Taekkyeon

Taekkyeon

Martial artists presenting taekkyeon for Hi! Seoul Festival on April 28, 2007
Also known as	Taekgyeon, T'aekkyŏn
Focus	Mixed
Hardness	Full contact
Country of origin	Korea
Parenthood	Subak
Official website	Several associations

Popular spelling
Hangul	택견
Revised Romanization	Taekgyeon
McCune–Reischauer	T'aekkyŏn
Dictionary spelling
Hangul	태껸
Revised Romanization	Taekkyeon
McCune–Reischauer	T'aekkyŏn

Taekkyeon is the traditional Korean martial art first explicitly recorded in the Joseon Dynasty. Taekkyeon is characterized by fluid, dynamic footwork and utilizes a wide variety of kicks, fist and elbow strikes, pressure point attacks, throws, and grapples. It is also frequently romanized informally as Taekgyeon, Taekkyon, or Taekyun.

History of Taekkyeon

The earliest existing written source mentioning Taekkyeon is the book Jaemulbo (also Manmulbo), written by Lee Sung-Ji during the reign of Jeongjo (1776–1800):

"Byeon and Subak are Byeon, Gangnyeok is Mu and all these are called Tak-gyeon" (卞 手搏爲卞 角力爲武 苦今之탁견)

I.e. the word is spelled Tak-gyeon, written in Hangul, while the other terms are written in hanja.

Around 1900 Taekkyon was practiced frequently around Hanyang (Seoul), the capital city of the Joseon Dynasty. Song Duk-ki (1893–1987) was critically responsible for conveying the art. In the foreword of his only book, he writes: "It cannot be said for sure when and how taekkyon came into existence, but until the end of the Korean kingdom, certain people did taekkyon together."

The "Daekwaedo". Museum of University of Seoul.

Taekkyeon matches were frequent in the late Joseon Dynasty. For example, during the Dano-Festival, a tournament called Gyeollyeon (결련) was carried out. Players who beat five opponents consecutively could take a rest and re-enter the tournament again later.

Taekkyeon is documented as a living martial art in an 1895 book on Korean sports and games.

In the book "Haedong Jukji" by Choe Yeong-nyeon (최영년, Hanja: 崔永年) from 1921, the idu-writing 托肩 is used to represent "Tak-gyeon". The translation of 托肩 is "push-shoulder". However this does not mean that the translation of Taekkyon is "push the shoulder", because idu is just a way to phonetically write pure Korean words with Chinese characters. At the same time, all the arm techniques of taekkyeon are generated from a shoulder movement first, by whipping the entire arm out. When fighting, there are numerous ways Taekkyeon pushes and pulls an opponent by the shoulders. Also in this book, there's a poem and a non-fictional text about Taekkyon, calling it lyrically "flying leg technique" (bi-gak-sul, 비각술, 飛脚術).

Taekkyeon is also depicted in the image "Dae Kwae Do" (Hangeul 대쾌도, Hanja 大快圖) which was painted around 1850 by Hyesan Yu Suk (Hangeul 유숙, Hanja 劉淑). It shows Ssireum above and Taekkyeon below. Both combat sports were often done together at festivals, so Hyesan painted a lively scene with people from all social levels. The right Taekkyon player wears a coat called "Dopo" and ties their clothes together in order to have more freedom of motion. A Dopo was only worn by scholars (Seonbi, 선비). Soldiers are watching the games as well as ordinary people (Sangmin, 상민) which can be identified by their clothes (white hanbok) and behaviour. For instance, one of the lower class men at the left turned up his trouser legs, which was not considered good manners by the upper classes.

Taekkyeon took a severe blow when Neo-Confucianism grew in popularity, and then the Japanese occupation nearly made the art extinct. Taekkyeon has enjoyed a resurgence in the decades following the end of the Japanese colonial period in 1945. The last Taekkyeon Master from the Joseon-dynasty, Song Duk-Ki, maintained his practice of the Art throughout the Japanese occupation and subsequently laid the seeds for the arts' regeneration. The style he practiced was called Widae (high-village). On June 1, 1983, taekkyeon was given the classification as Important Intangible Cultural Asset No. 76" by the Korean government (중요무형문화재 제76호). It is the only Korean martial art which possesses such a classification.

