renewed interest in Subak. Many Koreans organized themselves into underground groups and practiced the martial arts in remote Buddhist temples. Other people left Korea to study the martial arts in other countries like China and Japan. In 1943 Judo, Karate and Kung-fu were officially introduced to the Korean residents and the martial arts regained popularity. In 1945 Korea was liberated. In the last few years before liberation, there were many different variations of Subak/Taek Kyon in Korea. This was due to all of the other martial arts influence on it. The first Taekwondo school (Kwan) was started in Yong Chun, Seoul, Korea in 1945. Many different school were opened from 1945 through 1960. Each school claimed to teach the traditional Korean martial art, but each school emphasized a different aspect of Taek Kyon/Subak. This caused different names to emerge from each system, some of them were: Soo Bahk Do, Kwon Bop, Kong Soo Do, Tae Soo Do and Kang Soo Do. The Korean Armed Forces were also formed in 1945 and in 1946 Second lieutenant Hong Hi Choi began teaching Taek Kyon at a Korean military base called Kwang Ju. Americans were first introduced to Taek Kyon when Choi instructed Korean Army troops and some American soldiers stationed with the 2nd Infantry Regiment. Later in 1949 Hong Hi Choi attended Ground General School at Ft. Riely near Topeka, Kansas in the United States. While in the U.S., Choi gave
public Taek Kyon demonstrations for the troops. This was the first display of Taek Kyon in America.(4) The greatest turning point for Korean martial arts started in 1952. During the height of the Korean War, President Syngman Rhee watched a 30 minute performance by Korean martial arts masters. He was especially impressed when Tae Hi Nam broke 13 roof tiles with a single punch. After the demonstration Rhee talked with Hong Hi Choi about the martial arts, he then ordered his military chiefs of staff to require all Korean soldiers to receive training in the martial arts. This caused a tremendous surge in Taek Kyon schools and students. President Rhee also sent Tae Hi Nam to Ft. Benning, Georgia for radio communications training. While there, Tae Hi Nam gave many martial arts demonstrations and received considerable media publicity. During this same time period in Korea, special commando groups of martial arts-trained soldiers were formed to fight against the communist forces of North Korea. One of the most famous special forces was known as the Black Tigers. The Korean war ended in 1953. In 1954, General Hong Hi Choi organized the 29th Infantry on Che Ju Island, off the Korean Coast, as a spearhead and center for Taek Kyon training in the military. On April 11, 1955 at a conference of kwan masters, historians, and Taek Kyon promoters, most of the kwan masters decided to merge their various styles for mutual benefit of all schools. The name "Tae Soo Do" was accepted by a majority of the kwan masters. Two years later the name was changed again, this time to "Taekwondo" The name was suggested by General Hong Hi Choi (who is considered the father of Taekwondo). "Taekwondo" was suggested by Choi because of its resemblance to Taek Kyon, and so provides continuity and maintains tradition. Further, it describes both hand and foot techniques. Dissension among the various kwans that did not unify carried on until September 14, 1961. Then by official decree of the new military government, the kwans were ordered to unify into one organization called the Korea Taekwondo Association (KTA), with General Hong Hi Choi elected as its first president. In 1962, the KTA re-examined all the black belt ranks to determine national standards and also in 1962, Taekwondo became one of the official events in the annual National Athletic Meet in Korea. The KTA sent instructors and demonstrations teams all over the world. Jhoon Ree (who is considered the father of American Taekwondo) attended San Marcos Southwest Texas State College, and later taught a Taekwondo course at the college and formed a public Taekwondo club. A Taekwondo demonstration at the United Nations headquarters in New York City in 1963, caused the formation of the U.S. Taekwondo Association in 1967, which later was superseded in 1974 by the U.S. Taekwondo Federation. In Korea, the study of Taekwondo spread rapidly from the army into high schools and colleges. In march of 1966 Choi founded the International Taekwon-do Federation (ITF), which he also served as president. Choi later resigned as the KTA president and moved his ITF headquarters to Montreal, Canada, from where he concentrated on organizing Taekwondo internationally. His emphasis is on self-defense methodology, not particularly on the sport. By 1974, Choi reported that some 600 qualified ITF instructors were distributed throughout the world. Young-wun Kim was elected the new KTA president. Feeling that Korea was the mother country of Taekwondo and that the world headquarters should be located there, he dissolved the ITF's connection with the KTA and on May 28, 1973 created a new international governing body called the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF), which coincided with the first World Taekwondo Championships that were held in Seoul, Korea. At the first inaugural meeting, Un Yong Kim was elected as president of the WTF and drafted a charter for the federation. The WTF is the only official organization recognized by the Korean government as an international regulating body for Taekwondo. The World Taekwondo Federation has since made a major effort to standardize tournament rules and organize world class competitions. After the 2nd World TKD Championship in Seoul, the WTF became an affiliate of the General Assembly of International Sports Federation (GAISF), which has ties to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The IOC recognized and admitted the WTF in July 1980. In 1982 the General Session of the IOC designated Taekwondo as an official Demonstration Sport for the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea. Since Modern-day Taekwondo's official birth on April 11, 1955, its development as a sport has been rapid. Over 30 million people practice Taekwondo in more than 156 countries.
What is taekwondo? Taekwondo is a modern martial art, characterized by it's fast, high and spinning kicks. There are multiple interpretations of the name taekwondo. Taekwondo is often translated as 'the way of hand and foot'. My definition of the name Taekwondo is •
Tae='to strike or block with the foot' or 'to kick', it also means 'jump'
•
K'won='Fist', 'to strike or block with hand'
•
Do='The way of' or 'art'.
Put this together and Taekwondo means: "The art of Kicking and Punching" or "The art of unarmed combat". The sport has been founded in Korea and is one of the popular modern martial arts.
Objectives of Taekwondo 1. to develop an appreciation for Taekwondo as a sport and as an art 2. to achieve physical fitness through positive participation 3. to improve mental discipline and emotional equanimity 4. to learn self-defense skills 5. to develop a sense of responsibility for one self and others.
Is Taekwondo dangerous? Although WTF Taekwondo is a full contact sport where it is allowed to kick to the head (throwing punches to the head are not allowed), it is not very dangerous to practise Taekwondo. During training, there is no need to actually win so contact is light. During competition, full protection is used to protect the competitors. To avoid head injuries, a competitor is not allowed to participate in a competition for three months (this time-period seems to vary) if one was knocked out by a kick to the head. If the same incident happens again after these three months, you are not allowed to participate for half a year. Another K.O. to the head after this half year period results in a permanent exclusion of competitions. ITF Taekwondo is so-called semi-contact. It is not allowed to attack the head with full force. However, it is allowed to throw punches to the head, by using the so-called "killing-blow", stop just an inch before the target. To avoid injuries, ITF uses gloves at sparring-competition.
History of Taekwondo The earliest records of Martial Arts practice in Korea date back to about 50 B.C. These earliest forms of korean martial arts are known as 'Taek Kyon'. Evidence that Martial Arts were being practiced at that time can be found in tombs where wall-paintings show two men in fighting-stance. Others reject this evidence and say that these men could be simply dancing. Back then, time there were three kingdoms: 1. Koguryo (37 B.C. - 668 A.D.) 2. Paekje (18 B.C. - 600 A.D.) 3. Silla (57 B.C. - 935 A.D.) Silla unified the kingdoms after winning the war against Paekje in 660 A.D. and Koguryo in 668 A.D. The Hwa Rang Do played an important role at this unification. The Hwa Rang Do was an elite group of young noble men, devoted to cultivating mind and body and serve the kingdom Silla. The best translation for HwaRang would probably be "flowering youth" (Hwa ="flower", Rang="young man"). The HwaRang Do had an honor-code and practiced various forms of martial arts, including Taekyon and Soo Bakh Do. The old honor-code of the HwaRang is the philosophical background of modern Taekwondo.
What followed was a time of peace and the HwaRang turned from a military organization to a group specialized in poetry and music. It was in 936 A.D. when Wang Kon founded the Koryo dynasty, an abbreviation of Koguryo. The name Korea is derived from Koryo. During the Koryo Dynasty the sport Soo Bakh Do, which was then used as a military training method, became popular. During the Joseon-dynasty (also known as the Yi-dynasty. 1392 A.D. - 1910 A.D.) this emphasis on military training disappeared. King Taejo, founder of the Joseon-dynasty, replaced Buddhism by Confucianism as the state religion. According to Confucianism, the higher class should study the poets, read poems and and play music. Martial arts was something for the common, or even inferior, man. Modern-day Taekwondo is influenced by many other Martial Arts. The most important of these arts is Japanese Karate. This is because Japan dominated Korea during 1910 until the end of World War II. During WWII, lots of Korean soldiers were trained in Japan. During this occupation of Korea, the Japanese tried to erase all traces of the Korean culture, including the martial arts. The influence that Japan has given to Taekwondo are the quick, lineair movements, that characterize the various Japanese systems. After World War II, when Korea became independant, several kwans arose. These kwans were: •
Chung Do Kwan
•
Moo Duk Kwan
•
Yun Moo Kwan
•
Chang Moo Kwan
•
Oh Do Kwan
•
Ji Do Kwan
•
Chi Do Kwan
•
Song Moo Kwan The Kwans united in 1955 as Tae Soo Do. In the beginning of 1957, the name Taekwondo was adopted by several Korean martial arts masters, for its similarity to the name Tae Kyon.
General Choi Hong-hi required the army to train Taekwondo, so the very first Taekwondo students were Korean soldiers. The police and air force had to learn Taekwondo as well. At that time, Taekwondo was merely a Korean version of Shotokan Karate. In 1961 the Korean Taekwondo Union arose from the Soo Bakh Do Association and the Tae Soo Do Association. In 1962 the Korean Amateur Sports Association acknowledged the Korean Taekwondo Union and in 1965 the name was changed to Korean Taekwondo Association (K.T.A.). General Choi was president of the K.T.A. at that time and was asked to start the I.T.F. as the international branch of the K.T.A. The southern government was overthrown in 1961. General Choi Hong-hi left for America and established I.T.F. (International Taekwondo Federation) Taekwondo, as a separate entity, two years later. Demonstrations were given all over the world. It took a while before real progress was made, but eventually, in 1973, the World Taekwondo Federation (W.T.F.) was founded. In 1980, W.T.F. Taekwondo was recognized by the International Olympic Commitee
(I.O.C.) and became a demonstration sport at the Olympics in 1988. In the year 2000 taekwondo made its debute as an official olympic sport. There were several attempts to unify I.T.F. and W.T.F. Taekwondo, but unfortunately, these failed.
