Pinan
Korean Tae Kwon Do/Tang Soo Do's Pyung Ahn
Reverend Dr. James A. Noel, Ph.D.
Hyung & Asian Meditative Traditions #5
Korean Tae Kwon Do is art that has continuity with the profound
religious, philosophical, and martial traditions of other Asian cultures
such as India, China, Okinawa, and Japan. This is demonstrated
through an investigation of the origin of Korean Tae Kwon DolTae Soo
Do's Pyung Ahn Hyung and the meditative practices with which it once
was associated.
I.
Some form of indigenous
martial arts discipline can be found in most Asian countries. Like the spread
of religion, these distinctive national martial arts disciplines resulted
from centuries of contacts and exchanges between peoples of different Asian
countries and cultures. Indeed, the development, spread, and exchange of martial
arts techniques throughout Asia were concomitant with the spread of Vajrayana
(thunderbolt or diamond vehicle) Buddhism (also called Tantrayana or tantric
vehicle) from India into other parts of the continent beginning in the 6th
century AD. Vajrayana was the third major form of Buddhism after Hinayana
and Mahyana. It grew out of the Mahayana and the theoretical formulations
of the Madhyamika and Yogacara. Jack Finegan informs us (in Archaeological
History of the Religions of Indian Asia) that: The practical methods the
Vajrayana elaborated for reaching Enlightenment "include a whole series
of yogic practices, e.g., the use of mudra (the Sanskrit word means "seal,"
and is applied to hand gestures, bodily postures, and so forth), of pranayama
(breath control), of mantra (verbal formula), and of mandala (symbolic diagram)..."
Vajrayana mudras and pranyamas were incorporated into the training routines
of different martial arts. In the early 6th century AD, an Indian monk named
Da Mo introduced many of these techniques into the Shoalin Temple. These techniques
are described in two works authored by Da Mo: the Yi Jin Jing (Muscle/Tendon
Changing Classic) and the Xi Sui Jing (Brain/Marrow Washing Classic). The
first work taught the Shoalin priests how to strengthen their physical bodies.
The second work taught them how to circulate Qi (energy) to clean the bone
marrow and purify the blood; it also taught them how to make the brain more
alert and energized. During the Song dynasty Yue Fei created a set of exercises
for his soldiers based on Da Mo's Xi Jin Jing. Yue Fui's exercises were called
Shi Er Duan Jin (Twelve Pieces of Brocade). Theses were later shortened into
Ba Duan Jin (Eight Pieces of Brocade).
India and then China
played dominant roles in martial arts' development and systematization. One
of the objective things distinguishing one style of empty handed martial arts
from another is the form (Korea:hyung; Japan: kata; China: chuan/hsing) used
by a particular style. Forms are sequences of blocks, punches, and kicks performed
with varying amounts of tension, relaxation, and breathing according to predetermined
sequences and patterns. Therefore, we can learn quite a bit regarding the
evolution of particular martial arts styles by comparing their forms and tracing
their form's history. No martial arts style possesses forms that can be called
pure. Most styles use forms that predate them. It is only at a later stage
of its evolution that a style devises forms that completely distinguish it
from other styles. However, even then there will be dependence upon earlier
models. Tang Soo Do/Tae Kwon Do evolved according to this pattern.
II.
According to Yang
Jin Bang's master's thesis, A Study of the History of Modern T'aekwondo:
All the heads of the major martial arts schools (kwans) that later become
united under the name Tae Kwon Do (Moodukkwan, Chongdukkwan, Yunmukwan, Chidokwan,
Changmukwan, Chongdokwan, and Sangmukwan) had studied some form of Japanese
karate. After returning from Japan in 1944 Won-Kuk Lee founded Chongdukkwan.
In the same year Pyong-Chik Ro earned his first dan in karate-do in Japan
and returned to Korea to found the Sangmukwan. Hong Hi Choi (founder
of the Odokwan in 1953) earned a second dan black belt in Karate-do from the
University of Tokyo. Hwang Kee worked on Japanese railroads in Manchuria from
1939 until he returned to Korea in the early 1940s to found the Mudukkwan
in November 1944. Kee reported having studied Chinese kuo-shu. He was personal
friends with the founder of GoJu ryu, Gogen Yamaguchi, who was also in
Manchuria during this period. Kee later named his art Tang Soo Do so as to
emphasize Korea's cultural ties with China. The art's name was later changed
to Tae Kwon Do in 1955 when the leading kwans agreed to the new name and in
1966 when the Korean government unified all the kwans under one international
umbrella--the Korean Taesudo Association was renamed the International Taekwon-Do
Federation. It took a number of years after these mergers for the newly united
kwans to agree on which forms to adopt. Korean instructors in the US continued
to teach the forms they had learned in their own kwans in Korea. Some instructors
taught Kee's hyungs while others taught those used in Choi's training program,
etc. During these years Tae Kwon Do was undergoing a period of rapid development,
expansion, and identity formation.
