# Admiral Yi Sun-sin's influence on the Moo Duk Kwan



## Makalakumu (Jan 16, 2005)

The history of Korea is one of invasion after invasion.  The Japanese, the Chinese, and the Mongols, all at one time or another, sliced up Korea and divided the spoils among their people.  This, in a land whose own political boundaries shifted like water over a plate, created an atmosphere of confusion among the people over who they really were.  A few men though, have made a difference in Korea.  They have provided the realm with a sense of wholeness that it has been unaccustomed to in much of its history.  One of these men is Admiral Yi Sun-sin.  Through his ingenious naval action and bravery in overwhelming battle, the admiral presented, for one brief moment, what it was to truly be Korean to the Korean people.  Since our martial art is a Korean martial, many of the qualities found in Korean heroes are found exemplified in our art.

From 1592 to 1598, the Japanese emperor, Hideyoshi, ordered his entire country to a war with Korea.  The problem with the invasion though is a geographic one.  In order for Japan to conquer Korea, she has to move her army across the sea.  Admiral Yi Sun-sin, seeing the war coming from far off, discovered a way to defeat the Japanese in their endeavor to cross the sea.  He created a new weapon, a round metal armored boat that could defeat the power that the Japanese had received from the Portuguese gunpowder.  His boats, collectively called the turtle boats for their uncanny resemblance, were one of the only things that stood in the way of the Japanese and victory.  

During the first invasion, the Japanese attacked before Korea was ready to defend herself.  They quickly over ran Seoul and seemed on their way to conquering the country.  Then came Admiral Yi Sun-sin.  He attacked the Japanese at their weakest point, the sea, and quickly broke the Japanese supply lines.  This left the Japanese troops already on the peninsula defenseless against the Korean counter attacks, bolstered by Chinese reinforcements.  The first invasion failed completely.  

The second invasion, after some deft political and underhanded dirty tricks by the Japanese, occurred with Admiral Yi Sun-sin disgraced and jailed.  The Japanese, facing fierce opposition from the Chinese and Korean armies, slowly pushed their way into the interior of Korea.  Facing political pressure, the Korean dynasties absolved Admiral Yi Sun-sin of his supposed crimes and reinstated him at the head of a navy that was a fraction of its formal size.  Under supplied, outnumbered, and outgunned, Admiral Yi Sun-sin attacked with his turtle boats.  Amazingly he won victory after victory due to his mad bravery.  The word that Japanese emperor Hideyoshi had died and the fact that Admiral Yi Sun-sin had cut their supply lines again caused the complete withdrawal of the Japanese occupation force.  Admiral Yi Sun-sin was not finished yet.  He took his small fleet and attacked the whole Japanese armada and defeated them so soundly that Japan left Korea alone until 1904.  Unfortunately, he died in that battle martyring himself into the hearts of the Korean people.

In our martial art, much of the characteristics that describe Moo Duk Kwan, the school of military virtue, are exemplified by Admiral Yi Sun-sin.  His bravery in battle, his courage under duress and his loyalty to his country are all virtues that make up the moral loom that our martial art is woven into.  So in a way, Yi Sun-sins influence is indirect, but his influence is very important none-the-less.  Now, Korea, a country with so few heroes and so few examples of its own national identity, is a land grasping for scraps of who she really is.  Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan is one of those ways the country has reached out.  In Admiral Yi Sun-sin, the founders of this martial art discovered part of what it is to be Korean.


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## Makalakumu (Jan 25, 2005)

This is another topic of research for my third dan exam.  Has anyone else ever heard of this?


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## Zepp (Jan 25, 2005)

I have heard of this guy before, but I think it's a bit of a stretch to say the story has anything particular to do with Korean martial arts.  Did Hwang Kee, or any other well known Koran martial artist, write something about how this story influenced them?


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## Marginal (Jan 26, 2005)

upnorthkyosa said:
			
		

> This is another topic of research for my third dan exam.  Has anyone else ever heard of this?


I read a brief version of this in A New History of Korea, but it seemed to lay more of the blame on the Korean king and his courtiers for the invasions getting as far as they did in the first place. The country was woefully unprepared for an invasion, ("before they were prepared" seems like a polite understatement since the government had spent a long time mired in courtly administrative power squabbles up to that point with little need to mobilize a signifigant force much less train one) and the government rolled up and fled when the Japanese landed. Organized resistance only started up later, and Admiral Yi was largely operating on his own initiative when he cut off the supply lines in the first place. The inland resistance was largely led by small local nobles commanding pesants etc vs any real central effort. More of a hodge-podge vs a grand counterstroke. 