Vital Points (Keupsoh) The vital points of the body are listed below. A vital point is a part of the body that, when attacked in the right way (force, angle, accuracy), can cause paralysis, unconsciousness or even death. Attacks to nerves can lead to nausea, headaches or worse. This information should only be used to increase your knowledge of the body and of Taekwondo, it is not meant to be used without the supervision of a qualified instructor. The impact on vital points is indicated by numbers as followed: 1. Moderate pain 2. Sharp pain 3. Severe pain 4. Unconsciousness or temporary paralysis 5. Fatal The body has about 280 vital points so this list is far from complete.
The front of the head
Number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Description Result of light impact Result of full-power attack Top of head 2 4 Forehead 2 4 Temple 3 5 Cheekbone 2 4 Neck artery 3 5 Cervical trachea 3 5 Glabella 2 4 Intraocular pressure 2 4 Eyeball 2/3 4/5 Philtrum 1/2 3/4 Jaw 2 4 Chin 2 4 Adam's apple 3 5
The front of the body
Number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Description Result of light impact Result of full-power attack Center of the torax 2 4 Lower end of sternum 3 5 Solar plexus 3 5 Center of abdomen 2 4 Inner thigh 2 4 Center of instep 2 4 Brest 1 3 Thorax flank 2 4 Flank pit of waist 2 4 Groin 3 5 Upper knee-edge 2 4 Shin 1 3
The back of the body
Number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Description Result of light impact Result of full-power attack Back of the neck 3 5 (several parts of) backbone 3 5 Outside of upper arm 1 4 Outerwrist 1 3 Hipnerve 2 4 Achilles heel 2 4 Kidneys 2 4 Elbow (just below) 1 3 Coccyx 2 4/5 Pit of thumb and first-finger 2 4 Kneepit 1 3
Patterns Forms, or Poomses in Korean language, are a series of defending and attacking movements performed against imaginary opponents in a set pattern. Through the practice of forms, students come to learn the applications of various techniques of Taekwondo. Forms serve a multi-dimensional role, aiding in development and refinement of coordination, balance, timing, breath control and rhythm, all of which are essential skills to the Taekwondo student.
Poomse's W.T.F. uses Poomses for patterns. Poomses originate from the book 'I Ching', a Chinese oracle. The I Ching has 64 hexagrams, a combination of two sets of three lines, closed or broken. The sets of three lines are called trigrams. The closed lines represent Yang, the open lines Yin. In the chinese language, the unity of Yin and Yang is called 'taich'i'. In the Korean language, the unity is called T'ae-guk. This explains the term Poomse Taeguk. The eight trigrams together are called Pal-gwe as in Poomse Palgwe...
Poomse Taeguk/Palgwe Il Jang -- Heaven (South, Father) The first Taeguk/Palgwe is the beginning of all Poomses. The associated trigram represents Yang (heaven, light), therefore, this Poomse should be performed with the greatness of Heaven.
Poomse Taeguk/Palgwe Ee Jang -- Lake (South East, Youngest daughter) In the depths of the lake are treasures and mysteries. The movements of this Taeguk/Palgwe should be performed knowing that man has limitations, but that we can overcome these limitations. This should lead to a feeling of joy, knowing that we can control our future.
Poomse Taeguk/Palgwe Sam Jang -- Fire (East, Second daughter) Fire contains a lot of energy. Fire helped man to survive, but on the other hand had some catastrophical results. This form should be performed rhythmically, with some outbursts of energy.
Poomse Taeguk/Palgwe Sa Jang -- Thunder (North East, Eldest son) Thunder comes from the sky and is absorbed by the earth. Thunder is one of the most powerful natural forces, circling, gyrating. This Taeguk/Palgwe should be performed with this in mind.
Poomse Taeguk/Palgwe Oh Jang -- Wind (South West, Eldest daughter) Wind is a gently force, but can sometimes be furious, destroying everything in it's path. Poomse Taeguk/Palgwe Oh Jang should be performed like the wind: gently, but knowing the ability of mass destruction with a single movement.
Poomse Taeguk/Palgwe Yook Jang -- Water (West, Second son) Water can move a mountain. The movements of this Poomse should be performed like water. Sometimes standing still like water in a lake, sometimes thriving as a river.
Poomse Taeguk/Palgwe Chil Jang -- Mountain (North West, Youngest son) Mountains will always look majestic, no matter the size. This Poomse should be performed with the feeling that all movements are this majestic and deserved to be praised.
Poomse Taeguk/Palgwe Pal Jang -- Earth (North, Mother) The associated trigram of this Poomse is Yin: the end of the beginning, the evil part of all that is good. Even in this darkness, there is still some light. Performing this Taeguk/Palgwe, one should be aware that this is the last Taeguk/Palgwe to be learned, it also is the end of a circle, and therefore it is also the first, the second etc... Both Palgwe's and Taeguk's are numbered from one to eight. After this point, there is no longer a difference between the patterns. The patterns below follow the Poomse Taeguks as well as the Poomse Palgwes.
Poomse Koryo Koryo (Korea) is the name of an old Korean Dynasty. The people from the Koryo-period defeated the Mongolian aggressors. Their spirit is reflected in the movements of the Poomse Koryo. Each movement of this Poomse represents the strength and energy needed to control the Mongols.
Poomse Keumgang The definition of Keumgang is "Too h3 to be broken", or "diamond". The movements of the Poomse Keumgang are as beautiful as the Keumgang-san (a Korean mountain) and as h3 as Keumgang-seok (diamond).
Poomse TaeBaek The legendary 'Dangoon' founded a nation in Taebaek, near Korea's biggest mountain Baekdoo. Baekdoo is a symbol for Korea. The definition of Taebaek is "lightness". Every movement in this Poomse must not only be exact en fast, but with determination and hardness.
Poomse Pyongwon The definition of Pyongwon is "stretch, vast plain": big, majestic.
Poomse Sipjin Sipjin stands for decimal. This Poomse represents the orderliness of the decimal system. It also means the endless development and growth in a systematic order: stability.
Poomse Jitae Jitae is derived from the meaning of the earth. All things evolve from and return to the earth, the earth is the beginning and the end of life.
Poomse Cheonkwon Cheonkwon means 'sky'. The sky should be seen as ruler of the universe. It is both mysterious, infinite and profound. The motions of Cheonkwon are full of piety and vitality.
Poomse Hansoo This poomse is derived from the fluidity of water which easily adapts within nature.
Poomse Ilyo The state of spiritual cultivation in Buddhism is called 'Ilyo' which means more or less 'oneness'. In Ilyo, body and mind, spirit and substance, I and you are unified. The ultimate ideal of taekwondo can be found in this state. It is a discipline in which we concentrate on every movement leaving all materialistics thoughts, obsessions and extermal influences behind.
Tul's I.T.F. has 24 patterns (or Tul) representing the 24 hours of the day, or the whole of a man's life. There are 10 patterns for the first black belt, at which point the member moves from being a 'beginner' to a 'novice'. The primary difference between I.T.F. and W.T.F. (from looking to the two) is that I.T.F. uses a 'stepping' movement for all hand techniques. Contributed by John Browne. This 'stepping motion' that the I.T.F. utilizes is referred to by I.T.F. practioners as "Sinewave", "Knee Spring" or "up/down Motion". It causes the body to move in a "sine wave" resulting in the whole body being involved at the moment of impact, blocking or attacking. This techniques us not just used for hand-techniques. It is used in I.T.F. kicking techniques as well. Contributed by [email protected]
Chon-Ji Tul (19 movements) Literally means heaven and earth. It is in the orient interpreted as the creation of the world or the beginning of human history, therefore it is the initial pattern played by the beginner. This pattern consists of two similar parts; one to represent the Heaven and the other the Earth.
Dan-Gun Tul (21 movements) Dan Gun is named after the Holy Dan Gun, the legendary founder of Korea in the year 2333 B.C..
Do-San Tul (24 movements) Do-San is a pseudonym of the patriot Ahn Chang-Ho (1876 - 1938). The 24 movements represent his entire life which he devoted to furthering education in Korea and the Korean independence movement.
Won-Hyo Tul (28 movements) Won-Hyo was the noted monk who introduced Buddhism to the Silla Dynasty in the year 686 AD.
Yul-Gok Tul (38 movements) Yul-Gok is a pseudonym of a great philosopher and scholar Yi I (1536 - 1584) nicknamed the "Confucius of Korea". The 38 movements of this pattern refer to his birthplace on 38 degree latitude and the diagram of the pattern represents scholar.
Joon-Gun Tul (32 movements) Joong-Gun is named after the patriot Ahn Joong-Gun who assassinated Hiro Bumi Ito, the first Japanese governor-general of Korea, known as the man who played the leading part in the Korea-Japan merger. There are 32 movements in this patter to represent Mr Ahn's age when he was executed at Lui-Shung in 1910.
Toi-Gye Tul (37 movements) Toi-Gye is the pen name of the noted scholar Yi Hwang (16th century) an authority on neo-Confucianism. The 37 movements of the pattern refer to his birthplace on 37 degree latitude, the diagram represent "scholar".
Hwa-Rang Tul (29 movements) Hwa Rang is named after the Haw Rang youth group which originated in the Silla Dynasty in the early 7th century. The 29 movements refer to the 29th infantry Division, where Taekwondo developed into maturity.
Choong-Moo Tul (30 movements) Choong-Moo was the name given to the great Admiral Yi Soon-Sin of the Yi Dynasty. He was reputed to have invented the first armored battleship (Kobukson) in 1592, which is said to be the precursor of the present day submarine. This pattern ends with a left hand attack, to symbolize his regrettable death. He was noted for his unrestrained loyalty to the King.
Kwang-Gae Tul (39 movements) Kwang-Gae is named after the famous Kwang-Gae-Toh-Wang, the 19th king of the Koguryo Dynasty, who regained all the lost territories including the greater part of Manchuria. The diagram represent the expansion and recovery of lost territory. The 39 movements refer to the first two figures of 391 AD, the year he came to the throne.
Po-Eun Tul (36 movements) Po-Eun is the pseudonym of a loyal subject Chong-Mong-Chu (1400) who was a famous poet and who's poem "I would not serve a second master though I might be crucified a hundred time" is know to every Korean. He was also a pioneer in the field of physics. The diagram represent his unerring loyalty to the king and country towards the end of the Koryo Dynasty.
Ge-Baek Tul (44 Movements) Ge-Baek is named after Ge-Baek, a great general in the Baek-Je Dynasty (660AD). The diagram represents his severe and strict military discipline.
