The History of Kuk Sool Won™
This year Kuk Sool Won™ celebrates its 50th anniversary. Not only has Kuk Sool Won™ become a unique Traditional Martial Art of its own, but the name for a systematic study of all the indigenous traditional martial arts of Korea, dating from ancient times to the present.
The Martial Art Kuk Sool Won™ was founded by Grandmaster In Hyuk Suh in 1958 when it was first established in Korea.
In Hyuk Suh has studied Martial Arts for more than 50 years receiving his first instruction from his Grandfather Myung Dak Suh, Master-Instructor of the Royal Court Army.
Sadly after his Grandfather’s death, he travelled to the Far East seeking out and studying additional aspects of Martial Arts. The knowledge he acquired from his Grandfather and later Masters enabled him to establish Kuk Sool Won™ in America.
His organization now boasts 1.3 million members with over 800 schools worldwide in 27 different countries. Although expert in every aspect of Martial Arts, Grand Master In Hyuk Suh is especially renowned for his mastery of pressure points and joint manipulation techniques.
Kuk Sool Won™ encompasses over 50 different Korean styles taken from three primary cultural sub-groups,
- Family Martial Arts
- Buddhist Temple Martial Arts
- Royal Court Martial Arts
The Martial Art offers a perspective and curriculum of martial arts that is not available anywhere else. It is also recognised in the martial arts community as one of the most effective and comprehensive systems of traditional Korean martial arts in existence today.
So how did Kuk Sool reach the West?
In 1974, Kuk Sa Nim as he is known within the Kuk Sool Won™ family, emigrated to America, in 1975, he established the WORLD KUK SOOL ASSOCIATION. Since that day hundreds of schools have opened throughout the USA, Europe, Canada. Kuk Sool Won™ is now worldwide, with over one million students and over 800 Kuk Sool Won Schools.
For further information please visit the World Kuk Sool Association website.
You may also be interested in purchasing Master Barry Harmon's '5000 years of Korean Martial Arts' please visit the Kuk Sool Won of Clear Lake website for more information.
If you have any further questions please don’t hesitate to call us on 07908 786278 or fill out our online enquiry form.