# North Korean Gyuksul, from Subak or Gwonbub or Sibak?



## Steven Lee (Jan 6, 2019)

North Korean Gyuksul, from Subak or Gwonbub or Sibak? Taekwondo is a mix of Chosun-Gwonbub (started 300 years ago by Korean Muyedobotongji textbook) gym & Karate gyms. However, Korea has had many other Fight Games, particularly street fighting games called Nalparam, Taekyun-Yetbub, Flag Fight (Gitssaum), Pyunssaum (side-fight), Sibak (side-fight). In medieval Jaemulbo book, Sibak was recorded to be also Taekyun, which would mean also being included in Taekyun. Murayama Jijun recorded Baksi & Nanjangbaksi, which were quite different from Taekyun. (Korean sometimes reverse the word order, like Baksi & Sibak.)

Korea had many street fighting games like this Gitssaum picture & written fist fighting description. I don't think there was any ban on Korean martial art by Japan. They probably just banned "unlawful" gathering. https://i.imgur.com/jaTY5Zr.jpg

Here's also something about street fighting contest in Korea 100 years ago. Prizefighting. https://i.imgur.com/i03RApC.png

For the record, Byungin Yoon who taught Gwonbub in South Korea was involved in Gyuksul development in North Korea.

North Korea has a fight game called Kyuksul. According to historical records referred by Mookas martial art magazine, "the earlier contests were about the same as boxing, but in 1987's 7th contest, it evolved to the level of kickboxing." Subak had punch. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DnvIcdeXsAAQ2Ae.jpg

So, it says that Gyuksul was similar to boxing in the earlier era but it wasn't boxing. The only Fight Game or martial art that resembles such trait in Korea is Subak. That would mean Gyuksul was originally from Subak. In the new Gyuksul rules & techniques, Gyuksul also resembles Sibak (Korean street fighting games) & Gwonbub (Muyedobotongji).

https://i.imgur.com/aGQ9L8O.png

https://i.imgur.com/z7RaPQ2.png

https://i.imgur.com/Bs0T0Ij.png

Those 3 pictures are Gyuksul moves. They resemble Korean Muyedobotongji Gwonbub moves, except that Gwonbub's wild swing with shoulder-push uses vertical fist while Gyuksul uses horizontal fist. Those 3 pictures resemble the first 2 Gwonbub pictures in the first line in this picture. https://i.imgur.com/LwjGIti.png

So, in conclusion, North Korean Gyuksul started from Subak. Then it evolved to be like Sibak & Gwonbub.


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## garik (Feb 17, 2019)

*HISTORY OF GJOGSUL*

The roots of Gjogsul stretch as far back as 420 before time. At the time, there was a fight system in old Korea called Subak. The simple people practiced Subak and it involved defence with all rustic weapons against the warriors of the sovereigns who suppressed and robbed the people.
Subak actually means melon. To demonstrate one's capacity, it was necessary as a test to break open melons. Depending on the size and strength, the melons had to be cleanly cut into pieces with one blow from the edge of the hand. It was after this tradition that this style of fighting was called Subak.
In another version, people say that the aim was to strike the opponent to the floor with a stone-hard blow of the edge of the hand. This fight often had a deadly end.

With this depiction, it was clear to the experts of the East Asian martial arts that the roots of the Gjogsul were similar to the origins of the Taekwondo. That is the reality of it. Until the beginning of the 20th Century, there was still no defined difference in development between Taekyon and Gjogsul. It was not until the colonial rule of the Japanese in Korea in this century that there was a separation in the developments. The reason for this was simply that the people needed a fighting system against the Japanese with which they could be fully armed to fight their victorious enemies who were equipped with modern weapons. The almost unarmed people in most cases had to first disarm the enemy so that they too could have a chance. Many new techniques emerged, above all defence techniques against armed opponents like the attack techniques with these weapons.

1926 was officially made the year of origin of the Gjogsul. At this point in time, the leader of the Korean Resistance Fighters, Kim II Sung, trained in these special close combat techniques with his loyals so that they could successfully fight against the Japanese.
Most important in Gjogsul is that all positions, movements and fighting techniques prove their effectiveness in practical close combat and cause further development through practice.

Further essential impulses maintained the Gjogsul through the war in Korea from 1950 to 1953, in which the close combat techniques proved their effectiveness also against the physically superior American soldiers.
Based on the tense political and military situation at the border between North and South Korea, the development of the Gjogsul is until today at a standstill. There is for example a system in Gjogsul for the duel in and under water, which basically consists of hand techniques.
Today, the Gjogsul represents an essential training element in the military forces of the Korean People's Army. Every member of the army receives a Gjogsul training during his defence service. For the specialists, at least 300 to 400 hours Gjogsul training in a year is common.
Gjogsul is organised in eight training levels, four school degrees and four master degrees.