Eui-Am Tul (45 Movements) Eui-Am is the pseudonym of Son Byong Hi, leader of the Korean independence movement on March 1, 1919. The 45 movements refer to his age when he changed his name of Dong Hak (oriental Culture) to Chondo Kyo (Heavenly Way Religion) in 1905. The diagram represents his indomitable spirit, displayed while dedicating himself to the prosperity of his nation.
Choong-Jang Tul (52 Movements) Choong-Jang is the pseudonym given to General Kim Duk Ryang who lived during the Yi Dynasty, 14th century. This pattern ends with a left hand attack to symbolise the tragedy of his death at 27 in prison before he was able to reach full maturity.
Juche Tul (45 Movements) Juche is a philosophical idea that man is the master of everything and decides everything, in other words, the idea that man is that master of the world and his own destiny. It is said that this idea was rooted in Baekdu Mount which symbolise the spirit of the Korean people. The diagram represents Baekdu Mountain.
Sam Il Tul (33 Movements) Sam Il denotes the historical date of the independence movement of Korea which began throughout the country on march 1, 1919. The 33 movements in the pattern stand for the 33 patriots who planned the movement.
Yoo-Sin Tul (68 Movements) Yoo Sin is named after General Kin Yoo Sin, a commanding general during the Silla Dynasty. The 68 movements refer to the last two figures of 668 AD the year Korea was unified. The ready posture signifies a sword drawn to the right rather than the left side, symbolizing Yoo sin's mistake of following his king's orders to fight with foreign force against his own nation.
Choi Yong Tul (46 Movements) Choi Yong is named after General Choi Yong, Premier and Commander-in Chief of the armed forces during the 14th century Koryo Dynasty. Choi Yong was greatly respected for his loyalty, patriotism, and humility. He was executed by subordinate commanders headed by General Yi Sung Gae, who later became the first king of the Yi Dynasty.
Yon Gae Tul (49 Movements) Yon Gae is named after a famous general during the Koguryo Dynasty. Yon Gae Somoon. The 49 movements refer to the last two figures of 649 AD the year he forced the Tang Dynasty to quit Korea after destroying nearly 300,000 of their troops at Ansi Sung.
UL-JI Tul (42 Movements) UL-JI is named after general UL-JI Moon Dok who successfully defended Korea against a Tang's invasion force of nearly one million soldiers led by Yang Je in 612 AD, Ul-JI
employing hit and run guerilla tactics was able to decimate a large percentage of the force. The diagram represents his surname. The 42 movements represent the author's age when he designed the pattern.
Moon-Moo Tul (61 Movements) Moon Moo honors the 30th king of the Silla Dynasty. His body was buried near Dae Wang Am (Great King's Rock). According to his will, the body was placed in the sea "Where my soul shall forever defend my land against the Japanese". It is said that the Sok Gul Am (Stone Cave) was built to guard his tomb. The Sok Gul Am is a fine example of the culture of the Silla Dynasty. The 61 movements in this pattern symbolize the last two figures of 6612 AS when Moon Moo came to the throne.
So-San Tul (72 Movements) So San is the pseudonym of the great monk Choi Hyong Ung (1520 - 1604) during the Lae Dynasty. The 72 movements refer to his age when he organised a corps of monk soldiers with the assistance of his pupil Sa Myung Dang. The monk soldiers helped repulse the Japanese pirates who overran most of the Korean peninsula in 1592.
Se Jong Tul (24 Movements) Se-Jong is named after the greatest Korean King, Se-Jong, who invented the Korean alphabets in 1443, and was also a noted meteorologist. The diagram represents the king, while the 24 movements refer to the 24 letters of the Korean alphabet.
Tong Il Tul Tong Il denotes the resolution of the unification of Korea which has been divided since 1945. The diagram symbolises the homogenous race.
Ethics As in all Martial Arts, ethics are of great importance. One can look at individual ethics, treat a fellow-man right, or one can look at social ethics, as part of a whole. Ethics basically all comes down to one point, the difference between 'good' and 'evil'. We practise taekwondo, often seen as an aggresive sport, but does this mean that we can be aggresive? Do we want to be aggresive? The answer is NO! We wear protection, because we don't want someoneelse to be injured, nor do we want to get hurt ourselves. Taekwondo is not a destructive and aggressive sport, but a sportive one. As I see it, taking part in a competition is not to hurt your opponent, but to test your strength, in both physical and mental ways. Taekwondo students can improve themselves physically, and mentally by training. The final goal is to achieve harmony with nature and oneself. Balance is gained by controlling both evil and good forces (Yin vs. Yang): A true Taekwondo student knows how to behave in all situations. In my opinion, Taekwondo (and I guess this goes for every Martial Art) is not only a way to improve skills of self defence, but it's a way of life. Practicing Taekwondo gives the student more self-confidence, but this should not result in a false sense of superiority.
HwaRang code of honor Because of the military background, there is a general code. These codes are reflected in the so-called 'Commandments of modern Taekwondo' and is strongly influenced by the Buddhism. These commandments are influenced by the HwaRang Do code of honor: 1. Serve your lord with loyalty 2. Serve your parents with filial piety 3. Trust your friends 4. Never retreat from a battle
5. When taking life, be selective The commandments of Taekwondo are used as a guide for the moral development of students and art. No student who does not fully understand these tenets can ever hope to master the true essence of the art.
Commandments of modern Taekwondo: 1. Loyalty to your country 2. Respect your parents 3. Faithfulness to your spouse 4. Respect your brothers and sisters 5. Loyalty to your friends 6. Respect your elders 7. Respect your teacher 8. Never take life unjustly 9. Indomitable spirit 10. Loyalty to your school 11. Finish what you begin
The Tenets of Taekwondo Courtesy (Ye Ui). To be thoughtful and considerate of others. Taekwondo practisers (both students and instructors) should be polite, and show consideration for others. Integrity (Yom Chi). Integrity describes how you should interact with others. To be honest and good, earn respect and trust. Perseverance (In Nae). This basically stands for your internal drive. Challenges allow us to improve ourselves and should therefor not be avoided. Self control (Guk Ki). To have control of your body and mind. A Taekwondo student should practice controlling his actions and reactions. Indomitable spirit (Baekjool Boolgool). To have courage in the face of adversity. A Taekwondo student should never be dominated by, or have his spirit broken by another.
How to behave in the dojang There are a few general rules. •
Always wear a clean Dobok.
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Clean hands, feet, short nails.
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Don't wear sharp things (if you do not have a Dobok, do not wear pants with zippers etc.)
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No jewelry allowed
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Don't drink, smoke or eat in the dojang (no chewing gum!)
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Be on time.
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When entering and leaving the dojang, make a proper bow
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Don't talk, unless it is necessary
Belt requirements and origin The color of the belt is an indication of the skill level of a Taekwondo student. Sometimes belts can be gained by winning competitions, the common way is by completing an exam.
Origin of the belt colors A brief history of Geup/kyu/dan (kyu is the Japanese equivalent of Geup) ranking systems and belts, contributed by Steve Gombosi follows: Before Jigoro Kano invented Judo, there was no kyu/dan ranking system. Kano invented it when he awarded "shodan" to two of his senior students (Saito and Tomita) in 1883. Even then, there was no external differentiation between yudansha (dan ranks) and mudansha (those who had not yet attained dan ranking). Kano apparently began the custom of having his yudansha wear black obis in 1886. These obis were not the belts karateka and judoka wear today - Kano had not invented the judogi (uniform) yet, and his students were still practicing in kimono. They were the wide obi still worn with formal kimono. In 1907, Kano introduced the modern gi and its modern obi, but he still only used white and black. Karateka in Okinawa did not use any sort of special uniform at all in the old days. The kyu/dan ranking system, and the modern karategi (modified judogi) were first adopted by Funakoshi in an effort to encourage karate's acceptance by the Japanese. He awarded the first "shodan" ranks given in karate to Tokuda, Otsuka, Akiba, Shimizu, Hirose, Gima, and Kasuya on April 10, 1924. The adoption of the kyu/dan system and the adoption of a standard uniform based on the judogi were 2 of the 4 conditions which the Dai-Nippon Butokukai required before recognizing karate as a "real" martial art. If you look at photographs of Okinawan karateka training in the early part of this century, you will see that they were training in their everyday clothes, or (!) in their underwear. Most other arts that have ranking/belt color systems adopted them from the Japanese.
Belt color epxlanation The explanation of belt colors was derived from the book of General Choi Hong Hi. In WTF Taekwondo there are 10 Geups, starting from the 10th Geup (white belt) and ends with the 1st Geup (red-black belt). The term "Geup" means degree. The term "Dan" means phase. There are 9 Dan degrees, starting with the first and ending with the 9th. All Dandegrees are represented by a black belt.
White Belt (10th Geup) The color white indicates that a person is "innocent", has no knowledge of Taekwondo. The white-belt is automatically gained by taking Taekwondo classes.
Yellow Belt (8th Geup) The color yellow indicates that the person is getting to know the basic techniques, this stadium is compared to a plant growing its roots.
The student going for yellow-belt is usually not skilled enough to show "Chayu daeryon" (non-contact sparring). Instead the student has to show "Sajoe" ("four-directionmovement", one specific technique shown to all directions).
Green Belt (6th Geup) The color green indicates that a student is growing as a Taekwondo student. The color of the belt is compared to a plant growing its leafs.
Blue Belt (4th Geup) The color blue indicates that a student is reaching higher, like a plant that is growing towards the sky.
Red Belt (2nd Geup) The color red indicates danger. The student is warned to practice the control of his/her movements. The color red also warns an opponent.
Poom W.T.F. Taekwondo requires that one has to be 16 years old to get a black belt. If younger, you get a Poom, which can be replaced by a black-belt when passed the age of 16. The requirements are the same as for the black-belt.
Black Belt (1st dan) Black is the opposite of white and means the maturity of the student in the art. It also is an indication of being impenetrable for fear and darkness.
Thoughts Self defense (Hosinsul) Hosinsul (self defense) is one of the four principles of taekwondo. Although taekwondo is a "self defense" sport in itself, it focusses on high and spinning kicks which are not very suitable for real life (street) application. Hosinsul is a mixture of all kinds of techniques, including grappling/locks as well as depending against armed attackers etc. (The photo shows Yvan de Wever, 6th dan Hwalmoo Hapkido)
Self defense is something that cannot be practised alone. You will need a partner that has equal strength. You will learn how to react (and how not to react), proper freeing techniques, locks and strangling techniques. The following techniques are generally (this is not a rule, of course) practised (where the opponent either uses his body (i.e. hands), a knife or a stick): •
Control techniques
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Freeing techniques (Paegi)
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Termination techniques
You will often see a big resemblance between the self defense techniques used in taekwondo and those applied in Hapkido.