In the late 1950s
Kee got his hands on a copy of the martial arts manual, Moo Yei Do Tong
Ji (c 1790s). After careful study of this manual Kee attempted to link
Tang Soo Do's history to Korea's pre-occupation subak martial arts tradition.
Kee traces Tae Kwon Do's history as far back as the Kokuryo Dynasty (37-668
A.D.) on through the Yi Dynasty (1392 1907). Kee wrote:
Towards the end of the Yi Dynasty, a style of fighting
developed called tae Kyun, which employed only foot techniques...
Tae Kyun developed from ancient Tang Soo Do, and modern tang Soo
Do has benefited by incorporating the superb foot techniques into
its style.
According to Kee and others,Tae
Kwon Do/Tang Soo Do's history is supposedly thousands of years old and indigenous
to Korea. What is interesting is that, even by Kee's account, Tae Kwon Do's
forms are quite modern and originate in either Okinawa, Japan, or China. This
can be seen in the Pyung Ahn Hyungs that comprised the core of Kee's training
program. If these forms originated outside Korea then borders to fully appreciate
their depth and meaning they must be place within a broader historical-geographical
context than Korea's national borders. This is true also of the hyungs initially
taught by Hong-Hi Choi, another founder of modern Tae Kwon Do.
As recently as 1965 Hog-Hi Choi
was still teaching Shorin-ryu and Shorei-ryu forms (Heian 1-5, Empi, Rohai,
Bassai, Kusanku, Jion, Tekki 1 3, Hangetsu, and Jitte) as well as his own
Ch'ang Hon set. Tae Kwon Do's Palgwe Hyungs was a later creation and its Taegeuk
Hyungs is a quite recent addition to its training requirements. The newer hyungs
were still meant to help the student realize the earlier aims of martial arts
training. When Richard Chun introduced the Taegeuk Hyungs in his Advancing
in Tae Kwon Do he wrote:
In its simplest sense,
Tae Kwon Do is doing everything perfectly, without ego, and in harmony
with the Universe. The goals sought are three: 1. To achieve a concentration
of power 2. To realize one's own true nature, this is the real meaning
of enlightenment) 3. To achieve the realization of the truth of enlightenment
in everyday life.
This was also the aim Kee sought
to accomplish through his Tae Kwon Do training program. In Tang Soo Do (Soo
Bahk Do) Kee points out that Korea's ancient Kong Bup martial arts training
consisted internal and external training. The internal training "Sihm Kong
is a kind of meditation which is done before body training to settle the spirits
by ceasing worldly lust. . . it belongs to the state of the mind called Ryu
in Chinese." Kee went on to explain:
Ancient martial arts,
in the course of passing ages, developed into a system of theories
such as Thirteen She, Six Noh, and Ten Tankeum. These are the mothers
of the principles of modern martial arts ...There are five Hang (forms)
plus eight Koe...Eight Koe means eight directions and five Hang means
Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. Five Hang is divided into internal
and external segments. Internal is the beginning of a movement ...The
concept of the external is represented by the character Hyung, meaning
form or method.
The beginning student in Kee's program
first learned a set of three Kee Cho Hyungs (I1 Boo, Ee Boo, and Sam Boo). After
these foundational Hyungs were mastered the student then was introduced to the
Pyung Ahn Hyungs (Cho Dan, Ee Dan, Sam Dan, Sa Dan, and Oh Dan) which came to
Korea from Okinawa via Japan. After approximately three to four years of hard
training the student would be ready to master the Basahee Hyung which was one
of the requirements for obtaining the black belt rank. Each Pyung Ahn form incorporates
introduces a new technique or stance while incorporating certain postures from
the hyung that preceded it. The Basahee Hyung incorporates movements from all
the Pyung Ahn Hyungs. According to Kee the Basahee Hyung's original Chinese
name was Pal Che whose rough translation is the best choice or best selection.
Kee wrote: "Movements of this form are selected from the most famous and
effective movements of So Rim Sa (a southern Chinese temple)..." While
Master Kee traced the Basahee Hyung to a Buddhist temple in southern China he
gave the Pyung Ahn Hyungs only a hundred year history. Kee wrote:
Originally this form was
called "Jae-Nam." Approximately 100 years ago an Okinawan
master, Mr. Idos, reorganized the Jae nam form into a form closely
resembling the present Pyung Ahn forms. By completely mastering the
Pyung Ahn forms one can develop a feeling of "Pyong Ahn"
(peace and confidence).
