Muye Dobo Tongji : Comprehensive Illustrated Manual of Martial Arts of Ancient Korea

Rating:
Summary: A martial-arts book worth waiting 210 years for.
Review: As a White Belt in Korean martial arts, I learned that "the very first complete martial arts book was written [during the Yi dynasty]. This most important book is called `Mooyae Dobo Tongji'. It was written in 1790 A.D...." As a Brown Belt, I was tested on these facts. Beyond memorizing the name and date, I wished--ever since I first heard about it--that I could see a copy of this book, which surely held all sorts of ancient secrets. I was disappointed to learn that it had never been translated into English, and, in fact, was written in an archaic form of Korean.

Imagine my delight when I found out that Dr. Sang H. Kim had completed a translation, which became available late last year through martial-arts publisher Turtle Press. I can now say I've read the Mooyae Dobo Tongji. I found it fascinating, inspiring...and a little bit frustrating as well.

The Muye Dobo Tongji was commissioned by King Jungjo of Korea as a military manual. The authors were given access to the royal library, and told to consolidate dozens of ancient (in 1790!) manuscripts into a comprehensive fighting system. As they point out several times, their sources were often incomplete, unclear, and contradictory. But with warrior spirit, they did the best they could. The Muye Dobo Tongji is certainly a well-organized book.

The Muye Dobo Tongji consists of some forewords by the authors and translator, a section on the history of Korean martial arts and martial-arts manuscripts, and four "books" describing twenty-four "systems" of martial arts. The forewords and historical sections are enlightening, and contain wisdom that applies to modern times. Sometimes the wisdom is veiled in the peculiar form of English that seems to result from translations of Oriental languages. For example: "When I asked about simplicity, Hu replied, `Simplicity means first of all courage, secondly power, thirdly spirit, and lastly speed.'"

The twenty-four "systems" are mainly what we would refer to as "weapons forms", although there are chapters on fist fighting, horsemanship, etc. Some of the forms are two-person combat drills. There are hundreds of wonderful, expressive illustrations and diagrams from wood-block prints. It is interesting to note that these fighters did not have Bruce Lee-type bodies, and there was no shame in showing a nicely rounded belly.

The pictures and descriptions of the weapons are great. The weapons range from short knives and various swords to 15-foot-long spears, to a multiple-tip bamboo spear designed to be used with poison on its many sharp points.

The instructions for the forms themselves, which make up the bulk of text, are the frustrating part. The instructions range from the precise ("Thrust to the rear with the right hand and foot in front.") to the emphatic ("Hand and sword should be as fast as lightning.") to the colorful ("Lunge with a duck-like stride to thrust and strike to the waist, like white monkey coming out of his cave.") to the undecipherable ("Make the Goose Wing Posture...Punch horizontally like an ox on his back roaring at the sky.") I would love to know if anyone has deciphered the text enough to actually execute any of the forms described in the book.

Having said that, I regard the Muye Dobo Tongji as a valuable edition to my martial-arts library. Although the details are elusive, it is easy to see that our modern Tang Soo Do, and probably other styles, are derived from this historic book. We carry on the tradition that was so important to King Jungjo, Yi Duk-moo, Park Je-ga, and Dr. Kim. And some things haven't changed in 210 years. Although our shields are plastic instead of wisteria and bamboo, the key to success is still learning those forms, developing courage, power, spirit, and speed, and then practicing, practicing, practicing...

Alan Hochberg E Dan Korean Martial Arts Institute, Hockessin, DE

Rating:
Summary: A martial-arts book worth waiting 210 years for.
Review: As a White Belt in Korean martial arts, I learned that "the very first complete martial arts book was written [during the Yi dynasty]. This most important book is called 'Mooyae Dobo Tongji'. It was written in 1790 A.D...." As a Brown Belt, I was tested on these facts. Beyond memorizing the name and date, I wished--ever since I first heard about it--that I could see a copy of this book, which surely held all sorts of ancient secrets. I was disappointed to learn that it had never been translated into English, and, in fact, was written in an archaic form of Korean.

Imagine my delight when I found out that Dr. Sang H. Kim had completed a translation, which became available late last year through martial-arts publisher Turtle Press. I can now say I've read the Mooyae Dobo Tongji. I found it fascinating, inspiring...and a little bit frustrating as well.

