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You may know that there is no single martial art
called Karate or Kung Fu. These are umbrella terms
that describe a wide variety of striking arts. Karate refers to
many different styles of empty-handed fighting from Japan and Okinawa,
and Kung Fu describes an entire system of Chinese martial arts.
The term Tae Kwon Do refers to the Korean traditions corresponding
to Kung Fu or Karate.
All three systems are known among martial artists
as "hard" styles, meaning they rely on offensive strikes
(kicks, punches, and other attacks with the hands, feet, elbows,
and knees) and defensive blocks, which deflect incoming attacks
and create opportunities to counter. Other arts like Hapkido or
Aikido, Judo, Jujitsu, or T'ai Chi are called "soft" because
they use grappling techniques (throws, trips, joint manipulation,
chokes, pins, and so forth) to subdue an opponent.
The literal translation of Tae Kwon Do is "The
Way of Kicking and Punching." Serious students and teachers
know that the most important part of this name is the word "Do,"
which means "Way." Practitioners of Tae Kwon Do learn
the techniques of kicking and punching, but they also learn much
more. As they continue their training, as years pass, most grow
in directions they never imagined at the start. They learn a new
way of experiencing the world in which they live. This Way is the
true purpose of Tae Kwon Do and all other martial arts. The Way
is a process, a path, and many people who practice seriously come
to believe that following it is one of life's most rewarding journeys.
Korea occupies a small peninsula in Southeast
Asia. China forms its northwest border, and Japan lies across
the narrow Korean Strait to the east. This geographical destiny
has resulted in profound influences from both cultures, and
its effect on the development of the Korean martial arts is
clear. The techniques of Tae Kwon Do resemble those of Karate
and Kung Fu, but because the three traditions developed simultaneously
over hundreds or even thousands of years, it is hard to determine
which techniques were native to any individual art.
The Korean martial arts are nevertheless
distinct from those of China and Japan. The following metaphor
is too simple to represent more than a broad trend, but it
provides an overview of all three traditions and is a useful
way of understanding some general differences between them:
- China is a large country, about the same
size as the United States, and it sprawls across mountains,
plains, marshes, rivers, and every other kind of terrain.
When armies came together on China's battlefields, they
had lots of room to maneuver. They could circle each other,
feint in different directions, gauge reactions, and strike
quickly at just the right moment. Kung Fu is characterized
by fluid, circular motions, and its techniques are fast,
graceful, and infinitely varied like the motions of the
ancient Chinese armies.
- In contrast, Japan is a long slender island
nation. Because generals had less room to maneuver their
troops, military engagements were more direct in Japan,
as one army sought to dominate the other with an overwhelming
display of force. Many of the Japanese striking arts emphasize
the development of efficient, powerful, linear techniques.
The virtues are strength, precision, and discipline, and
the practitioner of Karate develops these characteristics
on physical, mental, and spiritual levels.
- Because Koreans have been exposed to the
fighting systems of both China and Japan throughout history,
Tae Kwon Do combines elements of both to form a unique third
tradition. Tae Kwon Do practitioners develop powerful, linear
techniques like those of Karate while retaining the fluid,
circular motions of Kung Fu.
Click here to learn more about Ji Do Kwan, the style practiced at Northampton Tae Kwon Do. |
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