Taekkyon

Taekkyon (Korean: 택견; 태껸; Korean pronunciation: [tʰɛk̚k͈jʌn]), also spelled taekkyeon, is a traditional Korean martial art and a combat sport. It is characterized by a fluid, dynamic footwork called pumbalbgi, or "stepping-on-triangles". Taekkyon includes hand and foot techniques to unbalance, trip, or throw the opponent. In competitive taekkyon points are scored by throwing the opponent or landing kicks on their head. A taekkyon practitioner is called a "taekkyon-kkun". Practitioners, referees, and coaches wear taekkyon uniforms, which today are based on traditional garments such as the gouijeoksam, or, depending on the school, the cheollik for competitions. Since the twentieth century, taekkyon has come to be seen as a living link to Korea's past. As such, it has provided historical references for modern Korean martial arts and is often considered as the oldest martial discipline of Korea. It was almost wiped out during the Japanese occupation, before being rediscovered after the Korean War. It influenced the name and conceptualization of taekwondo. Taekkyon was the first martial art listed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2011. It is also the 76th Intangible Cultural Property of South Korea.