Linear vs. Circular There are two sorts of self-defense (this is a BIG generalisation): The hard or linear way and the soft or circular way. In the linear form one uses arms and legs to block a strike of
the opponent. The advantage is that there is a direct counter-threat, which results in pain for the opponent. The disadvantage is that this method requires a lot of power and it may look extremely violent for outsiders. The circular form has a different view. Here you use the power and speed of the opponent to neutralise him/her using circular movements. The advantage is that you can neutralise your opponent without hurting him and that no strength is required. The disadvantage is that it takes a lot of skill and practise to come to the necessary level. You will most likely use a combination of both. Copyright (c) 1994-2007 by Barry Nauta (barry_at_nauta_dot_be, http://www.barrel.net/ or http://barry.nauta.be). Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "Copyleft".
Poomse By Freddy Lufting (5th dan, june 2002), 1998, Taekwondo instructor of V.A.S. Arashi University of Twente, the Netherlands I have trained students at V.A.S. Arashi for one-and-a-half year now. My experiences are positive. The Taekwondo students are willing to learn a lot about Taekwondo. What comes to my attention, however, is that mostly only the physical training is appreciated, like: "We have trained hard and are very tired.." They seem to think that only a hard training is a good one. I like to take a look at a different side of the Taekwondo training: the spiritual side. I will use the Poomse as illustration. What is a Poomse? The Poomse (pattern, shape) is, besides kyepka (breaktest), hosinsul (self-defense) and gyorugi (sparring), one of the four disciplines that are part of Taekwondo. You can distinguish these four disciplines, but you cannot part them. To understand the Poomse, you have to go back to the origin of Taekwondo. In times of peace, there was still the need to practice combat-techniques. The situation was quite different compared to the battle-field. The Poomse was needed to practice techniques, needed in war, but hard to train during sparring. The Poomse is a strict pattern, in which one can practice all techniques without a partner. All opponents are imaginary. Depending on the students skill (the color of the belt is an indication) the student practices a Poomse, and every new Poomse is a more difficult one. Unfortunately, sometimes both beginning and more skilled students practice the Poomse without the knowledge why. Taekwondo techniques are sometimes trained for hours, without thinking, and that is something I regret. In my training, I try to teach Taekwondo as a union of the Poomse, gyekpa, hosinsul and gyorugi. The sum is more than separate parts!
Kung Fu Kung Fu (Chinese: Originally meaning "Hard Work" now generic term for especially non-mainland China martial art types), a martial art, both a form of exercise with a spiritual dimension stemming
from concentration and self-discipline and a primarily unarmed mode of personal combat often equated with Karate or Tae Kwon Do. As martial art, kung fu can be traced to the Chou dynasty (1111-255 BC) and even earlier. As exercise it was practiced by the Taoists in the 5th century BC. Its prescribed stances and actions are based on keen observations of human skeletal and muscular anatomy and physiology, and it employs great muscular coordination. The various movements in kung fu, most of which are imitations of the fighting styles of animals, are initiated from one of five basic foot positions: normal upright posture and the four stances called dragon, frog, horse riding, and snake. There are hundreds of styles of kung fu, and armed as well as unarmed techniques have been developed. Kung fu performed as exercise resembles T'ai Chi ch'uan
Kung fu or gongfu or gung fu (功夫, Pinyin: gōngfu) is a well-known Chinese term often used by speakers of the English language to refer to Chinese martial arts. Its original meaning is somewhat different, referring to one's expertise in any skill, not necessarily martial.
Contents [hide] •
1 History
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2 Translation and usage
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3 Related terms
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4 Philosophy
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5 See also
[edit] History According to the legend of Chan (Zen) Buddhist monk Bodhidharma, kung fu also has its origin in India. The Indian monk named Bodhidharma Sardili (also known as Da Mo in Chinese) traveled from India to China around 500 CE. It is said that he visited Shaolin monks in the Henan Province. While there, Bodhidharma awed the resident Chinese monks with his mastery of meditation. The secret was physical discipline which Bodhidharma saw lacking in the monks. He trained them in exercises designed to strengthen the body and thus their endurance. According to legend, Bodhidharma had attained such a level of control that he was able to bore a hole through a wall simply by staring at it for a number of years in meditation. These series of exercises the monks used evolved into kung fu. This is why Bodhidharma is credited with spreading Chan (Zen) Buddhism to China and for forming the modern kung fu. The term kung fu was not popular until the 20th century, thus the word would be seldom found in any ancient texts. The term was first known to have been reported by a Westerner, French Jesuit missionary Jean Joseph Marie Amiot, in the 18th century and was known little in the mainstream English language until approximately the late 1960s, when it became popular because of the Hong Kong films, especially those by Bruce Lee, and later Kung Fu - the television series. Before that it was referred to primarily as "Chinese boxing". Kung Fu, as it is written here, refers to the general term of Chinese martial arts. Shaolin Kung Fu refers to the style that was developed in the Shaolin temples.
[edit] Translation and usage Nowadays, the most common use of the term kung fu is when referring to Chinese martial arts in general. Thus, when someone says they study kung fu, they likely mean they study one of the many styles of Chinese martial arts. (An alternative term might be "Zhongguo wushu" (中國武術, literally China martial art)). The original meaning of kung fu is quite different, and is hard to translate as there is no English equivalent. In short, 功夫 (gōngfu) means "achievement through great effort" or simply virtue. It combines 功 (gōng) meaning achievement or merit, and 夫 (fū) which translates into man. In Mandarin, when two "first tone" words such as gōng and fū are combined, the second word often takes a neutral tone, in this case forming gōngfu.
Originally, to practice kung fu did not just mean to practice Chinese martial arts. Instead, it referred to the process of one's training - the strengthening of the body and the mind, the learning and the perfection of one's skills - rather than to what was being trained. It refers to excellence achieved through long practice in any endeavor. You can say that a person's kung fu is good in cooking, or that someone has kung fu in calligraphy; saying that a person possesses kung fu in an area implies skill in that area, which they have worked hard to develop. Someone with "bad kung fu" simply has not put enough time and effort into training, or seems to lack the motivation to do so. Kung fu is also a name used for the elaborate Fujian tea ceremony (Kung-fu cha). There is a curious contemporary twist on this meaning in the hacker culture: there the fu has been generalized to a suffix, implying that the thing suffixed involves great skill or effort. For example, one may talk of "script-fu" to refer to complicated scripting. It is unknown whether this was consciously based on the original, broader meaning of the term or whether it was a simple wordplay on the less general Western notion of "kung fu". In Japanese, the characters for kung fu (功夫) retain an approximation of their Chinese reading, and are pronounced kanfū (カンフー). Chinese martial arts in general are also referred to as chūgoku ken (中国拳) or chūgoku kempō(中国拳法), which translates literally to "China fist" and "China fist law," respectively. (Kempō is a generic term for a punching/striking art of Chinese origins.) In Korean, kung fu means Chinese Martial art but a word that sounds similar is gongbu (공부), which means "study."
[edit] Related terms While the term Kung Fu is used globally as a generic term for the Chinese martial arts — such as Shaolin Kung Fu — certain Chinese words may be used to denote some specific aspect of a style. These words are often based on the theme of the human hand. A common term is the Mandarin word quan or chuan (拳, Cantonese: kuen, Japanese: ken), meaning fist, which conveys the sense of a style of boxing or striking, as in Shaolin Quan (Young Forest Fist) and Wing Chun Kuen (Eternal Spring Fist). The word "chuan", however, may not always denote boxing; Tai Chi Chuan (Supreme Ultimate Fist), for instance, contains the word "chuan" but does not focus on striking in common practice. The term chang or zhang (掌), meaning palm, is also seen, an example being Bagua Zhang (Eight Trigrams Palm). Another similar word is shou (手), or hand, as in Sanshou (Loose Hand or Free Hand). Some words refer to an art's origin or tradition. One term is pai (派), denoting a school of thought or system, as in Tien Shan Pai and Ying Jow Pai. This is related to the Japanese term ryuha (流派, Mandarin: liúpài), meaning "mainstream school of thought". Some martial arts of Southern China use the Cantonese word gar (家, Mandarin pinyin: jiā), meaning family, as in Hung Gar and Lau Gar (Hung Family, Lau Family), among others.
[edit] Philosophy There are various philosophies around the term kung fu, suggesting a deeper meaning. The following is an example of such a philosophy: For a process to truly be kung fu, the following three elements must be present: •
Motivation
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Self-discipline
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Time
Motivation is the basic driving force, and without it, kung fu can never be reached. It means both interest and the will to do something; a person who is forced to do something is not truly motivated. A motivated person, on the other hand, has interest in learning: they have a goal. It is important to note a difference between the various types of motivation: A person can be motivated to do something, because if they do not they will be punished. Money can
also lead to motivation, because you know that doing something will give you more money. However, the motivation kung fu comes from an interest and an inner desire to learn and develop, in which the goal is not an external gain, like avoiding punishment or earning money, but an internal one, with the only reward being knowledge, skill, strength and wisdom. This motivation can be inspired, but not controlled, by other people. Self-discipline is closely related to motivation, but refers to the effort and patience required to actually get something done, and to get past obstacles that might appear on the way towards one's goal. While motivation is the mental state of wanting to do something, discipline is required to put motivation into action: A person might want to do something very much, but lacks the required amount of discipline to get started. Without this, motivation will lead to nothing. It is true that a competent instructor can assist a person by providing discipline, helping that person to get past obstacles. This is good, but will not last forever, and in the end, it is always up to the person herself to put her thoughts into action. Time is essential for finding one's motivation and self-discipline, and to actually accomplish something by making use of them, but motivation and self-discipline are also important to make a person willing to put time into accomplishing their goal: to prioritize. In later stages, once motivation and discipline have become an integral part of a person's life, it is important not to stop spending time on practice. This is said to be a very important aspect of kung fu: Many ancient Chinese philosophers and martial artists consider time the most valuable commodity in a person's lives, as time cannot be replaced. By finding interest in and putting effort and time into every action, one will make the best use of time, and live a happy and productive life.
