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Andrew Quick

Zach Gregory

ENG 1201

15 March 2021

Literature Review

Martial arts, a subject that has intrigued many for years, with quick strikes and kicks,

accompanied by flowing movements, instills self-control. What is the history, benefits and even

challenges of Taekwondo, along with other martial arts? First what does Taekwondo mean?

“Tae means "to Kick" or "Smash with the feet," Kwon implies "punching" or "destroying with

the hand or fist," and Do means "way" or ‘method.’”(Morris(1)).

Taekwondo is an ancient art, having its origins dating back to 50 B.C. or what Koreans

call the “Golden Age.” During this period there was three kingdoms, Silla, Kogurgo and Paekche

ruled at this time. “Although Taekwondo first appeared in the Koguryo kingdom, it is the Silla's

Hwarang warriors that are credited with the growth and spread of Taekwondo throughout

Korea”(Morris). The Silla Lemin or Hwarang, were the sons of royals and high-ranking officials.

The Hwarang studied literature, different arts, along with the first formal Korean martial art.

Later the three kingdoms would be united under Silla in 670 A.D. with much of Silla’s battle

success attributing to the Hwarang. Although it is hard to find sources with all the requirements

author, date published, and background sources, the sources make each other credible due to the

fact that they pretty much all say the exact same thing. Both Morris and National date the origins

back to around 50 B.C.

During this period the martial art was called Taek Kyon, and was used by the military for

training their troops, while the under-class-men used it as a game, which was “reminiscent of a
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traditional Korean mask dance”(National). Starting in 668 A.D. the Silla dynasty ruled until 935

A.D. During their rule Taek Kyon was changed to Subak being mostly used as a sport and

recreational activity. In 935 A.D. the Koryo dynasty started its rule. Koryo is derived from

Koguryo and is also where Korea was derived. At this time Subak changed its focus again back

to fighting. In 1397 the Yi dynasty took over. This was the first dynasty that allowed the martial

art to be used specifically for fighting outside the military. As time pasted the art become scarce

and almost went extinct.

1910 Japan invaded Korea, and in an attempt to control the populous Japan banded

military arts, the Korean language, along with any book written in Korean. This caused a surge

of people learning Subak and other martial art in secret, some even traveled to China or Japan

itself to learn martial arts. When Korea was liberated in 1945 those who had learned martial arts

wished to further the discipline, which started a rise in schools all over the country “each

claiming to teach the original”(Morris). It wouldn’t be until 1960 that the Kwans, as the schools

were called, would be unified under Choi Hong Hi. This is were “the history of Taekwon-Do

begins with the name of one single solitary individual: Choi Hong-Hi”(Matthews). The

beginning of the modern Taekwondo had begun. In Matthews “The True History of TaeKwon-

Do” the story of Choi Hong-Hi unfolds, causing the history of Taekwondo to come alive.

The main focus of the topic is to understand how Taekwondo came about, what makes it

a beneficial activity and what one might face when taking the martial art. The history can be

broken up into three main parts, the origins 50 B.C. to 670 A.D., the spread and change of Taek

Kyon 670 A.C. to 1945, and the birth and formation of modern Taekwondo 1945 to present.

These parts can easily be traced through the different sources, each may have a little bit more

information on a different part, but they all complement the other.

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UDO states “taekwondo history and tradition, as presented by the taekwondo

establishment, comes perilously close to being little more than fiction.” In this article many

different histories of Taekwondo as discussed, the Taek-Kyon claim, the Subak narrative, along

with the shaolin legend. Each story has is own and unique telling of the history of Taekwondo

and is embraced by many different groups. With this in mind the history of Taekwondo can be

mysterious and intriguing Although we may never know the true origins of how Taekwondo

came about, knowing the different claims my help us understand what it is today.

Benefits of Taekwondo can be a bit trickier, each person can derive their own form of

“reward” from the arts. Though as you dig deeper you might find that each is centered on

specific attributes. Some main perks of taking Taekwondo is health and fitness, along with self-

discipline and confidence. World Martial Arts Academy talks about how you will enjoy a

healthier and fitter life when taking Taekwondo. “Learn to recharge your body with exciting

energy. Flush your system clean of internal poisons that breed illness. Massage and stimulate

your body. Create bodies that are sleek, firm, and graceful. Age is no barrier - start at any time of

your life.”(WMAA) This gives a nice insight to the focus of what can be expected if you take

Taekwondo.

Self-control or self-discipline is another huge part of Taekwondo. Each action requires

control of the body to preform the action correctly and accurately. Taekwondo trains the students

to use all parts of the body hands, arms, feet and legs in different Taekwondo moves. With all the

training the student increases awareness of body and control over the different parts. “We

suggest that TKD training may improve activity within brain areas which are associated with

body perception and self-control”(Kim). In the article “The Effects of Taekwondo Training on

Brain and Connectivity and Body,” it is discovered that those who practice Taekwondo increases
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“body intelligence and brain connectivity”(Kim). This is another huge source to back the benefits

of Taekwondo.

This brings us to seeing that these sources provided necessary information into the search

for Taekwondo history and benefits. Although they didn’t touch much on the challenges of

Taekwondo the sources are out there. Each source brought a piece of information, and even

though some of the sources aren’t scientific or necessarily the most credible, they come together

to enhance the other. The research continues, but this is a start into the world of Taekwondo.
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Works Cited

Kim, Young Jae et al. “The Effects of Taekwondo Training on Brain Connectivity and Body
Intelligence.” Psychiatry investigation vol. 12,3 (2015): 335-40.
doi:10.4306/pi.2015.12.3.335

Matthews, Justin. “The True History of TaeKwon-Do: If there was no Chi Hong-Hi there would
be no Taekwon-Do.” TaekKwonDo Times, June 12, 2019,
https://taekwondotimes.com/news/2019/06/the-true-history-of-taekwon-do-if-there-was-
no-choi-hong-hi-there-would-be-no-taekwon-do/.

Morris, Glen. “The History of Taekwondo.” World Martial Arts Academy, 1994,
http://www.worldtaekwondo.com/history.htm.

National Geographic. “Taekwondo: Reflections of Korean Spirit.” YouTube, uploaded by

Nostalgic Times, Jun 14, 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5_bq7S3Neo

UDO MOENIG, and KIM MINHO. “The Invention of Taekwondo Tradition, 1945-1972: When
Mythology Becomes ‘History.’” Acta Koreana, vol. 19, no. 2, Dec. 2016, pp. 131–
164. EBSCOhost, doi:10.18399/acta.2016.19.2.006.

World Martial Arts Academy(WMAA). “Taekwondo Benefits.” World Martial Arts Academy,
http://www.worldtaekwondo.com/benefits.htm. Accessed 15, Mar. 2021.