In November 2011, Taekkyeon was recognized by UNESCO and placed on its Intangible Cultural Heritage List, being honored as the first martial art on UNESCO's list.

Techniques

Nal-Chi-Gi

Taekkyeon combat held for Hi! Seoul Festival on April 28, 2007

Tae-Jil

Up-Eo-Chi-Gi

Taekkyeon contains many kinds of techniques, including hand and leg techniques as well as joint locks, throws and head butts. The whole body is used in each movement. Taekkyeon teaches a great variety of kicks, especially low kicks, knees, jumps. The basic steps are geometric and at the core of all advanced movement. All movements are natural to the human body.

The movements of Taekkyon are fluid with the practitioners constantly moving. One of its most striking characteristics is the motion called gumsil or ogeum jil: It is a constant bending and stretching of one's knees, giving the art a dance-like appearance. This motion is also used in the Korea mask dance talchum, so both arts look similar in a way. Taekkeyon does not make use of abrupt knee motions. The principles and methods used to extend the kick put more emphasis on grace and alignment for whole-body strength, as with the arm motions.

In competition, the players must use a foot work called pumbalkki (품밟기) which looks like a dance. The meaning of pumbalkki is "to step the pum". Pum refers to the triangular look of the hanja 品, as pumbalkki has a triangular form as well. The hanja pum means "level" or "goods", but it is used only because of its shape, not because of its meaning.

There are evolving forms in Taekkyeon. One form can be performed many different ways with its variations over the basic ten-year training period. The curriculum is adjustable within the traditional system. Masters may create their own personalized approach for teaching the basic Taekkyeon system.

Taekkyeon uses high, medium and low kicks. Sweeps with straight forward low kicks using the ball of the foot and the heel and flowing crescent-like high kicks. There are many kicks that move the leg outward from the middle, which is called gyeot chagi, and inward from the outside using the side of the heels and the side of the feet. The art also uses tricks like inward trips, wall-jumping, fake-outs, tempo, and slide-stepping. The art is also like a dance in which the fighter constantly changes stance from left to right by stepping forward and backwards with arms up and ready to guard, blending arm movements with leg.

As a sport

When Taekkyeon is practiced in competition, it uses a limited subset of techniques, focusing on grappling and kicking only. Points are scored by throwing (or tripping) the opponent to the ground, pushing him out of the ring, or kicking him in the head. There are no hand strikes or headbutts, and purposefully injuring your opponent is prohibited. The head kicks are often quite sharp, but usually not full force, and fighters may not attempt to wear the opponent down with body blows as in western boxing or muay thai. Matches are sometimes decided by the best of three falls—the first fighter to score two points wins. However, different modern associations employ slightly different rules. To an untrained eye, the matches are cautious but exhilarating affairs. The contestants circle each other warily, changing their footwork constantly using pumbalkki and feinting with low kicks, before exploding into a flurry of action which might leave one fighter flat on his/her back.

Taekyun Yetbub (Subak & Baekta)

Before introducing Yetbub, there is another word Kyulyun-Taekyun that has to be addressed. Both Yetbub & Kyulyun-Taekyun are the concepts & words provided by Dukgi Song (the father of modern Taekyun) himself with interviews, textbooks, videos historically recorded. Dukgi Song explained Yetbub as the set of techniques of hitting with any body part (street fighting techniques), powerfully & with full swings. Yetbub was differentiated from regular Taekyun sparring which does not hit with any body part & does not hit for real. For example, punching is done powerfully & with full swings in Yetbub, but it is prohibited in regular Taekyun sparring. Also, Yetbub kicks for real, but regular Taekyun sparring kicks lightly, just enough to knock over, for the safety of the opponent. Kyulyun-Taekyun is another term that was differentiated from regular Taekyun sparring.

