I'm curious to know what you think of Taekkyeon. Many consider it to be an ancestral form of Taekwondo. What I do know is that it was commonly practiced by people of all classes during Korea's Koryo dynasty (918-1392) and Yi dynasty (1392-1920). It, like many other Martial Arts originating in Korea, nearly became extinct during the oppressive Japanese colonial rule that lasted for 35 years (1910-1945). Taekkyeon barely survived that dark time of Korean history. However now it has made a come back and seems to be very popular in South Korea. I have not been able to locate any Taekkyeon schools in Australia, which implies it has not undergone globalisation and therefor there is a good chance of little corruption.
Here is a definition of Taekkyeon from the glossary of Hwa Rang Do defend-take down-submit:
"Korean martial art that centres on foot fighting and involves a wide variety of kicks and sweeps. Hand techniques in this system are predominately open-hand and include soft blocks, chops and palm strikes. Solo forms look similar to Tai Chi exercises, but with fast kicks. Usually practiced with a partner using pre-arranged footwork patterns, similar to the jinga of capoeira."
From my small amount of knowledge of Taekkyeon, I think it's a good expression of Martial Art. The practitioners in these videos are relatively talented. Although they practice Martial techniques, they are obviously not violent in nature which I know is the most important thing. They often try to make what they do less lethal, but not sacrificing efficiency like the real Aikido. This I admire. I believe it takes more skill to spare a life rather than take one when someone tries to end yours. I think Taekkyeon is a creative combative dance of peace. Check out these videos and tell me what you think.
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