A friend of mine who trained in Tae Kwon Do said that the reason for all the high kicks and jumping techniques in Tae Kwon Do was to knock people off horses. In ancient Korea they would often go up against enemies on horseback and the high kicks and jumping techniques were used to knock them off. Im not sure of the validity of that but that's what my friend who had a brown belt in Tae Kwon Do claimed.
He also said that the Koreans used their hands for lots of fine artwork and craftsmanship and as such did not want to damage their hands with training so that is why kicks were emphasized in Tae Kwon Do over hand techniques.
He also said that the Koreans used their hands for lots of fine artwork and craftsmanship and as such did not want to damage their hands with training so that is why kicks were emphasized in Tae Kwon Do over hand techniques.