Korean Martial Arts

China is the birth place for many impressive and popular martial arts techniques, but no means is the sole contributor to the world of martial arts.
Every culture has something to contribute to martial arts over time and to have a fuller understanding of unarmed combat a student can only benefit from the study of these different martial arts even if they have no intention of practicing them as part of their training regiment.
Knowing your enemy has been part of a warrior’s study since the dawn of time because it gives a warrior incite to who they will be fight and what his weaknesses they have. Two Korean martial arts that are prominent are Taekwondo and Hapkido.
Taekwondo dates back to the Silla dynasty in Korea as a way to strength its warrior so they were better able to fight with enemies at home and abroad. Hapkido though practiced prior to WWII came into being after the war and is a purely defensive art. These arts are now practiced around the world and if these techniques are to be countered one must understand how they work and where their origins.

Taekwondo is now known to many around the world and is so popular it is an Olympic sport. The reason for this wide spread popularity is due to the United States military personnel stationed in Korea during and after the Korean Conflict. Garrison duty is never easy so finding hobbies helps pass the time while not on duty.
For the military personnel stationed in South Korea Taekwondo was a welcomed distraction. Taekwondo focuses on many different types of kicks including 45 degree, front, ax, and side kicks. Also there is a number of hand strikes, but has little to do with grappling. As personnel were redeployed around the world they took their hobby with them and soon schools were opening all over the world.
Taekwondo evolved many times though before reaching its current form. First taught to the elite Hwarang warriors of the Silla dynasty an ancient Korean kingdom Taekwondo was included with traditional military training and education. The martial art went underground during the early Japanese occupation and colonization during the early 20th century, but those who had the opportunity to train in Japan and China would share what they learned and adapt Taekwondo accordingly.
Taekwondo as a sport can be exciting, but those with United States military training never saw it as a replacement for what they had already been taught which was Jujutsu. Lack of grappling the ability to deal with modern weapons limits someone who practices Taekwondo and has to study additional Techniques. Like many martial arts Taekwondo only exists as a sport.

Hapkido is another popular Korean martial art that has close ties to the Japanese martial art Aikido.
Many in Korea consider Taekwondo to be a hard martial art while Hapkido is a soft martial art. Those who practice Hapkido consider the spiritual side very important and say the martial art is about uniting harmony and energy and those who practice Hapkido pride themselves in that their martial art is purely self-defense.
Hapkido student will try to use their attacker’s energy against them like in other martial arts, but unlike Jujutsu they always allow the attack make the first move. Believing even soft moves will prevail in the longer run. One may find harmony with Hapkido, but finding safety is another matter. Reactionary combat is a poor choice for a technique.

In studying Korea’s martial arts of choice it is clear they cannot be discounted, but their limitations cannot be overlooked either. Taekwondo though once a system developed for warriors is now a regulated sport and has no real options when the fight goes to the ground.
Though the martial has developed over the centuries it needs to evolve once again before it can be considered a viable option for combat again.
Hapkido is waiting to become a victim before action can be taken. Harmony is achieved not just by a way of thinking but in surviving battles unhurt. A true warrior is a life long student who can never allow prejudice or overconfidence to cloud their judgment.