Where did Tae Kwon Do originate?

Question

I'm not stupid, so don't just say Korea. What I mean is, what type of enviroment was TKD created in? Jungle, forests, urban?

I've read up on this myself about the style I take, Moo Duk Kwan.

Hwang Ki practiced MDK in train yards, where he worked. So naturally, this is going to influence what techniques you use. The narrowness of the area that people could move was limited and the ground was mostly gravel.

I'm not sure how TKD step from a right front stance to a left..etc But MDK's is a half moon step that isn't picked up very far off the ground, due to the shifty footing of the gravel.

From what I remember seeing somewhere, Moo Duk Kwan and Tae Kwon Do were offshoots of Tang Soo Do.

But I forget exactly where I heard that from.

Thanks Vivan, that was most helpful.

A person's enviroment influences how they do the martial art, so I was also wondering if Tae Kwon Do was founded in a jungle setting or an open plains setting or terrain like that.

Hood, I keep hearing you make fun of korean martials arts......and your file says you're "into" martial arts......so what style do you take?

Answer 1

Tae Kwon Do is the Korean term for a system of unarmed combat that is virtually identical to Japanese karate, and indeed was influenced in recent times by Japanese karate. The origins of Tae Kwon Do, however, can be traced to ancient Korean history.
Chuan Fa was introduced into northern Korea by Buddhist monks during the 4th century, and evolved into a form called Tae Kyon. The skills eventually spread beyond the temples and were passed on as a system of self-protection. Religious statues from the Silla period (A.D. 668-935) depict karate-like techniques, suggesting a close association between Tae Kyon and religion at the time.
Another group was important to the development of Tae Kwon Do in Korea. They were the Hua-Rang-Do, and their purpose was to cultivate moral and patriotic ideals among Korean youth. Tae Kyon became part of the official training of the Hwa-Rang-Do, and the melding of these two groups produced a martial art, which stressed magnanimity, sympathy and respect for one's opponent.
In 935 A.D., the Silla kingdom was over thrown by the warlord Kyoghum, who established the kingdom of Koryo, which remained strongly martial in spirit. Many of the soldiers of the period were also students of Tae kyon and art florished.
In the 15th century, the era of warrior Princes ended and was replaced by the Yi dynasty. Confusionism replaced Buddhism as the state religion, and Tae Kyon virtually vanished.
When the Japanese overran Korea in 1915, outlawing the practice of Tae Kyon, many students left to live and work in China and Japan. There they were exposed to other forms of karate, and after World War II many Koreans returned to Korea and opened dojangs (karate schools), blending techniques learned in China, Okinawa, and Japan with what was remembered of the old Tae Kyon to form a new system. Eventually in 1955 the name of Tae Kwon Do, suggested by Choi Hong Chi, was adopted by leading masters of the art.

hope it helps you...^_^

Answer 2

As far as I know, and someone correct me if I'm wrong, several years ago the Korean gov't formed a commitee of reknowned Korean Masters from different Korean Martial arts styles to form a unified national Martial Arts program that they can use to teach young Koreans and help develop their Physical and Mental health. The program that was the result was officially named Tae Kwon Do. It was created as kind of a school curriculum sports program, the way wrestling programs in the states are used in High School, to promote good character. It is also used in the Korean Army training as well.As for your question regarding stances, that's probably because the committee took what they judged to be the best of each style like Moo Duk Kwan for example and incorporated with other styles like Hapkido and Hwarang Do, etc So you'll probably recognize some techniques mixed in alongside unfamiliar ones in the Tae Kwon Do forms.

Answer 3

Interesting question. You see TKD was established more recently although it has deeper roots. As it was created recently, it is gym based and such. It has a link to the native style, japanese Karate which is influenced from Okinawa, which was influenced by the Chinese and so and so on. There a lot of martial arts that are less than 100 years old. The main thing is to adapt it to todays standards. In most conflicts you'll be wearing shoes and street clothes, so practicing in similar clothes or steady state (you train the way you'll have the encounters) for some of the time is helpful. Of course shoes can tear up the mats, etc.
Just my 2 cents.

