Disclosed is a method of identifying a parameter of a characteristic of a muscle, and walking assistance apparatuses and method based on the method. The method of identifying a parameter of a characteristic of a muscle includes estimating a first torque of a joint based on an electromyogram (EMG) signal, estimating a second torque of the joint based on motion data, and identifying a parameter of a characteristic of a muscle associated with the joint based on the first torque and the second torque.