What is Taekkyon?
Taekkyon (or also Taekyun, Taekkyeon, Taekgyeon...) is an original Korean martial art. Taekkyon has relaxed rhythmic movements with an arsenal of techniques containing kicks, throws, sweeps, attacks and blocks especially with open hands.
The first written mentions about Taekkyon are from the 17th century. In the 19th century this fighting game was very popular among villagers and in the cities, regular tournaments were held during the holiday seasons. This style of combat was never codified before the Japanese occupation of Korea. During the occupation, with Japanese efforts of annihilating Korean culture, Taekkyon was completely forbidden. It was transferred to modern times thanks to the effort of master SONG Duck-Ki (1893 – 1987), who taught Taekkyon. Thus, this Korean martial art, with a typical dancing movement, was transferred to the present day.
On June 1st, 1983, Taekkyon was appointed an important Intangible Cultural Landmark of Korea, number 76 and in November 2011, it was registered by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.