Dukgi Song explained Kyulyun-Taekyun as a form of team battle where 2 different wards competed Taekyun against each other. Even in Korean dictionary Chosunosajun from 1938, Kyulyun-Taekyun is recorded as "Kap-group & El-group compete against each other with Taekyun". Other than being a group game, Dukgi Song also mentioned that this was popular for gang members & that people kicked for real in it as opposed to regular Taekyun sparring that only knocked over the enemy in light contact concerned for the safety of the opponent. So, there are 3 different words here: regular Taekyun sparring, Kyulyun-Taekyun, Yetbub. Kyulyun-Taekyun hit for real; Yetbub hit hit for real which was powerful to break jaws. Regular Taekyun sparring is a light contact sparring prohibiting many techniques such as punching.

Taekyun has a set of street fighting techniques including punching; this is called Yetbub. There is a variety of techniques such as punching, palm strikes to nose or chest, etc. There are people who claim that Taekyun Yetbub was created in the modern era, but such claim is not founded on a clear ground. They are not referencing to some old record that Taekyun didn’t have Yetbub. Some people also think of Taekwondo while thinking Taekyun. However, even Taekwondo learns punching & such; they just don’t use such in sparring. Unlike such claims, Taekyun’s official stance has always acknowledged Yetbub as a formal part of Taekyun ever since Dukgi Song’s era; there has been textbooks, photos, videos made.

Subak-bojonhoi perceives Taekyun's Yetbub to be the same as Subak & Baekta with the moves looking almost identical.

Taekyun Yetbub's (or Korean Subak, Kyuksul, etc) techniques match, especially for hand strikes, with traditional Korean street fighting pictures & photos particularly with natural horizontal fist & raising the forearm sideways. They also match with Muyedobotongji Kwonbub's pictures like leaning with legs & contorting the shoulder forward.

For example, for hand strikes, they contort shoulder & lean with legs just like historically recorded in Korean Muyedobotongji Kwonbub's pictures hundreds years ago. Even other Korean fighting games like Gitxaum (Flag Fighting) also shows such traits. This Xilem (Korean wrestling) type of shoulder emphasis (called Julgujil in Subak-bojonhoi which emphasize shoulder, back, knee) shows in many different Korean sports. Korean strikes today use those same techniques today as before including hand strikes.

Korean strike's traits are pushing own body with legs, contorting shoulder, accelerating with Yong, striking through with a heavy powerful strike. As visible from Muyedobotongji Kwonbub, Leg leverage, contorted shoulder, striking through (the opposite of harmless strike bounced back), Yong acceleration are Korean strike's traits. When used in a street fighting or competed by itself (this fighting style was competed), this traditional Korean fighting style is capable of breaking a jaw according to Dukgi Song. Also, although Breaking Game (including Hand Breaking) is a separate topic from Fight Game, it still uses the same techniques; Korean Breaking has always been powerful in any era, the origin, the oldest in East Asia such that its written history even goes back to 1000 years ago to Heemok Kim who was invited to perform Hand Breaking in China.

Aside from striking through, Korean Subak was power oriented such that Chosun Royal Journal from 1419 June 20th record says "they selected strongmen to play Subak. A monk named Haeyun was very strong; he defeated many. The king ordered the monk to grow hair & become a civilian."

Taekyun’s official stance has always acknowledged Taekyun as a set of 2 different sports teaching a sparring that wrestles, throws, kicks & also teaching street fighting even since Dukgi Song’s era. As for the historical records before the era of Dukgi Song, the medieval Jaemulbo recorded “Subak is Byun; Kakryuk is Muhi; this is called Takyun today”. Byun means hurrying; Muhi means fighting game.

Kakryuk (Jiao Li) is a generic common noun meaning wrestling. Hence, the medieval Jaemulbo called wrestling a type of wrestling. In 1920 June 21st Dongailbo newspaper article, there is a mention of Water Taekyun (Multaekyun). It mentions “throwing a sister in law with Multaekyun”. Throwing means that they perceived Water Taekyun as a wrestling.

