To understand the nature of Taekwondo it helps to look into Korea's past. The country's history stretches way back when there were only villages and town states that were loosely ruled by a central figure, such as Old Choson, Chin, Imdun and Chinbon.
This makes all the Korean people descendents from the same ethnic group. The two nations as we now know exists, actually originated before The Three Kingdoms, 57 BC to 668 AD. By the forth century these tribes had become large enough to attract hostilities from China .
 | The Three Kingdoms around 350 AD |
Eventually, even the Old Choson entered into a period of gradual decline, when the Yen Chinese took the opportunity to invade the Liaotung Peninsula . The tension between the Korean states and China diminished for the next hundred years but flared up again when disorder in the Yen Chinese territory developed.
The Koreans were still divided into a number of separate tribes. And the three southern tribes, the Ma Han, the Pyon Han and the Chin Han, lived in established communities relying on agriculture in the fertile river and coastal plains of the south.
However, the strongest of the tribes were the migratory hunter Koguryo tribe. They lived on the rugged mountainous northern section of Korea Peninsula that was bordering the Chinese. The tough Koguryo tribes seem to have offered the Chinese a determined and a well organized resistance which made it impossible for the Chinese to have any real command of the area.
By 107 B.C. the Han China had conquered the western side of the peninsula, dividing and claiming the Korean territory as far south as the Han River . The resistance from the local population seems to have been quite hard, and about after 35 years later the Chinese militarily governed districts had to be withdrawn from Korean territories. This withdrawal started the beginning of The Three Kingdoms period.
With a continual conflict with the Chinese, the Korguyo's culture became primarily military, having a ruling aristocratic warrior class. Even in time of peace combat training was in facts of life, engaging in unarmed combats and using similar techniques practiced in modern Taekwondo.
And it is likely where tae kyon started, an indigenous form of foot fighting. Living close to the Chinese they must have been influenced by their styles as well, with its certain stances and specific circular movements.
Under the rein of King Kwanggaeto, 391 to 413 A.D. the Koguryo reached the height of its power, as he expanded their territory from Manchuria to the Han River . This was also a crucial period in the history of the kingdom Silla, located at the southern end of the Korean peninsula.
As the states in the southern end of the peninsula was fighting to acquire more power and territory, three major kingdoms started to emerge, Paekche, Kya and Silla. As the upcoming kingdoms fought and maneuvered to get more territory they aligned and realigned with each other in a series of alliances, in spite of their antagonistic pasts. It is through one of these alignments that Koguryo's knowledge of tea kyon likely reached Silla.
 | Unified Silla around 700 AD |
The formation of the Silla Dynasty, which formally lasted from 668 to 935 AD, was a significant turning point in Korean history. Silla Kingdom became a fully centralized state, implementing a ranking system that essentially delineated the potential any noble had to serve in government. The other two kingdoms, Paekche and Koguryo had similar institutions but not the complexity of Silla's .
 | Silla Warrior |
During this time, also the well-known Hwarang bands were established. Military companies of young men, that would both serve the state and demonstrate its highest virtues. The Hwarangs strictly adhered to five worldly tenets which were laid down by the Buddhist monk Won'gwang in the early 600's. These injunctions are still the guiding tenets of Teakwondo.
- Loyalty to the king
- Fidelity, respect and obedience to one's parents
- Fidelity in friendship
- Never retreat in battle
- Never to make an unjust kill
During the Koryo Dynasty, 935 AD - 1392 AD which replaced the Silla Kingdom martial art became a royal art form. Although, in the Yi Dynasty, 1392 AD - 1910 AD, martial arts were discouraged and completely banned in some areas.
 | Koryo period around 1000 AD |
However, the never ending hostilities against each other, and this time also involving the Chinese, Japanese and the Turks, the military and the political situation for the kingdoms became even more complex than ever before. It led eventually to the Chinese withdrawal from the entire Korean peninsula, for the time being.
Eventually, Silla with Tang's support overpowered Paekche and Koguryo. Discovering that Tang had ulterior motives for their assistance, Silla restored the forces in Koguryo and Paekche to finally once again expel China from Korea . The unification didn't last longer than some 200 years, as in due course, the growing gap between the ruling class and the general population resulted in a series of uprising.
The unified Silla split up back into Three Kingdoms again, to once again be unified by the end of the tenth century known as Koryo Kingdom . This time they stayed unified till the division of Korea following World War ll.
Koryo maintained a large and well-organized army, although for some time the study of martial arts declined, it was reinforced once again after the reorganization of military forces as Koryo's power increased.
Buddhism prospered under the Koryo government, even including a division of armed Buddhist monks called the Subdue Demons Corp. The monks gained great number of privileges and as they become wealthier, they found it necessary to be able to defend their wealth. Their growing wealth attracted great number of princes and other royalty to their ranks.
 | Kyongju |
As Koryo's aristocracy indulged themselves at the expense of the military, the military rose and overthrew the regime in 1170, marking the military rule in Korea . During this time, there were a series of popular uprisings and invasions by both the Mongols and the Japanese.
By the 1890's, Korea stood geographically between the Russian and Japanese conflict, which made the fate of the peninsula disastrous for the country. Even if the Korean government proclaimed its neutrality, Japan occupied Seoul , they signed an agreement that allowed the Japanese to set up so called "government by advisers" in Korea . Japan 's plan was to transform Korea into a Japanese colony, which was formally achieved in 1910.
Korea was finally liberated after the Japanese defeat in World War II in 1945, although not without division of the country by United States and Soviet Union into North and South Korea . After the expulsion of the Japanese, the Korean martial arts reemerged under many different names, and a number of various schools opened as well.
 | Korea after the division by United States and Soviet Union in 1945 |
