Kuk Sool Won is a comprehensive Korean martial arts system founded by In Hyuk Suh in 1958. The name Kuk Sool Won translates to "National Martial Art" and it is currently taught worldwide with hundreds of registered schools. Founded as martial arts system and not a martial arts style, Kuk Sool Won is generally not limited to any single discipline. The martial art system attempts to be a complete study of all Korean martial arts.

Characteristics

Kuk Sool Won encompasses many different "styles." However it still has some discernable characteristics that set it apart from other traditional martial arts. Kuk Sool Won is typically characterized by having low stances and fluid, graceful motions. There is also an emphasis on joint locks and pressure points. Kuk Sool Won is also described as being a hard-soft style, which includes hard and forceful strikes in addition to circular and fluid movements.

Techniques

Kuk Sool won is comprised of (but not limited to) the following sets of techniques:

• Hand Striking: Palm, fist, wrist, finger, closed hand, open hand, arm, shoulder and pressure point striking techniques.

• Leg Techniques: Spinning, jumping, combination, double leg, and pressure point kicks.

• Throwing and Grappling: Body throws, projection throws, leg throws, pressure point grappling, grappling defense, wrestling, and ground fighting techniques.

• Falling Techniques: Conditioning, protection, defensive and offensive techniques.

• Animal-Style Techniques: Tiger, Mantis, Crane, Dragon, Snake, Eagle etc.

• Traditional Korean Weapons: Sword (short, long, single and double, straight and inverted), staff (short, middle and long, single and double), jool bong (double and triple sectioned; also known as nunchucks and sansetsukon), spear, cane, rope, and fan.

• Martial Art Healing Methods: Acupressure, acupuncture, internal energy, herbal medicine.

• Meditation and Breathing Techniques: Meditation and breathing postures and concentration techniques

Belt Ranks

Kuk Sool Won uniforms include a belt which indicates rank and length of study of Kuk Sool Won. The belt color progression from beginner to instructor is:

• White - Huin Di
• Yellow - No-Ran Di
• Blue - Cheong Di
• Red - Hong Di
• Brown - Ja Di
• Brown/black - Dahn Boh Nim
• Black (1st degree) - Jo Kyo Nim

Individual schools may also issue stripes of the next belt level, notably at the brown belt level. These stripes indicate proficiency in some of the requirements needed to attain the next rank. Between brown and black belt is an intermediary stage where the student is required to gain at least 10 black stripes before advancing to Jo Kyo Nim. Each student must have been studying for at least 3 years before advancing to Jo Kyo Nim.

At black belt there are 10 levels:

• 1st degree - Jo Kyo Nim
• 2nd degree - Kyo Soh Nim
• 3rd degree - Pu Sah Bum Nim
• 4th degree - Sah Bum Nim
• 5th to 8th degree - Kwang Jang Nim
• 9th degree - Chong Kwang Jang Nim
• 10th degree - Kuk Sa Nim

History

Ancient History

Kuk Sool Won has a strong foundation and history based on the traditional and ancient martials arts from the Korean peninsula. The three branches of traditional Korean martial arts which comprise the basis of Kuk Sool Won and are:

• Sah Doh Mu Sool (Tribal or Family martial Arts) is the earliest form of martial arts developed in Korea; meaning tribal, clan, or family martial arts, as this type of martial art was mainly passed down from one generation to the next. SahDoh MuSool was popular among the ancient tribes, city-states and smaller kingdoms that formed in the Korean Peninsula and parts of what is now China. This was evident well before the first unified Korean kingdom of Ko-Cho Sun which was founded in 2333 BC by the legendary king, DahnGoon WahngGuhm. Later, SahDoh MuSool was further developed and made widespread by voluntary militias comprised of the common people, who often fought in battles to defend their villages.

Traditional athletic activities such as Taekkyon, and Ssireum are considered to have originated from SahDoh MuSool.

• Bool Kyo Mu Sool (Buddhist Temple Martial Arts) has been practiced by Buddhist monks throughout Asia. In China, the famous Shaolin Monks developed techniques and forms based on their observations of animals. Buddhist monks originally developed and then practiced BoolKyo MuSool to improve their health while meditating and to defend themselves while traveling. As a result, Buddhist martial arts include both internal training, with emphasis on special breathing and meditation methods, as well as external training, with emphasis on extremely effective self-defense techniques. Many Buddhist monks were so accomplished as martial artists that they were occasionally called upon during national emergencies to fight in battles by forming unprecedented armies of warrior monks^.

Today, the tenants of Bool Kyo Mu Sool are prevalent in Kuk Sool as they help teach practitioners meditation skills and the philosophies of non-violence and compassion for all living things.

