Korea‘s Intangible Cultural Asset No. 76, taekkyeon is a distinctly Korean approach to martial arts and to movement, practiced on the peninsula for roughly 1400 years.

Taekkyeon, practiced since at least the sixth century, seems almost greater than a martial art; it seems almost a way of movement through space. Its movements are small, precise and refined in their simplicity; they emphasize the circular and angular as opposed to the direct and puncturing of other martial arts; and all movement is anchored by the low, centrality of the body. The power of the movements are not expressed through the singularity of a kick or jab, but rather amassed through repetitious and continuous movement.

Taekkyeon‘s movements incorporate the whole body and rest on three fundaments: stepping patterns, hand/arm movements and foot movements.

Watching a practitioner of taekkyeon is nearly like watching a person dancing on hot coals; the feet are in constant motion. As the point in taekkyeon is to stay on your feet, having your feet as little on the ground as possible seems like an odd way to do so - or an ingenious way to stay upright and balanced. The most basic of the taekkyeon steps (pumbalpgi) is called “samgak bobeop“, literally triangular stepping technique. When facing an opponent, the starting position would be the bottom point of the triangle, from where the practitioner steps out at a 45-degree angle to the right or the left, thus forming the triangle.

The hand/arm movements, like the steps, are done continuously, and are circular in motion and direction. Called hwagaetjil, a variation on the word hwagaetjit meaning ‘swinging the arms (while walking)‘, these arm movements would conjure up the image of a drunk swaying his arms to and fro were they not so precise and purposeful.

The foot movements are incorporated into the stepping techniques and mostly consist of kicks in a variety of directions (high, low), with a variety of techniques (straight, ascending), each corresponding to a specific intent.

The combination of these three fundaments into continuous and fluid movement enables the practitioner of taekkyeon to both deflect attacks while enabling the freedom of movement in any direction to attack or deflect other attacks. In other words, there is no distinction between a defensive move and an offensive attack; if attacked, the practitioner attacks in response to that attack. The point of employing taekkyeon in self-defense is not to annihilate or even injure one‘s opponent; the point is to tumble the opponent, while not only deflecting injury from the self but also avoiding undue injury to the other. This is typically done by pushing, pulling or kicking the opponent‘s legs out from underneath them, or knocking them off balance; and furthermore, it is done from a close range to maintain accuracy to avoid unnecessary injury. Korean proponents of taekkyeon claim this consciousness of the well-being of one‘s opponent is a reflection of the overriding Korean societal value of living and prospering together in harmony, for the betterment of all.

Despite its peaceful intent, however, one should be aware: taekkyeon can be deadly if need be. In fact, there are two forms of the martial art: gyeollyeon taekkyeon and seogi taekkyeon. The first, also known as ssam taekkyeon, or ‘fighting taekkyeon‘, is more attack-oriented and can be lethal. Historical texts show that this form of taekkyeon was indeed used in combat and as a way to take revenge on enemies. The second is more defense-oriented with the aggressive components removed and is closer to what most practitioners study today.

Thanks to the efforts of Grand Master Lee Yong-Bok and organizations like the World Taekkyon Headquarters, of which he is the president, and the Korean Taekkyon Association, of which he is the permanent vice-chairman, this martial art is finally regaining its place among popular Korean traditions after years of suppression, nearly to the point of nonexistence.

Taekkyeon, like other symbols of Korean heritage, was banned during the Japanese occupation of the Korean Peninsula during the first half of the last century. Despite having been practiced by the elite classes from the sixth century, peaking during the Goryeo Dynasty, and becoming a popular folk custom during the Joseon Dynasty, taekkyeon had few masters who had endured the period and the subsequent Korean War to pass on this ancient Korean knowledge.

One man however was found. Shin Han-Seung, a black belt taekwondo master, searched out practitioners of taekkyeon and came across 91-year-old Song Dok-Ki. Shin trained under Song and together they systematized a learning system so that Koreans, and foreigners, could regain this nearly lost art. Lee Yong-Bok, also a taekkyeon master, had searched out Shin and Song to learn from them and ever since he has perhaps been the most vocal promoter of taekkyeon, having written a number of books in Korean on it and releasing training videos found internationally.

Owing to the efforts of these three men, and the growing number of practitioners around the world, taekkyeon, Korea‘s Important Intangible Cultural Asset No. 76, is becoming a way of self-defense and life for children not just in Korea, but also around the globe.

By Dieter, culture writer