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Combat0909 14/8/09 16:46 Page 122 Martial Invaders By Rob McGovern

Korea, the so called former hermit kingdom, is no stranger to invaders or colonisation. As a result of many incursions, and her people are protective of their culture, as almost every ex pat who spends time here will have found out once or twice to their detriment. One of the country’s most marketed and possibly one of the best Korean ‘brands’ to have been exported around the world is . The Olympics in 1988 introduced the world to Taekwondo with a spectacular, synchronized display of board breaking and high kicking and since then it has become the most practiced martial art in the world and a full Olympic medal sport with the kind of devoted following that most can only dream of. seem to be on every street of every city, town, village and hamlet in Korea and streets are regularly clogged with mini buses delivering and depositing clad kids.

But Taekwondo isn’t the only Jitsu, Sanshou/ and even Tai his ‘foreign’ martial arts, who agreed option, there are plenty of other mar- Chi (known as Tae Geuk Gweon in to let him use his gym to tial arts readily available in Korea, Korea), as well as Kuk Sool Won, set up some classes teaching the including , Yudo and Hapkido, Gumdo, Taekkyeon, Tang basics of , the art often and there are always the more Soo do and Taekwondo. In Jeonju, a referred to as ‘The Science of Eight ancient arts like Sirruem and city famed for its traditional culture Limbs’. Master Kim’s Star Kick Takyyon. With all the choices avail- and delicious Korean food, Muay Boxing, not far from Jeonju landmark, able you would be forgiven for think- Thai has recently arrived in English Gaeksa, is where pampered ex pats, ing that martial arts in Korea is to join the host of other arts already usually only awake at 10.30am if they something of a closed club and that thriving in this small southern city are staggering home from the local Taekwondo, et al, are safe from (small that is in comparison to the ex pat bar, can be heard wheezing other marauding, invading arts. giant metropolis that is Seoul), and straining a few days a week. Well think again. including the Russian martial art, Korea is rapidly becoming a great Ever since the inception of K1 , which recently held a tourna- place to be if you want to practice all and UFC (and probably well before ment in this bastion of Korean-ness. kinds of martial arts and although the that) all manner of martial arts have Tyson De Wees moved to majority of the classes are taught in been present in Korea and continue Thailand in 2003 after trying what Korean, English language ones can to grow in popularity. seemed like every martial art he be found. If you can’t find a class in In Korea’s larger cities you can came across, including , English go along anyway, trust the find at least one, if not all of the fol- Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Kung Fu, teacher and soon you will be eating lowing martial arts: Muay Thai, Wu- and Kick Boxing. He quickly found a and drinking with the locals. Good Shu, Sambo, Boxing, Brazilian Jiu- benevolent Korean, sympathetic with teachers will be able to transcend language barriers and cultural doors will open you up to experiences that cannot be bought and do not appear in any guidebook. Korea will always be the best place in the world to study the but if, like me, you want to broaden your horizons and add to your repertoire of , punches and enhance the feeling of serene inner calm that only martial arts can give, go along to a class, where ever you are and try some- thing new. For more info about Muay Thai in Jeonju, join ‘Jeonju Muay Thai / MMA’ on Facebook and for general martial arts info and contacts around Korea have a look at the links below.

122 WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK Combat0909 14/8/09 16:46 Page 123

Muay thai acteristics of the Tae Guk style http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_ The traditional martial art of are recognisable as Yang Style tai martial_arts#Taekkyeon.2FTaekgyeon Thailand, it is known as ‘The chi. Classes are known to be avail- http://www.taekkyonkorea.com/ Science of The Eight Limbs’ due to able in (see below) and Seoul the prolific use of knees, shins and (www.taichiproductions.com has a elbows as well as the traditional list of instructors) but for other areas The traditional of hands in western boxing. Muay Thai have a look at the Korean Korea, Ssireum is that gradually became a means of per- association’s website dates back to the formation of com- sonal advancement with very skillful http://taichi.or.kr/new/index.jsp munities. Tomb murals have been fighters invited to go and live in the found that show Ssireum was being royal palace and teach the staff of Kuk sool won practiced, when Jesus was just a the palace as well as soldiers, A new system, relative to most of the twinkle in God’s eye. princes and bodyguards. other arts, Kuk Sool won was creat- The Korean Sirum/Ssireum http://muaythai-korea.com/ ed in 1958 and attempts to be a research institute has more info on comprehensive study of all Korean the sport and the Korean Ssireum Wu-shu martial arts. Seeing as it combines association should be able to help Wu-shu, the collective term for all or most of the other Korean arts, you find a class. , is commonly it could be considered the oldest. Korean Ssirum research institute - referred to as kung fu. Wu-shu is both The philosophy of Kuk Sool Won is http://ynucc.yeungnam.ac.kr/~ssi/ an exhibition sport and a full contact to “Integrate and explore the entire eindex.html sport that have been developed from spectrum of established Asian mar- The Korean Ssireum association - traditional Chinese martial arts. tial arts, body conditioning tech- http://ssireum.sports.or.kr/ssirum/ Sanda, sometimes called Sanshou is niques, mental development, and index.jsp the element of Wu Shu and weapons training.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ssireum can be practised in Korea. The world kuk sool won association - http://ssireum.blogspot.com/ More info on Sanshou - http://www.kuksoolwon.com/index.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanshou The Korea kuk sool won association - The more popular Korean martial Korea Wu-Shu association - http://www.kuksoolwon.or.kr/index.htm arts (taekwondo, Hapkido, Gumdo http://wushu.sports.or.kr/ and slightly less popular but still International Wu-Shu federation - Taekkyeon available, ) should be http://www.iwuf.org/ Arguably the oldest Korean martial readily available if you contact tourist art, Taekkyon or Taekyon has a information or just open your eyes Sambo dance like appearance and murals and look around for a uniformed car- A Russian martial art, self defence inside tombs date the art during the toon character jumping through the system and , Sambo three kingdoms period. It is consid- air on the side of a minibus. If in was developed in the Soviet Union. ered a precursor to taekwondo. It is doubt, follow the noise. Sambo means self defence without not nearly as popular as other martial robguv.blogspot.com weapons and has its roots in judo arts in Korea but there is a healthy robmcgovern.wordpress.com and traditional Eastern European following. For more info on the art, or wrestling styles. to find a class near you http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambo_ have, a look at the asso- (martial_art) ciation’s website. http://www.koreasambo.com/ Brazilian jiu-jitsu or just jiu-jitsu Mitsuyo Maeda left at the start of the 20th century to spread the word of judo, giving demonstrations of ‘jiu- do’ and eventually ended up in Brazil. If you want to read about the intrica- cies of his trip and why it is called jiu- jitsu and not judo, click below. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian_ Jiu-Jitsu http://www.bjj.co.kr/ http://www.koreajujitsu.tk/ Tai chi Known as Tae Geuk Gweon in Korea, it was introduced to Korea late in the 19th century from China but was only fully recognised when it became an official practice of the Shinwoo temple in 1902. The char- WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK COMBAT 123