The Muye Dobo Tongji was commissioned by King Jungjo of Korea as a military manual. The authors were given access to the royal library, and told to consolidate dozens of ancient (in 1790!) manuscripts into a comprehensive fighting system. As they point out several times, their sources were often incomplete, unclear, and contradictory. But with warrior spirit, they did the best they could. The Muye Dobo Tongji is certainly a well-organized book.

The Muye Dobo Tongji consists of some forewords by the authors and translator, a section on the history of Korean martial arts and martial-arts manuscripts, and four "books" describing twenty-four "systems" of martial arts. The forewords and historical sections are enlightening, and contain wisdom that applies to modern times. Sometimes the wisdom is veiled in the peculiar form of English that seems to result from translations of Oriental languages. For example: "When I asked about simplicity, Hu replied, 'Simplicity means first of all courage, secondly power, thirdly spirit, and lastly speed.'"

The twenty-four "systems" are mainly what we would refer to as "weapons forms", although there are chapters on fist fighting, horsemanship, etc. Some of the forms are two-person combat drills. There are hundreds of wonderful, expressive illustrations and diagrams from wood-block prints. It is interesting to note that these fighters did not have Bruce Lee-type bodies, and there was no shame in showing a nicely rounded belly.

The pictures and descriptions of the weapons are great. The weapons range from short knives and various swords to 15-foot-long spears, to a multiple-tip bamboo spear designed to be used with poison on its many sharp points.

The instructions for the forms themselves, which make up the bulk of text, are the frustrating part. The instructions range from the precise ("Thrust to the rear with the right hand and foot in front.") to the emphatic ("Hand and sword should be as fast as lightning.") to the colorful ("Lunge with a duck-like stride to thrust and strike to the waist, like white monkey coming out of his cave.") to the undecipherable ("Make the Goose Wing Posture...Punch horizontally like an ox on his back roaring at the sky.") I would love to know if anyone has deciphered the text enough to actually execute any of the forms described in the book.

Having said that, I regard the Muye Dobo Tongji as a valuable edition to my martial-arts library. Although the details are elusive, it is easy to see that our modern Tang Soo Do, and probably other styles, are derived from this historic book. We carry on the tradition that was so important to King Jungjo, Yi Duk-moo, Park Je-ga, and Dr. Kim. And some things haven't changed in 210 years. Although our shields are plastic instead of wisteria and bamboo, the key to success is still learning those forms, developing courage, power, spirit, and speed, and then practicing, practicing, practicing...

Alan Hochberg E Dan Korean Martial Arts Institute, Hockessin, DE

Rating:
Summary: Long Awaited Historical Manuscript!
Review: For years Korean stylists have heard about the Mu Ye Do Bo Tong Ji (MYDBTJ). FINALLY, we can not only see illustrations from the original woodcuts, but read a decent English translation of the work. Sang H. Kim has done more in the popular martial arts media (with the possible exception of He Yong Kimm) to explain Korean martial arts to the general public than anyone else. It says a lot that in the year 2000, someone (Kim) finally found it worthwhile to share the MYDBTJ with the folks who have heard so much about how it impacted the development of their martial art (tae kwon do, hapkido, etc).

Compiled from a variety of (credited) Chinese military texts by court official Lee, Dok-mu, the MYDBTJ came into use in Korea during the year 1790, Yi Dynasty. This 400 page volume offers us an uncommon view of actual practical martial skill utilized in days past, and surprisingly for many of us, finally dispells the myth of the importance of empty handed fighting among warriors of days past. For with the exception of a single chapter (pg 311-332), the entire focus of this volume is upon drilling with weapons (sword, staff, pole weapons, polo, horsemanship, etc)! It is of interest to note that in this section, mention is made of sources that refer both to the Shaolin method and death point striking.