That particular account is also much sparser on the subject of Yi's death. It said little more than something like, "The Japanese went into full retreat, and Admiral Yi was shot while doggedly pursuing the fleeing forces."


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## Makalakumu (Jan 26, 2005)

Zepp said:
			
		

> I have heard of this guy before, but I think it's a bit of a stretch to say the story has anything particular to do with Korean martial arts.  Did Hwang Kee, or any other well known Koran martial artist, write something about how this story influenced them?



Yes, Hwang Kee wrote about him and Bohdidarma.


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## glad2bhere (Jan 29, 2005)

Dear Upnorthkyosa: 

If you want to speak to the physical influence on the KMA, I think you may be barking up the wrong tree. What you may want to stress is the incredible example of how Admiral Yi embodied the very best of the O-Gae in his patriotism.  Consider that Admiral Yi was NOT the first choice to be in the "inner circle" of folks intended to manage the Korean defense against the Japanese. Even after he was given the responsibilities of oceanic defense, he was constantly given short-shrift as far as men and materials. His advocacy for the use of cannon was resisted, and even after being adopted barely out-lived his death. And even after proving his worth as a military leader, he was tossed out of his position in disgrace, and replaced by an inept syncophant, who promtly proceeded to get numbers of his men killed. Brought back and reassigned to his former duties, Admiral Yi died in one of the last great naval actions of the Imjin War and has repeatedly been compared to Englands' Horatio Nelson for this reason. If it were me doing this report I would strongly stress that Admiral Yi performed in the very best interests of his nation not because of their support, but in spite of it, when he had been given many reasons to abandon the Korean administration to its many petty motives. Not only a great leader, but a man of incredible Character. I believe it is this great Character that you need to stress when drawing parallels with the KMA. FWIW. 

Best Wishes, 

Bruce


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## Makalakumu (Jan 29, 2005)

glad2bhere said:
			
		

> Dear Upnorthkyosa:
> 
> If you want to speak to the physical influence on the KMA, I think you may be barking up the wrong tree. What you may want to stress is the incredible example of how Admiral Yi embodied the very best of the O-Gae in his patriotism.  Consider that Admiral Yi was NOT the first choice to be in the "inner circle" of folks intended to manage the Korean defense against the Japanese. Even after he was given the responsibilities of oceanic defense, he was constantly given short-shrift as far as men and materials. His advocacy for the use of cannon was resisted, and even after being adopted barely out-lived his death. And even after proving his worth as a military leader, he was tossed out of his position in disgrace, and replaced by an inept syncophant, who promtly proceeded to get numbers of his men killed. Brought back and reassigned to his former duties, Admiral Yi died in one of the last great naval actions of the Imjin War and has repeatedly been compared to Englands' Horatio Nelson for this reason. If it were me doing this report I would strongly stress that Admiral Yi performed in the very best interests of his nation not because of their support, but in spite of it, when he had been given many reasons to abandon the Korean administration to its many petty motives. Not only a great leader, but a man of incredible Character. I believe it is this great Character that you need to stress when drawing parallels with the KMA. FWIW.
> 
> ...



Thanks Bruce.  I've been thinking along the same lines.  This topic has been incredibly hard to research.  Your short explanation has given me a few new angles... 

 :asian: 

upnorthkyosa


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## glad2bhere (Jan 29, 2005)

I was serious about getting a copy of the BOOK OF CORRECTIONS as translated by Choi (ISBN: 1-55729-076-8). We can talk about these people in the abstract all we want but this book has considerable material which comes from writings authored at the time. The book is incredibly readable and will give you a true sense of not only what happened at the time but the attitudes and feelings of the people as the events went down. There is a reason why the guerrilla organizations known as the "Righteous Armies" were able to do what the Korean army failed to do. I think what I am pushing for is that you make this project an "excuse" to really broaden your awareness of what military experiences were to the Korean people. My sense is that you would have a much greater insight into why the Koreans do things the way that they do.  FWIW. 

Best Wishes, 

Bruce


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