Even when looking at Stewart Culin’s book "Games of the Orient", Taekyun is recorded as "a high kick is permitted, and is caught with the hands. The object is to throw the opponent." Taekyun was recorded as a wrestling allowing kicking.

Now, Jaemulbo’s Taekyun reference has to be translated. Many people are unable to translate the sentence. They understand the meaning as if Taekyun & Subak are separate sports which Taekyun descended from Subak. However, Taekyun’s official stance has not been so; they have always taught Yetbub. Jaemulbo’s Subak reference is recorded a little longer in Kwanamjunseo & Hanseo. Like Taekyun’s official stance, Kakryuk & Subak are separate sports but grouped together with the techniques related. "卞射武戱。漢書哀帝紀贊曰時覽卞射武戱。注云手搏爲卞。角力爲戱。分隊竝進。" It says Byun (hurrying) reflects Muhi (fighting game). Subak reflects Kakryuk (wrestling) which is Taekyun (Kakryuk).

Now, see 1930’s perception on Taekyun. In 1930’s April 3rd Dongailbo article, the following is recorded for Taekyun. “Yusul’s start seems to be from the medieval Koryeo. Such entertainments have been popular along with music even since the 15th king Sookjong. During king Choonghye’s era, Yudo flourished hugely; this was called Subak & Kwonbub.” The following is also mentioned. “Even recently, young men play a fighting game a little different from Xilem called Taekyun. This Yudo devolved recently, but it evolved a lot during Koryeo era such that it was done between soldiers in May 5th. In Muyetongji edited in king Jungjong’s era, its techniques were listed; there are 25 techniques & 10 additional techniques. It is hard to describe, but the 25 techniques mainly consist of body movement, hand strikes, kicks.”

Muyetongji refers to Muyedobotongji which recorded Kwonbub including punches. Yusul & Yudo mean wrestling. They called this Subak & Kwonbub. Also, they specifically recorded that body movement, hand strikes, kicks are the main parts. Unlike Subak & Kwonbub, Taekyun sparring forbids punching although they are recorded to learn such. Like today's official stance in Taekyun, Taekyun spars in wrestling with kicks allowed but they learn Subak & Kwonbub separately in techniques.

It is a common sense, and we already saw that Kwonbub consists mainly of body movement, hand strikes, kicks. However, Subak is not well known. Let’s see the past records on Subak. In Ming Dynasty’s Yongdamsopoom, “Baekta is competing with Subak. Tang’s Jangjong gambled with Subak; Kyunga Jang achieved glory with Subak. Civilians call it Takwon; according to Soju people, people’s bones can be broken to death. Killing fast or slow depends on the techniques.” Also, Chosun Royal Journal Sunjo Era 31th year April entry recorded Kyuk Yu showing the techniques of Takwon with palm-oriented training slamming his own face, neck, back, chest, stomach, etc.

Now, see the relationship between Takwon & Kwonbub. In Chosun Royal Journal 1599 April 4th, they called Kihyosinseo’s Kung Fu Kwonbub (hits with any body part including kicks, punches, etc) as Takwon.

Hence, Takwon & Kwonbub are the same things; they hit with any body part while the training is palm-oriented often slamming its own body. Also, since there is more than 1 style in Kung Fu, Takwon & Kwonbub have many different styles. In 1930 April 3rd Dongailbo newspaper article, they didn’t say that Taekyun came from Subak; they called Taekyun as Subak & Kwonbub. Since Taekyun’s sparring style itself differs from Kwonbub, this matches with Taekyun’s official stance how Taekyun learns both its sparring style & street fighting separately. Today’s Taekyun officially does not call Yetbub as Subak or Kwonbub; they just refer to it as street fighting & Yetbub. However, 1930’s newspaper article & the perception in that era used the terms Subak & Kwonbub; the contents match with today.

