Taekwondo Traditional Korean Martial Art!

Taekwondo is a traditional Korean martial art and method of self-defense.

The ultimate goal of Taekwondo is to develop character and personality of the practitioner through physical, mental and spiritual discipline. Taekwondo became a worldwide sport after it was designated as an official Olympic sport in 2000.

The name Taekwondo is derived from the Korean word "Tae" meaning foot, "Kwon" meaning fist and "Do" meaning way of. So, literally Taekwondo means "the way of the foot and fist". The name Taekwondo, however, has only been used since 1955 while the arts' roots began 2,300 years ago in Korea. Known as a martial art and way of life, the evolution of Taekwondo was a direct result of the happenings in Korea long ago, and knowledge of the history is an important step in understanding Taekwondo.In 1989, taekwondo was the world's most popular martial art in terms of number of practitioners.
"Traditional taekwondo" typically refers to the martial art as it was established in the 1950s and 1960s in the South Korean military, and in various civilian organisations, including schools and universities. In particular, the names and symbolism of the traditional patterns often refer to elements of Korean history, culture and religious philosophy. 'Traditional Taekwon-Do' may refer to ITF Taekwon-Do as created by the founder of ITF Taekwon-Do General Choi Hong Hi on April 11 1955; or WTF Taekwondo, founded by Dr Kim Un Yong on May 25, 1973.

This is what makes Taekwondo So Attractive -

Sport

The movement and techniques of Taekwondo allow the practitioner to use parts of his/her body in a balanced manner, helping to evenly enhance the flexibility of the limbs.It also relieves stress as you shout with each move.

Self- Defense

While it is similar to other martial arts in the use of hands & feet Taekwondo is different in that it requires a powerful level of attack from the feet.But it is more concentrated on defense rather then attacking.

Self- Discipline

Taekwondo is more effective for self-discipline as it strengthes the body and mind as well as teaches etiquette through matches.

Rules of Taekwondo

Brief History of Evolution of Taekwond

During the 6th century A.D. what we now call the Korean peninsula was divided into three kingdoms; Koguryo, Paekje and Silla.

Koguryo (37 B.C.- 668 A.D.) Koguryo was the largest kingdom. It occupied the southern section of Manchuria and the northern section of the Korean peninsula. Paekje (18 B.C. - 600 A.D.)- Paekje was situated along the Han River and in southwestern Korea. Silla (57 B.C.- 936 A.D.)- Silla was the last, and smallest of the kingdoms and located on the southeastern tip of the Korean peninsula. Archeological findings during these times such as the mural paintings on the royal tombs during the Koguryo period, stone sculptures at pagodas during the Silla period and documents written in the Paekje period, show techniques and fighting stances that were probably the first forms of Taekwondo.
The three kingdoms were at war with each other and constantly fought for new ground on the peninsula. Silla, being the smallest and weakest militarily began to have a difficult time protecting itself against the other kingdoms and so took an action which would turn out to be a key point in Korean history.


HwaRang:
The 24th king of Silla, Chin Heung, formed a group of warriors, which were called the HwaRang. The HwaRang were trained in weapons such as the sword, spear and bow. They devoted their lives to these martial skills in the hopes that they could save Silla. The HwaRang also studied an unarmed form of combat called SooBak. SooBak was a primitive form of foot fighting, using some hand, but mostly foot techniques. The HwaRang took SooBak and added things to it to create a more fighting art. The techniques of SooBak were created to be used in fighting along with the other weapons of the HwaRang to make the warriors able to defeat their enemies. But, Chin Heung needed something more than just competent soldiers; he needed something to unify the HwaRang and create the mental conditioning to lead the kingdom to victory. So, he asked Won Kang, a Buddhist monk and scholar, to take charge of the HwaRang training. Won Kang did so and not only created fine warriors, but actually a way of thought for the HwaRang. Won Kang came up with a code of ethics that the HwaRang warriors followed. They were:

1. Be loyal to your king
2. Be obedient to your parents
3. Have honor and faith among friends
4. Have perseverance in battle
5. Justice never to take a life without cause

With a the code of ethics and with their skills in fighting the HwaRang became the HwaRangDo, which meant "way of the flower of manhood." The HwaRangDo became known for their bravery and fighting skill and soon supplied the leadership to defeat both the Paekje and Koguryo kingdoms and unify Korea in to one country known then as Koryo.

Koryo Dynasty: (918 A.D. to 1392)The Koryo Dynasty was a time for growth and development in the martial arts. During this time unarmed combat gained its greatest popularity. It was believed that SooBak was introduced to China and became known there as KwonPup. SooBak also changed its name to SooBakGi because of the new techniques and the mental discipline added to the style. SooBakGi became a popular sport by both the military and the general public. Martial arts were on an upswing and even new styles began to appear. One such style was Tae Kyon. Tae Kyon involved many more and new kicking techniques and was designed as more of a fighting sport than a discipline. Tae Kyon and SooBakGi contests were held at annual festivals given by the king. The winners of this contest were given high court offices and also taught the styles to the military, which now made these unarmed arts mandatory. Since the soldiers learned and practiced these arts, during their travels though out the kingdom they also spread the study of martial arts.

