택견
택견 또는 태껸은 한국의 전통의 민속놀이, 무술이다. 독특한 리듬으로 스텝을 밟으며 다리걸기, 발차기, 던지기 등으로 공격한다. 대한민국의 국가무형문화재 제76호 택견으로 등록되어 있다. 문화재 지정을 받았기 때문에 체육관을 도장이 아니라 「전수관(傳修館)」이라고 부른다.
택견 협회에서 택견이란 발을 위주로 사용하여 상대방을 제압하는 기술이라고 정의하고 있다. 손보다는 발을 위주로 사용하는 전통 무술로 볼 수 있다.
근현대 들어 택견은 유도, 공수도 등 일본계 무술의 유입에 의해 쇠퇴했다. 한국 해방 이후 만들어진 현대창작무술 태권도가 택견의 전통을 계승했음을 주장했으나, 택견과 태권도는 이름이 유사함을 제외하면 역사적으로나 기술적으로나 직접적인 관계가 전무하다. 2011년 11월 28일, 택견은 세계 무술 가운데 최초로 유네스코 인류무형문화유산으로 등재되었다.
택견이라고 하는 명칭의 자료상의 초견은 조선 정조시대(1776-1800)의 것이다.
이에 따라 "태껸"의 어원은 "탁견 (托肩)"이라고도 하나, 민간어원일 수도 있다. 어원에 대한 인식이 점점 약화되면서 "태껸"으로 굳어져 표준어 규정 제5항에 근거하여 태껸을 표준어로 삼았다. 본래 "택견"은 "l" 모음 역행 동화를 원칙적으로 인정하지 않는 표준어 규정 제9항에 어긋나 표준어로 인정받지 못하였으나, 거의 모든 택견 관련 단체들이 일관되게 "택견"이라는 용어를 사용하고 있고, 문화재청에도 "택견"으로 등록되어 있으며, 대한민국내의 언어 실생활에서 "택견"이라는 표기의 사용 빈도가 높음을 감안하여, 2011년 8월 22일 국립국어원 국어심의회 전체 회의를 거쳐 동년 8월 31일부터 복수 표준어로 인정되었다.
조선시대, 서울 지역(당시 한양)에서 유행한 민속놀이. 굼실 거리며 춤과 같이 움직인다. 조선시대와 일제강점기에는 씨름처럼 민속놀이로 인식되었으나, 해방 후 무술로서 재인식되었다.
조선시대에는 평안도의 날파람, 경상도의 까기 등 여러 명칭의 무예적 놀이가 존재했음을 짐작할 수 있지만, 그 형태는 확인되지 않는다. 그러한 무예적 놀이를 증언하는 노인들의 증언에서 형태의 상이함이 있으므로 택견, 날파름, 까기, 잽이 등은 지역성을 가지고 있다고 볼 수 있다. 그러한 점을 고려했을 때 수박과 택견과의 연관성도 연구가 필요하다 하겠다.
조선 말기에 임호(林虎)라는 택견꾼으로부터 택견을 배운 사람들 중, 송덕기(宋德基)가 현대 택견의 뿌리이다. 송덕기에게 택견을 배운 이들이 대한 택견 협회, 택견 원형 보존회, 한국 전통 택견회, 결련 택견 협회 등의 단체를 조직하였다.
