What is Taekkyon?

택견 T'aekkyŏn

Taekkyon (pronounced like « tech yawn » with a slight pause after tech) is a traditional empty-handed martial art and folk game from Korea which was developed along the history of the peninsula and can be considered as the original form of all Korean bare-handed martial arts.

Game or real fight?

The main part of Taekkyon is the game or sport in which two players confront each other, in a fun and non-aggressive spirit. The other part of Taekkyon, more aimed at self-defense, is called “Yetpop” and relates to techniques for knocking out or injuring someone. Due to their violence they have been traditionally forbidden in Taekkyon games and only taught to advanced and mature students.

How to win the game?

There are several ways to win a game of Taekkyon: either by kicking the opponent’s head in a pushing and non-snapping manner so as to soften the shock or by throwing the opponent down using feet and hands techniques. It’s also possible to win by jumping and push-kicking the opponent, causing him to retreat with at least two steps. But there is more: the game comes with many variations. Some games have teams in which the winning player will have to stay on the field and continue fighting until he wins all the opponents from the other team. In some games, fighters are picked at random by a lottery system and don’t know who their opponent is until it’s their turn. Some fights will have no weight or age categories and no time limit!