Later Kee notes that the Pyung Ahn
form was originally created in the Hwa Nam area of China. Kee's commentary conveys
the impression that The Okinawan Master, Idos, was not only responsible for
reorganizing the Jae Nam form but, also, for renaming it Pyung Alm.
III.
Master Idos real name
was "Ankoh Yasutuns Itosu (1813-1915). Itosu whose top students were Gichin
Funakoshi, Chosin Chibana, Kenwa Mabuni, and Kanken Toyama, to name a few, had
studied under Kosaku Matsumura. Matsumura created the Shorin-ryu school of Karate.
Matsumura had studied under a Chinese military attache in Okinawa named Kong
Su Kung (Kusanku). One of the principle series of katas in the Shorin-ryu and
Shotokan Karate systems is named Kusanku. This form is called Kong San Goon
Hyung in the Korean Tang Soo Do system. Matsumura is also said to have briefly
studied with a shipwrecked Chinese sailor. This encounter resulted in Matsumura
creating the Chinto kata that became Jin Do in the Tang Soo Do system. While
some Okinawan accounts also credit Itosu as the creator of the "pinan"
katas as did Kee, they trace "Patsai's" origin to China and note that
it was one of favorite katas practiced by both Itosu and his teacher, Matsumura.
IV.
In my view there is
an intrinsic relationship between Pyung Ahn Hyungs, Basahee, Jin Do, Kusangu,
and Rohai as well. This is suggested through a mere comparison of the movements
in each of these forms. These forms clearly belong to the same family. After
each of these forms is mastered, the hypothesis is further sustained by observing
the psycho somatic effects produced while executing these forms. The hyungs
(Korean), katas (Okinawan/Japanese), chuans and hsings(Chinese), natas (Indian)
or forms were designed to serve as external expressions of spiritual states
of consciousness and philosophical principles. Therefore, hyungs are always
practiced on at least three levels. There is the external level of the form
dealing with the physical postures and movements the form dictates. There also
is the internal state of mind prerequisite for the form's proper external execution.
There also is the insight or understanding that eventually occurs after years
of properly executing the form. This happens when the practitioner's consciousness
assumes the shape of the principle the form embodies. One experiences the form
flowing through his/her body while he/she acts as the observer of the form's
movement in the body. One writer explained that the martial arts are practiced
on three levels: form, function, and feeling. Form refers to the external physical
movements; function refers to the movement's self-defense application; feeling
refers to the psycho-somatic effects. The effects are always occurring; feeling
them means becoming conscious of what is happening. Consciousness strengthens
the effects. The practitioner becomes consciousness not only of the body and
its movement but also of the internal energies or life force that enables the
movement. To these stages I would add a fourth component and call it "realization"-the
insight that remains in the consciousness of the practitioner even after the
psycho-somatic effects have worn off. Other spiritual practices performed this
role in Asia prior to the systemization of its martial arts. Hathayogic asanas
served this function in Hinduism and Mudras (symbolic hand gestures) served
this function in Hinduism and also Indian, Tibetan, and Chinese Buddhism. Indeed,
one cannot help but notice the appearance of identical movements and postures
when comparing martial arts forms with certain hathayogic asanas, Buddhist mudras.
This is especially true when we examine the movements and postures falling under
the "internal" category of Ki-gong (Chinese) or Neh Kong (Korean)
exercises. That Cha'n (Japanese: Zen) Buddhism was introduced to China in 526/7
A.D. by an Indian monk called Da Mo should make this come as no surprise. Da
Mo also made innovations in the Shoalin Temple's spiritual regime by introducing
static and dynamic hatha yoga exercises along with pranayama into its routine.
We find no martial arts manual describing the cultivation and correlation of
Qi (internal energy) with martial forms prior to the Liang dynasty (502-557
A.D.). In Taiji Chin NaYang Jwing-Ming wrote:
Before the Chinese Han
dynasty (206 B.C. - 221 A.D.), there were only two schools of Qigong
practice: the medical group and the scholarly group. It was not until
the East Han dynasty (circa 58 A.D.) that Buddhist Qigong was imported
to China from India. Still, even then very little training theory
and methods were passed down. The many Buddhist holy writings or Chinese
classics which a student could obtain were purely the doctrines of
Buddhism, and talked very little about how to cultivate Qi internally.