Respect your parents Loyalty to your friends Respect your elders Never take life unjustly Loyalty to your school (2)
During the Silla dynasty (A.D. 668 to A.D. 935) Taek Kyon was mostly used as a sport and recreational activity. Taek Kyon's name was changed to Subak and the focus of the art was changed during the Koryo dynasty (A.D. 935 to A.D. 1392). When King Uijong was on the throne from 1147 through 1170, he changed Subak from a system that promotes fitness to primarily a fighting art. The first widely distributed book on Taekwondo was during the Yi dynasty (1397 to 1907). This was the first time that Subak was intended to be taught to the general public, in previous years the knowledge was limited to the military. During the second half of the Yi dynasty, political conflicts and the choice to use debate instead of military action almost lead to the extinction of Subak. The emphasis of the art was changed back to that of recreational and physical fitness. The lack of interest caused Subak as an art, to become fragmented and scarcely practiced throughout the country. In 1909 the Japanese invaded Korea and occupied the country for 36 years. To control Korea's patriotism, the Japanese banned the practice of all military arts, Korean language and even burned all books written in Korea. This ban was responsible for renewed interest in Subak. Many Koreans organized themselves into underground groups and practiced the martial arts in remote Buddhist temples. Other people left Korea to study the martial arts in other countries like China and Japan. In 1943 Judo, Karate and Kung-fu were officially introduced to the Korean residents and the martial arts regained popularity. In 1945 Korea was liberated. In the last few years before liberation, there were many different variations of Subak/Taek Kyon in Korea. This was due to all of the other martial arts influence on it. The first Taekwondo school (Kwan) was started in Yong Chun, Seoul, Korea in 1945. Many different school were opened from 1945 through 1960. Each school claimed to teach the traditional Korean martial art, but each school emphasized a different aspect of Taek Kyon/Subak. This caused different names to emerge from each system, some of them were: Soo Bahk Do, Kwon Bop, Kong Soo Do, Tae Soo Do and Kang Soo Do. The Korean Armed Forces were also formed in 1945 and in 1946 Second lieutenant Hong Hi Choi began teaching Taek Kyon at a Korean military base called Kwang Ju. Americans were first introduced to Taek Kyon when Choi instructed Korean Army troops and some American soldiers stationed with the 2nd Infantry Regiment. Later in 1949 Hong Hi Choi attended Ground General School at Ft. Riely near Topeka, Kansas in the United States. While in the U.S., Choi gave
public Taek Kyon demonstrations for the troops. This was the first display of Taek Kyon in America.(4) The greatest turning point for Korean martial arts started in 1952. During the height of the Korean War, President Syngman Rhee watched a 30 minute performance by Korean martial arts masters. He was especially impressed when Tae Hi Nam broke 13 roof tiles with a single punch. After the demonstration Rhee talked with Hong Hi Choi about the martial arts, he then ordered his military chiefs of staff to require all Korean soldiers to receive training in the martial arts. This caused a tremendous surge in Taek Kyon schools and students. President Rhee also sent Tae Hi Nam to Ft. Benning, Georgia for radio communications training. While there, Tae Hi Nam gave many martial arts demonstrations and received considerable media publicity. During this same time period in Korea, special commando groups of martial arts-trained soldiers were formed to fight against the communist forces of North Korea. One of the most famous special forces was known as the Black Tigers. The Korean war ended in 1953. In 1954, General Hong Hi Choi organized the 29th Infantry on Che Ju Island, off the Korean Coast, as a spearhead and center for Taek Kyon training in the military. On April 11, 1955 at a conference of kwan masters, historians, and Taek Kyon promoters, most of the kwan masters decided to merge their various styles for mutual benefit of all schools. The name "Tae Soo Do" was accepted by a majority of the kwan masters. Two years later the name was changed again, this time to "Taekwondo" The name was suggested by General Hong Hi Choi (who is considered the father of Taekwondo). "Taekwondo" was suggested by Choi because of its resemblance to Taek Kyon, and so provides continuity and maintains tradition. Further, it describes both hand and foot techniques. Dissension among the various kwans that did not unify carried on until September 14, 1961. Then by official decree of the new military government, the kwans were ordered to unify into one organization called the Korea Taekwondo Association (KTA), with General Hong Hi Choi elected as its first president. In 1962, the KTA re-examined all the black belt ranks to determine national standards and also in 1962, Taekwondo became one of the official events in the annual National Athletic Meet in Korea. The KTA sent instructors and demonstrations teams all over the world. Jhoon Ree (who is considered the father of American Taekwondo) attended San Marcos Southwest Texas State College, and later taught a Taekwondo course at the college and formed a public Taekwondo club. A Taekwondo demonstration at the United Nations headquarters in New York City in 1963, caused the formation of the U.S. Taekwondo Association in 1967, which later was superseded in 1974 by the U.S. Taekwondo Federation. In Korea, the study of Taekwondo spread rapidly from the army into high schools and colleges. In march of 1966 Choi founded the International Taekwon-do Federation (ITF), which he also served as president. Choi later resigned as the KTA president and moved his ITF headquarters to Montreal, Canada, from where he concentrated on organizing Taekwondo internationally. His emphasis is on self-defense methodology, not particularly on the sport. By 1974, Choi reported that some 600 qualified ITF instructors were distributed throughout the world. Young-wun Kim was elected the new KTA president. Feeling that Korea was the mother country of Taekwondo and that the world headquarters should be located there, he dissolved the ITF's connection with the KTA and on May 28, 1973 created a new international governing body called the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF), which coincided with the first World Taekwondo Championships that were held in Seoul, Korea. At the first inaugural meeting, Un Yong Kim was elected as president of the WTF and drafted a charter for the federation. The WTF is the only official organization recognized by the Korean government as an international regulating body for Taekwondo. The World Taekwondo Federation has since made a major effort to standardize tournament rules and organize world class competitions. After the 2nd World TKD Championship in Seoul, the WTF became an affiliate of the General Assembly of International Sports Federation (GAISF), which has ties to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The IOC recognized and admitted the WTF in July 1980. In 1982 the General Session of the IOC designated Taekwondo as an official Demonstration Sport for the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea. Since Modern-day Taekwondo's official birth on April 11, 1955, its development as a sport has been rapid. Over 30 million people practice Taekwondo in more than 156 countries.
What is taekwondo? Taekwondo is a modern martial art, characterized by it's fast, high and spinning kicks. There are multiple interpretations of the name taekwondo. Taekwondo is often translated as 'the way of hand and foot'. My definition of the name Taekwondo is •
Tae='to strike or block with the foot' or 'to kick', it also means 'jump'
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K'won='Fist', 'to strike or block with hand'
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Do='The way of' or 'art'.
Put this together and Taekwondo means: "The art of Kicking and Punching" or "The art of unarmed combat". The sport has been founded in Korea and is one of the popular modern martial arts.
Objectives of Taekwondo 1. to develop an appreciation for Taekwondo as a sport and as an art 2. to achieve physical fitness through positive participation 3. to improve mental discipline and emotional equanimity 4. to learn self-defense skills 5. to develop a sense of responsibility for one self and others.
Is Taekwondo dangerous? Although WTF Taekwondo is a full contact sport where it is allowed to kick to the head (throwing punches to the head are not allowed), it is not very dangerous to practise Taekwondo. During training, there is no need to actually win so contact is light. During competition, full protection is used to protect the competitors. To avoid head injuries, a competitor is not allowed to participate in a competition for three months (this time-period seems to vary) if one was knocked out by a kick to the head. If the same incident happens again after these three months, you are not allowed to participate for half a year. Another K.O. to the head after this half year period results in a permanent exclusion of competitions. ITF Taekwondo is so-called semi-contact. It is not allowed to attack the head with full force. However, it is allowed to throw punches to the head, by using the so-called "killing-blow", stop just an inch before the target. To avoid injuries, ITF uses gloves at sparring-competition.
History of Taekwondo The earliest records of Martial Arts practice in Korea date back to about 50 B.C. These earliest forms of korean martial arts are known as 'Taek Kyon'. Evidence that Martial Arts were being practiced at that time can be found in tombs where wall-paintings show two men in fighting-stance. Others reject this evidence and say that these men could be simply dancing. Back then, time there were three kingdoms: 1. Koguryo (37 B.C. - 668 A.D.) 2. Paekje (18 B.C. - 600 A.D.) 3. Silla (57 B.C. - 935 A.D.) Silla unified the kingdoms after winning the war against Paekje in 660 A.D. and Koguryo in 668 A.D. The Hwa Rang Do played an important role at this unification. The Hwa Rang Do was an elite group of young noble men, devoted to cultivating mind and body and serve the kingdom Silla. The best translation for HwaRang would probably be "flowering youth" (Hwa ="flower", Rang="young man"). The HwaRang Do had an honor-code and practiced various forms of martial arts, including Taekyon and Soo Bakh Do. The old honor-code of the HwaRang is the philosophical background of modern Taekwondo.
What followed was a time of peace and the HwaRang turned from a military organization to a group specialized in poetry and music. It was in 936 A.D. when Wang Kon founded the Koryo dynasty, an abbreviation of Koguryo. The name Korea is derived from Koryo. During the Koryo Dynasty the sport Soo Bakh Do, which was then used as a military training method, became popular. During the Joseon-dynasty (also known as the Yi-dynasty. 1392 A.D. - 1910 A.D.) this emphasis on military training disappeared. King Taejo, founder of the Joseon-dynasty, replaced Buddhism by Confucianism as the state religion. According to Confucianism, the higher class should study the poets, read poems and and play music. Martial arts was something for the common, or even inferior, man. Modern-day Taekwondo is influenced by many other Martial Arts. The most important of these arts is Japanese Karate. This is because Japan dominated Korea during 1910 until the end of World War II. During WWII, lots of Korean soldiers were trained in Japan. During this occupation of Korea, the Japanese tried to erase all traces of the Korean culture, including the martial arts. The influence that Japan has given to Taekwondo are the quick, lineair movements, that characterize the various Japanese systems. After World War II, when Korea became independant, several kwans arose. These kwans were: •
Chung Do Kwan
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Moo Duk Kwan
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Yun Moo Kwan
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Chang Moo Kwan
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Oh Do Kwan
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Ji Do Kwan
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Chi Do Kwan
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Song Moo Kwan The Kwans united in 1955 as Tae Soo Do. In the beginning of 1957, the name Taekwondo was adopted by several Korean martial arts masters, for its similarity to the name Tae Kyon.
General Choi Hong-hi required the army to train Taekwondo, so the very first Taekwondo students were Korean soldiers. The police and air force had to learn Taekwondo as well. At that time, Taekwondo was merely a Korean version of Shotokan Karate. In 1961 the Korean Taekwondo Union arose from the Soo Bakh Do Association and the Tae Soo Do Association. In 1962 the Korean Amateur Sports Association acknowledged the Korean Taekwondo Union and in 1965 the name was changed to Korean Taekwondo Association (K.T.A.). General Choi was president of the K.T.A. at that time and was asked to start the I.T.F. as the international branch of the K.T.A. The southern government was overthrown in 1961. General Choi Hong-hi left for America and established I.T.F. (International Taekwondo Federation) Taekwondo, as a separate entity, two years later. Demonstrations were given all over the world. It took a while before real progress was made, but eventually, in 1973, the World Taekwondo Federation (W.T.F.) was founded. In 1980, W.T.F. Taekwondo was recognized by the International Olympic Commitee
(I.O.C.) and became a demonstration sport at the Olympics in 1988. In the year 2000 taekwondo made its debute as an official olympic sport. There were several attempts to unify I.T.F. and W.T.F. Taekwondo, but unfortunately, these failed.
