History of Martial Arts: Taekwondo, Shaolin Kung-fu and Sumo

When someone says ‘martial arts’, one of the first things that often come to mind for many are the movies starring Jackie Chan or Bruce Lee or perhaps The Karate Kid. These movies may be a great introduction to martial arts, but there is so much more to learn about this form of art. Each style of martial arts has its own unique facets that make it different from other styles of martial arts. Some martial arts are connected to spiritual or religious beliefs or philosophies such as Buddhism, Daoism or Shinto. Other forms of martial arts have their own forms of spiritual or non-spiritual codes of honors. Another example could be their fighting styles. One last example is the origins of different martial arts. In this paper, I will discuss the similarities and differences the origins of three forms of martial arts: Taekwondo from South Korea, Shaolin Kung-Fu from China, and Sumo from Japan.

Taekwondo, from South Korea, became an official medal Olympic sport about 20 years ago. It was first included as a demonstration sport in the 1988 Seoul Olympics and then again in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. It was not until the year 2000, during the Sydney Olympics, that Taekwondo officially became an Olympic sport. Despite how well-known Taekwondo now is, its origin still causes disagreements. The official and most popular belief is that Taekwondo originated 2000 years ago as indigenous fighting methods. However, some recent publications attest that the true origin is from Japanese karate during Korea’s colonial period from 1910 to 1945. There is an overwhelming amount of evidence that indicates that this is the true origin, but the majority of Korean taekwondo and academic establishments insist on ancient martial arts being the true origin. Except for Hwang Ki, all the founding fathers of Taekwondo studied at Japanese universities where they first learned karate. They established the first five major martial art academies or Kwan’s in the Seoul area from 1944 to 1947. More Kwan were created during and after the Korean War, however, they were not unified in their teaching methods, styles, or employment of many techniques. Due to the disunity, different names were coined based on their martial arts style: Mooduk Kwan, Jido Kwan, Changmu Kwan, Chungdo Kwan, and Songmu Kwan. In April of 1955 Kwan leaders, historians, and prominent society members met to select a single name, in hopes of unifying the schools. After a long struggle, they agreed upon the name: Taekwondo. They derived the name from the Korean word “Tae” meaning foot, “Kwon” meaning fist and “Do” meaning way of. It was not universally accepted, however, until 1965. During the 1970s, the Korea Taekwondo Association dissolved the individual Kwan to unify the martial art. Some leaders moved abroad to keep their original Kwan and some even kept their former names. Today, Taekwondo is an international art and sport practiced in over 190 countries.

Kung-Fu commonly refers to martial arts in China, yet this form of martial arts is thought to have originated outside of China. Kung-Fu can be translated to “the effort and time it takes to accomplish a task or master a skill”. Another translation is “perfection achieved through exertion”. Kung-Fu is believed to originate from an Indian monk called Bodhidharma. He was a disciple of Mahayana Buddhism who left India around 520 A.D. and made his way to China. Bodhidharma was warmly welcomed by Emperor Wu-ti at first, however, after a dispute over Buddhist doctrine, he left to seek refuge in the Shaolin Temple in Honan Province. The monks at the Shaolin temple practiced a scholarly exploration of Buddhism. Bodhidharma believed that Buddhism was a philosophy that should be experienced, not studied. Instead of joining the other monks, Bodhidharma lived in a nearby cave and meditated for nine years in complete solitude. His dedication and self-discipline impressed the monks, so they invited him to share his knowledge with them. He tried to teach them his rigorous meditation techniques, but due to their poor health, they could not meet the physical challenges of his meditation. Bodhidharma created a series of exercises to strengthen the body and mind so the monks would be able to do his meditation. Later these exercises were put into writing, called I-Chin Ching, which meant Muscle Rehabilitation Classic. These exercises were passed down and altered by different generations of Shaolin monks and are now believed to be the foundation from which the various Chinese Kung-Fu styles originated from.

Traditionally, the first recorded instance of sumo was a bout between Nomi-no-sukune and Taema-no-kehaya, which was held in the imperial court in front of Emperor Suinin who lived from 29 BCE and 70 CE. The actual origins of sumo are unclear. It is believed that sumo originated as a part of Shinto rituals during the Yayoi period which lasted from 300 BCE to 300 CE. In the 8th century CE, during the Nara period, there were two types of sumo. The first was called tsuji-zumo, which involved samurai. These bouts did not have many rules and deaths were frequent. The prize was cash. The second type was called kanjin-zumo, which shrines held to raise money to maintain them. It was not until the 16th century, during the Edo period, where the modern form of sumo emerged. Today, professional sumo is organized by the Japan Sumo Association and is Japan’s national sport.

In conclusion, the origins of Taekwondo, Shaolin Kung-Fu, and Sumo are very different. Taekwondo originated from an already established martial art, karate. Shaolin Kung-Fu originated from a monk’s exercise routine. Sumo originated from Shinto rituals. What they all share is their definitive true origin is uncertain. Tracing their history is difficult, even though historians can make good assumptions.