As mentioned earlier, we can still
discern an Indian trace in certain ancient Shoalin forms still extant such as
the Bodhidharma Jin Gang Quan (Diamond Fist Form) and some of its off shoots
such as the Chen Style Taijiquan's Lao Jia Yi Lu (first frame) and Lao Jia Er
Lu (second frame). All the aforementioned forms begin with the execution of
the "Vajra fist" where the right fist is placed in the left palm.
This posture has a practical self-defense application. However, before its incorporation
into the Shoalin and Taijichuan forms the Vajra fist was a powerful Buddhist
mudra about which there is a vast body of literature. A version of the Vajra
fist is performed at the beginning of the bassahee form. As indicated earlier,
in Sanskrit Vajara means thunderbolt (Chinese: Ching Kang; Japanese: Kongo).
It also means diamond. Numerous statues throughout Asia show the Bodhisattva
with his hands in the Vajra fist position. It symbolized self unification
and the power to dispel evil while pursuing the path of Enlightenment. According
to Finnegan:
In the sense of "thunderbolt"
the vajra can mean that which strikes through suddenly and irrestibly,
and can provide a picture of the breaking in of supreme enlightenment,
which the Vajrayana believe can indeed happen instantaneously ...As
a symbol and as a ritual instrument the vajra...appears in a form
probably borrowed originally from the symbol of the Hindu diety Indra
and originally signifying a thunderbolt. ..It may also be ...in the
form of a Greek cross, with rays radiating from its four ends.
The unarmed martial art system of
India's Ksatreya class came to be called Vajramukti (Sanskrit) after that class
had become significantly influenced by Buddhist teachings. The suffix "mukti"
means spiritual liberation as in "jivamukti" or liberated soul. Vajramukti
(Chinese: Ching Kang Chuan/Ching Kang Chieh; Japanese: Kongoken/Kongogedatsu)
means Clasped Hand of the Thunderbolt or Liberating Thunderbolt. Thus, the Vajramukti
forms (Sanskrit: natas) were designed to embody this ideal. Some of the natas
were made to correspond with the five element's (earth, water, fire, air, space
or ether) symbolic significance in Buddhism. Each nata was designed to embody
an element's principle. The principle, in turn, represented and corresponded
with a mental state or pattern (Sanskrit: Skhanda). The five Skhandas are and
their corresponding elements are as follows: form/earth; feeling or sensation/water;
perception/fire; ideation/air; and consciousness/ether. The Mahabhuta Nata (Five
Great Elements Nata) was an important form that helped the aspirant experience
the above mentioned correspondences. It was a moving meditation on the relationship
between one's own existence and the elements comprising all physical existence.
This form was called Wu Tai and Godaigyo in Chinese and Japanese Buddhism, respectively.
By at least the fifth century we find the five sections of Mahabuta Nata being
referred to in China as Pinan Hsing (Japanese: Byogo). According to Shifu Nagaboshi
Tornio's research:
This series of Hsing seems
to have been preserved in China for many years, but in the Tang dynasty
was renamed the Ping An (Peaceful Equanimity) Hsing.
...These systems are
often claimed to be the "originals" of other Taoist pentamerous
sequences of boxing or self defense.
We can see traces of
the Ping title particle in the Ping Kuan meditation of the Tien T'ai
sect, which describes it as a meditation concerned with merging the
phenomenal and noumenal realms of existence ...The Ping Kuan was always
associated closely with the practice of Kuan Kung meditation common
to Chuan Fa. A much later Ryukuan student of Chuan Fa named Itosu
(Chinese: Su Chow) mentions studying a set of Ping An Hsing under
the Chinese esoteric monk Li Tsun San (Japanese: Rijunsan) in the
late 1800s.
V.
When Tae Kwon Do/Tang
Soo Do's Pyung Ahn form is situated within its broader Asian historical/cultural/mystical
context the standard accounts of its origin .must be judged as incomplete, inaccurate
and misleading. Grand master Kang Uk Lee, President of the International tang
Soo Do Federation repeated Kee's error when he wrote in Tang Soo Do: The
Ultimate Guide to the Korean Martial Art: "Pyung Ahn Hyung was originally
called Je Nam Hyung. It was devised approximately 130 years ago by separating
Je Nam Hyung into five components. Pyung Ahn Hyung symbolizes the turtle."
