Taekkyon becomes UNESCO Heritage

**Oonjuk** · Posted On: 12/15/2011 10:03pm

Babo78: Well done sir, you almost got me there.
Odacon: that's how i deacribe taekkyon to people who have not seen taekkyon before. One teacher i know deacribed it as trying to play grappling or jiujitsu with feet instead your hands.

**dougguod** · Posted On: 12/15/2011 10:06pm

Oonjuk, what's your school's, and/or your own, approach to taekkyon? Competitive sport, quaint folk pasttime, viable fighting art, or some mixture of the above?

**Oonjuk** · Posted On: 12/15/2011 10:38pm

I am part of Kyullyun taekkyon group and our approach is mixture of all three aspects but with more emphasis on the combative and competitive aspects. My teacher used to tell me that martial arts that lose combative aspect is nothing more than a fancy exercise routine and that competition/sport taekkyon is about limiting number of techniques and executing them with even better control compared to unleashed combative versions. My personal approach is heavily influenced by my teacher as well where he encourages me to embrace my judo background for me to discover my own personalized taekkyon instead of trying to separate them. I try to integrate techniques during open matt and i try sparring my MT or boxing friends to research ways to deal with other MA styles. I hope this answers your question.

**dougguod** · Posted On: 12/15/2011 11:20pm

It does. Thank you.

**Miguksaram** · Posted On: 12/19/2011 8:21am

Originally Posted by babo78

I'm 8th degree black belt Taekkyon master teaching out of Brooklyn. Please contact me if you wish to learn the secret art of Korean martial arts that dates back to Silla days where it was taught to Hwarang corps and first to ever become UNESCO heritage.

You guys mean claims like that right :aintthatsomeshit:

Close. You forgot to add in that you were secretly taught during the Japanese occupation that forbade all Koreans to learn martial arts. You might also add that you were taught by one of the last true Taekkyon masters. That is always a plus. :)

**Miguksaram** · Posted On: 12/19/2011 8:23am

Originally Posted by Oonjuk

I am part of Kyullyun taekkyon group and our approach is mixture of all three aspects but with more emphasis on the combative and competitive aspects. My teacher used to tell me that martial arts that lose combative aspect is nothing more than a fancy exercise routine and that competition/sport taekkyon is about limiting number of techniques and executing them with even better control compared to unleashed combative versions. My personal approach is heavily influenced by my teacher as well where he encourages me to embrace my judo background for me to discover my own personalized taekkyon instead of trying to separate them. I try to integrate techniques during open matt and i try sparring my MT or boxing friends to research ways to deal with other MA styles. I hope this answers your question.

Are there two or three schools of Taekkyon presently?

**Oonjuk** · Posted On: 12/19/2011 10:48am

Three with different emphasis:
Daehan-sport/game taekkyon
Kyullyun-combative/competition taekkyon
Chungju-traditional art/game taekkyon

Kyullyun teaches techniques most similar as they were taught by Grandpa Song Duk Gi (my teachers never referred to him as grand master, always gramp). Other schools teach techniques with their own interpretations added to them, but it is hard to say they are not doing a proper taekkyon because taekkyon was not something taught in a formal manner with set forms and techniques.

There's something called Dong Yi Taekkyon group but they are not really a taekkyon group.

**Miguksaram** · Posted On: 12/19/2011 12:09pm

Originally Posted by Oonjuk

Three with different emphasis:
Daehan-sport/game taekkyon
Kyullyun-combative/competition taekkyon
Chungju-traditional art/game taekkyon

Kyullyun teaches techniques most similar as they were taught by Grandpa Song Duk Gi (my teachers never referred to him as grand master, always gramp).

That makes sense, as there were no ranks correct? Calling someone grandpa is a normal thing in Korea when addressing someone who is very old. I.E. Song Halaboji. :)

Other schools teach techniques with their own interpretations added to them, but it is hard to say they are not doing a proper taekkyon because taekkyon was not something taught in a formal manner with set forms and techniques.

Interesting. So when UNESCO marked Taekkyon as a heritage, which school of thought do you think you are referring to?

There's something called Dong Yi Taekkyon group but they are not really a taekkyon group.

The name sounds familiar but I do not recall in what context I first heard about them. Thanks for the information on all of this.

**Oonjuk** · Posted On: 12/19/2011 12:15pm

As far as the UNESCO goes, I think they were just referring to taekkyon in general.

**AcousticCafe** · Posted On: 12/21/2011 8:22pm

Babo78: Props to you.

Damn- I was taekkyon was more popular in the US. It is so much more preferable than TKD. Non-game taekkyon actually features a few handstrikes from what I've seen.

some intermittent sparring:

This gym also seems to experiment with kyokushin + mma rules; not sure if they are a taekkyon school though.