Vital Points (Keupsoh) The vital points of the body are listed below. A vital point is a part of the body that, when attacked in the right way (force, angle, accuracy), can cause paralysis, unconsciousness or even death. Attacks to nerves can lead to nausea, headaches or worse. This information should only be used to increase your knowledge of the body and of Taekwondo, it is not meant to be used without the supervision of a qualified instructor. The impact on vital points is indicated by numbers as followed: 1. Moderate pain 2. Sharp pain 3. Severe pain 4. Unconsciousness or temporary paralysis 5. Fatal The body has about 280 vital points so this list is far from complete.
The front of the head
Number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Description Result of light impact Result of full-power attack Top of head 2 4 Forehead 2 4 Temple 3 5 Cheekbone 2 4 Neck artery 3 5 Cervical trachea 3 5 Glabella 2 4 Intraocular pressure 2 4 Eyeball 2/3 4/5 Philtrum 1/2 3/4 Jaw 2 4 Chin 2 4 Adam's apple 3 5
The front of the body
Number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Description Result of light impact Result of full-power attack Center of the torax 2 4 Lower end of sternum 3 5 Solar plexus 3 5 Center of abdomen 2 4 Inner thigh 2 4 Center of instep 2 4 Brest 1 3 Thorax flank 2 4 Flank pit of waist 2 4 Groin 3 5 Upper knee-edge 2 4 Shin 1 3
The back of the body
Number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Description Result of light impact Result of full-power attack Back of the neck 3 5 (several parts of) backbone 3 5 Outside of upper arm 1 4 Outerwrist 1 3 Hipnerve 2 4 Achilles heel 2 4 Kidneys 2 4 Elbow (just below) 1 3 Coccyx 2 4/5 Pit of thumb and first-finger 2 4 Kneepit 1 3
Patterns Forms, or Poomses in Korean language, are a series of defending and attacking movements performed against imaginary opponents in a set pattern. Through the practice of forms, students come to learn the applications of various techniques of Taekwondo. Forms serve a multi-dimensional role, aiding in development and refinement of coordination, balance, timing, breath control and rhythm, all of which are essential skills to the Taekwondo student.
Poomse's W.T.F. uses Poomses for patterns. Poomses originate from the book 'I Ching', a Chinese oracle. The I Ching has 64 hexagrams, a combination of two sets of three lines, closed or broken. The sets of three lines are called trigrams. The closed lines represent Yang, the open lines Yin. In the chinese language, the unity of Yin and Yang is called 'taich'i'. In the Korean language, the unity is called T'ae-guk. This explains the term Poomse Taeguk. The eight trigrams together are called Pal-gwe as in Poomse Palgwe...
Poomse Taeguk/Palgwe Il Jang -- Heaven (South, Father) The first Taeguk/Palgwe is the beginning of all Poomses. The associated trigram represents Yang (heaven, light), therefore, this Poomse should be performed with the greatness of Heaven.
Poomse Taeguk/Palgwe Ee Jang -- Lake (South East, Youngest daughter) In the depths of the lake are treasures and mysteries. The movements of this Taeguk/Palgwe should be performed knowing that man has limitations, but that we can overcome these limitations. This should lead to a feeling of joy, knowing that we can control our future.
Poomse Taeguk/Palgwe Sam Jang -- Fire (East, Second daughter) Fire contains a lot of energy. Fire helped man to survive, but on the other hand had some catastrophical results. This form should be performed rhythmically, with some outbursts of energy.
Poomse Taeguk/Palgwe Sa Jang -- Thunder (North East, Eldest son) Thunder comes from the sky and is absorbed by the earth. Thunder is one of the most powerful natural forces, circling, gyrating. This Taeguk/Palgwe should be performed with this in mind.
Poomse Taeguk/Palgwe Oh Jang -- Wind (South West, Eldest daughter) Wind is a gently force, but can sometimes be furious, destroying everything in it's path. Poomse Taeguk/Palgwe Oh Jang should be performed like the wind: gently, but knowing the ability of mass destruction with a single movement.
Poomse Taeguk/Palgwe Yook Jang -- Water (West, Second son) Water can move a mountain. The movements of this Poomse should be performed like water. Sometimes standing still like water in a lake, sometimes thriving as a river.
Poomse Taeguk/Palgwe Chil Jang -- Mountain (North West, Youngest son) Mountains will always look majestic, no matter the size. This Poomse should be performed with the feeling that all movements are this majestic and deserved to be praised.
Poomse Taeguk/Palgwe Pal Jang -- Earth (North, Mother) The associated trigram of this Poomse is Yin: the end of the beginning, the evil part of all that is good. Even in this darkness, there is still some light. Performing this Taeguk/Palgwe, one should be aware that this is the last Taeguk/Palgwe to be learned, it also is the end of a circle, and therefore it is also the first, the second etc... Both Palgwe's and Taeguk's are numbered from one to eight. After this point, there is no longer a difference between the patterns. The patterns below follow the Poomse Taeguks as well as the Poomse Palgwes.
Poomse Koryo Koryo (Korea) is the name of an old Korean Dynasty. The people from the Koryo-period defeated the Mongolian aggressors. Their spirit is reflected in the movements of the Poomse Koryo. Each movement of this Poomse represents the strength and energy needed to control the Mongols.
Poomse Keumgang The definition of Keumgang is "Too h3 to be broken", or "diamond". The movements of the Poomse Keumgang are as beautiful as the Keumgang-san (a Korean mountain) and as h3 as Keumgang-seok (diamond).
Poomse TaeBaek The legendary 'Dangoon' founded a nation in Taebaek, near Korea's biggest mountain Baekdoo. Baekdoo is a symbol for Korea. The definition of Taebaek is "lightness". Every movement in this Poomse must not only be exact en fast, but with determination and hardness.
Poomse Pyongwon The definition of Pyongwon is "stretch, vast plain": big, majestic.
Poomse Sipjin Sipjin stands for decimal. This Poomse represents the orderliness of the decimal system. It also means the endless development and growth in a systematic order: stability.
Poomse Jitae Jitae is derived from the meaning of the earth. All things evolve from and return to the earth, the earth is the beginning and the end of life.
Poomse Cheonkwon Cheonkwon means 'sky'. The sky should be seen as ruler of the universe. It is both mysterious, infinite and profound. The motions of Cheonkwon are full of piety and vitality.
Poomse Hansoo This poomse is derived from the fluidity of water which easily adapts within nature.
Poomse Ilyo The state of spiritual cultivation in Buddhism is called 'Ilyo' which means more or less 'oneness'. In Ilyo, body and mind, spirit and substance, I and you are unified. The ultimate ideal of taekwondo can be found in this state. It is a discipline in which we concentrate on every movement leaving all materialistics thoughts, obsessions and extermal influences behind.
Tul's I.T.F. has 24 patterns (or Tul) representing the 24 hours of the day, or the whole of a man's life. There are 10 patterns for the first black belt, at which point the member moves from being a 'beginner' to a 'novice'. The primary difference between I.T.F. and W.T.F. (from looking to the two) is that I.T.F. uses a 'stepping' movement for all hand techniques. Contributed by John Browne. This 'stepping motion' that the I.T.F. utilizes is referred to by I.T.F. practioners as "Sinewave", "Knee Spring" or "up/down Motion". It causes the body to move in a "sine wave" resulting in the whole body being involved at the moment of impact, blocking or attacking. This techniques us not just used for hand-techniques. It is used in I.T.F. kicking techniques as well. Contributed by [email protected]
Chon-Ji Tul (19 movements) Literally means heaven and earth. It is in the orient interpreted as the creation of the world or the beginning of human history, therefore it is the initial pattern played by the beginner. This pattern consists of two similar parts; one to represent the Heaven and the other the Earth.
Dan-Gun Tul (21 movements) Dan Gun is named after the Holy Dan Gun, the legendary founder of Korea in the year 2333 B.C..
Do-San Tul (24 movements) Do-San is a pseudonym of the patriot Ahn Chang-Ho (1876 - 1938). The 24 movements represent his entire life which he devoted to furthering education in Korea and the Korean independence movement.
Won-Hyo Tul (28 movements) Won-Hyo was the noted monk who introduced Buddhism to the Silla Dynasty in the year 686 AD.
Yul-Gok Tul (38 movements) Yul-Gok is a pseudonym of a great philosopher and scholar Yi I (1536 - 1584) nicknamed the "Confucius of Korea". The 38 movements of this pattern refer to his birthplace on 38 degree latitude and the diagram of the pattern represents scholar.
Joon-Gun Tul (32 movements) Joong-Gun is named after the patriot Ahn Joong-Gun who assassinated Hiro Bumi Ito, the first Japanese governor-general of Korea, known as the man who played the leading part in the Korea-Japan merger. There are 32 movements in this patter to represent Mr Ahn's age when he was executed at Lui-Shung in 1910.
Toi-Gye Tul (37 movements) Toi-Gye is the pen name of the noted scholar Yi Hwang (16th century) an authority on neo-Confucianism. The 37 movements of the pattern refer to his birthplace on 37 degree latitude, the diagram represent "scholar".
Hwa-Rang Tul (29 movements) Hwa Rang is named after the Haw Rang youth group which originated in the Silla Dynasty in the early 7th century. The 29 movements refer to the 29th infantry Division, where Taekwondo developed into maturity.
Choong-Moo Tul (30 movements) Choong-Moo was the name given to the great Admiral Yi Soon-Sin of the Yi Dynasty. He was reputed to have invented the first armored battleship (Kobukson) in 1592, which is said to be the precursor of the present day submarine. This pattern ends with a left hand attack, to symbolize his regrettable death. He was noted for his unrestrained loyalty to the King.
Kwang-Gae Tul (39 movements) Kwang-Gae is named after the famous Kwang-Gae-Toh-Wang, the 19th king of the Koguryo Dynasty, who regained all the lost territories including the greater part of Manchuria. The diagram represent the expansion and recovery of lost territory. The 39 movements refer to the first two figures of 391 AD, the year he came to the throne.
