Timeline

????BC to 2333BC	The earliest known kingdom, the BAEDALGUK was a Korean empire formerly thought to have been mythical. Though little is actually known about it, an ancient text of some question (HWANDANGOGI) indicates that it covered a large area was descended from HWAN-KUK, and was ruled by a succession of 16 emperors.
2333BC to 108BC	One of the first Korean Kingdoms, GOJOSEON is said to have been founded by Dangun in 2333BC. It was during this kingdom that the Bronze Age arrived in this area in either the 9th or 8th Century BC. Mentions by Chinese sources in the 7th Century BC affirm that the state flourished in what is now North Korea and southern Manchuria. The line of some 40 or so kings took the title TANJE or "Birch Emperor" for themselves. The "Annals of the Danguns" are recorded in the GYUWON SAHWA (1675) described by its author as a collection of nationalist legends.
800BC	The Bronze Age reaches Korea about 9th or 8th Century BC ( about the time that the Israelites were building the Great Temple in Jerusalem). The introduction of bronze weapons to Korea may have been closely tied to the Chinese conquest of sizable Korean lands in Manchuria, though an alternate view is that both bronze and later Iron technology may have come by way to trade with more northern tribes including Scythians. The great numbers of Bronze spear blades unearthed in tombs, however, suggest that the sword was not the primary weapon in battle. Rather, at this time land warfare consisted most often of spears and bowmen on foot, and mounted archers on horseback using a two-handed bow. Indeed, there is a strong possibility that the sword itself may have developed from the habit of keeping a spare spear point in ones’ belt.
108BC	The Han Chinese establish three commanderies, and later a fourth in order to keep the area around the Han river quiet for trade and cultural exchange.
200BC to 204AD	In years between 200 BC and 204 AD, or, about the time that Rome was enjoying arguably the best part of its existence, the Chinese commandries, are gradually expelled from Korea and the many tribal groups began to pull together into larger multi-clan and multi-family administrations. These "confederated kingdoms" such as PUYO and KAYA are the precursors to the larger better organized entities that will become known as the Three Kingdoms Period,

18BC to 660AD	Three Kingdoms Period: Tiny Kaya was quickly swallowed by its neighbors, leaving the Korean Peninsula neatly divided among the remaining three kingdoms. And all of these kingdoms established learning centers where martial, cultural and administrative skills were taught. The general curriculums of these institutions can be found in the SAMKUK SHIH (Veritable record of the Three Kingdoms) so we have some sense of what skills were taught. There is, however, there is no elaboration on how the training was conducted, no manual of what the curriculum was comprised of, or how techniques were executed. Of their weapons, however, quite a bit is known. Perhaps best recognized from this period are the straight-bladed swords bearing a single sharp edge and easily recognized by the metal Ring-shaped pommel.

18 BC to 661 AD	Kingdom of Paekshe: Founded by the son of KOGURYO's founder in 18 BC this kingdom would last though the reign of 31 Kings ("wang") though some would take the title of "emperor". In 320 AD, King Bi-ryu will order the formation of an institution for training the cadre around which the army of Paekshe will be formed.
37 BC to 668AD	Kingdom of Koguryo: Founded in 37 BC, this kingdom would last through 28 "Great King"-s or TAEWANG, as identified in the SAMKUK SAGI, until 668AD. In northern Korugyo there was the PYUNG DANG or “educational institute,” which required its students to train in a variety of martial and scholarly pursuits. graduates of this training, known as SUN BI were highly regarded in their society.
57 BC to 660 AD	Kingdom of Shilla: Beginning in 57BC the Silla Kingdom is ruled variously be the PAK, SEOK and KIM families and likewise had a variety of titles for the kingship position including ISAGUEM, MARIPGAN, WANG and YEOWANG. 56 Kings would head this state, though, like Paekshe, some of the kinds would take the title of "emperor". Probably the best known of the learning centers was that of the Shilla Kingdom which produced the well-known HwaRang warriors of the Shilla kingdom whose reputation has come down to us today. Like their brethren in Koguryo, the HWARANG and their followers, the RANG DO, were highly schooled in both martial and scholarly pursuits. In 668 AD, the Silla Kingdom, both through skill and the assistance of the Chinese Tang Dynasty will overcome its other two neighbors and unite the Korean peninsula as "Unified Silla" for the first time. This unification will continue until the last Silla king is overthrown and the KORYO dynasty begins.

338AD	Buddhism comes to Korea from India, and to a lesser degree through China, in 338 AD through Paekche and from there, spreads to its neighboring kingdoms. Shamanism, by comparison, has been an integral part of Korean culture extending all the way back to the earliest tales of the origins of the Korean people.
464AD	According to one of the oldest books Deng Feng County Recording (Deng Feng Xian Zhi), a Buddhist monk name Batuo comes to China for Buddhist preaching. Deng Feng was the county where the Shaolin Temple was eventually located.
495AD	The Shaolin Temple is built in by the order of Wei Xiao Wen emperor (471-500 A.D.) for Batuo’s preaching. Batuo can be considered the first chief monk of the Shaolin Temple. However, there is no record regarding how and what Batuo passed down by way of religious or CHI KUNG practice. There is also no record of how or when Batuo died.
464AD	Bodhidahrma (Pu Ti Ta Mo) arrives in Canton, China. Once the prince of a small tribe in southern India, his last name was Sardili and may have been born about 483. He was of the Mahayana school of Buddhism, and is considered by many to have been a bodhisattva, or an enlightened being who had renounced nirvana in order to save others. He is considered the 28th patriarch of Buddhism from India, and the 1st patriarch of Buddhism in China. Da Mo was invited to China to preach by the Liang Wu emperor, and arrived during the reign of either the Wei Xiao Ming emperor(516-528 A.D.) or the Liang Wu emperor (502-550 A.D.). When the emperor decided he did not like DaMo’s Buddhist theory, the monk withdrew to the Shaolin Temple. DaMo observed that the priests were weak and sickly, and shut himself away to ponder the problem. When he emerged after nine years of seclusion, he wrote two classics: Yi Jin Jing (Muscle/Tendon Changing Classic) and Xi Sui Jin (Marrow/Brain Washing Classic). The Yi Jin Jing taught the priests how to build their Ki to an abundant level and use it to improve health and change their physical bodies from weak to strong. When this training was integrated into the martial arts forms, it increased the effectiveness of their martial techniques. The Xi Sui Jing taught the priests how to use Ki to clean their bone marrow and strengthen their immune system, as well as how to nourish and energize the brain, helping them to attain Buddha hood. Because the Xi Sui Jing was hard to understand and practice, the training methods were passed down secretly to only a very few disciples in each generation. DaMo died in the Shaolin Temple in 536 A.D. and was buried on Xiong Er mountain.

