Martial art, fighting sport and game practiced by all ages as early as the 17th century, this hybrid fighting form mixes kicking, tripping and standup wrestling without hand strikes (in competition). South Korea recognized it as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage, no. 76, in 1983. It was then inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2011.

A match is traditionally won in 1 round when a fighter making the opponent touch the ground with any body part except their feet, as in Korean wrestling, albeit without grabbing clothes. A second way of winning is to kick the face with the foot. One hit is enough to win, avoiding repetitive impacts to the head. In contrast with Taekwondo, grabbing a kicking leg and attacking the legs is allowed.

Program

1. Visit the last traditional training spot of Taekkyeon and try the dance-like steps of this ancient fighting art
2. Touch the “Battle rock” where warriors were meditating before going to war
3. Join a training session
4. Share a meal with your guide

⏳ Duration : 4h 📅 Availability : Saturday except on legal holidays ⌚ Time : morning 📍 Place : Jongno-gu, Seoul

ℹ️ This is a private experience for you and your friend(s) 90 EUR for 1 person Add 50 EUR for each additional person

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Having benefited from Jean Sébastien’s advice and guidance in April in Seoul, I can only recommend him. 👍

— Vincent R.
(translated from French)

Traditional Korean archery is called Hwalssogi or Gukgung. It is recognized as South Korea’s Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 142.

This ancestral competitive sport differs from Olympic shooting in many aspects: body position, grip of the bowstring by the thumb and shooting from 145 meters instead of 70. Additionally, the traditional Korean bow is a composite bow, smaller in size and used without accessories such as sight, stabilizers or dampers.

ℹ️ Please note that for safety reasons, it is not possible to shoot at 145 m. The session takes place at a distance of 10~15 meters from the target.

Program

1. Watch the archers shoot the target from 145 meters away
2. Visit a museum of Korean archery
3. Learn about handling and shooting the Korean bow
4. Shoot the target from 10~15 meters away
5. Take souvenir photos with the bow
6. Have a meal with your guide

⏳ Duration : 4h 📅 Availability : Thursday through Sunday except on legal holidays ⌚ Time : morning (Friday only and not in winter), afternoon or evening 📍 Place : Jongno-gu, Seoul

ℹ️ This is a private experience for you and your friend(s) 90 EUR for 1 person Add 50 EUR for each additional person

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I would like to express my deep gratitude to Sébastien for his exceptional qualities as a guide and translator, as well as for his humanity, which made this experience unforgettable. Thanks to him, I had the chance to discover fascinating traditions such as traditional Korean archery, whose beauty and precision amazed me, as well as traditional Korean wrestling, an experience that was both intense and rewarding. These two activities were a real culture shock for me, in the best of senses: they opened a unique window on the soul of Korea. I deeply loved every moment, and it is largely thanks to Sébastien’s warm and enlightened accompaniment. (translated from French)

— Alex P. (Dec, 2024)

A great experience with Sebastien from Jinja Korea Tours! We started the day by observing the experienced traditional Korean archery shooters on targets located at 145 meters. An impressive sight. Then, I had the chance to learn about this practice for an hour with Sébastien’s wise advice, then he took me on a tour of the archery museum to complete this cultural and sporting discovery. The weather was rainy but it was not a problem because we were sheltered. We then went to a very nice traditional Korean restaurant where we had a “makguksu”. I highly recommend Jinja Korea Tours for any visit to Seoul or South Korea! The organization and attention to detail made this experience perfect. Thank you again, Sébastien! (translated from French)

— David L. (Oct, 2024)