조선 시대 말기와 일제시대에 택견을 하던 사람들은 택견을 무술이 아닌 씨름같은 민속놀이로 인식하였다. Taekkyeon is a wrestling with kicking in soft-contact. Even 1920's reputable newspaper recorded water-Taekkyeon is done by throwing the opponent. Even today, Taekkyeon game is done by throwing opponent as well as kicking. Taekkyeon-Yetbub is a full contact street fighting game which hits with any body part including punching. Taekwondo is a mix of Chosun(Korean)-Gwonbeop (started 300 years ago by Korean Muyedobotongji textbook) gym & Karate gyms. However, Korea has had many other Fight Games, particularly street fighting games called Nalparam, Taekyun-Yetbub, Flag Fight (Gitssaum), Pyunssaum ("team-fight", "side-fight"), Sibak ("opponent-hitting"). In medieval Jaemulbo book, Sibak was recorded to be also Taekyun, which would mean also being included in Taekyun. "시박은 '서로 치는 것은 씨름의 일종인데 역(亦) 탁견'이라고 되어 있다." Translation: "Sibak's recorded, 'hitting each other (Sibak) is a type of wrestling, this is also Taekkyeon'." "시박? 낯선 이름이다. 위의 재물보에 수박과 함께 소개되고 있는 조선 고유의 체술 이었다." Translation: "Sibak? It's an unfamiliar name. Above in Jaemulbo, it's a Korean martial art introduced together with Subak." Murayama Jijun recorded Baksi & Nanjangbaksi in 1941, which were quite different from Taekyun. "경북군위군의 군사(軍士)훈련이었던 박시(재물보상의 ‘시박’으로 여겨진다. 1941년, 무라야마지준의 글에도 언급되고 있다. 수백명의 사람들이 팔짱을 끼고 서로 어깨로 밀어 붙여 진(陳)을 뚫는 것이다. 나중에 동네 왈패들이 신작로에 모여 난장박시라 하는 패싸움을 했었다)등이 있었다." Translation: Gyungbook military training Baksi, etc existed. Seems Sibak from Jaemulbo. 1941's Murayama Jijun also mentions this. Hundreds of people, arms locked, push each other with shoulders to penetrate formation. Later, town thugs gather on the road to do team street fighting called Nanjangbaksi." (Korean sometimes reverse the word order, like Baksi & Sibak.)
Taekkyeon has both Taekkyeon & Sibak in it; there are 2 sets of games in Taekkyeon; Sibak (Baksi, Nanjangbaksi street fighting) is Yetbub. Sibak, including Nanjangbaksi recorded by Murayama Jijun, is also Taekkyeon other than the regular Taekkyeon. There are also other old names & games other than Sibak, like Gitssaum (Flag Fight, this is a fist fighting game that also represents general Pyunssaum, Sibak, Taekkyeon-Yetbub), Nalparam, etc; they are all a form of Sibak ("opponent-hitting") & Pyunssaum ("team fight", "side fight") enjoyed by Taekkyeon population historically for gaming street fight. Other than 1927's reputable newspaper's Gitssaum (Flag Fight) fist-fighting pictures, an old (drawn 100 years ago) Poongsokhwa drawing of Pyunssaum by (most likely) Gisan Joongeun Kim also helps identifying Taekyun Yetbub's moves. In this old drawing, 2 teams are made, 1 team with red shirts and 1 team with black shirts. There are 2 games going on simultaneously. 1 game is Korean wrestling Ssireum; the other game is Pyunssaum punching & kicking, giving a visual understanding of Taekkyeon-Yetbub just like 1927's Gitssaum pictures. Yetbub is pyunssaum, Sibak which is also in Taekkyeon. Like the 1895's Prize Fight record, "the combatants generally fight with their fists, but, like the French, are much given to use their knees and feet as well in the contest."
Yetbub is basically wrestlers street fighting in rules & postures including holding arm & punching at the same time like 1927's Gitssaum (Flag Fight) pictures (except that strikes are more powerful than a plain street fighting by shoulder-rotation, body momentum, Yongryuk stacking speed & power). In 1927's Flag Fighting & 300 years old Korean Muyedobotongji Kwonbeop, shoulder-rotation (turning, pushing the striking side's shoulder forward) is observed for punching front for extra mass, strength, speed. Shoulder-push means turning (pushing, rotating) shoulder forward when punching instead of the shoulders being stationary & square. As for the texture of Korean strikes, Korean uses Yong which means stacking speed & power in the entire body including arms. Even Korean Ikmyung Yang's 1692's record of breaking a stone with hand strike used Yongryuk. Horizontal fist is also observed for punching in 1927's Flag Fight, 100 years old Korean street fighting, 300 years old Muyedobotongji Gwonbub/Kwonbeop. Taekkyeon Yetbub hits with such traits even today including in powerful punching (shoulder-push & Yong stacking speed, mass, power for horizontal-fist no-spin punching). Taekkyeon Yetbub's hand techniques have swings hitting front (& also hitting side such as jaw-breaking slap) as well as straight strikes including punching & frontal slap even today.
