If one or both of the above stated conditions did not exist, it would have been impossible for the martial arts to survive. The grounds for this assertion become sufficiently clear if one takes a close look at the society and political structure of that time in Korean history. During the reign of Sunjo (14th King of Joseon Dynasty, 1567-1608), Han Kyo scientifically researched the secret techniques of Korea's traditional martial arts and compiled a book called Mu-yae Tong-ji (Comprehensive Manual of Martial Arts). He gave martial art instruction to more than 70 individuals so that the arts could be used against the Japanese invaders of that period. Perhaps this is the first recorded instance of a martial art training hall, or dojang, as they are known today.

As a result of the corrupt government at the end of the Joseon Dynasty, social chaos broke out everywhere. Korea found herself in a helpless position against the powerful foreign nations. In this situation, Korean martial arts flourished for a brief while, thanks to a few patriots who were aware of what was happening to their nation. However, the ancient classical weapons inevitably disappeared in the face of the modern weaponry (guns, cannons, etc.) and only the empty-handed martial arts seem to have stood out in the minds of the people.

Subakhui was still popular, but more as a folk game at festivals rather than a selection process for the armed forces. However, tournaments sponsored by the "Ue-hung-bu" (Organization of National Defense) were used to choose shield soldiers and guards. The Annals of Joseon Dynasty tell stories about Subakhui contests being ordered by local officials for selecting soldiers where. The ue-hung-bu ordered that any man who beat three other contestants in a Subakhui would automatically be selected as a shield solider or guard. Common people and slaves continued to practice Taekkyon and enter these events in the hope of defeating three opponents and being selected for the guard.

In foreign policy, King T'aejo followed the practice of his predecessors by attaching himself to the paramount power in China. The country adopted the name Choson (Chaohsien in Chinese) and, in 1395 AD T'aejo transferred the capital from Kaesong to the city of Hanyang, which is the modern day city of Seoul. By 1397 AD, the Joseon Dynasty was fully established both internally and externally and was to endure two major Japanese invasions, the fall of the Ming dynasty, the Manchu invasions, and the entire span of the Ch'ing Dynasty (1616-1909 AD).

With the accession of King T'aejo's grandson, King Sejong (1418-1450 AD), the Joseon Dynasty acquired its greatest monarch and entered its greatest period of culture and creativity. King Sejong was the wisest and the most humane of the Joseon monarchs. He was a firm believer in the Confucian doctrine that cultivation of the literary arts was the path to individual virtue. Among his many achievements, King Sejong sponsored the creation of the Korean alphabet "Hangul," the first indigenous Asian language to be independently developed and written with its own phonetic script. For the first time in their history, the Korean people had a convenient and efficient system for writing their language. Chinese works were translated into Korean making them available to a wider audience. Native Korean literature, long confined to folk songs and poetry, could now be written and preserved, leading to the birth of true Korean literature. King Sejong also sponsored the publication of the Confucian Classics using a moveable, metal type machine. Characters were printed in moveable type 50 years before the Gutenberg press was invented. Literature and the arts flourished, and the 16th century became known as "the century of the scholar."

Records of the practice of Taekkyon during the Joseon Dynasty are sparse. During this time, the art reverted to its former role as a recreational and fitness activity, with the exception that it was now practiced by the general population, not the nobility. Since Confucianism was the basis for the entire government, the purely intellectual arts rose in stature and the general policy was that of "favoring the arts and despising arms." With this prevailing attitude, martial arts fell into decline.

Some warriors were even banished and forced to take refuge in Buddhist temples. Taekkyon as an art became fragmented and diffused throughout the country, and its practice continued to decline until only incomplete remnants remained, but it did not die out.  It may be that, similar to Tai-chi in China, the more violent aspects of Taekkyon were disguised to preserve it from repression by despots. Although no organized instruction was available, what limited knowledge there was of Taekkyon was handed down from one generation to the next within individual families or from teacher to disciple, always in the greatest secrecy. During this time, Taekkyon was again referred to as Subak. This dismissal of the martial arts was to have severe repercussions for Korea by leaving it without adequate military leadership or trained forces to defend itself against attack.

Korean history never lingers in peace for any length of time. In the 1500's, Emperor Hideyoshi of Japan was in search of new worlds to conquer. He was preparing to invade China and he requested that the Korean government give free passage to his army. The Koreans refused, so in 1592 AD the emperor retaliated by dispatching one-hundred and fifty-thousand infantrymen (armed with muskets) to invade Korea. His plan was to sweep through the peninsula and then conquer China. Seven-hundred soldiers of the Gumsan region fought the Japanese using mostly only Subak.

Korea was completely taken by surprise. Because of the decline of its military, it was not powerful enough to stop Japan, so Japanese troops began to advance north towards Seoul. The Koreans were outnumbered and daunted by muskets, so the Japanese invaders easily took Pusan and eventually Seoul. However, the Korean people again refused to be conquered. Righteous armies of patriots, called "iybyon" (army of justice), composed of those who had kept the martial arts alive despite governmental disapproval, arose to defend their country. Using guerilla warfare tactics, they harassed the Japanese troops so effectively that they were forced to retreat to the south.