Taekkyon?

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arnisador

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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.
 
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arnisador

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A post on rec.martial-arts.moderated (Message-ID: <[email protected]>) 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: [email protected] (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.
 
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kickyou

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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.
 

Langdow

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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
 
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Kong

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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:
 

Langdow

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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.
 
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Dim Mak

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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
 
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arnisador

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

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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,,,
 

Taekkyun

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Kong:

Can I please have your e-mail so we can talk by mail? Im very interested in your long experience in Taekkyon.
 

jks9199

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Kong:

Can I please have your e-mail so we can talk by mail? Im very interested in your long experience in Taekkyon.

That post is more than 10 years old... Kong isn't even a member currently, I believe. And we kind of discourage this sort of post, anyway.
 

chen yaolong

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Ive just attended my first class in Taekkyon here in Seoul. Coming from a Chinese martial arts background it's really impressed me with just how unique it is compared to anything Ive learnt before.

Il keep you all posted on my progress, so you can check out my website for regular updates as I learn more about the style.
 

Dirty Dog

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A - Taekkyon is not a precursor to TKD.
B - There is absolutely no reliable evidence that what is currently called taekkyon has anything at all to do with the taekkyon practiced prior to the Japanese occupation.
3 - This thread is 12 freaking years old. Zombie apocalypse anyone?
 
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arnisador

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A - Taekkyon is not a precursor to TKD.
B - There is absolutely no reliable evidence that what is currently called taekkyon has anything at all to do with the taekkyon practiced prior to the Japanese occupation.

Yes, when I posed the question 12 years ago I was in the process of sorting through such claims. It now seems very apparent to me that TKD arose from Karate and that taekkyon may have been more a game than a martial art per se--it's hard to tell.

This thread is 12 freaking years old. Zombie apocalypse anyone?

I think it's great!
 

chen yaolong

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A - Taekkyon is not a precursor to TKD.
B - There is absolutely no reliable evidence that what is currently called taekkyon has anything at all to do with the taekkyon practiced prior to the Japanese occupation.
3 - This thread is 12 freaking years old. Zombie apocalypse anyone?

Im curious what you mean by point B...... As Taekkyon is too different to any other style Ive seen, I cant imagine one guy could just make it up. And its technicality to me suggests that it has to have been practiced and taught for a long time.
 

Dirty Dog

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Im curious what you mean by point B...... As Taekkyon is too different to any other style Ive seen, I cant imagine one guy could just make it up. And its technicality to me suggests that it has to have been practiced and taught for a long time.

Take a good look at what happened during the Japanese occupation of Korea and then let me know how you think taekkyon survived when nothing else did.

Start with this hint: what little we know about taekkyon as it was originally practiced indicates that it was a GAME, not a martial art...
 

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