The General Philosophy, Etiquette, and Tactics of Korean Traditional Archery

Korean traditional archery (KTA) was founded on philosophical principles and most everything about it has some philosophy attached. The name of KTA in Korean has changed over the years depending upon the time period and associated political circumstances. What was accepted as a name during the Japanese occupation of Korea (1910-1945) is considered negative by some Korean archers in more recent times. Other things, such as equipment, dress, and even rules and manners have an underlying philosophy attached. The jeonggan sign in many clubs has varying philosophical interpretations depending upon the region it is found. Most clubs have a similar interpretation of rules such as the Sesok Ogye (Five Secular Principles), gungdo gugyehun (nine archery precepts), and jipgung jeweonchik (basic rules of shooting). The manners Korean archers display during their daily shooting life has many philosophical origins. From the chosire opening greeting an archer gives before shooting, to the way one acts during shooting, on down to even going to pick arrows up at the end of shooting all have cultural and philosophical meaning. In a much more historical sense, the military use of archery in Korea also had its philosophical side as seen in the different ways archers trained to be able to efficiently shoot their arrows at varying distances. As the years go on, present-day archers will add their own philosophies for future generations of KTA enthusiasts.