The minute you think of taking up martial arts, all that you can think of initially is karate. Yes, that is natural. However, there is a form of martial art that took inspiration from Japanese karate during the Japanese occupation of Korea- Tae Kwon Do. Although it is known to have gained popularity over the years, it is less known in comparison to karate. Most people relate to Tae Kwon Do through karate, because of the similarity in the white uniforms, with different colors of belts in both martial arts.
Historical Perspective of Tae Kwon Do
There have been many altercations about the origin of Tae Kwon Do. Tae Kwon Do organizations point towards native Korean martial arts as the origin, but others state the Japanese have influenced it during their Korean occupation. Young unarmed practitioners were given combat training to develop quickness, strength, survival and defense skills. Subak, with its taekkyon element was the most sought after technique. The trainees who did well in the training period were selected as warriors and inducted into a group known as Hwarang. Five Codes of Human Conduct framed by a Buddhist scholar, social fundamentals and Taek Kyon formed the heart of the Hwarang-do arts. The Hwarang warriors spread the art of Taek Kyon by traveling throughout Korea, as they were persistent learners of different cultures and people.
The guiding principles of the Hwarang warriors were:
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Loyalty
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Filial duty
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Trustworthiness
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Valor
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Justice
Tae Kwon Do emphasizes the use of the legs more than hands. Practitioners are taught to enhance their jumps and kicks to the head level in Tae Kwon Do. The strategies and patterns are simpler than in karate.
Styles of Tae Kwon Do
Today, there are two main styles of Tae Kwon Do, one spearheaded by the International Tae Kwon Do Federation and the other under the World Tae Kwon Do Federation. Many Tae Kwon Do schools have added a black lining to their white uniforms for black belt levels. All schools affiliated to the World Tae Kwon Do Federation are seen using the V-neck tops to a great extent. Moo Duk Kwan and Tang Soo Do are older Korean styles of martial arts. Black, red and blue colored uniforms are also used in many Tae Kwon Do schools in addition to the traditional white uniforms. This is generally seen in Americanized schools.
Tae Kwon Do in today’s sporting world
Tae Kwon Do has gained more recognition in recent years after its inclusion into the Olympic Games. The World Tae Kwon Do Federation frames the rules for the Olympic version. In comparison to Kung Fu and many other soft style martial arts, karate and Tae Kwon Do are considered as hard style martial arts. At present, Tae Kwon Do is recognized and practiced in 190 countries with over 72 million practitioners and 5 million individuals with black belts all over the world. After karate, it takes pride in being the only other Asian martial art to be included in the Olympics. Starting off as a non-medal event in the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Tae Kwon Do was declared as an official event in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
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