Korea has a very rich history of martial arts and combat sports that are practiced both locally and internationally. However, several of them have been existing for centuries and have deep roots in Korea's cultural and historical heritage.

From ancient warrior techniques, self-defense, festival entertainment, and modern-day martial arts sports, here are some popular combat sports from South Korea.

Taekwondo

This is one of the most popular martial arts in the world and is even recognized as an Olympic and Paralympic sport. Tae (foot), Kwon (hand), and do (the art/way) mostly involve punching and kicking techniques.

The history of taekwondo dates back to 1945, after World War II and the Japanese occupation. Korean martial arts with knowledge of Japanese and Chinese martial arts such as karate, judo, and kendo created 9 martial arts schools known as “Kwans” where they taught students the newly formed marital arts now known as Taekwondo.

Although there is no single creator of this art form, the process of its unification from all 9 Kwon schools was supervised by Martial Artist Choi Hong-hi in 1959 under the Korean Taekwondo Association.

The sport became an Olympic event in 2000 but it was not until 2018, that it became the official national martial art of South Korea. Like most traditional arts, students are ranked from white belt to black belt.

Ssireum (씨름)

Often referred to as Korean Wrestling, Ssireum is a traditional Korean wrestling sport that dates back to the fourth century. Although it was originally used as a test for applying to the military, it soon became a form of entertainment whilst maintaining its title as a sport.

Ssireum is usually played in a circular sandy ring and the wrestlers battle to throw each other to the ground while maintaining their balance. They only wear a cloth sash (satba) throughout the match and this helps to grip and maneuver each other. The game ends when one of the opponent's bodies above the knee touches the ground. It is quite similar to Judo and Sumo wrestling.

Ssireum is currently a UNESCO cultural heritage sport and a national body called “Pan Chosun Ssireum Association” was founded in 1927 recognizing it as an official national sport. The first world championship was held in Busan in 2008.

It is still practiced today as a sport and is often performed at local festivals such as Dano.

Hapkido (합기)

Hapkido stands for hap means coordinated or harmony, ki means spirit or internal energy; and do means "way" or "art" and together it stands for "the way of coordinating energy".

It is a Korean martial art that was adapted from Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu which was taught by Choi Yong-soo when he returned to Korea after World War II. It has components from Taekkyon, Tang Soo Do, Judo, Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu, and Chinese martial arts.

Hapkido is not the same as Japanese Aikido art. It uses pressure points, throwing, kicks, punches, joint locks, and sticking attacks in this combat. Students are also trained on how to use weapons such as swords, knives, ropes, nunchucks, and sticks for combat.

It uses both soft and hard martial arts techniques employing fast movements over strength to maneuver an opponent. Hapkido is seen more like a self-defense art than a sport.

Taekkyon (태껸)

Taekkyon is another ancient Korean martial art. According to historical records, it was created from the ancient martial art "Subak" which involved only hand-to-hand combat. However, the earliest written information on Taekkyon can be traced to 1776–1800 during the Joseon dynasty in the book Jaemulbo.

Taekkyon is a martial art that uses hands and feet techniques to trip, unbalance, or throw the opponent to the ground. It is often regarded as the father of Taekwondo because of its many similarities. A taekkyon practitioner is called a "taekkyon-kkun".

The practice of Taekkyon waned during the Japanese occupation as people were banned from public gatherings and practicing any form of combat. However, after the war, Taekkyong master Deok-gi revealed that he practiced this art form in secret throughout the Japanese occupation. After performing for the first president of South Korea in 1958, he became nationally revered as the "Last Taekkyon Master of the Joseon Dynasty".

In 2011, Taekkyon taekkyon was recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in the world.

Several institutions have also followed in their mission to bring this ancient martial arts form to its former glory such as the Korea Taekkyon Federation which was established in 1991.

Gukgung (국궁)

Gukgung, or traditional Korean archery, is a historic sport that has been practiced since ancient times. It's no surprise that Koreans sweep this session clean at the Olympics.

The history of this martial art can be traced to the 1st century during their war with the ancient Chinese dynasty and several other tribes as it was a major weapon for military warfare. It was also practiced for pleasure and as a form of exercise.

Gukgung involves using a traditional bow (gukgung) and arrows made from bamboo which can shoot up to 400m. According to history, the founder and first king of Goguryeo, Go Jumong, was a master of archery rumored to be able to catch five flies with one arrow.

Also, being skilled in archery was a common trait for famous past kings such as Bak Hyeokgeose and Yi Song-gye.

It became a sport during the visit of Prince Heinrich of Prussia in 1899. He was so impressed with the archery demonstration of Emperor Gojong that it was made into a national sport.

In 1971, the art of making the traditional archery bow, Gukgung was designated as an important Intangible Cultural Property.

Today, Gukgung is still practiced in archery clubs and during festivals across Korea.

It's interesting to say that despite their ancient roots, all these sports are still practiced to this day. While this shows that Korea's record-keeping techniques are amazing, it also reflects a culture of athleticism, strategy, and cultural pride.

Have you heard of any of these sports?