589 AD	SUI Dynasty in China (589 - 618).

613AD	The O-Gae or "Five Tenets" is established. "In the thirty-fifth year (613 ad.) an Assembly of the One Hundred Seats was held in Hwangnyong Monastery to expound the scriptures and harvest the fruits of the blessing. The master headed the entire assembly. He used to spend days at Kach’ wi Monastery discoursing on the true path. Kwisan and Ch’uhang from Saryang district came to the master’s door and, lifting up their robes, respectfully said, “We are ignorant and without knowledge. Please give us a maxim which will serve to instruct us the rest of our lives”. The Won-gwang replied, “There are ten commandments in the bodhisattva ordination. But since you are subjects, and sons, I fear you cannot practice all of them. Now, here are five commandments for laymen: Serve your sovereign with loyalty; Attend your parents with filial piety; Treat your friends with sincerity; Do not retreat from a battlefield; Be discriminating in the taking of life. Exercise care in the performance of them.” Kwisan said, “We respect your wishes with regard to the first four. But what is the meaning of being discriminating about the taking of life?” The master answered, “not to kill during the months of Spring and Summer, nor during the 6 meatless feast days, is to choose the time. Not to kill domestic animals such as cows, horses, chickens, dogs and tiny creatures whose meat is less than a mouthful is to choose the creatures. Though you may have need you should not kill often. These are good rules for laymen.” Kwisan and his friend adhered to them without ever breaking them….” (from Haedong Kosung Chon)

618 AD	Tang Dynasty comes to China and will hold sway over Asian culture until it ends in 907AD.
621 AD	In the 4th year of Tang Gao Zu Wu De (621 AD), Qin King Li Shi-Ming had a serious battle with Zheng King Wang Shi-Chong ( ). With the situation urgent for Qin King, 13 Shaolin monks assisted him against Zheng. Later, Li Shi-Ming became the first emperor of the Tang dynasty (618-907 A.D.), and he rewards the Shaolin Temple with 40 Qing (about 600 acres) of land donated to the temple. He also permits the Temple to own and train its own soldiers. in order to protect the wealthy property of the Shaolin Temple from bandits. The priest martial artists in the temple were called “monk soldiers” (Seng Bing). Their responsibility, other than studying Buddhism, was training martial arts to protect the property of the Shaolin Temple.
661 to 935AD	Unified Shilla

712AD	The KOJIKI is written. Later the NIHONGI follows in 720AD. Both Japanese histories relate the account of how the Japanese Empress Jingu came to the aid of the Kingdom of Paekshe in its conflicts with the kingdoms of Silla and Koguryo and reportedly conquered the entire Korean peninsula. Later documentation, combined with limited excavation of dolmens in both Korea and western Japan reveal that émigrés from the continent to the Japanese islands may, in fact, been responsible for precipitating the establishment of the foundations of the YAMOTO culture of today including equestrian warfare, and a structured government. Among the artifacts uncovered were large numbers of spear-tips, mirrors (badges of rank), armor, saddles and bridles, and straight-bladed swords with the characteristic pommel ring of Korean derivation. Japan will develop a governmental system centered on an Emperor at the capital and administered by generalissimo or SHOGUN. The government is supported by a network of fiefdoms which collect taxes from the general populace. The retainers charged with the collection of these taxes are SAMURAI (lit: "those who serve") and will develop into a separate socio-economic Warrior class.

918 to 1170	Koryo Dynasty: arises from the fragments of the Silla kingdom, the influence of Chinas' "Five Dynasties" and the influx of refugees from Pohai (713-926), a Manchurian state overrun by the Khitan. Issues with the KHITAN and the JURCHEN across the northern border will set the military nature of the dynasty from the start. The first of three eras for this dynasty is characterized by a strong monarchy and the growth of governmental structure. The attempts by Kwanjong (949-975) to reform government away from the influence of the head-rank six lineages initially fail, but, when continued by Songjong (981-997), do introduce new clan influences to the monarchy such as the (Ansan) Kim and (Inchon) Yi families. Centered at its capital in KAESONG, the dynasty is characterized by a highly structured series of "orders" each with its population who inherit into each set strata and governed at the top by the "Three Chancelleries or SAMSONG. Under Songjong, the military is also revamped and re-structured to be comprised of two "Guard" units and six "Divisions" each composed of a regiment of about 1000 men each and manned by professional soldiers, with allocation of land allotments used for compensation for service. Enlistments are maintained by recruitment, usually among the peasantry, and while examinations are held for civil positions, examinations for military positions will not be established until closer to the end of the dynasty under King Kongyang. Failings of the primarily infantry-focused Six Divisions against the cavalry-strong Jurchen, will cause King Sukchong (1095-1105) to create the Extraordinary Military Corps or PYOLMUBAN, as a special military force separate from the Six Divisions, and along with cavalry and infantry, a unit is heavily manned by Buddhist warrior monks, and named the "Subdue Demons Corps" or HANGMAGUN. The steady growth of landownership and commercial ventures by Buddhist monasteries as well as their places as landlords and slave-owners requires that the monasteries train their monks in military arts as well as the Buddhist faith to maintain security for their holdings. Use of these warrior-monks for the campaigns by the government reinforces the relationships between the monarchy and the Buddhist faith.
1170 to 1270	Growing internecine struggles among powerful families vying for hereditary posts increasingly take on the character of armed insurrections. As the power and number of civil positions grow the military becomes increasingly derelict and a foil for abuse by civil officials. Fueled by the worsening plight of the professional soldier, military commanders CHONG Chung-Bu, YI Ui-bang and YI Ko among others depose King Ui-jong and put his brother King Myongjong (1170-1197) on the throne as a figurehead while the actual power of the government resides with the Supreme Military Council or CHUNGBANG. Chong will later be overthrown in a succession of conflicts among nobles in which the deciding factor in each case was the strength of each noble's "house army" or personal armed force made up of household retainers. The clan CHOI under CHOI Chung-hon (1149-1219), despite a succession of 6 kings and a host of popular up-risings, revolts and insurrections, will come to represent these "personal armies" which are larger, better armed and better trained than that of the central government, and are often the final determining factor in outcomes. Included in growing Choi "house army" are the "Three Elite Patrols" or SAMBYOLCHO. Comprised of a "Night Patrol" or YABYOLCHO against marauding gangs among the military, that was later split into two contingents. The third portion of this force was the "Army of Transcendent Righteousness" or SINUIGUN comprised of fighters who had escaped after being captured during the struggles along the northern borders. The "Three Patrols" will continue throughout the balance of the Koryo dynasty as an accomplished and effective force.
1270 to 1392	Power is restored to the monarchy albeit under the sway of the Yuan Dynasty (Mongols). The first contact with the Mongols is recorded for the year 1211, following the death of a Koryo envoy to the Chin Dynasty. The next meaningful encounter occurred in 1218 with the Mongols violating Koryo borders in pursuit of Khitan forces. This results in an attempt to placate the Mongols by the elements within the Koryo administration while resisting Mongol dominance by other Koryo elements. In 1225, relations between Mongol and Koryo administrations were severed following the murder of Chu-kyu-yu, a Mongol envoy. This "relationship" would be re-established in 1231 under force of arms when the Mongols launch the first of 6 invasions of the Korean peninsula. The Korean ruling class will relocate from KAESANG in 1232, to KANGHWA island abandoning the Korean populace to their struggles against the predations of the Mongols for the next 30 years. The last military dictator, CHOI Ui is assassinated in 1258, and King Wonjong (1259-1274) is enthroned by the Mongol's in response to his peace overtures. The last of the "Three Patrols" continue to fight against the Mongols, first from their stronghold on CHINDO Island (1271) and lastly at CHEJU Island (1273) after some four years of insurrection. The Koryo dynasty will continue as a subject administration of the larger Mongol or YUAN dynasty until the start of the CHOSON dynasty in 1392.
1312	During the Yuan dynasty, in the year 1312 A.D., the monk Da Zhi came to the Shaolin Temple from Japan. After he studied Shaolin martial arts (bare hands and staff) for nearly 13 years (1324 A.D.), he returned to Japan and spread Shaolin Chuan Fa to Japanese martial arts society.
1335	Buddhist monk named Shao Yuan came to Shaolin from Japan. He mastered calligraphy, painting, Chan theory (Zen), and Shaolin Gongfu during his stay. He returned to Japan in 1347 A.D., and was considered and regarded a “Country Spirit” by the Japanese people.
1387	Lizasa Choisai Ienao (1387 - 1488) originator of the Tesshin Katori Shodan Shinto Ryu the single oldest structured martial strategy in Japan. His tradition will produce some of the most famous names in Japanese swordsmanship over the next 4 centuries.

