Korean martial arts (
Hangul: 무술 or 무예,
Hanja: 武術 or 武藝) or
MuSool (Mu:
martial; Sool:
art or technique) are military practices and methods which have their place in the
history of Korea but have been adapted for use by both military and non-military personnel as a method of personal growth or recreation. The history of Korean martial arts can be traced as far back as the prehistoric era. The majority of Koreans migrated and settled in the Korean Peninsula as early as 2707 BC, a geopolitical region besieged by thousands of known documented instances of foreign invasions. Consequently, the Korean people developed unique martial arts and military strategies in order to defend themselves and their territory. These traditional Korean martial arts, fell into three main groups or branches:
- SahDoh MuSool (tribal martial arts)
- BoolKyo MuSool (Buddist marital arts)
- KoongJoong MuSool (royal court martial arts)
In 1958, these branches of traditional Korean martial arts were organized to form a single modern hybrid-system known as
Kuk Sool Won. Today, Korean martial arts are being practiced worldwide; more than one in a hundred of the world's population practices some form of taekwondo. Among the best recognized Korean practices using weapons are traditional
Korean archery and
Kumdo, the Korean sword sport similar to Japanese
Kendo. The best known unarmed Korean Martial Arts
Taekwondo and
Hapkido though such traditional practices such as
ssireum - Korean Wrestling - and
taekkyeon - Korean Foot Fighting - are rapidly gaining in popularity both inside and outside of the country. In November 2011, Taekkyeon was recognized by
UNESCO and placed on its Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity List. There has also been a revival of traditional
Korean swordsmanship arts as well as
knife fighting and
archery.