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ViewsKoreaFrom The Martial Arts EncyclopediaJump to:navigation, search
Korean martial arts (Korean: Musul (무술 hanja: 武術) or Muye (무예 hanja:武藝)) are the various martial arts that originated in or were adapted and modified by Korea. The best known are Taekwondo and Hapkido, although there has been a revival of Korean sword arts as well as knife fighting and archery.
[edit] OriginsMuch of Korea's martial heritage was lost during the 1910-45 Japanese occupation of Korea. This was primarily due to two factors: 1) at some point during the occupation the Japanese forbade the practice of Korean martial arts; 2) during the late Joseon period traditional Korean martial arts were not popular because neo-Confucian doctrine advocated academics rather than martial practice. After the Japanese occupation new Korean martial arts like hapkido and taekwondo blossomed and interest in Korea's own ancient martial traditions grew. [edit] Early Korean martial artsMartial arts have existed in Korea since the earliest ages. During the Goguryeo (고구려) dynasty it is believed that subak (수박/手搏, a general term for barehand martial arts imported from China (pronounced Shoubo)), swordsmanship, spear-fighting and horse riding were practiced. Paintings showing martial arts were found in 1935 on the walls of royal tombs, believed to been built for Goguryeo kings, sometime between 3 and 427 CE. Which techniques were practiced during that period is however something that cannot be determined from these paintings. Subak is mentioned in government records from the Goguryeo dynasty through the Joseon (or Yi) dynasty (조선왕조, 1392-1910). [edit] Subak and TaekkyonIt is believed that the warriors from the Silla (신라) Dynasty (57 BCE–668 CE) learned subak from the neighboring Goguryeo armies when they appealed for their help against invading Japanese pirates. Practicing subak became part of the training for Silla's hwarang (화랑) warriors and this contributed to the spread of subak on the Korean peninsula. But again we do not know exactly which techniques the hwarang warriors practiced. Quite often Buddhist monks who added more spiritual aspects to the art instructed the hwarang warriors. Their greatest contribution to the development of Korean martial arts is probably adding a spiritual dimension to the training practices, something that Korean martial arts lacked before. It is safe to assume that empty-hand fighting only played a small role and that most of the emphasis was on armed fighting, something which is true for the development of martial arts until modern times. It has only been recently that empty-hand fighting has gained more popularity than armed fighting.
Image:Dae-Kwae-Do.jpg Dae Kwae Do Subak split into two separate martial arts, taekkyon (택견) and yusul (유술), probably in the last years of the Goryeo dynasty or the early years of the Joseon Dynasty. It is believed that many techniques were lost at this time. Joseon Dynasty records and books often mention taekgyeon. And taekkyon players are found on several paintings from that era. The most famous painting probably being the Dae Kwae Do (대괘도 hanja(*): 大快圖), painted in 1846 by Hyesan Yu Suk (혜산 유숙, 1827-1873), which shows men competing in both ssireum (씨름) and taekkyon. [edit] Martial Art ManualsDuring the Imjin War (임진왜란, 1592-1598), Korean armies fought off a Japanese invasion. The Japanese had imported guns from Portugal and wanted to conquer the mainland. With Chinese assistance, the Koreans turned back the invaders, but at a heavy loss of men and cultural heritage. It was also during this war that the famous turtle ships (Geobukson, 거북선) were used by the famous general Yi Sun-sin. These ships were covered with an iron shield, much like the shell of turtle, which could withstand the gun attacks of the Japanese. [edit] Modern Korean martial artsThe history of every modern Korean martial art starts after the occupation and was heavily influenced by Japanese martial arts. These Japanese arts were introduced to Korea during the occupation or brought to Korea by Koreans who had studied in Japan. After the occupation, Korean masters claimed linkage to traditional Korean martial arts like subak and denied any connection with Japanese martial arts, mostly because of the bitterness Korean felt for the Japanese, especially in the first few decades after the occupation. Some Koreans claim that historically Japanese martial arts came from Korea and thus all Japanese martial arts should be viewed as traditionally Korean. Just as the Japanese turned the martial techniques in older ages into something distinctively Japanese, so too did the Koreans take the Japanese arts and turn them into something that suited their needs. Although martial arts like taekwondo (태권도) and tangsudo (당수도) have their roots in Japanese karate, they have taken their own route of development and transformed into quite unique Korean martial arts. In a same manner hapkido (합기도) developed itself from Japanese Daito Ryu (大東流), but also with influences from traditional Korean and Chinese martial arts, into a distinctively Korean martial art. [edit] Martial artsIn the late 19th - Early 20th Century, Koreans were exposed to Japanese versions of Chinese martial arts such as Shotokan karate. A great deal of systemization of martial arts came from Japan to Korea during Japan's colonization of Korea through outlawing traditional Korean practices and only allowing the Japanese education system to be lawful. Even with the ban on Korean practices some Koreans were