Taekgyeon

With a tradition stretching back 2000 years to the Goguryeo Kingdom (37 B.C. - 668 A.D.), taekgyeon could be described as the root of Korean martial arts. Its graceful and unhurried movements combine swaying and swaggering, kicking, and tripping the opponent's legs to make him fall.

The movement style emphasizes smooth, supple bends in which offense and defense come together simultaneously. With cries of exertion and shouts of "Stop!" "I've stopped!" and "Oh no!" the opponents' feet move as nimbly as flitting butterflies.

The unusual footwork and the swaggering and strutting movements aim to make the opponent lose his target and weaken the force of his attack, while the fluid, creeping motion of the body lessens the impact of the blows. All these things make taekgyeon a unique traditional martial art of Korea.