Po-Eun Tul (36 movements) Po-Eun is the pseudonym of a loyal subject Chong-Mong-Chu (1400) who was a famous poet and who's poem "I would not serve a second master though I might be crucified a hundred time" is know to every Korean. He was also a pioneer in the field of physics. The diagram represent his unerring loyalty to the king and country towards the end of the Koryo Dynasty.
Ge-Baek Tul (44 Movements) Ge-Baek is named after Ge-Baek, a great general in the Baek-Je Dynasty (660AD). The diagram represents his severe and strict military discipline.
Eui-Am Tul (45 Movements) Eui-Am is the pseudonym of Son Byong Hi, leader of the Korean independence movement on March 1, 1919. The 45 movements refer to his age when he changed his name of Dong Hak (oriental Culture) to Chondo Kyo (Heavenly Way Religion) in 1905. The diagram represents his indomitable spirit, displayed while dedicating himself to the prosperity of his nation.
Choong-Jang Tul (52 Movements) Choong-Jang is the pseudonym given to General Kim Duk Ryang who lived during the Yi Dynasty, 14th century. This pattern ends with a left hand attack to symbolise the tragedy of his death at 27 in prison before he was able to reach full maturity.
Juche Tul (45 Movements) Juche is a philosophical idea that man is the master of everything and decides everything, in other words, the idea that man is that master of the world and his own destiny. It is said that this idea was rooted in Baekdu Mount which symbolise the spirit of the Korean people. The diagram represents Baekdu Mountain.
Sam Il Tul (33 Movements) Sam Il denotes the historical date of the independence movement of Korea which began throughout the country on march 1, 1919. The 33 movements in the pattern stand for the 33 patriots who planned the movement.
Yoo-Sin Tul (68 Movements) Yoo Sin is named after General Kin Yoo Sin, a commanding general during the Silla Dynasty. The 68 movements refer to the last two figures of 668 AD the year Korea was unified. The ready posture signifies a sword drawn to the right rather than the left side, symbolizing Yoo sin's mistake of following his king's orders to fight with foreign force against his own nation.
Choi Yong Tul (46 Movements) Choi Yong is named after General Choi Yong, Premier and Commander-in Chief of the armed forces during the 14th century Koryo Dynasty. Choi Yong was greatly respected for his loyalty, patriotism, and humility. He was executed by subordinate commanders headed by General Yi Sung Gae, who later became the first king of the Yi Dynasty.
Yon Gae Tul (49 Movements) Yon Gae is named after a famous general during the Koguryo Dynasty. Yon Gae Somoon. The 49 movements refer to the last two figures of 649 AD the year he forced the Tang Dynasty to quit Korea after destroying nearly 300,000 of their troops at Ansi Sung.
UL-JI Tul (42 Movements) UL-JI is named after general UL-JI Moon Dok who successfully defended Korea against a Tang's invasion force of nearly one million soldiers led by Yang Je in 612 AD, Ul-JI
employing hit and run guerilla tactics was able to decimate a large percentage of the force. The diagram represents his surname. The 42 movements represent the author's age when he designed the pattern.
Moon-Moo Tul (61 Movements) Moon Moo honors the 30th king of the Silla Dynasty. His body was buried near Dae Wang Am (Great King's Rock). According to his will, the body was placed in the sea "Where my soul shall forever defend my land against the Japanese". It is said that the Sok Gul Am (Stone Cave) was built to guard his tomb. The Sok Gul Am is a fine example of the culture of the Silla Dynasty. The 61 movements in this pattern symbolize the last two figures of 6612 AS when Moon Moo came to the throne.
So-San Tul (72 Movements) So San is the pseudonym of the great monk Choi Hyong Ung (1520 - 1604) during the Lae Dynasty. The 72 movements refer to his age when he organised a corps of monk soldiers with the assistance of his pupil Sa Myung Dang. The monk soldiers helped repulse the Japanese pirates who overran most of the Korean peninsula in 1592.
Se Jong Tul (24 Movements) Se-Jong is named after the greatest Korean King, Se-Jong, who invented the Korean alphabets in 1443, and was also a noted meteorologist. The diagram represents the king, while the 24 movements refer to the 24 letters of the Korean alphabet.
Tong Il Tul Tong Il denotes the resolution of the unification of Korea which has been divided since 1945. The diagram symbolises the homogenous race.
Ethics As in all Martial Arts, ethics are of great importance. One can look at individual ethics, treat a fellow-man right, or one can look at social ethics, as part of a whole. Ethics basically all comes down to one point, the difference between 'good' and 'evil'. We practise taekwondo, often seen as an aggresive sport, but does this mean that we can be aggresive? Do we want to be aggresive? The answer is NO! We wear protection, because we don't want someoneelse to be injured, nor do we want to get hurt ourselves. Taekwondo is not a destructive and aggressive sport, but a sportive one. As I see it, taking part in a competition is not to hurt your opponent, but to test your strength, in both physical and mental ways. Taekwondo students can improve themselves physically, and mentally by training. The final goal is to achieve harmony with nature and oneself. Balance is gained by controlling both evil and good forces (Yin vs. Yang): A true Taekwondo student knows how to behave in all situations. In my opinion, Taekwondo (and I guess this goes for every Martial Art) is not only a way to improve skills of self defence, but it's a way of life. Practicing Taekwondo gives the student more self-confidence, but this should not result in a false sense of superiority.
HwaRang code of honor Because of the military background, there is a general code. These codes are reflected in the so-called 'Commandments of modern Taekwondo' and is strongly influenced by the Buddhism. These commandments are influenced by the HwaRang Do code of honor: 1. Serve your lord with loyalty 2. Serve your parents with filial piety 3. Trust your friends 4. Never retreat from a battle
5. When taking life, be selective The commandments of Taekwondo are used as a guide for the moral development of students and art. No student who does not fully understand these tenets can ever hope to master the true essence of the art.
Commandments of modern Taekwondo: 1. Loyalty to your country 2. Respect your parents 3. Faithfulness to your spouse 4. Respect your brothers and sisters 5. Loyalty to your friends 6. Respect your elders 7. Respect your teacher 8. Never take life unjustly 9. Indomitable spirit 10. Loyalty to your school 11. Finish what you begin
The Tenets of Taekwondo Courtesy (Ye Ui). To be thoughtful and considerate of others. Taekwondo practisers (both students and instructors) should be polite, and show consideration for others. Integrity (Yom Chi). Integrity describes how you should interact with others. To be honest and good, earn respect and trust. Perseverance (In Nae). This basically stands for your internal drive. Challenges allow us to improve ourselves and should therefor not be avoided. Self control (Guk Ki). To have control of your body and mind. A Taekwondo student should practice controlling his actions and reactions. Indomitable spirit (Baekjool Boolgool). To have courage in the face of adversity. A Taekwondo student should never be dominated by, or have his spirit broken by another.
How to behave in the dojang There are a few general rules. •
Always wear a clean Dobok.
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Clean hands, feet, short nails.
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Don't wear sharp things (if you do not have a Dobok, do not wear pants with zippers etc.)
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No jewelry allowed
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Don't drink, smoke or eat in the dojang (no chewing gum!)
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Be on time.
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When entering and leaving the dojang, make a proper bow
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Don't talk, unless it is necessary
Belt requirements and origin The color of the belt is an indication of the skill level of a Taekwondo student. Sometimes belts can be gained by winning competitions, the common way is by completing an exam.
Origin of the belt colors A brief history of Geup/kyu/dan (kyu is the Japanese equivalent of Geup) ranking systems and belts, contributed by Steve Gombosi follows: Before Jigoro Kano invented Judo, there was no kyu/dan ranking system. Kano invented it when he awarded "shodan" to two of his senior students (Saito and Tomita) in 1883. Even then, there was no external differentiation between yudansha (dan ranks) and mudansha (those who had not yet attained dan ranking). Kano apparently began the custom of having his yudansha wear black obis in 1886. These obis were not the belts karateka and judoka wear today - Kano had not invented the judogi (uniform) yet, and his students were still practicing in kimono. They were the wide obi still worn with formal kimono. In 1907, Kano introduced the modern gi and its modern obi, but he still only used white and black. Karateka in Okinawa did not use any sort of special uniform at all in the old days. The kyu/dan ranking system, and the modern karategi (modified judogi) were first adopted by Funakoshi in an effort to encourage karate's acceptance by the Japanese. He awarded the first "shodan" ranks given in karate to Tokuda, Otsuka, Akiba, Shimizu, Hirose, Gima, and Kasuya on April 10, 1924. The adoption of the kyu/dan system and the adoption of a standard uniform based on the judogi were 2 of the 4 conditions which the Dai-Nippon Butokukai required before recognizing karate as a "real" martial art. If you look at photographs of Okinawan karateka training in the early part of this century, you will see that they were training in their everyday clothes, or (!) in their underwear. Most other arts that have ranking/belt color systems adopted them from the Japanese.
Belt color epxlanation The explanation of belt colors was derived from the book of General Choi Hong Hi. In WTF Taekwondo there are 10 Geups, starting from the 10th Geup (white belt) and ends with the 1st Geup (red-black belt). The term "Geup" means degree. The term "Dan" means phase. There are 9 Dan degrees, starting with the first and ending with the 9th. All Dandegrees are represented by a black belt.
White Belt (10th Geup) The color white indicates that a person is "innocent", has no knowledge of Taekwondo. The white-belt is automatically gained by taking Taekwondo classes.
Yellow Belt (8th Geup) The color yellow indicates that the person is getting to know the basic techniques, this stadium is compared to a plant growing its roots.
The student going for yellow-belt is usually not skilled enough to show "Chayu daeryon" (non-contact sparring). Instead the student has to show "Sajoe" ("four-directionmovement", one specific technique shown to all directions).
Green Belt (6th Geup) The color green indicates that a student is growing as a Taekwondo student. The color of the belt is compared to a plant growing its leafs.
Blue Belt (4th Geup) The color blue indicates that a student is reaching higher, like a plant that is growing towards the sky.
Red Belt (2nd Geup) The color red indicates danger. The student is warned to practice the control of his/her movements. The color red also warns an opponent.
Poom W.T.F. Taekwondo requires that one has to be 16 years old to get a black belt. If younger, you get a Poom, which can be replaced by a black-belt when passed the age of 16. The requirements are the same as for the black-belt.
Black Belt (1st dan) Black is the opposite of white and means the maturity of the student in the art. It also is an indication of being impenetrable for fear and darkness.
