IDO MOVEMENT FOR CULTURE

Background. Forrest-Blincoe is a 4th dan black belt master in Tang Soo Do which he has studied in the United States and Korea. He has also studied Taekkyon in South Korea.1 During this time, he has been interested in the official histories of these martial arts in contrast with documented histories (which often differ significantly). Both Forrest and Forrest-Blincoe are trained anthropologists. Forrest specializes in symbols and national identity, and has published extensively on the anthropology of movement and dance.
Problem and Aim. The martial arts Taekwondo, Tang Soo Do, and Taekkyon have competed within Korea for some time to represent Korean culture, and Korea has used martial arts as an export as one component in its drive to gain legitimacy as a world power competitive with its more powerful neighbors of China and Japan. This paper examines the process of using martial arts as symbols of Korean national identity.
Methods. The authors use both analysis of historical texts and anthropological fieldwork. Available sources are explored in as much detail as possible (especially linguistic), challenging several common beliefs about the martial arts’ origins and evolution.
Results. Historical sources paint a murky picture of the history of Korean martial arts, obscured by early practitioners, and not completely understood by recent scholars.
Conclusions. This paper goes beyond showing that Korean martial arts have roots in China and Japan (which is generally acknowledged), to emphasize that they have become distinctively Korean over time, evolving in their own special ways in Korea, and, thus, becoming legitimate exports as symbols of Korean national identity and individuality.