Taekkyon is the only martial art still practiced that has its roots in the ancient art of subak and was probably practiced as early as the time before the Three Kingdoms period of Korea (57 BC - 676). During the Joseon period (1392-1910) it was widespread among all social classes. Banned by the Japanese occupation authorities in the early 1930s under penalty of death, Taekkyon has been revived in South Korea and has been recognized by the South Korean authorities as an important cultural heritage and has been included in the UNESCO Intangible Heritage List. ¹⁾

Karate developed from a local martial art from the Ryukyu Islands (now Japan) under the influence of Chinese martial arts. The Kingdom of Ryukyu was independent from the 15th to 19th century. Despite its small size, it played a dominant role in the maritime trade of East Asia during the Middle Ages. Until the 19th century (still in the times of karate's origins), the Riukiu Kingdom had much more in common with China than with Japan. ²⁾

Shaolin Monastery is located in Henan province. It is the third most populous province in China and also the motherland of Chinese civilization. ³⁾

Ninja used the Ninja-tō (aka shinobi-gatana) as a replacement for the katana. It was not used often, and its craftsmanship was not as elaborate and laborious as that of its samurai counterpart. Because of this, the ninja-to often broke when confronted with stronger weapons. ⁴⁾

Edward Sell was first introduced to the Korean martial art of taekwondo in Korea as a United States Air Force (USAF) officer in 1961. In 1963, he became the first American to be allowed to participate in the Korean National Championships. In 1997, he received the ninth dan from the World Chung Do Kwan and in 2001, the ninth dan from the World Taekwondo Federation. He was the first non-Korean master to receive such a high degree. Edward Sell wrote the first American taekwondo training manual.⁵⁾