Chungju: Global Martial Arts Forum

By Kristina Dolgilevica

The Global Martial Arts Forum took place from the 7th to the 9th  of October, at the headquarters of the International Centre of Martial Arts for Youth Development and Engagement (CMAYDE), in Chungju, South Korea. The theme of the 2024 forum was Martial Arts as Living Heritage: Its Past, Present and Future. The main aim of the three-day event was to ascertain the current state of traditional martial arts practices from across the globe, as well as the “good and evil” of traditional martial arts safeguarding efforts. One of the key questions posed at the forum was, in what ways does a traditional martial art need to comply with the current enlistment criteria of the UNESCO Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage to be categorised as one of the intangible cultural assets, and what challenges await once enlisted?  Does the categorisation aid or destroy the “traditional” element in that culture?

Mr Lee Seunghwan responding to a question

Archery was one of the martial arts represented. Traditional Turkish and Korean practices were spoken for by Zafer Metin Atas, member of the board of directors of Turkish Traditional Archery Federation, and Seunghwan Lee, council member of the Korean Traditional Archery Culture Society and former director of UNESCO APCEIU. Both parties gave a master class on Day 1, in which I partook.

Mr Zafer Metin Atas shared his comment on the forum: “What we usually see in traditional sports-specific events is that the academic and scientific part remains in the background in a competition-oriented event. This is a disadvantage for the creation of literature and the transfer of knowledge. However, this event does the opposite; while it allocates more space to scientific sessions, the practical parts remain less. Therefore, I think its contribution is much greater in the long run.”

International Centre of Martial Arts for Youth Development and Engagement

The institutional status of the CMAYDE is listed under UNESCO category 2, indicating it operates under the auspices of the UNESCO, but is not directly funded by them.  The Centre is sponsored by the Korean government, more specifically by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation. According to the original proposal for its establishment in Chungju, the centre’s main objectives are: 1) to contribute to youth development and engagement by using  martial  arts  philosophy  and  values, 2) to promote knowledge sharing and international collaboration, and 3) to  promote  the  equitable participation of young women in martial arts as facilitators, beneficiaries, and subjects of research, with the aim of increasing the level of participation of women practitioners across all levels within the martial arts; (Unescodoc.org Digital Library; PARIS, 4 March 2013, 191 EX/14, Part VI). And note that one of the secondary functions of the Centre is to promote collaboration between the North and South Koreas. The Centre has put considerable efforts in reaching out to DPRK as a gesture of peace with the goal of jointly inscribing the traditional Korean wrestling, ssireum, which was eventually achieved in 2018. However, there has been no further collaboration since then, and, as I found out from the speaker covering this theme in a presentation, Deoksoon Kim, Director of Strategic Development Office UNESCO ICHAP, there has been no contact with the North since 2019, and they currently cannot assess the state of the Korean Traditional Archery or other martial arts in the north.

What happened

Over the first two days eight key speakers from different countries presented their papers, followed by a panel Q&A, open to all members of the audience, each day ending with a hands-on experience Master Class.  On day 1 it was Taekkyeon (a Korean full contact self-defence martial art, characterised by kicks, trips and throws), Kun Lbokator, a Cambodian martial art that uses self-defence techniques and emphasises the philosophy of non-violence, and Turkish and Korean Traditional Archery demonstrations and master classes. Taekkyeon was the first Korean martial art to be inscribed on the UNESCO Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage (UICH), in 2011. Kun Lbokator achieved its UICH in 2022, Turkish traditional archery in 2019, and Korean Traditional Archery in 2020.  The Day 2 master classes focussed on wrestling disciplines, and featured Kuresi, traditional Kazakh wrestling, classified as UICH in 2016, Mongolian Bukh, classified as UICH during the annual Mongolian NAADAM festival in 2010, and Korean ssireum, a traditional form of belt wrestling, classified, jointly with North Korea, in 2018. Both Kazakh and Korean parties offered male and female participation, whereas the Mongolian was reserved for men only.

