Kuk Sool Won

Kuk Sool Won is a Korean Martial art, which translated means “national martial art.” As a long-established martial art, Kuk Sool Won is deep-rooted to the earliest martial arts used thousands of years ago. The study of this martial art now includes many modern techniques, such as: weapon improvisations and defense against guns.

This martial art utilizes many different "styles." Nevertheless, it still has some unique distinctiveness that sets it apart from other conventional martial arts. There are different techniques used by practitioners of Kuk Sool Won. Most of these styles and techniques rely on fluid motions, forceful strikes, joints likes, and making use of pressure points. Each practitioner must have the ability to perform in low stances. This martial art combines both hard and soft styles of martial arts.

Kuk Sool Won was banned in the early 1900’s by the Japanese while they occupied Korea. If any Koreans were caught practicing martial arts, they were severely punished by the Japanese government. This forced martial arts practitioners to go into hiding. One of these practitioners, Hyuk Suh, later gave Kuk Sool Won it’s name in 1961.

In the 1970’s, this martial art became well known to the public and began to expand globally. Since that time, schools were created to instruct the martial art, international tournaments have been held, and the Kuk Sool community in Korea has established a martial arts exhibition. This martial art is now instructed as a method of self defense, healing, competition, conditioning and for recreational pleasure.