Native Korean Sword Form

Korea's Native Sword Form

The sword form shown in this article was taken from the Mu Yae Do Bo Tong Ji, a Korean manual of martial arts complied in 1789.

The Mu Yae Do Bo Tong Ji is Korea's oldest surviving martial arts book. It is divided into five volumes, one introductory volume and four volumes on weapons. It is written in classical Chinese and there is a Korean language translation of the four weapons volumes. In 1798, by order of the Korean King, Chong Jo (1776-1800), it was compiled by three men, ministers Yi Do'k-mu, Pak Jae-ga, and Paek Dong-su, of the Royal Library. They used hundreds of reference books but relied mainly on two older Korean training manuals and two Chinese sources. They openly and frequently acknowledge their extensive use of the "Bubishi' (Mubishi in Korean) by the Ming Scholar Mao Yuan Yi and the "Manual of New tactics" by Ming General Chi Ji Kwang. (Chi Ji Kwang was a famous Ming Dynasty Chinese general. His books, including "Manual of New Tactics," were very influential in China as well as in Korea.)

The first three chapters of the Mu Yae Do Bo Tong Ji, the Imperial Introduction, the Compilers' Introductory Remarks, and the Military Skills Introduction, fully explain the development of the book and its contents. I decided the best possible course would be to quote directly from these chapters but to change to wording into terms familiar to the modern reader. For example "lm jin wae ran" is the Korean way of referring to the Japanese invasions of 1592 and 1598. I refer to them as "Japanese invasions."

First from the Imperial Introduction:

When (King) Sonjo restored order after the Japanese pirates' invasions he obtained and read Chi Ji Kwang's "Manual of New Tactics." Han Kyo, of the Military Training Command, obtained tactics from the Ming nation's wardors (Chinese troops sent to help repel the Japanese) sent during the Japanese invasions of 1592 .... Various clubs and six weapons became understood with drawings and text being made. (Han Kyo translated Chi Ji Kwang's book and interviewed other Chinese Generals about weapons and tactics. By combining these he wrote his own book on weapons called the Mu Yae Jae Bo. A translator of Chinese and expert martial artist, he went on to publish many books and become a general officer himself.)

In Yong Cho's 25th year (1756) his son, while acting as regent... developed text and drawings for twelve weapons that were a continuation of the training for the six weapons. The designations for the eighteen weapons started from that time. Today military thinking and texts and also riding skills have expanded from the six weapons to twenty-four weapons.

The original readings, drawings and texts have been gathered... It has all been made into one book called the Mu Yae Do Bo Tong Ji.

From the Compiler's introductory remarks:

Minister Han Kyo's martial arts treatises on the six weapons, compiled into one volume, enlarged front and back, increased to twenty four weapons, this is called the Mu Yae Do Bo Tong Ji.

Chi's "Manual of New Tactics" and Mao's "Mubishi" are the standard canon from which this book was compiled. (This is a reference to Chi Ji Kwang as noted above and to Mao Yuan Yi, a Ming Dynasty Scholar who complied a massive set of books on weapons and warfare, the Bubishi, or Mubishi in Korean.)

From the Military Skills Introduction:

Han Kyo, an officer in the Military Training Department during the time of Son Jo, questioned officers from the Ming armies going into battle during the Hydaeoshi Invasions (1592 - 1598) and published a book, the Mu Yae Jae Bo. It contained the staff, rattan shield, wolf brush, long spear, trident (metal rake) and the two handed sword. These six weapons came from Chi's "Manual of New Tactics."

Between 1749, and 1759, the long bamboo spear, flag spear, saber, Japanese sword, two man sword set, moon sword, halberd, twin swords, general officer sword, native sword, boxing and flail, twelve weapons in all were added bringing the number of weapons to eighteen. Illustrations were compiled and the Sin Bo O' Sang was prepared. (New manual of Martial Arts, or the Mu Yae Sin Bo)

It was ordered that these were to be learned and tested on. In addition we were to add the horseback spear, horseback moon sword, horseback twin swords, and horseback flail, these four weapons. And it would be good to put at the end Polo and trick riding skills.

