Black Belt Thesis (History) Anton Smith Taekwondo traces its origins back to the styles of Subak or Taekkyon

in the ancient Korean peninsula. Three kingdoms played a role in developing it as a martial art, Koguryo, Paekje, and Silla. Koguryo, the northernmost kingdom, faced constant threat of invasion from the Han Dynasty of China. In response to this, they developed a fighting force known as the Sonbae, who practiced Taekkyon as a discipline and were important members of the kingdoms national defense (History: Ancient). Taekkyon itself was not practiced in combat; it was more based as a religious and sport activity (Lee). In Koguryo, subak was primarily a leg-based art, from which modern Taekwondo draws many of its traditional kicks. The kingdom of Silla was shielded from the Han Dynasty, but was under threat from Koguryo to the north and Paekje to the west, both of which posed invasions. Silla then developed its own specialized defense force, the Hwarang, or flowering manhood (History: Ancient). In many ways it was a reinvention of the sonbae in Koguryo: studying Taekkyon and acting as national defense. Hwarang warriors studied Confucian philosophy and Buddhist ethics and also acted as a community service, providing emergency aid and building fortresses for the kingdom. Much of the Hwarang-do system was based on the Five Codes of Human Conduct, established by the Buddhist scholar Wonkang: Be loyal to your country, be obedient to your parents, be trustworthy to your friends, never retreat from battle, and never make an unjust kill

Gerrard). These became a code of morals for the young men who dedicated their lives to Taekkyon, and modern Taekwondo derives many of its ethics from these ideals. In both kingdoms, this martial art had a more entertainment or ceremonial function. Taekkyon became a more integrated part of Korean society under the Koryo Dynasty, where it was called Subak. The Dynasty made it a mandatory part of military cadet training and a more systematic art. Subak also became more focused on military application as opposed to physical fitness during this time. Modern history of Tae Kwon Do begins roughly after World War II, with the end of Japanese occupation. There was a small resurgence during the occupation, fueled by hated of their subjugators (Gerrard). It wasnt until 1945, with the Japanese surrender, did Taekkyon once again revive to be part of popular Korean culture. Chung Do Kwan, formed by Won Kuk Lee, was the first kwan or style to emerge. Won had learned Karate from Karate's father, Funakoshi Sensei (Kang), and sought to teach traditional martial arts to the Korean population, whos ethnic identity was subdued during the occupation. In its early history, Chung Do Kwan worked with Korean Police to root out gangsters in Seoul, and became known as the National Police dojang (Kang). Several other kwans emerged soon after, such as Chosun Yun Moo Kwan Kong Soo Do Bu, YMCA Kwon Bup Bu, Moo Duk Kwan, and Song Moo Kwan. These four along with Chung Do Kwan were the five largest kwans in Korea, and in the late 1940s they attempted to combine to standardize technique. This failed, however, and each school went back to teaching their next generation, and when the Korea War broke out, the idea of unification fell by the wayside

(Kang). On April 11, 1955 that the name Tae Kwon Do was proposed by General Choi (Gerrard) and was accepted by the majority of the kwan masters to represent their art, while also keeping the names of their kwans. However, it wasnt until 1961, when the Korean Taekwondo Association was formed, that the now nine kwans of Korea began to unite. Only Hapkido remained separate from the new united Taekwondo, and still is today. With this new unity, Taekwondo was organized enough to spread outside of Korea, which began its international growth. This new international growth prompted the creation of the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) in 1973. In the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Taekwondo received official recognition as a Demonstration Sport, cementing its worldwide popularity and influence (Gerrard). In modern days, the main focus of Taekwondo is as a combat sport, as it can be seen in the Olympics and in tournament competitions. However, it is still practiced as a method of selfdiscipline and self-defense (Taekwondo: History). It is still the most popular martial art in Korea, and ranks high in popularity in the United States.