Kuk Sool style article

**Wolf** · Posted On: 3/26/2007 3:58pm

With all this TKD talk going on I thought I'd mix things up a bit. A while back I posted my kuk sool style review article to .org. Check it out, and let me know what you all think, along with any changes you'd see made. Remember, if you're a supporting member you already have the ability to edit the articles on .org. It's just like editing wikipedia.

Here's the article:
http://www.bullshido.org/martialarts/Kuk_Sool

P.S. There's no TKD article up there yet. So any of you people with a good knowledge of it (or any other kma for that matter) could get one started (once again, gotta be a supporting member though to add and edit stuff at bullshido.org).

**glad2bhere** · Posted On: 3/27/2007 2:57pm

There are at least four histories concerning the KUK SOOL WON including the brief commentary by KIMM He-young in his book "HAPKIDO", the opening history in the fabled "Red Book by SUH In Hyuk, the revised history in the 2-vol training set on KSW, also by Suh and the published history by SEO In Sun. There is also a book to be published by Seo reflecting the developmental period following WW II in Korea--- but Gawd only knows when that will see printing.

May I suggest that if people would like to start a history of KSW that they begin by reconciling these four sources as a foundation and then begin the process of critical addition/subtraction from there. FWIW.

Best Wishes,

Bruce

**Wolf** · Posted On: 3/27/2007 3:30pm

Yeah, trying to come up with any sort of a credible history of the art was more than I was willing to do. I wanted it to be more about the style of Kuk Sool itself. However, if someone comes up with a solid history their more than welcome to it. However it's going to be specifically about the Won I'd say add it to the "Kuk Sool Won" page that I began instead of the "Kuk Sool" page.

**jkdbuck76** · Posted On: 4/12/2007 11:11am

John Young wrote some articles about the "history" of Kuk Sool and other KMA after WWII.

**Wolf** · Posted On: 4/12/2007 2:02pm

Any links?

**jkdbuck76** · Posted On: 4/12/2007 4:18pm

sorry. don't have any of that.

**kwoww** · Posted On: 4/12/2007 7:35pm

On a side note, the article was nicely written, informative, and very objective.

**taekwonjo** · Posted On: 7/17/2007 4:25am

This is very interesting.

I live in Seoul at the moment. I came here to study Kuk Sool Won. Here kuk sool is also known as Hapkido. My teacher has told me on many occassions that Kuk Sool won is as old as the silla dynasty and that Kuk Sool was well before Hapkido, infact, Hapkido evolved from Kuk Sool Won. But they still consider them one and the same.

Here, it is mostly a kicking style. 70% of the training is kicks, the rest is dedicated to forms and joint locking techniques. As for hand strikes, other then the forms we practice boxing styled punches, either in the air or against mits.

It is also well regarded here that Teukong MooSool is another form of Kuk Sool Won (referred to widely as Hapkido). For instance, once you earn your black belt in Hapkido, you also have earnt your black belt in Teukong MooSool. It takes one year to achieve the rank of first dan, training upto 6 days a week.

At first I thought due to the rushed gradings that the students would have poor technique. On the contrary they are very sound and very aerobic with breakfalls and acrobatics.

Though as mentioned the problem is the mentality they train with. There is no conviction in the strikes and no spirit in the forms of the students, only the teachers! Put these students in a live situation on the street and I sincerely doubt they would be able to employ their techniques.

**jkdbuck76** · Posted On: 7/17/2007 11:22am

Although I vehemently HATE kuk sool won and it's grandmaster, why go to Korea to study Kuk Sool Won? I mean, you can go to the Houston, TX area and study at the World Headquarters.

BTW, who runs Kuk Sool Won in South Korea? In Joo Suh?

**Wolf** · Posted On: 7/17/2007 2:59pm

Originally Posted by taekwonjo

This is very interesting.

I live in Seoul at the moment. I came here to study Kuk Sool Won. Here kuk sool is also known as Hapkido. My teacher has told me on many occassions that Kuk Sool won is as old as the silla dynasty and that Kuk Sool was well before Hapkido, infact, Hapkido evolved from Kuk Sool Won. But they still consider them one and the same.

Your teacher is wrong. Kuk Sool Won is a split from Hapkido and only 50 years old.