A new study in Martial Arts Studies—a peer-reviewed, open-access journal dedicated to high-quality research on the sociocultural dimensions of martial arts and combat sports—examines historical links between Korea and the Ryūkyū Islands in the development of karate.
The study opens by critiquing the traditionalist historiography of taekwondo, grounded in the view positing that Korean martial arts were transmitted to the Ryūkyū Islands and later returned to Korea in their original form. Challenging this approach, the paper proposes an alternative perspective by analyzing parallels between he traditional Ryūkyūan folk grappling game of tegumi, and Korea’s indigenous wrestling art ssireum. It argues that these shared elements may have played a role in shaping early Ryūkyū karate. The full study is available here.
The article is authored by Youngki Hong, Professor of Sports Rehabilitation at Cheongju University. His research focuses on martial arts as resources for both physical rehabilitation and mental health, examined through historical and cultural lenses.
Investigations into the history of karate 