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Taekwondo in the Middle Ages
The Koryo dynasty, which reunified the Korean peninsula
after Shilla [A.D. 918 to 1392], had the Taekkyon develop
more systematically and made it a compulsory subject
in the examinations for selection of military cadets.
The techniques and power of Taekkyon grew to become
effective weapons even to kill human beings. In the
military, a pattern of collective practice, called "obyong-subak-hui
[5 soldier's Taekkyon play], was introduced so that
it might be used in a real war.
In the early days of Koryo dynasty, martial art abilities
were the only required qualifications to become military
personnel because the kingdom utterly needed the national
defense capabilities after conquering the peninsula.
A certain plain soldier who mastered Taekkyon techniques
was promoted to a general, and young were invited to
Taekkyon contests where the skilled ones were selected
to become military officers. There were lots of other
examples in which many Taekkyon-mastered youths were
picked at contests, which is proof that Taekwondo sports
was originated in that epoch. The chronicles of Koryo
dynasty writes: "at a power contest of Taekkyon
techniques, Lee Yi- Min punched a pillar of the house
with his right-hand fist, then some of the props of
the roof were shaken. Another Taekkyon practicer had
his fist pierce through the clay-wall."
Especially the kings of Koryo dynasty were much interested
in "subakhui" [Taekkyon contest], making it
a compulsory course of military training. Therefore,
subakhui was also popular out for inspection tours in
the villages.
However, the Koryo dynasty in its latest years had gunpowder
and new types of weapons available at hand, thus slowing
down its support of martial as the folk games to be
transmitted down to the modern Korea, Chosun. (taekkyon
explained in the Koryo history book)
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