Answer 4

To all you jackasses out there who think Taekwondo is a "ripoff" of Japanese martial arts, you should probably do a little research. Korea was annexed and taken over by Japan in the 20th century. All Korean martial arts were violently surpressed. The art of Taek Kyon survived through underground teaching, and many people began to combine this with Japanese martial arts (eg. Choi Hong Hi, the founder of Taekwondo)

Also, Karate was developed directly from Chinese Kung Fu.

As for the environment, Choi Hong Hi developed TKD while in prison for supporting the Korean Independence Movement.

I do ITF Taekwondo, the style that Grandmaster Choi developed first. The other main style is WTF TKD, which is closer to Karate than any other style.

Answer 5

Here is a link for your answers: http://home.att.net/~taekwondo.junkie/TKDHistory.html

I did read an article in a The Journal of Eastern Martial Arts years ago that said that modern Tae Kwon Do in common practice evolved from a type of game. The game had a particular name and I can't find anything on it, but it was basically a game where opponents played a form of tag witht he feet only. It wasn't so much combat as a game of skill and agility. A similar game is played in India but as a team sport. I can't recall the name of that game either.

Answer 6

If you wanted to be true to the question, Korean Taekwondo originated from the south west..... JAPAN! Korea likes to think that it made its style but its a bastardization of Japanese Karate. The current "FORM" that you see split with Gen Cho. So there are three places that the tkd that you know of originated today.... North Korea, South Korea and belive it or not... Canada.

Answer 7

Tae kwon do is said to be the oldest martial arts still in practice today (I said "Said" I dint say it was the truth). This is linked back to cave drawing dated back to 1500 B.C. of a either a dance or a martial art know as Tae Kyan.

Tae kwon do as practiced today is a blended style of Japanese linear strikes and long fist of Sho-Lin Kung Fu.

Korean martial arts was a full and developed style rich in tradition and lineage too long for me to list here before the late 1800's when Japan took occupation in Korea.
Japanese war lords killed most all Korea’s masters and destroyed over 14 centuries of the nation’s history, because of this no one practices the martial art that inhabited Korea before WWII.
Koreans were held captive and sent to camps in Japan to learn the fighting methods that Japan taught them to fight their wars. Sure some "masters" survived japans domination, but later they blended their style with the system Japan taught the Koreans.

The Korean martial art was developed in time of war and perfected by the Hwa Rang an elite group of warriors similar to the Japanese samurai. During time of peace martial arts in Korea shifted its style to compete in competitions and recognized its style as a sport more that a system of war.

Tae Kyan (the name given to Korean martial arts before WWII) was developed to teach warriors how to fight quickly with spears, then swords, then after mastering those they finally they learned what we teach first, unarmed combat.

In the mid 50's a group of masters in Korean finally freed from Japanese captive by the Americans, organized a group. Some joined others didn't. Those who did refer to their style as Tae kwon do, those who didn't refer to their style as tang soo do. These masters had all their different schools, Chung Do Kwan, Moo Duk Kwan, Yun Moo Kwan, Chang Moo Kwan, Chi Do Kwan. Moo duk kwan is typically a Tang soo do school.

Answer 8

Seoul, South Korea. Tae Kwon Do became the national sport of Korea in 1955.

Answer 9

India. Monks. Urban.

Why do people think that taekwonjoes only kick and BJJoes only crawl around and double leg?

Answer 10

LOL "Im not stupid, I know it originated in Korea"

Or how about from Japan... as a bastardised version of Karate, then later turned into what you see as TKD... Taekwondo has only been around for 60 or so years dude.

deeper roots please.... if you think that way.... all martial arts date back to the first punch ever thrown.... cave men!