Now, at a time without troubles, we should compile a useful manual to prevent an enemy from invading successfully. This manual, of old and new martial arts, conferred by the throne and consisting of twenty four items all carefully researched and compiled, should be called Mu Yae Do Bo Tong Ji.

Minister Yi Do'k Mu was to research and study old treasured texts. Minister Pak Jae Ga was to supplement the gaps in the gathered material and to see to the woodblock engravings. Minister Paek Dong Su was to see the instructors in the military camps and those who know weapons well. He was to test their mastery of weapons carefully and revise when necessary.

This was how the creation of the book was explained by the three men who wrote it.

Native Sword Form

Chapter two of the third volume of the Mu Yae Do Bo Ton,q Ji, is titled simply "Native Sword." In this chapter we find a sword form for the single edged saber. There are two pages of historical documentation followed by twenty-four drawings of "postures." (The word posture, as used here, does not refer to a static pose or stance but to a series of movements. Thus "Draw the sword and face the enemy" is the name of a posture that consists of several flowing movements.) These postures are linked together into a form with some of the postures repeated several times during the form. Each time a posture is presented for the first time there is a brief explanation given for it by the compilers of the text. Finally, the entire form is shown on a large drawing giving the name and direction of movement for each posture. I have added a modern analysis for each posture to help flesh in the sparse text of the original.

This form and its postures are based in part on those found in a preceding chapter titled "Saber" or "Pointed Sword." This "Saber~' chapter is taken directly from Mao Yuan Yi's book the BuBiShi. The interesting twist here is that Mao, in his book, credits the Koreans as having developed these postures and states he took them from Korean sources. The title of this section of Mao's book is "Sword techniques of Chosen." It is for this reason the compilers of the Mu Yae Do Bo Tong Ji state that these are native sword techniques. They explain this in the section below titled "Documentation."

Native Sword

Commonly called "new sword." This is a waist sword as is the pointed sword. It is said in the Yo Ji Su'nq-nam that Hwang Chang Rang was a man of Shilla. According to folklore he went to Paekche at the age of seven and so many people came to watch him dance in the market place it seemed as if a wall had formed. The King of Paekche heard of this and commanded that he perform for the court. Chang Rang took this opportunity to stab the king. The people then killed him. Shilla grieved and made a dance-mask in the likeness of his face to use in the sword dance. This was passed down to today.

Documentation:

Hwang Chang was also known as Hwang Chang. He was of the Hwa Rang of Shilla. (The people of Shilla had no problem finding the make-up of a person. They took the most beautiful boys and dressed them with ornaments. These were called Hwa Rang.) People gathered like clouds and the honest could be seen and selected

from the deceitful. Sul Rang, Yong Rang, ( Legend says Sul Rang, Nam Rang, Yong Rang, played at the Chongso'k Pavilion in Tongcho'n, Ansang.) Were of this lineage. Hwang Chang Rang was one of these. There were thousands of Hwa Rang who polished and sharpen their loyalty and fidelity. Shilla sent their dancing sword-boys to neighboring countries where they were not watched too closely. Thus it is from Hwang Chang Rang the native sword is said to have originated

Mao Yuan Yi may have obtained some sword-text from Korea. When compared to the western frontier area, Korea had native sword-text with original ideas. In Japanese historical texts it is stated that Korea added original material to the text from China. Some of the material is original, some handed down. From now back to Mao's time is 100 plus years. Those who directly received it were not few in number. We can not know if native people freely transmitted, received or knew of Mao's "Mubishi." Someday this may be known but for the above reasons, and with apologies to Mao, the following is presented as "Native Sword Text."

(Translator's note: In the original there are two figures per page. As the book reads right to left the first figure is on the far right on each page. The Term "original" was used to denote material from earlier texts.)

This translation is the copyright of Mr. John Dellapia. It may not be copied for any reason or in any form without the permission of its author Mr. John Dellapia. If you would like to hyperlink to this page please hyperlink to the main page;

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