Through this narrow collaboration of the East European former communist countries with the Korean People's Republic, it was possible in around 1980 for the Korean Gjogsul masters to introduce their close combat system in some East European armies. There was secured knowledge on a special unit in the Polish Republic and on the paratrooper and special units of the military forces of the former GDR.







from the website GJOGSUL | SaCO-Defense


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## JR 137 (Feb 17, 2019)

Guess who’s back
Back again 
Shady’s back
Tell a friend
Guess who’s back
Guess who’s back 
Guess who’s back


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## JR 137 (Feb 17, 2019)




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## _Simon_ (Feb 17, 2019)

JR 137 said:


> Guess who’s back
> Back again
> Shady’s back
> Tell a friend
> ...





JR 137 said:


> View attachment 22104


Hahahaha XD

(And aged two years!! :O )


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## Gweilo (Mar 13, 2019)

I found this awesome vid


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## Tez3 (Mar 13, 2019)

Gweilo said:


> I found this awesome vid



My Guides would love that! Thank you, we might even be able to make them at camp!


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## MartialHermit8 (Sep 6, 2021)

Steven Lee said:


> North Korean Gyuksul, from Subak or Gwonbub or Sibak? Taekwondo is a mix of Chosun-Gwonbub (started 300 years ago by Korean Muyedobotongji textbook) gym & Karate gyms. However, Korea has had many other Fight Games, particularly street fighting games called Nalparam, Taekyun-Yetbub, Flag Fight (Gitssaum), Pyunssaum (side-fight), Sibak (side-fight). In medieval Jaemulbo book, Sibak was recorded to be also Taekyun, which would mean also being included in Taekyun. Murayama Jijun recorded Baksi & Nanjangbaksi, which were quite different from Taekyun. (Korean sometimes reverse the word order, like Baksi & Sibak.)
> 
> Korea had many street fighting games like this Gitssaum picture & written fist fighting description. I don't think there was any ban on Korean martial art by Japan. They probably just banned "unlawful" gathering.
> 
> ...


All the modern Korean martial arts were born thanks to the Japanese occupation. 
The ancient martial arts from Muyedobotongji are basically copies from the Chinese Jixiao Xinshu Manual. 

Korea historically has no records of any advanced forms of Martial Arts that are akin to Japanese or Chinese ones, not even close. 
There might have been some peasant fist-fighting contests which looked more like drunken brawls ( these contents happened in all cultures around the world ), but that had nothing to do with Martial Arts.


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## Dirty Dog (Sep 6, 2021)

MartialHermit8 said:


> All the modern Korean martial arts were born thanks to the Japanese occupation.


Only in the sense that the Japanese engaged in a brutal suppression of all aspects of Korean culture. So the current arts were developed by those with experience in Japanese or Chinese arts.


MartialHermit8 said:


> The ancient martial arts from Muyedobotongji are basically copies from the Chinese Jixiao Xinshu Manual.


Bollocks.


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## MartialHermit8 (Sep 6, 2021)

Dirty Dog said:


> Only in the sense that the Japanese engaged in a brutal suppression of all aspects of Korean culture. So the current arts were developed by those with experience in Japanese or Chinese arts.
> 
> Bollocks.


What suppression? If you study the occupation period deeply you will see that Korean language was not being suppressed in Schools until 1935, and culture even less so. Before the annexation period only around 5% of Korean population could read and write, mainly the people linked to the King and his family. Japan build thousands of schools and promoted the use of Hangul in the beginning, since the Korean elites shunned on it, preferring Chinese characters instead. Hangul was much easier to learn so it was beneficial to quickly educate the population. 

Regarding Martial arts...what Korean martial arts were suppressed exactly? There are no mentions of native Korean martial arts in none of the historical sources, neither in Chinese, Japanese, not even in the Korean ones.

Teakkyun was a peasant game, the aim of which was to make your opponent lose balance either by trips, or low-mid push kicks, the hands were kept below the waist.  Ssirum was just wrestling, very similar to the Mongolian variant, but similar activities existed in all cultures. 

Its hard to call them martial arts per se. 

The Chinese and Japanese, codified type of martial arts did not exist in Korea.


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## CB Jones (Sep 7, 2021)

MartialHermit8 said:


> What suppression? If you study the occupation period deeply you will see that Korean language was not being suppressed in Schools until 1935, and culture even less so. Before the annexation period only around 5% of Korean population could read and write, mainly the people linked to the King and his family. Japan build thousands of schools and promoted the use of Hangul in the beginning, since the Korean elites shunned on it, preferring Chinese characters instead. Hangul was much easier to learn so it was beneficial to quickly educate the population.



So this article is incorrect?

History.com


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