Like Subak had Subakdaeo club to train, Nalparam also had a club to train. "1935년 7월 22일자 동아일보를 보자. [평양]지난 17일 평양서에서는 부내 창전리에서 주소부정의 현기한, 이오 외 십이명을 검거하야 엄중취조중이라는데 그들은 약 일주일전부터 기림리(산림리) 신궁앞 부근에서 부랑배 백수십여명을 모아노코 "날파람이"(망나니 짓이란 의미)를 연습하며". Translation: "Let's see 1935's July 22nd Dongailbo Newspaper. On the 17th, in Pyungyang's Changjeonli, Gihan Hyun, Oh Yi, etc 12 men were arrested and interrogated. They have gathered over a hundred thugs at Girimli (Sanlimli) Singoong's front, practicing Nalparami."
A direct interview with Dukgi Song was recorded in Munyejinheung by Bohyung Lee, published in 1984 by Munyejinheungwon on Volume 11 Number 1 page 67 (이보형, 문예진흥 제 11권 1호, 문예진흥원, 1984.2, p.67, 이보형이 송덕기 옹에게 췌록한 내용). "누상동에는 '장칼'이라는 장사가 있어 키도 크고 힘도 좋고 '복장지르기', '가슴치기'등 택견솜씨가 좋았다." Translation: "Nusangdong had a strongman named Jangkal. He was tall & strong; he was good at Taekyun techniques particularly Bokjangjireugi (Front Stomp Kick), Gaseumchigi (Frontal Chest Slap, slapping chest at front), etc." Dukgi Song testified directly about frontal slap in Taekkyeon. "이보형이 송덕기 옹에게 췌록한 내용". Translation: "the content recorded by Bohyung Lee from direct interview with Dukgi Song."
The same interview & the same book (by Munyejinheungwon & Bohyung Lee, 1984, Munyejinheung Volume 11 Number 1 page 67) includes Dukgi Song's direct testimony how Taekyun Yetbub broke jaw with 1 slap to the jaw as well as his testimony how Taekkyeon had frontal chest slap. There are also online Taekkyeon articles on Taekkyeon Yetbub by the official Taekkyeon organizations. As a side note, slapping cheek is often thought as hitting side, but cheek or jaw is actually halfway frontal in about 45 degrees, not 90 degrees at side like ears. Also, hook and swing are two different motions; hook isn't really used for slapping cheek. Furthermore, sports create techniques & motions; they evolve & add motions not from everyday-life (explicit proofs have to check such). Also, whether hitting 45 degrees, 0 degrees or 90 degrees from the front, shoulder-push & Yong stacking speed, power, mass doesn't change for hand strike; the strike techniques are the same. Taekyun & Subak techniques are consistent in authenticity. Subak had swing slaps hitting front (frontal slap), straight slaps, punches already at the ancient time; Taekkyeon also had all those in the medieval times already. Straight slaps are also common in everyday-life anyway such as swatting, spanking. There are authoritative explicit proofs for Taekkyeon, Taekkyeon-Yetbub, Subak moves from the older eras by reputable sources.
Sibak isn't the same as Subak. Taekkyeon isn't Subak. If they were the same, the people in the older era wouldn't have invented a new name to make the distinctions. Sibak hits with any body part. Subak uses frontal slap, side slap, punches, Knife Hand strikes with fist and grab moving front and back, hand and fingers bending (Namseon Choi's description). Also, Taekkyeon has kicks, which would be a main distinction between Subak & Sibak, which is why the older people differentiated Sibak from Subak. Also, Chaeho Shin testified that only Songdo (North Korea) had Subak 100 years ago. That means Taekkyun & Sibak (Yetbub) are not Subak. Chaeho Shin also described that Subak became Gwonbeop in China, Judo in Japan. It corroborates that Taekkyeon is a sport with 2 different sets of games: Taekkyeon (wrestling with kicks) & Sibak (street fight).