What do William Tell, Robin Hood, Jumong, the founder of Goguryeo Kingdom, and Yi Seong-gye, the founder of Joseon Dynasty, have in common? They were all unchallengeable prominent archers.

The Korean people have been skilled at not only standard archery but also horseback archery ever since ancient times. Mural paintings of hunting scenes at ancient Goguryeo Kingdom tombs feature hunters on horseback, and archery was one of the mandatory categories in the civil service examination in both Goryeo and Joseon Dynasties. You can see this high level of skill at the 2016 Cheongju World Martial Arts Masterships. In horseback archery, practitioners shoot at a target while mounted on a galloping horse. It's the only martial art where human beings and animals keep in step, and it needs a complex set of skills to shoot an arrow and ride a horse. In the competition, archers compete in a variety of categories, such as single shooting, rapid shooting, consecutive shooting and a trio tournament competition.







The world's best martial artists will compete in a range of martial sports, including archery, taekwondo, judo and aikido, at venues across Cheongju-si City, Chungcheongbuk-do Province. The 2016 Cheongju World Martial Arts Masterships, the first of its kind among international martial arts competitions, will be held from Sept. 2 to 8 this year. More than 2,000 martial artists from 87 countries will participate in the games.

There are 17 categories in total, including 15 sports plus a martial arts training program and a "record game." In the martial arts, athletes will show off their martial art moves in a set time and will be scored on their accuracy, skill and artistry. The "record game" is where athletes' abilities will be evaluated for their martial art abilities, such as general kicks, high kicks and chops.

Governor Lee Si-jong of Chungcheongbuk-do Province, co-chairman of the competition, said, "We all hope that this competition will become a regular global festival. We take pride in building a basis for martial arts, an important aspect of the world's cultural heritage, and we put our hearts and souls into leading this competition toward success."

More information is available at an official website of the 2016 Cheongju World Martial Arts Masterships.

http://www.2016martial-arts.kr

By Wi Tack-whan, Yoon Ji-hye
Korea.net Staff Writers
Photos: 2016 Cheongju World Martial Arts Masterships Organizing Committee
whan23@korea.kr