For a truely excellent perspective on the MYDBTJ, a recommended read is the article "Korea's Mu Yei Do Bo Tong Ji: A Sample of Martial Arts training in the Yi Dynasty" by John Della Pia in _Journal of Asian Martial Arts_ Vol. 3 #2 (1994). I should also mention that although the MYDBTJ is compiled from CHINESE documents there are many people who in recent years have used the MYDBTJ as a guide in trying to re-create old-style "native" Korean martial arts, among them Hwang Kee of the Moo Duk Kwan, various Hapkido and taekwondo teachers and others in Korea who have created both empty handed and sword forms based upon their unique interpretations of the sequences contained in this manual. It is interesting to obsrve that virtually none of these independent interpretations agree with one another in form or application, suggesting that even folks with the benefit of growing up immersed in Korean language and culture have difficulty understanding this 210 year old work. This is due in part to vagueness of the illustrations and the terms used to describe the techniques, and the fact that it was originally written in classical Chinese. The terms include a vernacular which probably referred to commonly known techniques that needed no further explanation for an audience of 18 century soldiers. The unfortunate fact today is that native Korean martial arts with the exception of taek kyun (kicking), ssireum (wrestling), and archery have been lost to us as have the specifics concerning the skills shown in these manuals drawn from overwhealmingly Chinese sources. Unfortunately, nothing outside of Korea has been published on either Taek Kyun, Ssireum, or Korean archery.

I highly recommend this volume to ANYONE engaged in martial arts practice (regardless of the nationalistic identity of your respective art). It will offer a unique historical perspective on pre-modern Asian military preparation and drill which is simply unavailable from other sources. You now have the opportunity to form your own opinions and draw your own conclusions from this fascinating historical document.

Rating:
Summary: Long Awaited Historical Manuscript!
Review: For years Korean stylists have heard about the Mu Ye Do Bo Tong Ji (MYDBTJ). FINALLY, we can not only see illustrations from the original woodcuts, but read a decent English translation of the work. Sang H. Kim has done more in the popular martial arts media (with the possible exception of He Yong Kimm) to explain Korean martial arts to the general public than anyone else. It says a lot that in the year 2000, someone (Kim) finally found it worthwhile to share the MYDBTJ with the folks who have heard so much about how it impacted the development of their martial art (tae kwon do, hapkido, etc).

Compiled from a variety of (credited) Chinese military texts by court official Lee, Dok-mu, the MYDBTJ came into use in Korea during the year 1790, Yi Dynasty. This 400 page volume offers us an uncommon view of actual practical martial skill utilized in days past, and surprisingly for many of us, finally dispells the myth of the importance of empty handed fighting among warriors of days past. For with the exception of a single chapter (pg 311-332), the entire focus of this volume is upon drilling with weapons (sword, staff, pole weapons, polo, horsemanship, etc)! It is of interest to note that in this section, mention is made of sources that refer both to the Shaolin method and death point striking.

For a truely excellent perspective on the MYDBTJ, a recommended read is the article "Korea's Mu Yei Do Bo Tong Ji: A Sample of Martial Arts training in the Yi Dynasty" by John Della Pia in _Journal of Asian Martial Arts_ Vol. 3 #2 (1994). I should also mention that although the MYDBTJ is compiled from CHINESE documents there are many people who in recent years have used the MYDBTJ as a guide in trying to re-create old-style "native" Korean martial arts, among them Hwang Kee of the Moo Duk Kwan, various Hapkido and taekwondo teachers and others in Korea who have created both empty handed and sword forms based upon their unique interpretations of the sequences contained in this manual. It is interesting to obsrve that virtually none of these independent interpretations agree with one another in form or application, suggesting that even folks with the benefit of growing up immersed in Korean language and culture have difficulty understanding this 210 year old work. This is due in part to vagueness of the illustrations and the terms used to describe the techniques, and the fact that it was originally written in classical Chinese. The terms include a vernacular which probably referred to commonly known techniques that needed no further explanation for an audience of 18 century soldiers. The unfortunate fact today is that native Korean martial arts with the exception of taek kyun (kicking), ssireum (wrestling), and archery have been lost to us as have the specifics concerning the skills shown in these manuals drawn from overwhealmingly Chinese sources. Unfortunately, nothing outside of Korea has been published on either Taek Kyun, Ssireum, or Korean archery.

I highly recommend this volume to ANYONE engaged in martial arts practice (regardless of the nationalistic identity of your respective art). It will offer a unique historical perspective on pre-modern Asian military preparation and drill which is simply unavailable from other sources. You now have the opportunity to form your own opinions and draw your own conclusions from this fascinating historical document.

