Most have heard about the Korean martial arts styles of Tae Kwon Do, Tang Soo Do, and Hapkido. But far less have heard of taekkyon, an older Korean style that influenced all of the previously mentioned three. Well, that may be about to change.
Kim joo-hyung, a master of the Gangnam Training Center and the public relations and international director of the World Taekkyon Headquarters, has written a book entitled, Taekkyon. The fact that his book is written in English and goes into the history of the style as well as several of the dance like techniques should help bring the art, which was practiced by governing classes and the king during the Three Kingdom era (1st century- 9th century), to the masses.
Like almost everything of worth, when the Japanese infiltrated the country, taekkyon was banned and nearly vanished from existence. Here's hoping that Kim joo-hyung's book helps to revive a piece of Korean history.
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