Turkish Archery: Phoenix rising from the ashes

The keynote speaker, Zafer Metin Atas, a member of the board of directors of Turkish Traditional Archery Federation, and one of the key archery enthusiasts who started the revival of traditional archery in Turkey some twenty years ago, gave a presentation on the subject of the challenges that a martial art may meet with after it has been inscribed on the Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It is interesting to note that, while many traditional archery cultures today look with envy at the infrastructure Turkey has built, its first modern attempt at reviving archery in 1937 failed, due to lack of framework and organisation. It is the systematisation of traditional archery practices between 2004 and 2013 that led Turkish archery to be seriously considered by the UNESCO, and inscribed on the Lists in February 2019. About a month before that, Turkey’s president, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, had approved the establishment of the Turkish Traditional Archery Federation under an article of the Youth and Sports Services Law.  From this example and many others, it is evident that once a practice reaches the schools, it has a much better chance of attracting the coveted patronage of institutions like UNESCO, and thus reinforcing the chances of its own survival.  The day before Mr Atas’s presentation, another member of the Turkish delegation, Ahmet Erman Aral, Chairholder, UNESCO Chair on Intangible Cultural Heritage in Formal and Informal Education, and Professor, Ankara Hacı Bayram of Veli University, talked about traditional Turkish oil wrestling, and addressed the issue of “touristification”.  With increased attention or prominence, a traditional martial arts practice may become liable to be oversold to tourists, resulting in its oversimplification to the point where it is reduced to nothing more than an audience sport, and its traditions and essential culture may thus be lost.  In some ways Turkish Traditional archery has suffered in this way, sacrificing the traditional 200 metre plus shooting distances to the present 60 or 70 metres, which has had an effect on traditional techniques both of shooting and of bow-making. Traditions can and have been lost through modernisation, but in my opinion this is inevitable, and the price we have to pay for preserving a version of traditional practice by popularisation. Mr Atas brought some good news: a survey was conducted amongst female traditional archers, and the vast majority of women agreed that they were given equal opportunities and representation. 47% of active licensed athletes in the traditional federation are women and 53% are men; historically women were not included in that infrastructure. Furthermore, 87% felt they were on equal competition grounds with men, though some experienced low level gender discrimination in sports management (25%), and sports performance (20%). There are a total of 21,983 licensed archers in TTAF, 9,100 of which are active, and 1,248 level I and II, trainers (799 men (64%) and 449 women (36%)).

Korean traditional archery: rolling with the punches

Lee Seunghwan, council member of the Korean Traditional Archery Culture Society and former director of UNESCO APCEIU, gave a presentation on the subject of the need to recognise the cultural value of archery in South Korea. He highlighted the fact that diversification of archery practice is what has allowed it to survive to this day. To quote his paper:

“By the latter part of the Joseon Dynasty (AD 1392–1897), civil archery fields, known as Hwalteo, began to emerge. These unique spaces allowed people to practice archery for various purposes, including leisure, sport, education, and social activities. This diversity of functions is a significant reason why Korean archery has survived without interruption.”.

This is in contrast the points raised by the Turkish speaker, Mr Atas, in that traditional archery has always evolved, and if it were too rigid and maladaptive to its environment and times, it would cease to exist. Today Korean traditional archers shoot 145 meters, one of the longest distances in target archery worldwide. As a frequent traveller and KTA practitioner, I have noticed a new and developing trend – the pop-up indoor traditional ranges where archers learn good technique. In my opinion, it attracts predominantly younger and middle-aged people, who can call in for an evening lesson after their job at the office. Surely no-one would turn their nose up at the fact they are only shooting at a 10-11 meter distance, and would never dare to say it’s not “traditional enough”. This seems to me another clever and very Korean way to adapt to modern-day realities, and if the Joseon ancestors could see this, I’m sure they would approve of its resourcefulness. However, Mr Lee did raise one concern; that recently there has been a shift towards competitive target shooting (at 145m), which may threaten the cultural and educational values inherent in traditional archery in Korea.  As of 2023, there are 393 traditional archery clubhouses across the country, 32 of them over 100 years old. Though we haven’t seen the gender statistics here, women have been involved in Korean archery for a long time, and the International circuit and Olympic domination of the women since the 1970’s has only done the traditional Korean women good. As a person with experience at the ground level, I must add that even as a non-Korean woman, I always feel I am competing on equal terms with the men, and I really enjoy this aspect of competition in Korea. One panellist asked Mr Lee a question as to why it took so long for KTA to be inscribed as an Intangible Cultural Asset (July 30, 2020) “if it is such a significant part of the Korean culture”. The answer was short, to the effect that perhaps the Korean people found it to be such a “normal” thing to do that they did not feel the need for its protection. However, the inscription does give one invaluable asset – a sense of historical and cultural solidarity. It gives you international platform that allows you to promote what you do to everyone else, opening the doors to international dialogue and lucrative dealings.  

