written by Douglas G. Nowling
This is a history of Taekwon-Do, but you cannot tell the history of the “National Sport” of Korea without the History of Korea, its relationship to the world, and even the social-political issues that surrounded Korea, then and now. A great bulk of this history is derived from two authors who published a booklet of sorts on the history of Taekwon-Do. But, also from personal first, second and third hand accounts.
The history of Korea while predates the Early Bronze Age (c. 3500-2000 BCE) but there is evidence that the Korean Peninsula was inhabited prior to 10,000 BCE; its history compared to its neighbors is relatively mundane. Yes, there were periods of chaos, and warfare, but the people of Korea have traditionally been peaceful peoples.
The founding of what is considered “Korea” is attributed to Dangun Wanggeom ????- ???? (2333-2240 BCE), which coincidently is what the second pattern used in the ChangHon Taekwon-Do system. There are roughly 320 other ruling monarchs ending with the final and catastrophic Japanese Annexation of Korea in 1910. Based on the above numbers of rulers, you can deduce the average span of a monarch was only about 13 years per ruler over the 4,243 years of Korean monarchs, emperors, kings, etc.
Korea during the “Three Kingdom Period.
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The Korean Peninsula today, North and South.
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Taekwon-Do is often touted as being 1000 years old or older, with most of the histories recounting the time of the time of the Three Kingdom Period (Koguryo, Silla, and Baekje) in Korean history. And then the final unification of the peninsula after one of the smallest kingdoms (Silla) took control and ruled a UNIFIED KOREA in the year 667. While Korea did in fact have its own ruling elite, they in fact were not much more then a “glorified” vassal state of China and its various Dynasties over the next thousand years but, due to their isolation far from the Chinese Courts, the everyday life of the Korean people was for all purposes under the Korean rulers and edits.
Much like the history of the Japanese Empire, which is known much do to the popularity of books, movies,” like the mini-series Sho-Gun”, and works, Korea was literally called the “Hermit Kingdom” by the early “Western Explorers” because so little was known about it. The Chinese in contact with western ships claimed that Korea was a province of theirs, and thus off limits, and Japan often made claims of Korea as well, especially the eastern coast, and islands between the two. But, much like how Japan was “opened” up to the Western World by the now famous or infamous, Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry (April 10, 1794 – March 4, 1858) who was American by birth. The first time that the “Hermit Kingdom” was attacked by a western power, the French attacked Ganghwa Island in 1866 known as the “French Campaign against Korea in 1866, but known in by the Koreans as Byeong-in yangyo. While this didn’t accomplish much, it was a forecast for the Korean peoples, to what is coming.
US Merchant Ship General Sherman
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Rear Admiral John Rodgers
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The second clash between western powers was actually with the United States. A group of warships, much like the fleet of Commodore Perry opened up Japan, also landed on Ganghwa Island. The troubles between the Choson Kingdom and the United States actually happened the same year as the French attack, with the US Merchant Marine Ship General Sherman (armed). During this incident, the General Sherman, was commissioned by the British trading company called “Meadows & Co.” to trade with the Kingdom. The ship sailed up the Taedong River, with the hopes to trade at PyongYang. They got as far as Keupsa Gate on the border between Pyungan and Hwanghae provinces which are southwest of Pyongyang. After being told by the officials in this area that they would not trade, which is the standard answer given to all by Emperor Chinese Edits, this ship steamed on up the Taedong until it ran aground on Yangjak island which is near PyongYang (now the Capital of North Korea.) After the government was contacted by local officials, the ship was told to return from whence it came or face death. After several days of skirmishes, and a failed attempt by the Koreans to use their famous “Turtle Ships” of Yi Sun-sin (April 28, 1545 – December 16, 1598) which another ChangHon pattern is named ChungMoo after a 1st Kup (red belt). The Koreans finally sunk the General Sherman, after setting several boats (three totals) together filled with wood, sulfur, and saltpeter. The result was the destruction of the ship, property of the US and UK, and the death of all the crew. This was also the first incident, where sailors were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor from a foreign conflict.
100 years of Korea and America Treaty Memorial Tower” in Jayu Park, commemorating the Treaty of Jemubol
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Flag of Gen. Eo, Jae-yoon, captured in 1871, and housed at the Naval Academy Museum until recently “on loan” to Seoul.
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Replica of the Korean Turtle Ship
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This is one of the reasons why some five years later in 1871 that the US returned to Korea, to avenge the destruction of one her ships, and to open trade permanently. The command of this fleet called the 1871 US Korea Campaign or the Sinmiyangyo, with an American, Rear Admiral John Rodgers’ (1848-1933) who interesting enough, his wife was the daughter of Commodore Matthew Perry, when they tried somewhat unsuccessfully to open up trade with the Choson Dynasty in 10 June. This did lead to the eventual downfall of Korea to the Japanese Empire, as they signed the Treaty of Ganghwa with Japan in 1876, which officially ended Korea as a vassal state of China, and the start of Japan’s annexation of Korea and in 1882 Korea signed a Jemubol (Incheon) Treaty with the United States, the first Western Nation to do so, which gave “favored national status to the US.
“Whole life, devoted to Taekwon” in Hanja/Kanji by General Choi, HongHi
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“Taekwon-Do” in Hangul by General Choi, HongHi
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“Taekwon-Do” in Hanja/Kanji by General Choi, HongHi
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The above is mentioned because these treaties with Japan, which leads to annexation in 1910, and the Treaty with the US, which was suppose to come to Koreas defense is important, as it is what will eventually lead to the creation of Taekwon-Do! Taekwon-Do was founded in Korea, by a Korean, who was born, and lived during the Japanese occupation of Korea, but its history and ultimately its techniques stems from Japanese and American political maneuverings.
First let’s look at the term Taekwon-Do. You will see it in a number of ways; you will see it as I have it, Taekwon-Do or Taekwondo, Taekwon-do, TaeKwonDo, Tae Kwon Do. Often I am asked which the “correct” way of writing it is. And for me it is simple, I write it the same way as my instructors do it, and of course how General Choi, HongHi did. However, for the most part, they are the exact same way of spelling the term for to “smash, fly to kick with the foot (Tae)? to punch with the fist (Kwon)? and a way of life (Do)?. In Hangul (Korean) it is written thus: ??? and in Hanja (Chinese) it is written: ???.
The history of Taekwon-do in its present form is now just over 53 years old. While its roots do predate the term now used it is not as some claim to be 1000 years or more. It is just 53 years period. Yes, the Kwans ? – ? (schools) do predate the founding of the name Taekwon-do however even those Korean Kwans that do, they are at the earliest, formed in 1944(Chung Do Kwan). And the Kwans for the most part are founded on ShotoKan Karate! More accurately Shuri-Te. Even those Kwans like the MooDukKwan are based off of ShotoKan!
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