Subak reflects Taekyun, and Taekyun includes Subak & Kwonbub. However, that doesn’t mean Kwonbub is necessarily passed down together with Kakryuk (Jiao Li). Even in China, they learn Kung Fu separately instead of being packaged with wrestling. Even in Korea’s case, it is possible to pass down Subak & Kwonbub separately without Taekyun. Even in Chosunsanggosa (1924), North Korea’s Songdo Subak was mentioned separately from Taekyun. This is today taught by South Korea’s Subak-bojonhoi. A typical example of this kind of structure is North Korean Nalparam known as a type of Pyunxaum (Side Faction Fight).

A claim that Korean Subak changed rules in the modern era is not founded on a clear ground. Coaching & techniques can change, but it is no longer the same sport if the rules change. Subak & Kwonbub had the same rules even in the modern era; Taekyun was recorded as Subak & Kwonbub in that modern era. As for the proofs that Subak & Kwonbub had the same rules even in the modern era, Mas Oyama (Baedal Choi) mentioned Chosun (Korean) Kwonbub using headbutt & etc. Namsun Choi also published newspaper articles in 1937 which were made into the book “Korean Common Sense” in 1948. It describes the modern era’s Subak as Kwonak’s Jintoi (fist & grabbing advancing & retrieving).

Aside from Taekyun Yetbub, Songdo Subak, Nalparam, a similar traditional Korean fighting style exists in North Korea called Kyuksul. Kyuksul’s earlier stage sparred only with hands like Subak’s palm oriented training. Also, like Taekyun Yetbub, Kyuksul trains Yusul separately. Yusul is a term not really used in Korea today, but it was used even in 1930’s for Taekyun.

Aside from Subak & Kwonbub passing down independently or passing down within Taekyun, as for this fighting style being competed, there has been many historical records. In Koryeo & Chosun eras, Subak has been competed, not just Kakryuk (Jiao Li). In 1964, the book "Chosun's Cultural Games" was published by Kimu Hong in North Korea at North Korean Cultural Research Institute. In the book, Subak, Taekyun, Nalparam were listed; Nalparam was recorded as a game that mainly uses fists but also uses headbutt, kick, etc.

This fighting style that existed as a sport is corroborated by all South Korean Taekyun groups (Yetbub), South Korea's Subak-bojonhoi, North Korean Cultural Research Institute (Nalparam), Mas Oyama's record of Chosun Kwonbub. Even in 19th century, this fighting style's competition was recorded; Henry Savage Landor's book "Corea" recorded prize-fight. This wasn't a record of a plain street fighting but a formal sport competition. "The combatants generally fight with their fists, but, like the French, are much given to use their knees and feet as well in the contest." As for techniques, this fighting style was used. "They often-times disport themselves in witnessing prize-fights among the champions of different towns, or of different wards in the same town". Also, many different towns participated; even 1 single town had many different wards; each had their own champion participated. It was a formal competition sport with a tournament system.

Modern development

Grandmaster Song Duk-ki was given national treasure status by the South Korean government in 1983. Song Duk-ki died on 23 July 1987, at the age of 94. Since this time, several Taekkyeon organisations with different focuses are active.

The only authorized Taekkyeon organisations are:

• The Korea Taekkyon Federation (KTF). The KTF is led by Lee Yongbok, who learned from both Song Duk Ki and Shin Han-seung.
• The Korea Traditional Taekgyeon Association (KTTA). The KTTA is led by Jeong Gyeong-hwa who was given the title of "living cultural asset" by the Korean Government. He learned from Shin Han-seung and Song Duk Ki.
• The Kyulyun Taekyun Association (KTK). The KTK is led by Do Ki-hyun who mainly learned from both Song Duk Ki, but also from Shin Han-seung.
• The World Widae Taekkyeon Organization (WWTO). The WWTO is based in Los Angeles and led by Go Yong-woo who learnt from Song Duk Ki.

Taekkyeon is taking root in other nations around the world with organizations in:

• China
• England
• France
• Germany
• Japan
• Kazakhstan
• Russia
• USA

See also

• Korean culture

External links

• Traditional Taekkyon association
• Kyulyun Taekkyun association
• Taekyun Battle
• Korea Taekkyon Federation
• Taekkyon Korea
• World Widae Taekkyeon Organization