less variety of movements and creative application of techniques. The most systemized form of taekgyeon, where all the movemerns can be seen clearly in one glance, is called lxJndaeboegi. Although taekwondo features a structured format of attack and defense that is used for competition, taekgyeon has developed no such formal system. The only thing that would come close is bondaeboegi, which includes a series of offensive and defensive moves not based on a specific framework but rather spontaneous execution of techniques related to pumbapgi and hwalgaejit In regard to taekgyeon competition in the old days, matches were held between neighborhcxxls, with one side called the upper side and the other the lower side. Some say that the upper and lower sides were so designated based on relative skill but this is not so. The terms upper and lower actually referred to the location of neighborhcxxls, that is, according to their proximity to the royal palace. So if the Wangsimni and Jongno neighborhoods competed, then the Jongno team would be the upper side. A team could either be upper or lower depending on the location of the opponent Future generations should learn about taekgyeon based on a proper understanding and appreciation. In an effort to preserve the original form of taekgyeon and ensure that it is passed on to future generations, the government provided some 2.2 billion won in state funding for the constmction of a taekgyeon hall in Chungju, the home of taekgyeon. The hall was built on a 6,828-square-meter site and includes a total floor space of 960 square meters. The hall, which was dedicated on May 31, 1997, serves as a training ground for taekgyeon, the root of Korea's martial arts. •
]illeochagi, a thrust-kickinto an opponent's lower abdomen (above right) Kaljaebi (right) and deotgeori, a tripping technique to fell an opponent (far right)
37