1392	36 Chinese Families are dispatched to the Okinawan Islands by the Ming Dynasty. The object of this exercise is to establish administration which will reduce the number of violations to Ming trade restrictions. A result of this effort is that Chinese Boxing material is introduced to the Okinawan natives. At the time the fighting method is identified as "Kumiaijutsu" rather than "Tode".

1405	July, 1405: Admiral Zheng, a Muslim who began life as a prisoner of war in 1382 and trained as an eunuch in the serve of the Ming Emperor, Zhu Di, rises to command the great Ming Armada as it begins the first of 6 voyages. As many as 300 ships, manned by nearly 30,000 sailors and marines, navigate through Southeast Asia, around India and as far as Africa's Swahili coast. Changes in political fortunes would end the series of ventures with a movement towards isolationism for Ming China, but not before a final 7th voyage in 1432 allows the admiral one final trip across the Indian Ocean, where he waits in Calcutta while as an observant Muslim as a Haj is made for him by his proxy. He thought to have died at sea on the return voyage to China.

1528	KI Ji-guang is born into the house of a professional military man and rises to become one of the best known personages in Chinese military traditions. His success is due as much to his successes against the predations of coastal pirates called "WA-KO", as for the innovations and reorganization he brought to the forces under his command. His training manual, JIN XIAO SHIN SHU or "Manual of New Methods"(1658), focuses on strict discipline and small unit order of battle. The organizational key found in General Qi’s manual, was to stress small (12- man) units whose tight coordination was coupled with use of long distance pole weapons, the mainstay of which was the 12-foot lance. Having reflected on the tactics of the pirates, General Ki determined that the most favorable response was to allow the enemy to attack and expend their energy, and then to be quickly repulsed by a well-coordinated response. In this response pole arms kept the enemy at bay, or ensnared them, so to be finished off by specific individuals armed with shorter hand weapons. Ki Ji-guang will also pen a later military work, LIAN BING SHI JI as well. Owing to political wrangling Ki will die in disgrace in 1587, but is later exonerated and posthumously honored as a patriot and hero.

1545	Hayashizaki Junsuke Shigenobu (1545 - 1618) is born. Among other, he will develop a method of simultaneously drawing and cutting with a sword. This method, originally identified as BATTO-JUTSU will serve as the foundation for the modern study called IAIDO.
1587	CHEN Yuanbin (Jap. CHEN Genpei) is born in Zhejiang, China. Failing his Civil Service exam at the age of 18, Chen shaved his head and became a monk at the Shaolin Temple, Henan Province. After a period of time as a monk he retook his Civil Service exam, successfully, and secured a position as a public servant. Chen secured service in Nagasaki, Japan and lived in Japan beginning about 1620. In about 1626 Chen took residence in a Buddhist Temple. In April of that year, Chen began to instruct three master less warriors----Fukuno Shichiroemon, Miura Yojiemon, Isogai Jirozaemon--- the fundamentals of the Chuan Fa Chen had learned during his short time as a monk.
1592	May 23, 1592 - In the "Year of the Dragon"--1592-- Toyotomi Hideyoshi puts into motion his plans to conquer China, and later India, by first subduing the Korean peninsula as an avenue of advance. The struggle, to be known as the IMJIN WAERUM, begins with three divisions, under Konishi Yukinaga, Kato Kiyomasa and Kuroda Nagamasa ,respectively, landing at Pusan. In three weeks these forces will have made their way the length of the peninsula to capture Seoul. Ruthless, battle-hardened slaughter on the part of the Japanese conspires with military ineptitude and political denial on the part of the Korean government, condemning town after city after garrison to slaughter. King Sonjo flees Seoul for Pyongyang, but must flee again when the Japanese forces take this city on July 24, 1592.
1592	Shortly after the fall of Seoul, defeated survivors Korean forces---some 22,000 irregulars and 84,000 regular soldiers---- and civilians begin to mount a guerilla war against the Japanese forces as UIBYONG or "Righteous armies".
1592	In response to a manifesto published by Hyujong, some 8,000 Buddhist monks join in support of the guerilla actions by the Korean people in the three months that follow. Skillful fighters, the monks, steeled by their religious fervor are fearsome fighters. Led by Samyoung Taesa (1544-1610) the monks join with Korean guerilla forces under Kwak Chae-u. The monks assist in providing Korea with its first land victory at the Battle of Uiryong and will continue to contribute to the military effort throughout the war.
1592	September, 1592 - Japanese forces under Kato Kiyomasa cross briefly into Manchuria to engage the Jurchen forces. This engagement will represent the farthest extent of the Japanese efforts of the war.
1592	Admiral YI Sun-sin (1545-1598) provides the Korean nation with its first true victories of the war by repeatedly overcoming Japanese naval forces at Okpo, Sachon, Tangpo, Tanghangpo and Hansando. Admiral Yi's use of cannon, armored ships ("turtle boats") and innovative strategy results in a telling disruption of the Japanese supplies and the Japanese war effort.

