In Koguryo, a nationwide atmosphere of giving priority to martial arts was established and national military arts like riding, archery, etc. were encouraged. Koguryo people trained their strong spiritual and physical strength and will by doing martial arts.
The neighbouring countries were foreign forces of aggression that were constantly threatening the sovereignty of Koguryo. They showed their undisguised aggressive attempts and made constant invades. To make matters worse, the countries of the same blood, Paekje and Silla, too, were hindering Koguryo’s policy of unifying the three kingdoms in every possible way by invading the territory of Koguryo.
From such pressing requirements, Koguryo created the atmosphere of doing martial arts and took measures to encourage it so that all the people would possess patriotism and spirit of defending their native places, and regard defending their country from foreign invasions as their obligation and glory.
First, Koguryo made it a social climate to do martial arts throughout the country. The people considered displaying courage in battlefields as their obligation.
Next, necessary measures were taken to encourage it. Having fully recognized the might and importance of martial arts on horses with great capabilities of mobility, attack and strike in the wars in the middle ages, Koguryo laid stress on increasing the number of cavalrymen when organizing the army and intensified horse-riding martial arts training such as archery, fencing, spearing and doing acrobatics and galloping, etc. Infantry forces were also strengthened and martial arts training with and without equipment were actively conducted among them. In addition, national competitions on martial arts were frequently held and the system of offering government services to qualified warriors on the basis of those competitions was established. On March 3 every year, hunting contests were held on Rangnang Hill. Here, people were tested on their martial arts practised for a year, and winners were awarded commendations. The story of Ondal, a man of low birth, who was appointed to a government post by displaying in a hunting contest his high skills in martial arts gained through his constant practice, is recorded in Samguksagi (Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms).
Ordinary people also made doing martial arts a part of their everyday life and a system of teaching martial arts was established for this. Not only martial arts matches but also other national sports games and amusements held on several occasions including holidays were all focused on practicing martial arts and building up physical strength.
In order to bring up coming generations to be able ones equipped with ample knowledge and strong physical strength, they prepared a place called kyongdang for teaching ordinary people martial arts. Here, young people trained their martial arts and bodily force, and matches for testing their skills were frequently arranged in various forms and ways.
On the basis of the historical environments and conditions and the atmosphere of doing martial arts, Koguryo enriched the contents and methods of the national martial arts of the Middle Ages in keeping with the developing reality.
The climate of doing martial arts in Koguryo provided the people with high national pride and confidence, strong physical strength and courage, and it gave positive influences on vigorously pushing ahead with the cause of unifying the three kingdoms and exalting the honour and dignity of Koguryo, a thousand-year power, by successfully repulsing constant large-scale aggressions of foreign forces.
Im Sung Bin, section head at the Academy of Social Sciences
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