Yi Dynasty (1392 A.D. to 1910):During the Yi Dynasty, Korea (Yi-shi-Choson) underwent a dramatic change from Buddhism, the predominate religion, to Confucianism. This change brought a Chinese influence over the government and the people of the time. Military leaders began to lose their power to civilian statesmen who believed in the cultural development of their civilization. The people as a whole began to lose interest in the study of martial arts. The study of martial arts, including weapons, was banned to all but the military. The HwaRangDo, which were rooted in the Buddhist teachings, gradually lost its importance among young people. Martial arts began a great downfall. There was, however, an important contribution to the martial arts when King Jong Jo ordered a manual of military arts to be written, including weapons, Tae Kyon and SooBakGi. The manual, written by Lee Duk Mu, included detailed sections on unarmed combat thus preserving in writing the techniques of these fighting arts. During the Yi Dynasty several invasions by the Japanese were fought off. However, due to the eventual decline of military power, the Yi Dynasty ended with the Japanese takeover on August 2, 1910.

  

Japanese Control:
Now that Japan had great influence in Korea  many things were changed. All competitive sports and martial arts were outlawed. Only the military, now under Japanese control, could practice martial arts. SooBakGi was practiced in secret and soon changed its name again to SooBakDo. Japanese combat arts were introduced to Korea at this time. The people of Korea received them with great interest. Due to peace treaties between the Japanese and Koreans, Japanese educational curricula were taught in all Korean schools and also such Japanese arts as Kendo ("way of the sword"), Judo, Karate, and Aikido. Once again martial arts began to flourish with each side, Japan and Korea, trading techniques and styles of martial arts. On August 15, 1945 Korea was liberated from Japan and Korean arts could once again develop.

In Korea there were five major martial art academies or Kwans. They were called Mooduk Kwan, Jido Kwan, Changmu Kwan, Chungdo Kwan, and Songmu Kwan. Within these schools lie a variety of styles such as KongSooDo, Tae Kyon, SooBakDo, TangSooDo, KwonPup.

In this Years London Olympic 2012 Korea Won Two Medals in Taekwondo
One Silver  By- LEE Daehoon             One Gold By-  HWANG Kyung Seon


Kukkiwon World Taekwondo Headquarters :

Kukkiwon is the centre of taekwondo instructor education, being the home of the World Taekwondo Academy, and issues official instructor and Dan (black belt) and Poom (junior black belt, for practitioners under 15 years of age) certifications.

But I also have Dan(Black Belt) Certified by Touch Korea!
It Was an Amazing Experience of Learning Taekwondo. Here is my Copy of Certificate.




The Right Period Of Learning Taewondo is When we are 5-18 years old as our body is flexible & can move much better at that age. But If you have will Power Nothing is Impossible to do in this World (Fighting).Must learn some basic moves which can prove handy at times of Self-Defense. 

History of Traditional Hanbok!!(Buzz Korea)

Hanbok means the traditional unique clothes of Korean people since ages. It is often characterized by vibrant colors and simple lines without pockets. Hanbok goes with any person who wear them whether he or she is skinny  or fleshy because Hanbok is made with proper room and it makes the person  who wear them feel very comfortable because Hanbok have enough space and combination between straight line and curve of Hanbok, which look like to express Korean nature as it is, show beauty as well as elegance! Girl's Generation In Hanbok!