Thoughts Self defense (Hosinsul) Hosinsul (self defense) is one of the four principles of taekwondo. Although taekwondo is a "self defense" sport in itself, it focusses on high and spinning kicks which are not very suitable for real life (street) application. Hosinsul is a mixture of all kinds of techniques, including grappling/locks as well as depending against armed attackers etc. (The photo shows Yvan de Wever, 6th dan Hwalmoo Hapkido)
Self defense is something that cannot be practised alone. You will need a partner that has equal strength. You will learn how to react (and how not to react), proper freeing techniques, locks and strangling techniques. The following techniques are generally (this is not a rule, of course) practised (where the opponent either uses his body (i.e. hands), a knife or a stick): •
Control techniques
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Freeing techniques (Paegi)
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Termination techniques
You will often see a big resemblance between the self defense techniques used in taekwondo and those applied in Hapkido.
Linear vs. Circular There are two sorts of self-defense (this is a BIG generalisation): The hard or linear way and the soft or circular way. In the linear form one uses arms and legs to block a strike of
the opponent. The advantage is that there is a direct counter-threat, which results in pain for the opponent. The disadvantage is that this method requires a lot of power and it may look extremely violent for outsiders. The circular form has a different view. Here you use the power and speed of the opponent to neutralise him/her using circular movements. The advantage is that you can neutralise your opponent without hurting him and that no strength is required. The disadvantage is that it takes a lot of skill and practise to come to the necessary level. You will most likely use a combination of both. Copyright (c) 1994-2007 by Barry Nauta (barry_at_nauta_dot_be, http://www.barrel.net/ or http://barry.nauta.be). Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "Copyleft".
Poomse By Freddy Lufting (5th dan, june 2002), 1998, Taekwondo instructor of V.A.S. Arashi University of Twente, the Netherlands I have trained students at V.A.S. Arashi for one-and-a-half year now. My experiences are positive. The Taekwondo students are willing to learn a lot about Taekwondo. What comes to my attention, however, is that mostly only the physical training is appreciated, like: "We have trained hard and are very tired.." They seem to think that only a hard training is a good one. I like to take a look at a different side of the Taekwondo training: the spiritual side. I will use the Poomse as illustration. What is a Poomse? The Poomse (pattern, shape) is, besides kyepka (breaktest), hosinsul (self-defense) and gyorugi (sparring), one of the four disciplines that are part of Taekwondo. You can distinguish these four disciplines, but you cannot part them. To understand the Poomse, you have to go back to the origin of Taekwondo. In times of peace, there was still the need to practice combat-techniques. The situation was quite different compared to the battle-field. The Poomse was needed to practice techniques, needed in war, but hard to train during sparring. The Poomse is a strict pattern, in which one can practice all techniques without a partner. All opponents are imaginary. Depending on the students skill (the color of the belt is an indication) the student practices a Poomse, and every new Poomse is a more difficult one. Unfortunately, sometimes both beginning and more skilled students practice the Poomse without the knowledge why. Taekwondo techniques are sometimes trained for hours, without thinking, and that is something I regret. In my training, I try to teach Taekwondo as a union of the Poomse, gyekpa, hosinsul and gyorugi. The sum is more than separate parts!
Kung Fu Kung Fu (Chinese: Originally meaning "Hard Work" now generic term for especially non-mainland China martial art types), a martial art, both a form of exercise with a spiritual dimension stemming
from concentration and self-discipline and a primarily unarmed mode of personal combat often equated with Karate or Tae Kwon Do. As martial art, kung fu can be traced to the Chou dynasty (1111-255 BC) and even earlier. As exercise it was practiced by the Taoists in the 5th century BC. Its prescribed stances and actions are based on keen observations of human skeletal and muscular anatomy and physiology, and it employs great muscular coordination. The various movements in kung fu, most of which are imitations of the fighting styles of animals, are initiated from one of five basic foot positions: normal upright posture and the four stances called dragon, frog, horse riding, and snake. There are hundreds of styles of kung fu, and armed as well as unarmed techniques have been developed. Kung fu performed as exercise resembles T'ai Chi ch'uan
Kung fu or gongfu or gung fu (功夫, Pinyin: gōngfu) is a well-known Chinese term often used by speakers of the English language to refer to Chinese martial arts. Its original meaning is somewhat different, referring to one's expertise in any skill, not necessarily martial.
Contents [hide] •
1 History
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2 Translation and usage
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3 Related terms
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4 Philosophy
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5 See also
[edit] History According to the legend of Chan (Zen) Buddhist monk Bodhidharma, kung fu also has its origin in India. The Indian monk named Bodhidharma Sardili (also known as Da Mo in Chinese) traveled from India to China around 500 CE. It is said that he visited Shaolin monks in the Henan Province. While there, Bodhidharma awed the resident Chinese monks with his mastery of meditation. The secret was physical discipline which Bodhidharma saw lacking in the monks. He trained them in exercises designed to strengthen the body and thus their endurance. According to legend, Bodhidharma had attained such a level of control that he was able to bore a hole through a wall simply by staring at it for a number of years in meditation. These series of exercises the monks used evolved into kung fu. This is why Bodhidharma is credited with spreading Chan (Zen) Buddhism to China and for forming the modern kung fu. The term kung fu was not popular until the 20th century, thus the word would be seldom found in any ancient texts. The term was first known to have been reported by a Westerner, French Jesuit missionary Jean Joseph Marie Amiot, in the 18th century and was known little in the mainstream English language until approximately the late 1960s, when it became popular because of the Hong Kong films, especially those by Bruce Lee, and later Kung Fu - the television series. Before that it was referred to primarily as "Chinese boxing". Kung Fu, as it is written here, refers to the general term of Chinese martial arts. Shaolin Kung Fu refers to the style that was developed in the Shaolin temples.
[edit] Translation and usage Nowadays, the most common use of the term kung fu is when referring to Chinese martial arts in general. Thus, when someone says they study kung fu, they likely mean they study one of the many styles of Chinese martial arts. (An alternative term might be "Zhongguo wushu" (中國武術, literally China martial art)). The original meaning of kung fu is quite different, and is hard to translate as there is no English equivalent. In short, 功夫 (gōngfu) means "achievement through great effort" or simply virtue. It combines 功 (gōng) meaning achievement or merit, and 夫 (fū) which translates into man. In Mandarin, when two "first tone" words such as gōng and fū are combined, the second word often takes a neutral tone, in this case forming gōngfu.
Originally, to practice kung fu did not just mean to practice Chinese martial arts. Instead, it referred to the process of one's training - the strengthening of the body and the mind, the learning and the perfection of one's skills - rather than to what was being trained. It refers to excellence achieved through long practice in any endeavor. You can say that a person's kung fu is good in cooking, or that someone has kung fu in calligraphy; saying that a person possesses kung fu in an area implies skill in that area, which they have worked hard to develop. Someone with "bad kung fu" simply has not put enough time and effort into training, or seems to lack the motivation to do so. Kung fu is also a name used for the elaborate Fujian tea ceremony (Kung-fu cha). There is a curious contemporary twist on this meaning in the hacker culture: there the fu has been generalized to a suffix, implying that the thing suffixed involves great skill or effort. For example, one may talk of "script-fu" to refer to complicated scripting. It is unknown whether this was consciously based on the original, broader meaning of the term or whether it was a simple wordplay on the less general Western notion of "kung fu". In Japanese, the characters for kung fu (功夫) retain an approximation of their Chinese reading, and are pronounced kanfū (カンフー). Chinese martial arts in general are also referred to as chūgoku ken (中国拳) or chūgoku kempō(中国拳法), which translates literally to "China fist" and "China fist law," respectively. (Kempō is a generic term for a punching/striking art of Chinese origins.) In Korean, kung fu means Chinese Martial art but a word that sounds similar is gongbu (공부), which means "study."
[edit] Related terms While the term Kung Fu is used globally as a generic term for the Chinese martial arts — such as Shaolin Kung Fu — certain Chinese words may be used to denote some specific aspect of a style. These words are often based on the theme of the human hand. A common term is the Mandarin word quan or chuan (拳, Cantonese: kuen, Japanese: ken), meaning fist, which conveys the sense of a style of boxing or striking, as in Shaolin Quan (Young Forest Fist) and Wing Chun Kuen (Eternal Spring Fist). The word "chuan", however, may not always denote boxing; Tai Chi Chuan (Supreme Ultimate Fist), for instance, contains the word "chuan" but does not focus on striking in common practice. The term chang or zhang (掌), meaning palm, is also seen, an example being Bagua Zhang (Eight Trigrams Palm). Another similar word is shou (手), or hand, as in Sanshou (Loose Hand or Free Hand). Some words refer to an art's origin or tradition. One term is pai (派), denoting a school of thought or system, as in Tien Shan Pai and Ying Jow Pai. This is related to the Japanese term ryuha (流派, Mandarin: liúpài), meaning "mainstream school of thought". Some martial arts of Southern China use the Cantonese word gar (家, Mandarin pinyin: jiā), meaning family, as in Hung Gar and Lau Gar (Hung Family, Lau Family), among others.
[edit] Philosophy There are various philosophies around the term kung fu, suggesting a deeper meaning. The following is an example of such a philosophy: For a process to truly be kung fu, the following three elements must be present: •
Motivation
•
Self-discipline
•
Time
Motivation is the basic driving force, and without it, kung fu can never be reached. It means both interest and the will to do something; a person who is forced to do something is not truly motivated. A motivated person, on the other hand, has interest in learning: they have a goal. It is important to note a difference between the various types of motivation: A person can be motivated to do something, because if they do not they will be punished. Money can
also lead to motivation, because you know that doing something will give you more money. However, the motivation kung fu comes from an interest and an inner desire to learn and develop, in which the goal is not an external gain, like avoiding punishment or earning money, but an internal one, with the only reward being knowledge, skill, strength and wisdom. This motivation can be inspired, but not controlled, by other people. Self-discipline is closely related to motivation, but refers to the effort and patience required to actually get something done, and to get past obstacles that might appear on the way towards one's goal. While motivation is the mental state of wanting to do something, discipline is required to put motivation into action: A person might want to do something very much, but lacks the required amount of discipline to get started. Without this, motivation will lead to nothing. It is true that a competent instructor can assist a person by providing discipline, helping that person to get past obstacles. This is good, but will not last forever, and in the end, it is always up to the person herself to put her thoughts into action. Time is essential for finding one's motivation and self-discipline, and to actually accomplish something by making use of them, but motivation and self-discipline are also important to make a person willing to put time into accomplishing their goal: to prioritize. In later stages, once motivation and discipline have become an integral part of a person's life, it is important not to stop spending time on practice. This is said to be a very important aspect of kung fu: Many ancient Chinese philosophers and martial artists consider time the most valuable commodity in a person's lives, as time cannot be replaced. By finding interest in and putting effort and time into every action, one will make the best use of time, and live a happy and productive life.
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