• Koong Joong Mu Sool (Royal Court Martial Arts) is unique to Kuk Sool Won. Some of the weapons used in Kuk Sool Won were a part of the traditional daily court life. The rope or sash, cane, fan, and short sword were all used among members of the Korean Royal court. There were also many unique open handed and joint-locking principles of Koong Joong Mu Sool that are used extensively in Kuk Sool Won. Weapon training in Kuk Sool Won is very extensive involving 24 different weapons in its curriculum (see Weapons of Kuk Sool Won)

Modern History

1910-1945 Japanese Occupation

Kuk Sool's modern history can be indirectly traced to the dissolution of the Korean Royal Court and the Japanese occupation in 1910. During this period almost all aspects of Korean culture were suppressed by the Japanese government, including the teaching of Korean martial arts. Those caught practicing Korean martial arts were serverly punished and many leading Korean martial arts instructors were forced into hiding.

Among them was Myung Duk Suh, In Hyuk Suh's grandfather and head martial arts instructor to the Korean Royal court before it was dissolved by the Japanese. Prior 1910, the elder Suh taught three types of Korean martial arts: kwan sool, a kicking and hard punching style; yu sool, a soft style with emphasis on locking and throwing techniques; and yu-kwan, a combination which could be either hard or soft, but never used force against force.

Despite the Japanese invasion, the Suh family continued its 16 generation tradition of practicing and teaching martial arts in extreme secrecy. In Hyuk Suh, was chosen by his grandfather to carry on this family legacy.

1945-1961 In Hyuk Suh's Training

By the time he was 20 years old, In Hyuk Suh had traveled to hundreds of Buddhist temples and private martial arts teachers, studying many aspects of Korean martial arts. During this intensive training-period Suh learned special breathing skills, mediation techniques and internal power (ki) knowledge, which is taught extensively in Kuk Sool schools across the globe.

In the late 1950's In Hyuk Suh began to integrate the many scattered martial art techniques of Korea into a single martial art, Kuk Sool Won. Suh officially founded Kuk Sool Won in 1961.

1961-Present Organization and Instruction

In 1974, when Kuk Sool Won in Korea was becoming well known by the public, In Hyuk Suh brought his martial art to the United States. Currently the World Kuk Sool Association® headquarters is located in Houston, Texas. Kuk Sool Won is practiced all over the world, and has schools located in Korea, the United Kingdom, Canada, The Netherlands, the United States as well as many others. Official Kuk Sool Won tournaments are held every year all over the world, including the U.S. and European tournaments, and attract many competitors to each event. They are also famous in the Kuk Sool community for their outstanding Masters' Exhibitions.

Other Perspectives on the Source of Kuk Sool

Over the years differing versions of the sources of Kuk Sool have emerged. Early sources presenting conficting information on the source of this material include the writings of then Kuk Sool representative Kimm He-Young, the early statements of Seo In-Sun and the early writings of Suh himself, which present versions of events inconsistant with his later writings.

The first red Kuk Sool book published by Suh In-Hyuk never mentions his grandfather, who died when Suh was 12 years old, as a source for Royal Court Martial Arts which he studied. This fact was not mentioned until published in Suh and Jane Hallander's "Fighting Weapons of Korean Martial Arts" in 1988.

In Kimm He-Young's "Kuk Sool” it is written: "While compiling Kuk Sool techniques, he (Myung-Duk Suh) taught these arts to his grandson, In-hyuk Suh. Before the old master passed away in 1952, he handed down five compiled books of Kuk Sool to the young master Suh. They are: (1) Yu Sool; (2) Kwon Sool; (3) Yu Kwon Sool; (4) Whal Bub; (5) Hyul Bub.

"After his grandfather passed away, the young master searched other aspects of Korean Traditional Martial Arts for the next eight years from many other masters. These are some of the masters he studied under:

"1. Master Yong-Sool Choi: The young master visited many private martial arts schools and villages to study Tribal Martial Arts or private martial arts. One of the influencial [sic] in this area is master Yong-sool Choi. From master Choi, he received further education in Yu Sool.

"2. Hai Dong Seu Nim (The Great Monk of the East Sea): In order to learn Buddhist Martial Arts, the young master visited many temples throughout the country. One of his great teachers was Hai Dong Seu Nim. From this great monk, he learned Kwon Sool, Ki Bub (Ki Exercise) and breathing techniques.

"3. Master Tai-eui Wang: The young master also visited old masters of Royal Court Martial Arts. One of his teachers of this art was Master Tai-eui Wang. From master Wang, he learned Yu Kwon Sool"

Also according to Suh in the Kuk Sool Won Textbook: Volume 1 (Suh 1993:33) "Another of Master Suh's influential teachers was Yong Sool Choi, the founder of Korean Hapkido and a master of Korean tribal martial arts, as well.".

Oddly, Choi Yong-Sul never claimed to have studied native Korean "tribal arts" himself but rather claimed to have studied the Japanese system of Daito-ryu aikijujutsu having lived in Japan from age 8 to 42 during the Japanese colonial period. (1911-1945) Interestingly Choi Yong Sul and his students often referred to his art in its early years as yu sool (jujutsu) or yu kwon sool before settling on the name hapkido for the art.

Suh is also known to have had associations with members of Kim Moo Hong's Shin Moo kwan hapkido school in Seoul, especially with people like Kim Woo Tak and other senior members who founded the Kuk Sool Kwan school of hapkido predating suh's own efforts. Some claim that this is the source of Suh's technique rather than his having been a direct student of Choi's.