Taekwondo Martial Arts | Dyer, IL | Homewood, IN
Taekwondo originated in Korea 2,000 years ago. "Tae" means foot; "Kwon" means fist; and "Do" means the way. Literally, Taekwondo translates to "The way of the foot and fist."
Taekwondo's roots can be traced back over 2,000 years into the history of Korea. During the 6th century A.D., the Korean peninsula was divided into three kingdoms; Koguryo, Paekje and Silla - which was the smallest. The 24th king of Silla, Chin Heung, formed a group of warriors to protect the kingdom. These warriors were called the HwaRang. Archaeological findings such as murals and sculptures from this area and time period depict techniques and fighting stances that are probably the first forms of Taekwondo.
Taekwondo originated in Korea 2,000 years ago. "Tae" means foot; "Kwon" means fist; and "Do" means the way. Literally, Taekwondo translates to "The way of the foot and fist."
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Taekwondo's roots can be traced back over 2,000 years into the history of Korea. During the 6th century A.D., the Korean peninsula was divided into three kingdoms; Koguryo, Paekje and Silla - which was the smallest. The 24th king of Silla, Chin Heung, formed a group of warriors to protect the kingdom. These warriors were called the HwaRang. Archaeological findings such as murals and sculptures from this area and time period depict techniques and fighting stances that are probably the first forms of Taekwondo.
In 1973, the World Taekwondo Federation was established by Dr. Un Yon Kim. Located in Seoul, Korea, the Kukkiwon (headquarters) is the governing body that controls testing and testing requirements, preserves Taekwondo's roots, and promotes the study of Taekwondo all over the world.
The popularity of Taekwondo continues to grow world wide, and since the year 2000, Taekwondo has been an Olympic event.
History of Hapkido
It is important to understand that the origins of Hapkido, like Taekwondo, stretch back many centuries to the indigenous martial arts practiced throughout Asia. However, during the Japanese occupation of Korea, native
Korean martial arts were prohibited and replaced with Japanese styles. As a result, much of the original Korean systems melded over a 50-year period with Japanese styles.
After World War II, a wide variety of martial arts emerged in Korea. These generally followed one of two styles: 1) Soft styles derived from Judo and Jujitsu. These evolved into modern Hapkido, Hwarang do, and Kuk Sul Won; 2) Hard styles derived from karate. These evolved into modern Taekwondo, Tuekgong Moosul, and Tangsudo.
Despite these murky origins, all Hapkido practioners recognize Grandmaster Young Sool Choi, (1904-1986) as the founder of the art. GM Choi was one of the most influential people in the development of modern Korean martial arts and a deeply respected figure. While GM Choi's early background is difficult to establish, it is commonly accepted that he was abducted to Japan as a young child and lived with a Japanese family for nearly
30 years.
During this time, he learned a form of jujitsu, adapting it to his slight physical build. In 1948, GM Choi returned to Korea and began teaching a modified form of the art he learned in Japan. It is important to understand that GM Choi did not incorporate kicking and striking into his curriculum. This is why "traditional" Hapkido schools that derive their lineage from GM Choi do not usually emphasize striking. These schools are rare and mostly
located in the provinces of South Korea.
However, it was not until 1961 that today's form of Hapkido took shape. At that time, another student of GM Choi's, Moo-Woong Kim, moved to Seoul to train with GM Ji. Kim brought a strong background in the traditional art of Taekkyon, which utilized a number of hard strikes and kicks.Soon, Kim was working with GM Ji to incorporate kicks and strikes into the Hapkido curriculum. GM Ji and his early students also began to cross train with other Kwans, learning a variety of new techniques. Many of these techniques responded to offensive tactics 
taught to boxing, judo, and Taekwondo students.
In 1962, Ji's central dojang moved to the back of the Hwa Shin Department Store. By this time, the Sung Moo Kwan was one of the largest Kwans in Seoul and GM Ji was a well-known personality. In 1965, GM Ji received a government job teaching Hapkido to the Presidential Security Forces. From 1966-1969, he also made frequent trips worldwide to teach Hapkido.
At this time, Hapkido was taught by way of general techniques, which often included multiple responses to counter-attacks. It was not until the late 1960s that GM Ji and others restructured the curriculum into a numbered system based on types of attacks. This change broke the Hapkido curriculum into smaller parts, making it easier for students to progressively learn the system. This is the type of curriculum most often seen today in the United States. Draco Academy continues to follow the original teaching method of general techniques in the belief that it better prepares students for real world applications.