As a child, I always envied students who were skilled in Korean martial arts (무술). Korean martical arts are military practices that have been altered to become a common hobby that helps with personal growth, especially for younger children. Although it was once used to defend Korean people and their territory such as in 28th century BC, there are now countless academies that anyone can learn martial arts from. The major types of Korean martial arts include Taekwondo (택권도), Taekgyeon (택견), Subak (수박), Tang Soo Do (탕수도), and Hapkido (합기도).
The most popular of all is easily Taekwondo, and there are a growing number of places in the US to learn the martial art as well. It involves hand techniques, kicking techniques, blocks, throws, takedowns, grappling, and dojangs that can be used for self-defense and recreational use. Taekgyeon mostly involves kicking and emphasizes the use of one’s hands and feet at the same time. It is also the first martial art recognized by UNESCO. Some of the terms for Taekwondo kicks include axe kick (내려 차기), back kick (뒷 차기), crescent kick (반달 차기), front kick (앞 차기), and more. Subak originates from China, and in Korea, there are two different styles for the martial art. As for Tang Soo Do, it differs from other arts because it is purely based on self-defense. The martial art mostly involves striking techniques that optimize self-defense. Hapkido is similar to judo and is a throwing art that is meant to thrust people onto their backs. Finally, Gungdo involves the use of a composite bow and was a technique used in the Joseon military for military defense. The composite bow is different from a long-range weapon because it is known as a “half bow.” Overall, it was interesting to research about different types of Korean martial arts because I had only heard of Taekwondo and Hapkido.
Below is a link to a Korean Taekwondo team performance video.
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