Listing Major Korean Arts

[Johnlogic121]

Hello, I have done a little research into Tae Kwon Do ad I am given to understand that it is a compilation of perhaps as many as nine or ten Korean styles. Furthermore, I have an impression that Korea has more native martial arts than these which went into TKD. I have compiled a partial list of martial arts below that are associated with Korea. Can anybody help me add to this list, and help me differentiate which ones contributed to Tae Kwon Do? Thanks in advance.

Tae Kyon - an ancient style, 2,000 years old, related to the three kingdoms period

Kuk Sool Won - a style with a high variety of forms, compared to Kung Fu

Tae Kwon Do - the modern kicking art with a World TKD Federation and an International TKD Federation

Tang Soo Do - incorporates soft blocking from a major Chinese style

Others...???

[NightOwl]

Hwarangdo (sp?)

Hapkido (TKD and daito ryu origins)

Taekwondo and pretty much all of the others are mostly based off of non-Korean MAs. However due to politics, the Korean aspects are often played up. I believe that there is another MMA like MA in Korea but the name escapes me at the moment and it is rare even in its home country.

[bushido_man96]

Yudo - Judo in Korea.

Soo Bak Do - an older style, may not be around anymore.

Kwon Bup - an ancient style that translates into "butting and punching" I think.

Originally, there were around 5 major Kwans of what became TKD before the "merger." There was the Moo Duk Kwan, the Ji Do Kwan, to name a few. Hwang Ki headed up the Moo Duk Kwan at the time of the merger, and refused to join General Choi. Therefore, we have Moo Duk Kwan Tang Soo Do, and you can also find Moo Duk Kwan TKD.

[NightOwl]

Kumdo: Korean kendo

[The BB of C]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_martial_arts

There's a list of all the Korean styles in the Korean section.

[GOM]

Taekkyeon is not 2000 years old, and until about 50 years ago, was considered a kind of dance, not self-defense.

The majority of Koreans I have met (lived there for 2 years, and have Korean wife) have a tendency to extend the truth to save face.

[bushido_man96]

It has to do with their obsession of trying to get out of the shadow of the Japanese occupation. I can't say as I blame them, but they are going the wrong route. TKD or TSD aren't 3000 years old, either.

[GOM]

It has to do with their obsession of trying to get out of the shadow of the Japanese occupation. I can't say as I blame them, but they are going the wrong route. TKD or TSD aren't 3000 years old, either.

Yep, they (some, not all obviously) have a chip on their shoulder, and a superiority and infiriority complex at the same time!

YKD is not really more than 60 years old.

[NightOwl]

Taekkyeon is not 2000 years old, and until about 50 years ago, was considered a kind of dance, not self-defense.

The majority of Koreans I have met (lived there for 2 years, and have Korean wife) have a tendency to extend the truth to save face.

My girlfriend is Korean and as such I've made a lot of Korean friends. Nationalism is pretty strong (outside of my GF who could care less ) and they seem to be wanting to make up for being stuck between China and Japan at times. I don't know too much about Korean history, but I've heard that the culture of martial arts had been out of favor for a long time with the changing of rulers.

[isshinryu5toforever]

Korean martial arts have a history that extends back over 2000 years, their development is independent of China (maybe) and mirrors the history. Problem is, none of these martial arts exist anymore. Koreans, and yes I am one, try to take back their history by extending the history of present day martial arts, but as noted very few are older than 60. Tang Soo Do may be the oldest, but even that came from China during the Tang dynasty, thus the name. Taekkyon in the modern form is newer, but in the ancient form was a game. The rules survived, and have been kind of put into TKD (points for head contact and trunk contact with the feet), but the true art of Taekkyon was lost a long time ago. The modern incarnations are:

Taekwondo

Hapkido - and its variations

Tangsoodo - Soobakdo falls under this family now I believe

Yudo - Korean Judo, a little more aggressive than Japanese

Kumdo - Korean Kendo, but much less rigid and far less aggressive than Kendo

Taekkyon

Kuksulwon - although some will argue the validity of it as a martial art

Hwarangdo

There may be a few others, but these are the main ones with TKD being the headliner