Does anyone practice taekkyon (http://www.man-magazine.com/uk/2001/8/traditional/2001,8,11,102,1.php), precursor to TKD?

Song Pak teaches Takyon. Here is his website
http://www.geocities.com/wwwsongpak/songpak.html

Thanks
Jeremy Bays

Interesting! I see he notes that it's rare to meet another practitioner of the art, expecially in the U.S. He seems very into the Dillman method also.

A post on rec.martial-arts.moderated (Message-ID: <db7e482d.0203020124.4c06af61@posting.google.com>) had lots of info. including some websites:

http://www.taekkyonkorea.com/ (http://www.tkkor.com/)
http://dragon.skku.ac.kr/~taeckyun/ex-1024.htm

Both seem to be principally in Korean. Check out the post (see http://groups.google.com using From: kunssangnom@hotmail.com (MP), Newsgroups: rec.martial-arts.moderated, Subject: Re: Any insights on Taekkyon?, Date: Sat, 2 Mar 2002 12:22:55 UTC) for more details on Taekkyon. The poster wrote:


It's important to remember that all the Taekkyon practiced in Korea comes from a single person, Song Duk-ki, who started learning it before Korea was annexed by the Japanese. He didn't start teaching anyone until he was in his late 70's, and said that he had fogotten many techniques. All "original" techniques are based on the knowledged of this one individual.

It is sad that he did not impart his knowledge earlier in his life so that there could be a comprehensive manual created so that this art is not lost forever.

http://www.concentric.net/~sdseong/kmar.vid.stk.htm

I agree that it is a shame that he wasn't able to impart more knowledge since this is an influence on modern TKD. :(
I'm just begining to understand the past influences on TKD and why they occured and this is actually a prime example of the past rising again the help the present develop.
Thx for the links into Taekyon. Interested in learning more of its history and development

I agree that it is a shame that he wasn't able to impart more knowledge since this is an influence on modern TKD.
Is it? I posted a thread about this in the TKD section and was refered to this thread. Does anybody have any solid information or background on Tae Kyons influence on TKD. I heard it had a great influence in the development of the Taeguk forms, in order to "Koreanize" TKD more, but I also know there was sort of a feud between Taekyon and TKD interest partys in the resurgence of Taekyon as to wich style was the original ma of Korea. Also both styles were contending to become official Cultural Assets of Korea at the time. (Taekyon is "Intangiable Cultural Asset No. 76" btw, anyone know wich no. TKD is, if at all?)
Sorry if I`m rambling here, had too much coffe much too early today.
:asian:

I'll keep this short since I'm supposed to be going to work right now ;)
Taekyon was an art that was practiced before the Japanese occupation of Korea. As for the history behind it I'm not entirely sure, however I do know it had a heavy chinese influence.
During the occupation it was illegal to practice martial arts if you were korean, penalty was death, so all the Taekyon masters had to stop teaching and practicing. This is where alot of it was lost. The masters did contine to practice in private, but because of the secrecy it was probably few and far in between, so things were forgotten.
After the occupation ended at the end of the second world war. These practioners started to come out of the wood work, and when the eight kwans that came together to develop TKD these older practioners put in their two cents and thus influenced how the style was developed. The eight kwans were heavily influenced by Okinawan karate, because these were younger soldiers who had been in Japan training (it wasn't illegal there) Thus you see the Karate influence on TKD, along with the older praticioners who were kung fu inlfuenced. and Voila you get TKD :)
As for it's influence on the Taegeuk forms, I'm not sure about that. As far as I know they were developed to replace to Palgwae forms. I'm not sure why but there are a number of differences in both sets, but there are similarities. Kukkiwon is also developing a new set of patterns, but I'm not sure when these are going to be sent out into the public TKD community.

Hello,

My teacher, Grandmaster Kim Pyung-Soo, was neighbors with Song Duk Ki in Korea, and helped him become recognized by the S. Korean Govt. as a National Treasure.

Master Song explained that Tae Kyon was practiced mostly as a game during the Dan Oh festival during the Yi Dynasty, before the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1910.

The following are some of the first photos of Taekyon in history. Taken in 1964 at Kyong Bok Palace. Pictured is Song Duk Ki and (now) Grandmaster Kim Soo.

Enjoy.

http://www.kimsookarate.com/gallery-old-days/songsoo.html

http://www.kimsookarate.com/gallery-old-days/songsoo2.html

http://www.kimsookarate.com/gallery-old-days/songsoo3.html

Grandmaster Kim has continued his training all of these years. He continues to teach 15 classes per week between his 3 Houston, Tx. area dojangs, Rice University, & University of Houston.

Sincerely,

R. McLain

Thanks for showing those pictures. The uniform seems very Japanese in style.

Song Duk Ki is an amazing martial artist, I`ve got this film that shows him demostrating taekkyon, from about the same time these pictures were taken (I presume by the looks of them). He is extremely agile, and his movement is very light and smooth, and fast, I mean I`m not sure how old he is on this film, but he`s no young buck as you can see from the pictures, and he was doing head high kicks no problem,,,
Also, in this film he`s doing some forms that has alot of similarities to the taeguks, though I would say his technique in general seems to have more of a Chinese influence rather than Okinawan,,,