History of Hanbok The historical moment that Korean people started to wear Hanbok is not told to this day exactly. Hanbok was already adjusted in the Ancient Gojoseon Dynasty according to the literature and the history of our clothes Hanbok began in earnest from the Age of Three States. The shape of Hanbok in early stage is found in Ancient Goguryeo-era Muyongchong Tombs Mural of the ancient Goguryeo Dynasty, and it is recognized that the original form of Chima (skirt) and Jeogori, which are basic structure of Hanbok, are formed in this era, as both of men and women wore the top with long sleeves which are equivalent to the Jeogori, trousers and Chima. Hanbok showed the modification as the length of arms and sleeves are shortened in Goryeo Dynasty after passing Unified Silla Dynasty, it is corrected firmly as the basic structure of our clothes for the ordinary people. The typical example is Otgoreum (coat string), which appeals Western person, the modification like the appearance of Sildanchu (button with string) as preliminary shape of Otgoreum, instead that belt is disappeared for long adjust, was occurred in this period. The difference of style between the men and women clothing widened from the Joseon Dynasty,that wasn’t different largely with each other until the Age of Three States and the Goryeo Dynasty. The most remarkable example of the change is Jeogori for women. Jeogori with enough space in the early Joseon Dynasty became more short and narrow after the late 16th century. The image of Hanbok people usually recalls is the style of this period and the shortening of Jeogori had been intensified until the last Joseon Dynasty but recently it is getting back its original feature. Hanbok of 2,000 years of history slowly disappeared from mainstream society as the official uniforms of the government had been changed to western style in 1895 and gave its position as everyday dress to western clothes through industrialization after the Japanese colonial era and the Korean War. But, Hanbok is still remained in one part of daily life of Korean people and it is always together with the important events of one’s life. The first cloth after the birth is Baenaetjeogori, and babies wear Saekdong-dolbok at their first birthday which has the meaning of smooth life. People wear Honrye-bok for their wedding ceremony and the dead body is worn Sueui while the remained family wear Sang-bok. Recently there are various styles of Hanbok which has a combination of western style and Korean traditional designs and people enjoying convenient Hanbok are gradually increasing Types of Hanbok Hanbok has basically separated structure of top and bottom. It can be divided to clothes for adults and kids and differentiated for seasons. There is also separation of formal dress and everyday dress. For Male Basic compositions of Hanbok for male adults are Baji (trousers) and Jeogori. After wearing Baji for bottom and Jeogori for top, they wore Jokki, Magoja, Durumagi (or Dopo) and Gat (or Gwan). The compositions for events as wedding, memorial service and funeral were also different from them. They wore white Durumagi or Dopo with Gat and wore Sang-bok for funeral. They wore Danryeong which was a uniform of officers regardless of their class at the wedding ceremony. For Female  There are Chima for bottom, Jeogori for top and Magoja and Durumagi for coat for female adults. Sometimes they wore Baeja on Jeogori and they usually wore Teol-baeja in winter.They wore Hwalot or Wonsam which were the dress of women in the palace for wedding ceremony and wore Sang-bok for funeral. In 19th century when the length of Jeogori was extremely short,they wore Sok-jeoksam and Heoritti together with Jeogori. For Boys  The everyday dresses for boys were same as those of male adults but they wore Bokgeon on the head. Hanbok for only kids is Dol-bok for the first birthday.Boys wore Heoritti (belt) which a lucky bag is attached and a leopard printed Hogeon.They also wore a clothes named Obangjang Durumagi with the color of red, yellow, blue and white which has the meaning of bless of the life of the boy. For Girls it Consists of Chima, Jeogori, Baeja and Durumagi for everyday dresses and wear Gule on the head to prevent from cold weather. Girls also wear  Obangjang Durumagi at their first birthday to wish their luck. Composition of Hanbok Jeogori  It is a basic top cloth of Hanbok composed of body, collar, outer collar at the adjusting part,and sleeves. It is separated for men and women and is varied to materials, the way it is made and the shapes. Chima (Skirt) Chima is a basic bottom wear for women and is simply composed of body, belt and rope.There are Hot-chima, Gyeop-chima and Nubi-chima for Geot-chima which is an everyday dress and there are Mujigi and Daesum-chima for Sok-chima(inner skirt).Seuran-chima and Daeran-chima are for formal dresses.There are Pul-chima and Tong-chima varied by its shape of the skirt hem. Baji (Trousers) Baji is a basic bottom wear for men since the Age of the Three States.They wore Heoritti (belt) and Daenim (belt for ankle). Women also wore Baji named “Go” in the Age of Three States but later they became to wear mainly Chima and Baji was worn as an inner dress. Durumagi The outer cloth of Hanbok and it is a cloth for going out. People certainly wore Durumagi for going out then but recently it has got the position as a formal dress that it has been worn at the event as memorial services, Sebae (the New Year’s greetings) and Dol-janchi of babies. The types of Durumagi are separated for seasons. Gyeop-durumagi is for spring and fall, Hot-durumagi is for summer and Som-durumagi is for winter. The name of Durumagi came from the meaning that all sides are blocked. Baeja It is a cloth worn over Jeogori and has a shape of a vest without buttons. It looks similar with Magoja but it has no sleeves. It is for both men and women and cotton or wool are put in Baeja in winter. It is separated as Jang-baeja and Dan-baeja to its length. Beoseon  They correspond to the socks of these days and both men and women wore them. They were worn with be distinguished with the thingwhich has a stitching on right direction in it is for right foot,and has it on left direction is for left foot separately. They are classified as straight-Beoseon and laid-Beoseon according to the shape, and as Som-beoseon, Gyeop-beoseon, Hot-beoseon, Nubi-beoseon and Tarae-beoseon according to the sewing skill. And it was called as Jokeui which means clothes for feet.

Dangui

It is a cloth worn over Jeogori and has a shape of a long vest. Kind of women's  a court dress.Queens, concubines, maids their wounded. Heavy load of classes, depending on the decoration is different.

Wedding Hanbok

By Seeing Such Colorful Hanbok no one can't resists trying them & Buy when visiting Korea.