Makes you think

Ultimately sports are for people, not for tradition, so I’d like to ask the reader, particularly the traditional martial arts practitioner, to think about the state and the status of practice in your country. How “authentic” or “traditional” is what you practice? Who is in charge of promotion and safeguarding of these values? Is it important for you to practice the more authentic wayor do you see the reshaping of your martial art as natural progression to be welcomed? Is limiting or promoting the international participation useful or detrimental in assisting the survival of your traditional practice? What can you or your group do to help encourage dialogue between the organisations and the practitioners?

Closing remark

On the one hand keeping the practice strictly “traditional”, limits its global reach, and potentially its survival. On the other, the systematisation, the reshaping, may make it less authentic, possibly leading to a loss of culture, traditions, skills and crafts. Will you take the red or the blue pill?

Martial arts: definitions

Oxford Reference Dictionary (last updated: 2024)

Martial arts is a broad term that covers a variety of schools and forms whose unity derives only from their origins in the arts of war and single combat. Thus, it covers the ‘empty-hand’ fighting style of karate as well as forms that concentrate on the use of various weapons, from swords and bows and arrows to farming implements such as sickles and threshers.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary (Last Updated: 3 Oct 2024)

Martial art: any of several arts of combat and self-defence (such as karate and judo) that are widely practiced as sport

Collins English Dictionary

martial art is one of the methods of fighting, often without weapons, that come from the Far East, for example kung fu, karate, or judo.

noun

any of various philosophies of self-defence and techniques of single combat, such as judo or karateoriginating in the Far East

Comments from ICMAYDE Secretary General, Gyujig Kim.

Q – What is the purpose of this forum?

A – This forum focuses on exploring actions for sustainable development through martial arts, with the aim of disseminating the values and significance of traditional martial arts, while emphasizing their role as living heritage. Through this project, I also fulfil my duties by supervising and guiding all related activities to ensure the successful implementation of our goals.

Q – How did the event go?

A – I believe the programs over the three-day forum ran smoothly overall. The event not only provided a platform for attendees to exchange ideas, but also received positive feedback for being an opportunity to learn from one another. By bringing together martial arts experts and confirming their interest, we reaffirmed that ICM, the only UNESCO Category 2 Centre in the field of martial arts, can play a pivotal role in these discussions.

The Master classes offered a hands-on experience, allowing participants to engage directly with various martial arts, making the sessions more vivid and memorable. The friendly wrestling matches, featuring traditional styles like Korean ssireum and Mongolian or Kazakh wrestling, captivated the participants with a fresh and exciting spectacle, drawing enthusiastic responses.

Moreover, both Türkiye and Korea’s traditional archery master classes were filled with participants eager to engage in a hands-on experience.

Q – Future considerations or plans for the next event?

A – We are considering holding this forum on a biennial basis, and for the next event, we aim to make it even more enriching, with a broader range of content, bringing together more experts and stakeholders. Additionally, we are outlining a blueprint for various initiatives, including the publication of academic journals, to further elevate the role and stature of the ICM as an expert authority in the field.

Q – Why is it important to safeguard Korean traditional practices and arts?

A – Not only Korean traditional martial arts but also martial arts worldwide are valuable cultural heritage with significant historical and cultural meaning. Martial arts go beyond being a form of self-defence; they encompass diverse historical, social, and cultural values and play a crucial role within local communities. They are also powerful tools for addressing various challenges in modern society. Moreover, martial arts can have an even more profound impact on vulnerable groups, such as at-risk youth, in today’s world. The power of these traditions can transform individuals, heal communities, and build bridges across cultures and generations.

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