When people mention martial arts, thoughts are usually directed to Asia. When Asian martial arts are considered, people often think of Japan’s karate or judo and China’s kung fu. When Korean martial arts is discussed, the first and oftentimes only martial art thought of is taekwondo. But there are quite a few Korean martial arts that are effective and impressive when mastered. Here are some of them.
Image source: awakeningfighters.com
Hapkido: Hapkido practitioners use long and short-range battle methods such as jump kicks and percussive hand strikes from far away, as well as joint locks, blows to pressure points, and throws. The emphasis is circular motion, redirecting momentum, and controlling one’s opposition.
Image source: taekkyonusa.com
Taekkyon: Taekkyon employs the use of quick and smooth footwork, using a lot of leg and full-body methods while utilizing arm movements as well. It is meant to be a stand-up fighting technique. Taekkyon practitioners use kicks on all levels and several types of sweeps to get their opponents off-balance.
Kumdo: Kumdo is a more recent martial developed in Korea, and was derived from the Japanese sword art of Kendo. The two sword arts are very close relatives with only a few minor differences. In fact, Korea sends their Kumdo team to compete in the World Kendo Championships that are held every three years.
Richard Earl Bucklew is an aviation industry veteran. He also studied karate for 12 years and has a black belt in the Korean art of Tang Song Doo. Subscribe to this blog for more articles on martial arts.
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