General History of Martial Arts

Fighting techniques have existed in every culture since time immemorial. In fact, the Bible records that Jacob wrestled with an angel of God and that the angel wrenched Jacob’s hip by a simple touch (Gen. 32:24-25).

Except for sport boxing and wrestling, western fighting techniques have concentrated on weapons and the techniques have changed as weapons’ technologies changed. However, in Eastern cultures, the average person was banned from carrying weapons. As is usually the case, dishonest people broke the law and threatened honest people with illegal weapons. Sometimes even the armed warrior class itself threatened unarmed and law-abiding citizens. Thus sophisticated unarmed fighting techniques were developed in eastern cultures. It is generally believed that China’s Shaolin temple is the taproot of the traditional martial arts systems of Okinawa and Japan. Jujitsu techniques of striking, kicking, grappling and throwing were developed in Okinawa and Japan hundreds of years ago and provided the basis for judo (Japan, 1882), aikido (Japan, ~1930) and hapkido (Korea, 1963). In addition, in 1921 karate master Gichin Funakoshi took a modified form of Okinawan karate into Japan and originated Shotokan karate, the beginning of modern karate in Japan. Significant cross-fertilization naturally occurred and today there are many similarities among the various unarmed fighting arts.

The art of Tae Kwon Do originated in Korea after World War II. The original Korean arts were heavily influenced by Japanese/Okinawan karate because of the Japanese occupation of Korea from 1910-1945. After World War II Korean General Choi Hong Hi led the development of new patterns to distinguish Korean Tae Kwon Do from Japanese karate. (The Korean art of Tang Soo Do continues to practice patterns that are very similar to Shotokan karate.) “Tae Kwon Do” literally means “The Way of the Hand and Foot.” The principal difference between Tae Kwon Do and Japanese/Okinawan karate is the Korean emphasis on kicking, especially high kicks.

Political differences between the martial artists of Korea during and lingering long after the Korean war caused a split between the traditionalists and a new breed of martial artists from that wanted to emphasize sport techniques, especially kicking. This sporting emphasis has enabled Tae Kwon Do to become an Olympic sport (usually written as Taekwondo by participants in sport oriented clubs). The Auburn Martial Arts Fellowship practices traditional Tae Kwon Do that is stylistically self-defense oriented Korean karate.

Bibliography

1. Taekwon-Do, The Art of Self Defense by Choi Hong Hi (Daeha Publication Company, Seoul, Korea, 1974).

2. Karate-Do, My Way of Life by Gichin Funakoshi (Kodansha International Co., Tokyo, Japan, 1975).

3. Small Circle Jujitsu by Wally Jay (Ohara Publications, Santa Clarita, CA, USA, 1989).

4. Jujitsi, Intermediate Techniques of the Gentle Art by George Kirby (Ohara Publications, Santa Clarita, CA, USA, 1985).

5. Hapkido, Korean Art of Self Defense by Scott Shaw (Tuttle Company, Tokyo, Japan, 1996).

Maps courtesy of www.theodora.com.