There have been a wide variety of martial arts which have come out of Korea throughout the history of the country and the culture. From ancient sword fighting techniques to devastating hand to hand combat, the country has a number of unique fighting styles and martial arts. So learn about the Korean martial arts tradition here.
Hankido: A mostly non-violent form of martial arts, Hankido concentrates on defense and personal protection, instead of competition. Training emphasizes self-control and courtesy and teaches twelve basic techniques of self-defense utilizing a number of kicks, punches, and throws. Hankido, which means “spirit of the nation”, reflects a strongly Korean martial arts creation. The basic form of Hankido also includes eight techniques of fighting, including pressure points, spinning defense, spiritual techniques, and weapon use.
Haedong Kumdo: The ancient art of Korean sword fighting, Haedong Kumdo arose as early as the 3rd or 4th century. Beginning students learn to fight with wooden swords, learning basic moves and techniques before moving on to use actual swords. Korean swordsmen practice a number of moves and techniques with their weapons, and often train on a number of different weapons. Like modern Japanese Kendo, Haedong Kumdo organizations in Korea are considering allowing the use of bamboo swords and body armor to allow practitioners and competitors to spar with one another and compete in tournaments. Until then, however, swordsmen practice on straw and bamboo figures.
Kichun Mun: A unique form of martial arts which arose from Chinese fighting techniques as well as religious meditative techniques, Kichun Mun focuses on inner power and balance to create a formidable fighting style. Kichun Mun trainees learn to concentrate their energy and thoughts, acting in unison with mind and body. Their fighting style becomes highly precise and accurate, with all concentration and force going into its movements. However, because of the difficulty in learning the moves and the long training period, this style of fighting has yet to become very popular outside the country. Practice of Kichun Mun revolves around repetition of single moves to attain perfection of movement, as well as long periods of stillness followed by quick and forceful movement.
Tae Kwan Do: The most popular and well-known of the martial arts to come out of Korea, Tae Kwan Do is also a fairly recent invention. Cultivated during the Second World War as a method of hand to hand combat and defense for troops, the martial art gained wide popularity throughout the country and was eventually chosen as the national sport. Tae Kwan Do uses high kicks and flexible moves, as well as powerful blows to create a rapid and effective fighting style. Tae Kwan Do reached international competition when it was included in the Olympic roster for the Sydney Games in 2000. Since then, it has remained the most popular of the Korean martial arts.
Hapkido: A relative of Japanese Aikido, the Korean form of Hapkido was born in the early 1900s under the tutelage of Choi Yong Sool, a martial arts master. Choi, who studied under Takeda Sokaku, the originator of modern Jujitsu technique, created his own style of fighting and training based on a variety of throws, as well as techniques to defend against holds on the sleeve, wrist, and collar. Hapkido also uses a variety of leg locks, kicks, and pressure point techniques for self defense.
