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Brief History Of Tae Kwon Do
Over two thousand years ago, in the city of Kyongju, Korea, two
giants were carved on the tower wall of a Budhist temple. Kyoungju
was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Silla at the time this
giants were sculpted. The giants, facing each other, are assuming a
fighting stance as if they were practicing a martial art. This
giants undoubtedly represent the early developments of the modern
art of fighting known today as Tae Kwon Do.
Records show that Tae Kwon Do was practiced as early as about 50
BC. During this time, Korea was divided into three Kingdoms: Silla,
Koguryo and Baekche. Paintings on the ceiling of the Muyong-chong, a
royal tomb from the Koguryo dynasty, have given evidence of the
practice of Taek Kyon, the earliest known form of Tae Kwon Do.
These, as well as other paintings show unarmed combat using
techniques that very much resemble those of modern Tae Kwon Do,
specially the use of the knife hand, fist and classical fighting
stances.
Although Tae Kwon Do first appeared in the Koguryo kingdom, it is
Silla's warrior nobility, the Hwarang, who are credited with the
growth and spread of the art throughout Korea. Out of the three
kingdoms, Silla was the first to be formed, but it remained the
smallest and less civilized. Because Silla's coastline was always
under attack by Japanese pirates, the 19th monarch in the Koguryo
dynasty line, King Gwahggaeto, sent forces to help the neighboring
kingdom with this problem. It was at this time that Taek Kyon was
first introduced to Silla's warriors class, taught directly and in
secret to a few sillan warriors by early masters of the art.
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