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The original was posted on /r/askhistorians by /u/TheArmouryCollection on 2023-07-18 00:32:30+00:00.
While doing research on the Imjin War involving Joseon Korea, Hideyoshi's Japan and Ming China, I stumbled upon a passage that started my whole curiosity between the differences between the martial cultures of the East Asian cultures:
"In reference to the martial arts of China, Japan and Korea, China is associated with the spear, Japan with the sword and Korea with the bow and arrow. Since ancient times, the three countries have experienced relationships that have alternated between confrontation and friendship while exchanging and absorbing many aspects of each other's cultures.
Nonetheless, the use of the spear by China, the sword by Japan, and the bow and arrow by Korea, are all rooted in the character of each country's people."
I've done some research on this period and my impression of the core of their differences are:
Joseon Korea had been at peace for hundreds of years, they had Central and Provincial armies but society in general was not martial. "The profession of arms has always been looked down upon as an inferior calling and so long as a living could be gained some other way the army has been shunned" (The History of Korea, Hubert)
Hideyoshi's Japan had been at war with itself for two hundred years and so the people were martial and warlike - but divided into clan identities rather than the cultural identity of being homogonous 'Japanese' and was far less unified than Korea or China - rather understandably, given they had been fighting each other for whole lifetimes.
Ming China had to maintain a Northern army against the nomads and Southern Army against Japanese pirates. Soldiers were hereditary from military households or drafted and serving in the military was not considered a glorious occupation, so the martial arts were not venerated.
Anyone have any thoughts / fill in anything I'm missing?