1593

In August,1592, the first of the Ming Army, some 3,000 troops cross the Yalu River and move against Pyongyang. Though initially successful, this force is defeated soundly by the Japanese defenders. Five months later, the next Ming expedition of 43,000 crosses into Korea to arrive outside of Pyongyang in February, 1593. With the addition of some 10,000 Korean troops and 5,000 warrior monks, fighting continues fiercely for three days, until the Japanese defenders burn their supplies and retreat from the city under cover of dark.

1593	Following a bitter defeat at Pyokje, Korean forces win a heroic victory against Japanese forces bent on taking back lost ground. Used in this engagement is the Korean HWACHA, or "fire wagons", each capable of firing some 100 rockets in a single volley at the tight Japanese formations.
1593	Seoul is abandoned by the Japanese and is officially liberated by the Chinese May 19, 1593. Bitter cold, snow blindness, typhus, malnutrition and tuberculosis have taken their toll as relief from supplies and reinforcements have been interdicted by unrelenting guerilla activities. The Japanese begin to withdraw from the interior of the peninsula to a line of fortified strong-points---WAJO or WAESONG--- along the coast where they can be re-supplied by sea while the Chinese and Japanese governments enter into negotiations. From these locations, the Japanese forces will maintain a presence on the peninsula until 1597 as deliberations drag on, though the deteriorating nature of this occupation continues with increases in sickness, desertions and lackluster military activity. Despite the immediate effect of such negotiations on their country, the Koreans are effectively shut-out of the negotiations.
1593	September, 1593, King Sunjo (1567-1608) establishes the HUNLYUN DOKAM ( Royal Military Training Agency). At the encouragement of the Ming General Liu, T’ing, the Korean Prime Minister under King Sunjo (1567-1608), one Yu Song-Nyong, sought to reorganize the Korean army into a highly structured and versatile organization. His manual for this effort was the *Jin Xiao Shin Shu* or “Manual of New Military Tactics” written by General Ki, Ji Huang (1528-1588) and published in 1567. At the heart of this approach is a SOGO system, or "order of battle" in which 11-man squads under a TAE-CHONG or "squad leader" are grouped, three at a time, to form a KI ("platoon" or "banner") of 33 men under the leadership of a KI-CHONG. Three platoons come together to form a CHO (company of 99 under the leadership of a CHOGWAN, while five companies form the standard large unit---the SA or "battalion"----of 495 men under a PA-CHONG or battalion commander. This organizational approach continued to include specific responsibilities for each of the three squads of each platoon with one squad of 11 concerned with close-in fighting using edged weapons (SALSU), a second squad using archery for intermediate distances (SASU) and the third squad for gunners using muskets for long ranges (POSU). Successes at sea by Admiral Yi and his use of cannons cause a rethinking in the placement and use of artillery pieces and interlocking fields of fire as an integral part of fortifications. Along with reorganization of its forces, changes in policy mean that neither slave nor ruling elite (YANG BAN) are any longer exempt from military service. However, continual resistance by hereditary officials, as well as constant wrangling by governmental factions, begins almost immediately to undercut attempts to raise the quality of military performance.
1597	April, 1597 - Admiral YI Sun-sin, despite his record of victories, is removed from his position in charge of Korean naval forces and is sent to serve as a common soldier. He is recalled only after the Korean navy experiences its only defeat, and Japan's only naval victory of the war, at the Battle of CHILCHONNYANG (August 28, 1597).
1597	On the heels of the Battle of CHILCHONNYANG, the Japanese land a force which combines with elements still in Korea to a total of 141,000 men. Divided into "the Army of the Right" and "the Army of the Left" this force will advance, not with a goal of moving through Korea, but rather in a campaign of organized and vengeful mayhem on the country itself. Following months of marching, in which the Korean population and cities are subjected to an organized campaign of abject cruelty and barbarism of every description the Japanese forces withdraw to their WAJO-- or chain of fortified strong-points along the coast. Rather than the derelict experience of the previous years, these Japanese forts are now systematically assaulted in succession by the combined Chinese and Korean forces with a ferocity that almost matches the earlier butchery of the Japanese forces.
1598	June, 1598 - Hideyoshi Toyotomi orders the return to Japan of approximately half of the Japanese forces leaving some 64,700 men to man what is left of the WAJO in Korea.
1598	September 18, 1598 - Hideyoshi Toyotomi dies in his sleep at Fushimi Castle. Struggles for the leadership of the country begins almost immediately but the report of his death is kept from the Japanese forces remaining in Korea.
1598	Admiral YI Sun-sin, having ordered a vigorous pursuit of the enemy in the final naval battle at of the war near NAMHAE is struck in the arm-pit by a musket-ball and dies within minutes. Of the 500 Japanese ships, only 50 will escape, bringing to a conclusion an uneven attempt by Japanese forces to withdraw the last of their forces from the line of coastal fortifications and return to Japan, ending the war.
1609	The Shimazu Clan of the Satsuma invade the Okinawan Kingdom and quickly take control of the islands. By decree weapons are stockpiled at central locations rather than to be kept by the populace.
1610	The MU YE JEBO (“Martial Arts Illustrations”) is published. Ordered by King Sunjo (1567-1608), the work is compiled by one of the king’s military officers, HAN Kyo, and consists of 6 fighting systems. These included the KON BANG (long stick), DUNG PAE (shield), NANG SUN (multi-tipped spear), JANG CHANG (long spear), DANG PA (triple-tip spear) and the SSANG SOO DO (two-handed saber).
1619	Chen Yuanbin, a Chinese scholar, came to Japan somewhere between 1619 and 1621. Born 1587 in Zhejiang Province, China, Chen Yuanbin (J. “Chen Genpei”) had failed to pass the Civil Service examination and retired to a monastery for some 3 years. During that time he was exposed to the combat material of that place and became proficient enough that when he left the monastery, passed his Civil Service exam and found himself in Japan following the responsibilities of a translator. He was able, during his time there, to teach tactics he had learned during his monastery stay to three Samurai. The exact nature of the material taught may never be known but speculation supports that the material was probably related to the Chin Na skills of subduing and restraining characteristic of most styles of Chinese Boxing. In comparison to the “yawara” of Japan which relied on brute force between individuals through striking, kicking, twisting and immobilization this series of new skills would have refocused the use of striking, kicking, twisting and immobilization to exploiting anatomical weaknesses. While still applicable as an optional extension of weapons use, these practices lent themselves to being promoted as a civil art in their own right for self-defense.
1621	Chinese scholar, MAO Yuan-i publishes an encyclopedic work of 240 volumes, WU BEI ZHI, following a study of some 2000 Chinese military sources. Among the chapters are works on BON KUK GOM BOP and CHOSON SE-BOP, which the author claims are methods brought from Korea to China during a period in which swordsmanship had all but been lost in China.