This statement shows no awareness of the fact that the form was originally structured
in five sections to correspond with the five elements. Lee wants to associate
Pyung Ahn Hyung with one particular animal-the turtle. Actually, the Pyung Ahn
Hyung invokes several animals-the most prominent being the Crane. Itosi's innovation
probably had more to do with his restructuring the form by making it much more
symmetrical than the Chinese version. Every movement performed by the left side
of the body is repeated on the right. This works both sides of the brain and
makes the form's external movements and directions more consistent with the
Yin-Yang theory. The Okinawans also made each of the form's movements and stances
distinct and kept them from running into one another. This resulted in a different
aesthetic arising from the Okinawan, Japanese, and Korean forms as compared
with their Chinese originals. The emphasis is on linear power, stability, and
precision rather than circular speed and fluidity. However, the directional
orientation and reference of North, South, East, and West (and also, Northeast,
Southeast, Northwest, and Southwest) indicates that the straight lines of movement
are contained within the circle these lines intersect. There are circular patterns
in the changes from one direction to another that employ ninety and one hundred
and eighty-degree turns. Furthermore, it is circular movement that facilitates
the power transferred to the fist from the ankles, knees, hip, shoulder, and
rotation of the arms. This involves the entire body. The key to moving to the
advanced level of Tae Kwon Do/Tang Soo Do training and executing its forms properly
is in understanding how to produce linear energy from circular energy in one's
defense and offence. The straight lines are always generated by circles. The
more respect and understanding we have of our forms the better we are able to
execute them properly. When practicing our Pyung Ahn Hyungs we should recall
Kee's statement:
Perfect form, exquisite
fusion of mind and body, is a high art and a thing of beauty...
The practitioner cannot
remember only the order of the form. It is more important for him
to concentrate on balance, rhythm, breathing control, variation in
speed and power control. It is vital to pay attention to these things
so that the form is presented as an approach to a living ideal.
The Pyung Ahn Hyung's
ideal is equanimity and peace.
Conclusion
If we have succeeded
in establishing a link between the martial arts and Buddhist and Daoist spiritual
practices, we still must wonder what value this has for martial arts training
in our modern/secular age. Not all martial arts practitioners are Buddhist or
Daoist. Some of us are Christian, some are Jewish, some are Muslim, and many
are not members of any religious tradition. Does this necessitate de-emphasizing
the meditative practices originally connected with the martial arts? Grandmaster
Young Ku Yun, former Chairman of the International Taekwon-Do Federation Techniques
Committee, thinks not„ In an interview that appeared in the July 1999 issue
of Tae Kwon Do Times Young said:
During my martial arts
career, I have met literally thousands of students and instructors
who are disheartened with their present organization, style and future.
Will martial arts survive another 20 years?...The martial arts of
today are simply teaching students the art of fighting ...This may
have been fine for the last few decades, but in today's rapidly changing
times and demoralizing culture, I began to realize that there was
a strong need for an art form with a true philosophical base, one
that emphasized self-cultivation of the mind, body and spirit. It
should promote a genuine care and love for fellow human beings and
not encourage aggression and a tournament win only attitude ...it
is very important for our future that we make the conscious effort
to promote harmony and understanding amongst humankind.
What Young is calling for is far
more easily said than done. Whatever meditative practices are introduced into
a modern training program must be ecumenical in nature so as to not offend or
conflict with a student's religious background and beliefs. One should not be
required to convert a martial arts instructor's religion to train with him or
her. We need to guard against the danger of cult formation. On the other hand,
many of us justifiably refuse to teach students how to execute deadly techniques
unless we are convinced of their emotional, moral, and spiritual maturity. This
cannot merely be a prerequisite for martial arts training; martial arts training
must also facilitate a student's moral, emotional, and spiritual maturation
and growth. Without the awakening of emotional, moral, and spiritual sensibility
the martial arts practitioner will never approach the state of Pyung Ahn (peace
and equanimity). Some writers such as Michael Maliszewski would have us amend
martial arts training with meditation techniques brought in from the outside.
In Spiritual Dimensions of the Martial Arts Maliszewski advocates the
following:
Given this state of affairs,
a number of suggestions can be made to strengthen the relationship
between martial arts and meditative traditions, both experientially
and scholastically. To begin, once the variability in range of experiential
possibilities is recognized and the authenticity of respective teachers
established, truly advanced meditation teachers in conjunction with
knowledgeable behavior scientists, historians of religion, and allied
specialists could then proceed to suggest specific exercises to enhance
and compliment meditative-martial exercises already employed in particular
martial arts.
What I have tried to indicate in
this paper is that there are many profound meditative practices already encoded
in the forms that are practiced in various martial arts traditions-in this case
the Pyung Ahn hyung. Our first task then is to understand the spiritual meaning
and possibilities of what is already at hand. Those of us who have reached the
level of profeniency in our respective arts to consider ourselves masters have
the responsibility of experiencing our hyungs at their depth. In practicing
our hyung, when we move from form to function and then to feeling we are able
to grasp the principle it embodies. This is a type of meditation and leads to
a type of enlightenment.
