Taekkyeon – The Ancient Roots of Taekwon-Do

By Roy Rolstad, VI Dan, ITF Taekwon-Do

When we talk about Taekwon-Do today, many picture sharp kicks, explosive movements and a highly structured martial art that spread across the world in less than one lifetime. Yet if we look back into Korean history, we find an older martial art that already carried the spirit of kicking long before General Choi Hong Hi introduced Taekwon-Do in 1955. That art is Taekkyeon.

A Martial Art That Survived Against All Odds

Taekkyeon is one of the very few Korean martial arts that managed to survive both the anti militarism of the Joseon Dynasty and the Japanese occupation. By the late 1700s it was already looked down upon as a folk custom rather than a noble practice. When Japan annexed Korea in 1910, they banned Taekkyeon along with many other traditions. Still it endured underground, passed down quietly from teacher to student.

By the time the Korean War ended in 1953, only three Taekkyeon masters remained. At the same time, new martial arts influenced by Japanese karate began to grow rapidly. Yet Taekkyeon lived on, and in 1983 it was recognized as Important Intangible Cultural Property by the Korean government, the only martial art to receive such recognition.

The Movement of Taekkyeon

Taekkyeon is known for its rhythm and flow. Often practiced to folk music, it carries a dance like quality that makes some compare it to the Brazilian art capoeira. Unlike the rigid lines of karate, Taekkyeon emphasizes natural and circular motions. Low kicks, sweeps and trips are its main focus, while hand techniques and joint locks play a smaller role.

When practiced as sport, Taekkyeon uses only a small part of its full range of techniques. When applied for real defense, it includes kicks, trips and throws that make it a more complete system than many assume at first glance.

From Taekkyeon to Karate and Taekwon-Do

The roots of Taekwon-Do are complex. Karate itself was shaped by the Okinawan arts of Te and Tode, which were simplified and introduced into the Japanese school system by masters like Anko Itosu. Gichin Funakoshi carried this karate to Japan, where it became highly systemized. General Choi Hong Hi studied karate while he was in Japan, and at the same time he never forgot his Korean heritage. As a child he had been introduced to Taekkyeon and also practiced calligraphy, which shaped his appreciation for both movement and art.

When he later returned to Korea and began developing a new martial art, he deliberately chose the name Taekwon-Do. The word Tae evoked the legacy of Taekkyeon, while the structure of the art carried influences from karate and the discipline of Japanese martial training.

Why This Matters for ITF Radix

With the ITF Radix project we study patterns not only as movements but as history. The way we kick, sweep and unbalance reflects the same principles that lived in Taekkyeon. The straight lines and formal discipline show the influence of karate. And the very idea of combining art and martial practice carries the spirit of calligraphy that General Choi valued deeply.

Understanding these roots helps us see why Taekwon-Do was built the way it was. It was never an accident. It was a blend of Korean tradition, Japanese martial culture, and the vision of a man who wanted to give his people both pride and a new martial art.

Taekkyeon is not only a cultural treasure of Korea. It is also a reminder that Taekwon-Do stands at the meeting point of history. Every time we train, we are keeping alive a story that stretches back through Taekkyeon, through karate, through the folk traditions of Korea, and forward into the modern dojangs of today.

With ITF Radix we always remember the roots, by knowing them can we grow strong branches for the future.

Rolstad family training Taekkyeon movements as it transits to ITF Taekwon-Do with Sabum Sanko Lewis in Seoul.