1623	King Injo (1623-1649) established HOWICHUNG (office of the guards).

1626	King Injo (1623-1649) established SUOCHUNG (office of royal defense).

1627	First Manchu Invasion (“Chungmyo Horan”)

1630	King Injo (1623-1649) established MUYECHUNG (office of martial arts).

1636	Second Manchu Invasion (“Byungja Horan”). Following this invasion King Injo (1623-1649) surrendered to the Manchus and his sons were given over as hostages to the Manchu.

1639	Following the Christian-led rebellion in 1636, TOKUGAWA Ieaysu institutes a policy of SAKOKU (national isolation) for his entire country. This "Closed Door Policy" forbid the building of ocean-going vessels, deported all Europeans, and closed the ports and borders of Japan to all but a small colony administered by the Dutch in the harbor at Nagasaki.

1639	Taira Shigesuke (1639 - 1730) is born. His work, BUSHIDO SHOSHINSHU, is one of the few actual works stipulating parameters for and characterizing the Code of Bushido. Little more than a synthesis of suppositions and conclusions from various 17th and 18th Century sources, his work will be amplified by the ultra-right-wing military culture of the 20th Century in support of Japanese aggression in the Pacific Rim countries.

1649	King Hyojong (1649-1659) attempts to reconstruct the Korean military without detection by the Manchu authorities. Over the course of his reign he is pre-occupied with rebuilding his military and increasing their proficiency

1749
1758	Takeda Takumi no Kami Soemon (1758-1853), Confucian scholar is born. A lesser known influence on the development of Japanese martial tradition involves the acceptance of Confucian (“Chu Hsu”) philosophy as a set of guiding principles. Propounded by Takeda Takumi no Kami Soemon (1758-1853), a Neo-Confucian scholar of the Aizu clan these teachings were known as “aiki-in-yo-ho” or “doctrine of harmony and spirit based on yin and yang". As a government-approved philosophy, Neo-Confucianism held the offensive use of force as unseemly and a threat to the harmony of society. The use of force, then, could only be used as a response to aggression by another. This “sen-sen” (lit: after the act” became accepted as a premise of combat known as “ai-ki”. This concept stood in stark contrast to the more long-standing and pro-active “ki-ai” whose foundation had been “go-no-sen” (lit: “before it starts”). Later proponents of Japanese tradition would make much of the relationship between “ai-ki” and “ki-ai”. Draeger cites the “Textbook on Jujutsu – Volume on Ryu” published in 1899, as having what appears to be the best definition of “ai-ki”. “…Aiki is an impassive state of mind without a blindside, slackness, evil intention or fear. There is no difference between ai-ki and ki-ai; hover, if compared, when expressed dynamically ai-ki is called ki-ai, and when expressed statically it is ai-ki…” The adoption of this discrimination between intentions as to how the Yawara methods would be utilized provided the final piece in shaping the nature of the grappling arts in Japan to what we would know today.
1759	During the reign of King Youngjo (1724-1776) the MU YE JEBO is revised and supplemented with 12 additional fighting methods by Prince Sado who originated the term SIP PAL KI (“Eighteen Fighting Methods”), a shortened term from BONJO MUYE SIP PAL BAN ("18 Martial Arts Classes of the Yi Dynasty") to identify this collection of skills. These additional 12 skills include the JUK JANG CHANG (long bamboo spear), KEE CHANG (flag spear), YE DO (short sword), WAE GOM (Japanese sword), KYO JUN (combat engagement with the sword), WOL DO (crescent sword), HYUP DO (spear sword), SSANG GOM (twin swords), JE DOK GOM (Admiral’s Sword), BON KUK GOM (native sword), KWON BUP (fist method), and PYON KON (flail) for a total of 18 methods. This revised publication was titled the MU YE SHINBO (“Martial Arts New Illustrations”) and published in 1759.
1795	During the reign of King Jungjo (1776-1800) the MU YE SHINBO is revised by PARK Je-ga and LEE Duk-moo, and supplemented with 6 additional fighting skills beginning in 1790. These methods included KI CHANG (flag spear on horseback), MASANG WOL DO (crescent sword on horseback), MASANG SSANG GOM (twin swords on horseback), MASANG PYON KON (flail on horseback), KYUK KOO (ball play on horseback) and MASANG JAE (horsemanship). This revised publication is titled the MU YE TOBO TONG JI (“Comprehensive Illustrated Manual of Martial Arts”) and is published in 1795.

