In the beginning of Taekwondo training, the practitioner encounters the tobok and learns ettiquestte from the
Sabomnim. The tobok is a special clothing for training the mind and body in which the spirit of Korea and the
centuries-old tradition is alive. So it is called a "handobok".
The tobok consists of trousers, upper garment and belt, of which is called "hanbul", The tobok has a similarity
withtraditional Korean clothes "hanbok". The origin of the hanbok is not known. There are, however records
that shows the use of costumes in the period of Shilla(Samkuk Sagi), Kaya(Samkuk Yusa), and Koguryo-
Paekche-Shilla periods (Saso, China), It is written in the "Koryo Tokyong" by Sukyong of early China that
"people in the Koguryo Kingdom wear white costumes with black silk belts around the waist."
It seems that the white costumes could be daily clothes for the Koguryo people. It also seems that the long
upper garment and trousers must have been the same type of cloth that were found on the wall paintings in
the tombs of the three kingdoms.
Taekwondo tobok which is similar to the traditional Korean clothing in the method of making, has three kids of
sapes : circle(O), square(Up), and triangle(△). The waist line of the uniform is circular shape, the cuffs squ
-are and the hip area triangular. The upper garment is made according to the same manner.
It seems that tobok which is quite different from common clothing has a stradition of comservatism, and there-
fore, it is reasoned that the tobok that Kokuryopeople used to wear must be quite similiar to the one that people
during the Tangun-choson used to wear(BC37-AD668). It also seems that Ch'oesonin of Kokuryo and Kunson
-hwarang of Shilla were from the same tradition of Tangun-choson and that Kukjarang of Tanlgun-Chonson
became the ch'oesonin of Kokuryo and Hwarang of shilla. "Won(O), symbolizes the heaven, "Bang(Up), the
earth, and "Kak(△)"the man.
The circle denotes the heaven, the square the earth and the triangle the man. The three symbols are the foun-
dation of the universe(Samilshingo). The traditional Korean costumes are made based on the three symbols,
and the symbols transform into the unity of the three called "han."
The numeric concept of the Ch'onbugyong, which contains the principles of the heaven as one, the earth as
two, and the man as three, brought the complete theoretical background for the formation of the traditional Ko-
rean constumes. From these conclusions, it can be reasoned that tobok has the same historical records of
transformation as the traditional Korean costume has had.
According to the theory of the "Yin"and "Yang", the man is the small universe, trousers which is Yin the earth,
upper garment which is Yang the heaven, and belt the man himself, which stems from the supplies to the every
aspect of the life of Koreans including in the production of all different sorts of costumes.
Tobok and hanbok have the form of no beginning and no ending and it is quite difficult to conclude that the
methods of making them were designed by one person's idea. There is some historical proof that shown the
history. One example is from the article of the Choson daily Newspaper on the day 18th of april in 1990. It says
that a Japanese female professor discovered a 400 year old Ch'onik Chollae p'um-male costume used during
the period of Choson dynasty…..found as an original shape ……seems booty………given by the Shogun
Poongshin..
At the beginning the tobok were made only in white color. In 1970, the division was made between the uniform
for the under black belt and the black belt. The tobok has a Vneck shape. the p'um uniform has red-black
stripes along the neck and the tan uniform only a black stripe.
The white color in the uniform symbioses the background of the universe. According to the philosophy of the
Korean tradition, the origin of the universe is the oneness which proounced in Korean as Han. Han stems from
the color of white. Teh white is the essence of the universe in Korean belief.
The reason of the V-neck is to reduce the uncomfortableness of the previous traditional uniform which would
be loosen too often during the practice. The V-neck uniform looks neat and is convenient to wear.
Tobok is not only a costume for daily practice in Tojang but also a competition cloth for national level as well
as the Olympic Game. The philosophical significance of the tobok is in Keeping it clean and having proper
respect and etiquette toward it.
Charlie..
