Modern history of Kuk Sool Won™ from 1910

(by Suh Suhng Sool)

1910 was a sad time in Korean history. For the first time in its 5000 year history, Korea lost its sovereignty as an independent state when it was forced to hand over all its foreign affairs to the Japanese emperor. Some say this defeat was caused by Korea's inability to produce and use modern weapons and not by Korean lack of martial arts knowledge or skill. After all, for the past 5000 years Korean martial arts knowledge and skills had enabled them to maintain independence through many wars with Japan and China.

During Japan's occupation of Korea (1910 - 1945) many Japanese martial art techniques were brought to Korea, including Aikido, Karate Do, Gum Do and several other variations. We mention this point about Japan's martial art techniques coming to Korea only to emphasise the fact that Kuk Sool (Korean National Martial Art) is not of Japanese or Chinese origin, but a product of Korea's 5000 year history. This is not to imply that martial art influences upon Korea, China and Japan did not occur during the course of history. Most probably all three countries influenced each others martial arts at different periods in history.

Modern day Kuk Sool history begins in 1910 with the dissolution of the Korean Royal Court Army. Many Master instructors of the Royal Court were forced to go into hiding. Among them was Master Instructor Suh Meung Duhk. He returned to his home in the Taegu area.

There he practiced in secret and taught only to family members. It was during the Japanese occupation that practice of Korean Martial Art was outlawed. Anyone caught teaching or practicing Korean Martial Art would be punished severely. For a while even the Korean language was outlawed. You can imagine the consequence of teaching or practicing an art that could aid a rebel lion. For control purposes an attempt was made to exterminate Korean Martial Art. All weapons were confiscated and most of Koreans traditional weapons such as swords and spears were either melted down or sent out of the country. Because of this oppression the secrecy of Korean martial Arts was much enhanced. For this reason few people, even Koreans, knew of Korea's martial Art heritage and traditions and even fewer people practiced them.

Master Suh was one of the patriots who helped keep Korean Martial Arts from becoming extinct. The Suh family had practiced martial arts for sixteen generations straight. It was now his turn to pass on the knowledge of the past generations. From among his children and grandchildren he carefully selected one child to whom he would give the entire scope of his collective martial art knowledge. He selected Suh, In Hyuk. The young Suh was born into martial arts watching from the time his eyes opened, but his formal training didn't start until he was five years old. He trained diligently and hard for a boy of such young age. Almost as if he knew his destiny. Of course, his grandfather was there with a stern hand giving meticulous guidance to every aspect on his physical and mental training. The Japanese occupation ended in 1945 but that didn't affect young Suh's training. His knowledge and skill far surpassed his grandfather's wildest expectations. Young student Suh's training continued uninterrupted until the middle of the Korean War when his grandfather was fatally wounded. It was a tragic blow to young student Suh, but his continued training had already been arranged through the foresight of his grandfather. With letters of introduction and his grandfather's background as a Master Instructor to the Korean Royal Court Army, many closed doors of instruction were automatically opened to young student Suh. It was at this time that young student Suh began to visit and learn from many different teachers. As he became older his travels increased. By the time he was twenty years old, he had travelled to hundreds of Buddhist temples and private martial arts teachers from whom he studied many different aspects of Korean Martial Art. Young student Suh's skill and knowledge had fully progressed from that of student level to complete mastery, a notable achievement for one so young. It was during this time that he met an old monk called Hae Dohng Seu Nim (title: Great Monk of the East Sunrise). The young master learned many martial skills from the old monk, but in particular special breathing, meditation techniques and Ki skills.

The young Master’s mastery of the martial arts did not affect his intense desire to further increase his skills and knowledge in every aspect of Korean Martial Arts. In the late 1950's after learning from hundreds of different teachers, the young Master began to organise and systemise the scattered martial art techniques of Korea to produce a single Korean National Martial Art or Kuk Sool, also called Ho Kuk Moo Yea (The Arts used to defend the Nation).

In 1961, the Kuk Sool Won was officially founded by young Master Suh. It was at this time that the young master revealed the inheritance from his grandfather, of five compiled books of Kuk Sool. They are: (1) Yu Sool (2) Kwan Sool (3) Tu-Kwan Sool, (4) Whal Bub and (5) Hyul Bub. Both the inheritance of these books and the title of Grandmaster or Kuk Sa Nim was passed on to young Master Suh. Kuk Sool Won had now become the Official name to represent not a style or type of martial art, but a systematic study of Korea's Martial Arts dating from ancient times up to the present.

Kuk Sa Nim began teaching Korean Martial art many years before the founding of the Kuk Sool Association. However, after the founding of the association, instruction was much less secret. For the first time in the known history of Korean Martial Art, instruction was given to anyone who wanted it, regardless of their status in society. Kuk Sa Nim opened the door to Kuk Sool and hundreds upon hundreds of people began to train. One of Kuk Sa Nim's goals was to reunite a nation with its almost lost art. The people of Korea responded to Kuk Sa Nim's open door and after training many students to Instructor and Master level, Kuk Sa Nim began to open schools throughout South Korea. Kuk Sool Won expanded rapidly to well over 300 schools. Kuk Sa Nim constantly travelled to the Association schools to help maintain a strict quality control. He held seminars twice a year to teach Instructors and Masters.

In 1973 Kuk Sa Nim was persuaded by Mr. Kenneth Duncan, his first American student to bring Kuk Sool to America. After much paperwork and red tape with the US Immigration Department, Kuk Sa Nim arrived in Los Angeles, California on September 11, 1974, accompanied by two assistants. He was met by his sponsor Mr. Kenneth Duncan and after a short stay in L.A they proceeded to New Orleans where the first official Kuk Sool Won school in the United States was established, prior to the arrival of Kuk Sa Nim. After a period of observing Americans and their culture, Kuk Sa Nim moved to San Francisco, California where he opened the World Kuk Sool Association Headquarters School in February of 1975. After twenty years of teaching only Instructors and Masters, Kuk Sa Nim began teaching under black belt students. There were only a few Kuk Sool Instructors in the US at that time so once again Kuk Sa Nim set about the task of training students to Instructor and Master level. Since the opening of the Headquarters in 1975, Kuk Sa Nim has travelled extensively throughout the United States conducting lectures, seminars, demonstrating and testing black belt candidates.

In 1983, Kuk Sa Nim was elected as the head of all Korean Martial Arts, of which there are 31 styles,
making him the only 10th degree in Korean Martial Art.

Kuk Sa Nim says that practice, study and patience are necessary to achieve high skills in martial arts. Kuk Sa Nim continues to study and practise on a daily basis and encourages martial artists of all levels to do the same. One of the purposes for Kuk Sa Nim opening Kuk Sool to the public is to help people develop strong minds and bodies. Improve health and vitality, and provide the practitioner with the ultimate in scientific self-defence. Kuk Sa Nim is constantly sought after for his remarkable knowledge and prowess in martial art healing techniques. He has successfully treated ailments which seemed hopeless to both eastern and Oriental doctors. Kuk Sa Nim said "A martial artist must know how to heal as well as hurt an opponent in order to be a complete martial artist."

World wide over one million students have passed through the doors of Kuk Sool Won schools. Kuk Sa Nim wants to spread Kuk Sool further and will continue to hold seminars and demonstrations around the world.