1800	Western merchant ships and men-of-war begin appearing off the Korean coast in greater numbers. Fearing the fate of China following the Opium War (1839-42), Korea continuously rejects Western demands for trade and diplomatic opening.
1839	The First Opium War (1839 - 1842) also known as the Anglo-Chinese Wars begins. It is the result of a trade dispute between China under the Qing Dynasty and the United Kingdom. British smuggling of Opium from British India into China attempts to restructure the severe unbalance of trade between the two nations, resulting in attempts by the Chinese government to enforce its drug laws.
1844	YMCA first founded in London by George Williams.
1850	The Taiping Rebellion breaks out in China. Led by HONG Xiuquan, the "Taiping Heavenly Kingdom" is an exotic interpretation of Christian and Biblical beliefs resulting in Hong being identified as the "younger brother of Jesus". With its capital at Nanjing, the revolt will spread across China promoting a fanatic belief in a corrupted form of Christianity. It will take eleven years, until 1864, before the governmental Chinese troops, with much help from European advisors and troops will quell the revolt. Most notable among the advisors is General Charles George Gordon (Jan 28, 1833 - Jan 26, 1885) who will earn the name "Chinese Gordon" for his efforts, by which he is identified with a heroic death years later in Sudan.
1853	Commodore Matthew C. Perry, US Navy, sails into Tokyo Bay and demands the opening of trade and diplomatic relations between US and Japan. Japan signs treaties with other Western powers (1858 on).
1853
1855	World Alliance of YMCAs created.
1856	The Second Opium War begins (1856 - 1860) The result of a resurgence of trade disputes between China under the Qing Dynasty and the United Kingdom. British smuggling of Opium from British India into China attempts to restructure the severe unbalance of trade between the two nations, resulting in attempts by the Chinese government to enforce its drug laws. China's defeat in both wars forced the government to tolerate the opium trade. The United Kingdom coerced the government into signing Unequal Treaties, opening several ports to foreign trade and yielding Hong Kong to Britain. The British also gained extraterritorial rights. Several countries followed Britain and forced unequal terms of trade onto China. This humiliation at the hand of foreign powers contributed to the Taiping Rebellion (1850-1864), the Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901), and the downfall of the Qing Dynasty in 1911.
1858	In 1858, Russia gains nominal control over a huge tract of land called Outer Manchuria thanks to the Supplementary Treaty of Beijing that ended the Second Opium War.
1864	King Kojong enthroned at the age of twelve. His father, TAEWON-GUN (Yi Ha-Ung; 1801-1898), rules as the de facto regent..
1866	Korea launches an anti-foreign campaign focused on the growing Catholic missionary activity. Korea closes its doors to Western Powers. Foreign warships create sporadic incidents off the Korean coast.
1866	August, 1866 - The USS General Sherman, a US merchant ship under the command of a Captain W.B. Preston, arrives near Pyongyang to “establish trade relations with the ‘hermit kingdom.’” Despite messages from the provincial governor rebuffing their solicitation, the ship continues up the Ta Tong River towards Pyongyang. With agitation among the populace growing, the ship’s crew of 19 seizes a local Korean official precipitating an intermittent fire-fight between the crew and the populace for four days. In the end the ship was set afire and the crew was hacked to death as they fled the burning hull. Their remains were later cremated.
1868	Tokugawa Shogunate in Japan ends with the restoration of the emperor (“Meiji Restoration”). Japan begins to implement internal political and economic reforms, partly designed to strengthen Japan against foreign incursions. Legal class distinctions abolished (1869). Universal male military conscription established (1873). Japan becomes increasingly militaristic towards Korea for numerous reasons, including (a) the “political necessity of finding an outlet for the energies” of the samurais affected by the Meiji Restoration, (b) to acquire a captive market for Japanese consumer goods, (c) to preempt Russian encroachment in Korea, and (d) chauvinistic impulse of the Restoration leaders to expand the Japanese Empire. “Mutsuhito”, Emperor Meiji, “heaven-descended, divine and sacred”, ruler of Japan, born in 1852, succeeded to the throne at the age of fifteen. He is restored to the throne of Japan as the ruling sovereign of the Japanese people. The Meiji Restoration of 1868 was a final act in a process of decline for the warrior class of Japan that began with the introduction of European firearms and cannon in the 16th century. Such firepower superannuated years of training, individual combat and power that resided with an elite class. At a slow but steady rate the samurai warrior class, and the carrying of swords, were totally abolished following the Restoration in 1876. By extension, such practices as Ken jutsu (also known as “gekken”) fell into disrepute for their impotence against modern firearms and as undesirable relics of an oppressive military past.
1871	May 1871 - An American Expeditionary Force is sent to Korea under US Admiral John Rodgers on the flagship frigate USS Colorado, and in the company of the USS Alaska, USS Benica, USS Palos and USS Monocacy brings Frederick F Low, its foreign minister in China to Korea. Low is empowered to establish a trade treaty with Korea and investigate the loss of the USS General Sherman. Negotiations are unproductive and hostilities breakout as the US ships attempt to take soundings in the KANGHWA Strait . 350 Korean soldiers are killed during the fight, as US Marines capture Ch’ojijin Fortress on Kanghwa Island (June 10, 1871). Weapons found in the fort included some 30 or more smaller guns destroyed, along with half a dozen 18-pounders and two 32-pounders. The Marines spiked the larger guns and tossed the smaller ones over the walls and into the mud beds below. Stores of enemy powder, provisions, and clothing were burned, and the walls were torn down. The US warships then depart to China.
1873	Japan begins to debate the policy of "Subdue Korea" in the Japanese government. Ultra-nationalist elements in the Japanese government are keen to establish a "sphere of influence" in the Pacific Rim nations after the fashion of the legations established by various European nations in China. Pressures mount to modernize the Korean army and police after the fashion of changes occurring in the Japanese military and police as Western technology is absorbed.
1876	Japan takes advantage of internal political turmoil in Korea to provoke a military incident off the Korean coast (September 20, 1875). The incursion of the Japanese navel vessel, "Un'yo" clearly points up the deficiencies of the Korean muskets against the modern Japanese rifles. Following Western “gunboat diplomacy” tactics, Gen. Kuroda Kiyotaka is dispatched to Korea with three warships and 800 troops. Japan forces Korea to sign the Kanghwa Treaty (Korea-Japan Friendship Treaty of 1876) which, among other things, requires Korea to open Pusan and two other ports to Japan, allows Japanese vessels to survey Korean coastal waters at will, and establishes (in Korea) Japanese settlements where Japanese residents are subject to Japanese, and not Korean, laws.
