A Criticism of the Idea that Korean Martial Arts were Introduced into Okinawa and Presenting an Alternative Hypothesis

This study critically examines the limitations of the traditionalist historiography of taekwondo, which is grounded in a circular view that posits Korean martial arts were transmitted to Okinawa, the Ryūkyū Islands and eventually returned to Korea in their original form. As an alternative, this paper explores a new interpretive framework by analyzing structural similarities between tegumi, a traditional folk grappling game of Okinawa, and ssireum, Korea’s indigenous wrestling tradition. It argues that such similarities may have contributed to the formation of Ryūkyū karate. While no definitive textual evidence has yet confirmed a direct historical link between ssireum and tegumi, the present analysis – grounded in cultural parallels and contextual clues – offers a plausible interpretive hypothesis. Ultimately, this approach sheds new light on the historical development of East Asian martial arts by framing the evolution of karate within the broader continuity of bodily traditions spanning ssireum, tegumi, and Ryūkyū karate.