able to influence Japan's martial art style, most notably Choi Yeong-Eui, who practiced martial arts in Korea at an extremely young age then moved to Japan and began learning Shotokan karate from Gichin Funakoshi at age 15, then later as an adult he developed Kyokushin karate. Other Korean students in Japan also studied Japanese martial arts. A number were students of Funakoshi. Their mastery of karate led to its modification, developing a new martial art which incorporated Taekyon-style kicks called Taekwondo. Also at the same time, many Koreans studied martial arts in neighboring Manchuria and China. After the 1945 liberation, Korean martial artists made conscious efforts to re-establish Korean martial arts and distance themselves from the influence of Japanese occupation, including incorporating or preserving what remained of traditional Korean arts. Choi Yong Sul came back from Japan after the war and started teaching a style, which he said he had learned form Sokaku Takeda. He called his style Yawara, but it was later renamed to Hapki Yusool and again renamed to hapkido. Students of Choi Yong Sul like Ji Han Jae helped to spread this art. Hapkido helped re-vitalize traditional Korean martial arts by providing the systemization and becoming incorporated into the other martial art styles. This process complemented modern Korean martial arts like Kuk Sool Won and Hwarangdo. Many modern Korean martial arts have been influenced by both traditional and imported Korean martial arts, while some have also relied on manual like the Mu Ye Je Bo (무예제보), written in 1599 and the Mu Ye Do Bo Tong Ji (무예도보통지) written in 1791. The Mu Ye Che Bo was compiled in order to help repell the Japanese invasion of Korea during the Seven Year War. Later it was re-edited and named the Mu Ye Sin Bo (무예신보) and eventually revised again in 1791. These manuals primary focus on battle field tactics and techniques. Only the Mu Ye Do Bo Tong Ji contains a chapter about unarmed fighting, called Kwon Bub (권법). There are also many Korean modern martial arts that are recompilations or reorganizations of techniques from traditional or imported arts. Many of the arts here visually appear to have more of a Chinese influence than other Korean martial arts (except for Taekyon). Others have been influenced by boxing or other Western influences as well. Additionally, it is not clear who created these arts in the first place in their most ancient form - often, exponents of Korean martial arts argue that Korea in fact created these arts in ancient times, which then passed over to Japan, and then were later re-imported back to Korea. Historically, many cultural features, including Chinese calligraphy, Buddhism, pottery techniques, city design, and political systems, were transmitted from China to Korea, and in modified form, retransmitted to Japan, which further modified them. As with other adjacent cultures, constant borrowings and adaptations in various directions make claims of origin very difficult to prove using only fragmentary evidence. The forms of martial arts which today can be viewed as being a traditional Korean martial art (as opposed to modern Korean martial arts) is taekkyon and a handful of other Martial arts such as Subyokchigi, Mudokkwan Subakdo and various weapon and archery martial arts as well as Buddhist Martial arts such as Seonmudo and wrestling such as Ssireum. Taekkyon is also the only Korean martial arts which received that status of 'intangible cultural asset' (no. 76) from the Korean government. [edit] Teaching methodsModern Korean martial arts systemization and presentation are very similar to modern Japanese martial arts, i.e. barefoot, with uniforms, classes executing techniques simultaneously following the teacher's commands, and sometimes, showing respect to portraits of the founder by bowing to the picture or national flags. Many modern Korean martial arts also make use of colored belts to denote rank, tests to increase in rank, and the use of Korean titles when denoting the teacher. These include:
These Korean terms are based on Confucian rank systems (with the same Chinese characters). Many schools also make use of Korean terminology and numbers during practice. [edit] TerminologyKorean martial arts are usually practiced in a dojang (도장/道場) which can also be referred to as cheyukkwan (체육관/體育館, i.e. gymnasium). The practitioners wear a dobok (도복/道服) with a belt or ti (띠) wrapped around it. This belt usually shows which grade the practitioner has. A student usually starts of with a white belt and through a range of colored belts (which differ from style to style) finally gets his or her black belt. The grades before black belt are gups (급/級) while the grades from black belt on are dans (단/段). Some styles use stripes on the black belt to show which dan the practitioner has. It is common for a system to have 9 gups and 9 dans. While it might only take a few months to go from gup to gup, it can take years to go from one dan to the other. Note that most of the above terms are identical to those used in similar Japanese styles (such as karate), but with the Chinese characters read in Korean pronunciation, with a few exceptions (dobok and ti have been altered to fit the Korean language). In some styles, like taekkyon, the hanbok is worn instead of a dobok. The v-neck that many taekwondo uniforms have, was supposedly fashioned after the hanbok. [edit] Styles of Korean martial arts
[edit] See also[edit] External links
[edit] References<references/>
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