1880	First YMCA in Japan , Tokyo YMCA founded.
1880	Tung Sung Nee born in Wu Pei Province, China. Having earned his living as security for caravans and as a body guard, he will join the Chinese military in 1910 and be appointed chief of Scouts for the First Chinese Combat Division. Following an stellar career, he will retire in 1934 and will dedicate the balance of his life, until his death in 1971, to refining the Chinese art of Seizing and Holding (CHIN NA) from a simple collect of disparate techniques to a cohesive curriculum of 72 techniques to produce the Modern art of CHIN NA known today.
1880	Korea sends missions to Japan. Discussions regarding internal reform heat up. There is a growing perception that Korea needs Western technology and greater contact with foreign powers.
1881	HIRAOKA Kitaro born. Along with TOYAMA Mitsuru (1882-1944) founded the BLACK OCEAN Society an ultra-nationalist Japanese organization which will express its fervor by dedication to espionage and clandestine operations on behalf of the Japanese government.
1881	May, 1881 - King Kojong hires Japanese Lt. Horimoto Reizo to train the PYOLGIGUM, or "Special Skills Force" to march and shoot in European fashion. The Royal Bodyguards rebel at the preferential treatment accorded this special unit. They rebel in July, 1882, Lt. Reizo is killed and the Special Force is disbanded.
1882	Chinese military advisors under a cadre of Chinese officers led by Wu Chang Ching institute a training program for the Korean army. Included in this effort are 1,000 rifles, 2 cannon and 10,000 rounds of ammunition.
1882	Korea signs a series of treaties with Western powers, beginning with the US. (Korean-American Treaty, 1882). The United States officially establishes diplomatic relations with Korea on May 22, 1882, when commodore Robert W. Schufeldt negotiates and signes the Treaty of Peace, Amity, Commerce and Navigation at Chemulpo (present-day Incheon). This was the second such treaty Korea signed with any country, first with Japan, and the first treaty Korea signed with a Western country. This treaty would set in motion a chain of events that eventually led to the first wave of Korean immigration to Hawaii in 1903. Korea dispatches envoys to US, with the general aim of cementing US-Korean ties and to obtain American advisers, teachers, and loans. Korean delegates meet the US president in New York and tour manufacturing facilities in major New England cities (1883). Treaties with Britain , Germany , Italy , Russia , France , and Austria-Hungary follow. In response to the Korean government’s policies of enlightenment, anti-foreign opposition by some members of the ruling elite increases. Opponents of greater openness urge Korea to “reject heterodoxy in defense of orthodoxy”: Koreans must accept neo-Confucianism as the sole value system of belief, and keep all other civilizations or values based on any other ideology off the Korean soil. The TAEWON-GUN plots to return to power by capitalizing on isolationist, anti-foreign sentiments.
1882	Taking advantage of the growing anti-foreign backlash and Queen Min’s increasing unpopularity, TAEWON-GUN returns to power following rioting by some mutinous troops. Using the riots and the political disturbances in Korea as an excuse, Japan dispatches troops and warships to Korea. In response, China too sends ground troops to Korea. Chinese troops seize the men responsible for the rioting and abduct TAEWON-GUN. King Kojong returns to power. Japan signs the Chemulpo Treaty with Korea, allowing Japanese troops to be stationed in Seoul to “protect” the Japanese legation there. China and Japan jockey to control Korean politics.
1882	Osaka YMCA founded.
1883	Japanese accept 40 Korean candidates for enrollment in various Japanese schools of commerce and technology. Half of this number are also enrolled in the Toyama Military Academy to be trained as officers for duty in the future Korean army.
1883	In May 1883, Lucius H. Foote arrived in Seoul as the first United States Minister to the Kingdom of Korea, the Chosun dynasty. At the urging of Minister Foote, King Kojong (1852-1919) dispatched the first diplomatic mission to the United States in 1883, headed by MIN Yeong-Ik, who was generously received by President Chester A. Arthur and toured the United States for three months, observing the modern institutions and installations. Diplomatic Dispatches to the Secretary of State dating from March 13, 1883 to December 6, 1905 are archived in 22 volumes designated as Record Group 59; General Records of the Department of State.
1884	In September 1884, Dr. Horace N. Allen arrives in Korea as the first Protestant missionary and was allowed to stay in Seoul under the pretense of being a physician to the American Legation.
1884	14 Korean candidates from the Toyama Military Academy return to Korea and demonstrate their new military skills for the Korean King in July 1884. The Chinese influence has been reduced to 1500 men from its original 3,000 and the United States is approached regarding the sending of Admiral Shufeldt as an advisor to the Korean army "where 4,000 stand at arms".
1884	In December 1884, an unsuccessful coup, known as Kapshin jeongbyeo, was attempted by a group of aristocratic reformers (the “Progressives”, members of the “Enlightenment Party”) advocating “enlightenment thought” (“kaehwa sasang”) in part aimed at driving the Chinese out of Korea. The young reformers advocate rapid political, legal, and social change patterned after the Meiji Restoration, in contrast to the gradualist approach advocated by those who wanted to preserve traditional Korean values while mastering foreign technology (“Eastern ways, western machines”). . When the coup attempt failes, its leaders, such as Kim Okkyun, Pak Yeonghyo, and Seo Jaepil (later Philip Jaisohn), seek refuge in Japan. By miraculously saving the life of Min Young-Ik, a nephew of Queen Min, who is seriously wounded during the coup attempt, Horace Allen begins to gain confidence and trust of King Kojong and Queen Min. China and Japan come close to starting a war in Korea. Fighting is averted, and each side agrees not to introduce troops into Korea without notifying the other side (Tientsin Treaty, 1885).
1884
1887	First electrical lighting system installed at the Kyongbok Palace (Seoul), through the Edison Lamp Company.
1887	The Japanese Police Revolt of 1887 was due in no small part to the abreaction of the former military elite resisting reform suggested by the influence of Western culture. The police had established the Batto-tai (“Drawn-sword Unit”) during the 1877 Satsuma Rebellion, though their established style, “Keishicho Ryu” (“Police Department Style”) was codified in 1886 from the efforts of outstanding Kenshi, representing various Ryu, who had been hired by the department in 1880. A set of ten unique kata, or sword forms (“Keishicho Gekkan Kata”), from six different existing styles of the day , were later the inspiration for the Dai Nippon Butokukai Kendo Kata in 1906.
1888	TOYAMA Kanken (1888-1966) (also known as Oyadomari Kanken) was born on September 24th in Shuri, Okinawa,Osaka.
1890	YMCA language education started with Tokyo YMCA's English night school.
1890	Inner Manchuria came under strong Russian influence in the 1890s with the building of the Chinese Eastern Railway through Harbin to Vladivostok.
1890	In the 1890-s, with increasing Chinese influence, pro-Chinese members of Queen Min’s clan strengthen their power. Korea ’s financial problems worsen, and wide-ranging reforms can no longer be carried out. There is perception that the government is growing increasingly incompetent and corrupt -- Government offices are often for sale, tax levies increase, and the civil service examination system is corrupted, in some cases to benefit the Min clan. Japanese businesses (operating from open ports in Korea ) increase in number and influence. Korean traders are squeezed out, while peasants face increasing tax burden.
1890	Augustine Heard, US Consul General to Korea (1890-93).
1894	The TONGHAK Peasant Army rebels seek to dethrone the Min clan and drive out the Japanese from Korea. The Korean government asks China, its traditional ally, to help quell the rebellion. China sends troops to Korea . Japan responds by dispatching its own troops to Korea . Japanese troops land on Inchon, Korea in June 1894.
1894	Chinese and Japanese troops stationed in Korea clash. Japanese troops seize the Korean royal palace and spark the Sino-Japanese War. Korean soldiers are mobilized to carry supplies for Japanese troops. Tosan [Chang-ho Ahn] was almost sixteen (16) at that time and saw with his own eyes the Japanese and Chinese troops fighting hand to hand in Pyongyang . More importantly, he saw the devastating effects of the struggle, the deserted city . . . the houses and even historical remains destroyed. The question loomed in his mind, as it did in the minds of almost all thinking Koreans, how was it that insular Japan could check and turn back the armies of [China] . . . and what was wrong with Korea that its government could do nothing but stand by helplessly and watch these two nations fight their battle on Korean soil . . . ."
1894	King Kojong is presented with 106 reform measures (Kabo Reforms) in September 1894. Among these are the establishment of a royal guard (CHINWIGUM) staffed by Japanese-trained non-commissioned officers.
1895	In April, 1895 the Dai Nippon Butokukai, or “All Japan Martial Virtue Society” had been established by civilian enthusiasts of various traditional Japanese arts such as Archery, Ju-jutsu and Ken-jutsu. The kata or methods of some 200 ken-jutsu schools of the Tokugawa period united under this one approach. At that time, three Kamae (postures) were established including “gedan no kamae”, “chudan no kamae” and “jodan no kamae.” Among the styles of sword recognized at the time was Shinto Munen Ryu under various masters such as Watanabe Noburo, Shibae Umpachiro, and Negishi Shigoro, Jikishin Kage Ryu under Abe Morie and Tokuno Kansiro, Musashi Ryu under Mihashi Kanichiro and Kyoshin Mechi Ryu under Sakabe Daisaku. In Kyoto Prefecture, Mr. Chiaki Watanabe, at that time the governor, was made chairman of the organization, a placement which came to be customary for the governors of other prefectures to which the organization spread and opened branches. As might be expected, then, when expanded to Korea in 1896, the Dai Nippon Butokukai (DNBK), Choson-bu (Korean Branch) under Nakamura, Tokichi, probably, likewise, was intended to provid cultural underpinnings to the increasing number of Japanese nationals who were entering Korea at the behest of their government.
1895	Japan defeats China and drives out Chinese troops from Korea . Japan and China sign the Treaty of Shimonoseki, (April 1895) which affirms Korea’s “independent sovereign state” status (i.e., officially repudiating Korea ’s historical role as a tributary state of China ). The Korean government begins to institute reform measures (“Kabo Reforms of 1894”) under the Japanese “guidance.” Pro-Japanese and pro-Russian factions battle to control the Korean government.
1895	Pro-Japanese reformers control the Korean royal palace. Queen Min supports closer ties to Russia, the remaining rival power to Japan in the Far East. Japanese agents assassinate Queen Min on the palace grounds in an attempt to weaken Russian influence in Korea . Japanese agents break into the Gyeongbok Palace through the Geoncheong-gung north of the Hyangwon-jeong pavilion, where the king and queen are sleeping. The Japanese enter through Gwanghwa-mun -- the front gate of the palace -- passing to the left of Gyeonghoe-ru pavilion and enter the Geoncheong-gung. The King Gojong resides in the Geoncheong-gung's Jangan-dang hall, while Empress Myeongseong lives in the Gol-lyeong-hap hall. Having found the empress in one of these rooms, the killers then drag her to the palace courtyard between the two halls and kill her with their swords. The killers then move her body to a room east of the Gol-lyeong-hap hall and put it briefly on display. The agents then take the body to an artificial hill, south of what is now the National Folk Museum, and burn it. As reported by Horace N Allen, US Minister in his dispatch (#363) dated June 11, 1901: "After the China-Japan war, (General William Dye; resides in Korea 1888 to 1899) was placed in charge of the palace guard, with two foreign assistants and he remaining in this charge during and for a few months after, the murder of the Queen on Oct. 8, 1895."
1896	Pro-Russian and Pro-American Korean government officials smuggle King Kojong and the crown prince out of the palace to the Russian legation in Seoul. Pro-Japanese officers and cabinet members are murdered or flee to Japan . Russian military and financial advisors assume an important role. Russia and US gain special business and trade concessions.
1896	Philip Jaisohn, on of the leaders of the failed coup of 1884, returnes to Korea from the United States. He starts a newspaper Dongnip Shinmun with an English title of The Independence. Philip Jaisohn organizes the Independence Club (Tongnip Hyeophoe; 1897), a civic organization for reforms, to which many young reform-minded people (including Syngman Rhee) joined. It promotes the ideas of popular democracy, freedom, and nationalism, which Jaisohn learned while attending college in the United States. He is the main mover of the Independence Arch (Tongnipmun) project that was erected in Seoul to promote the idea of Korean independence.
1896	As part of the reform of the national Korean police indicated by the Kabo Reforms of 1894, cadets at the KYONGMUCHONG or Police Academy are required to learn "kyok gom" (J. "gekki ken"; aka "kenjutsu") or "combat swordsmanship as one of its training subjects.
1897	Korean is proclaimed as the "Empire of the Great Han" on October 12, 1897, with Kojong as the Emperor.
1897	TOYAMA Kanken began his formal training in karate-do under Master Itarashiki in 1897. Later, he apprenticed himself to ITOSU Anko, who then became his primary teacher and inspirational guide.
1898	Independence Association members assume prominent role in the Korean Privy Council, Korea’s first modern legislative assembly. King Kojong, fearing a coup, arrests the members of the Club and bans political meetings.
1899	1899(July 21-Lunar Calendar)- CHOI Yong Sul is born in a small mountain village in northern Chungchung-Province, South Korea. His year of birth is recorded as 1904.

1901	Student Christian Movement in Japan not only played a vital role in the formation of student movement but also helped in the formation of World Student Christian Federation. As early as 1870, there were attempts to form student movement, "Believers in Jesus" was one of such attempts. In 1888 Student YMCA movement was founded. In 1901, the Japan city YMCA alliance was set up and was merged with the student YMCA alliance in 1903 to become the National Council of YMCAs of Japan.