Rating:
Summary: The only surviving classical text on the Korean arts of war
Review: In 1789, King Jungjo, ruler of the Yi dynasty (1392-1910), ordered General Yi Duk-moo, Park Je-ga and Pak Dong-soo to compile an official textbook on all martial arts forms then extent in Korea for the purpose of preserving them for future generations. Their efforts became the "Muye Dobo Tongji", and the only surviving classical text on the Korean arts of war. Organized into twenty-four distinct disciplines comprised of empty hand fighting, weaponry and horsemanship, The Comprehensive Illustrated Manual Of Martial Arts Of Ancient Korea is ably translated into English for the benefit of a western readership and a core contribution to any personal, professional, or academic martial arts library collection.

Rating:
Summary: A gem of a book for historical weaponry enthusiasts!
Review: Wow! What an awesome book! I have always, as far as I can remember since beginning my martial arts training 15 years ago, wanted to know how martial arts were REALLY practiced back when they were really used in warfare. This book is a complete answer to the question. Now, many of you, if you live in the Western world, are probably most familiar with Japanese arts like Judo, Aikido, Kendo and Karate (originally meant "Chinese-hand", and came from the Ryukyu islands). This book, of course, is Korean, but that should in no way diminish its interest for you. Korea was a unified kingdom ever since about 700 AD. Japan arguably never truly was until the Meiji restoration in the 19th Century. So, the Koreans produced a textbook for their military whereas the Japanese kept their techniques secret from each other, and there are few traditions today in Japan that keep them alive (Kendo, Judo and the rest are modern creations meant for modern times). This is also, naturally, the case in Korea as well, BUT there is this book that has preserved the ancient techniques as they were back then for us today. The book describes in detail many series of techniques performed with the whole gamut of weapons, from fists to two-sword techniques on horseback. It even describes contests and games that can be used to sharpen skill and these include things, interestingly enough, like soccer and polo among others. I think in most cases it would not be possible to simply pick up the book and recreate whole forms in the backyard, but you can certainly learn and practice alot of individual techniques with the book in hand or conveniently placed nearby. In this way you can learn many of the techniques used by the ancient soldiers of Korea in their battles against Chinese, Yalu tribesmen, Japanese pirates and invading Mongols. I found the section on the Yedo (the so-called "short sword" which is what the Japanese call the Katana) to be particularly useful due to its detailed explanations of dozens of postures and attack/defense techniques. Generally, the Korean arts have received much less attention than the Japanese and Chinese, and this is probably due to the fact that the Japanese came up with popular sporting versions of their arts earlier than the Koreans and that Chinese culture is so strong worldwide through the cinema etc. The fact of the matter is that the Koreans beat off both the Chinese and the Japanese repeatedly throughout history, having been conquered only once before the 20th Century, and that was by the Mongols, whose victorious cavalry techniques they later adopted. During the Japanese invasions of the late 16th Century, the Koreans were first caught off guard, but soon rallied and through guerilla action on land by warrior monks and soldiers, and through armoured naval technology and tactics at sea defeated the Japanese in spite of the fact that they had the advantage of being equipped with the modern Portuguese-style arquebus and cannon. Another thing I really like about the book is that it speaks well of Chinese and Japanese techniques, many of which are adopted by the authors for instruction to the Korean troops. Rather than be held up by silly pettiness and pride, the scholars of this book make full use of other nations' techniques wherever they are useful. "Know thy enemy, know thyself" as Sun Tzu wrote. Foreign weapons are also displayed and described, and the history of each weapon is given as exhaustively as possible from available sources. If you are the sort of person who always wondered how Korean halberds, swords, spears, shields, staves, and so on were used, and you want to learn how to use them yourself, this is THE BOOK.

Rating:
Summary: A gem of a book for historical weaponry enthusiasts!
Review: Wow! What an awesome book! I have always, as far as I can remember since beginning my martial arts training 15 years ago, wanted to know how martial arts were REALLY practiced back when they were really used in warfare. This book is a complete answer to the question. Now, many of you, if you live in the Western world, are probably most familiar with Japanese arts like Judo, Aikido, Kendo and Karate (originally meant "Chinese-hand", and came from the Ryukyu islands). This book, of course, is Korean, but that should in no way diminish its interest for you. Korea was a unified kingdom ever since about 700 AD. Japan arguably never truly was until the Meiji restoration in the 19th Century. So, the Koreans produced a textbook for their military whereas the Japanese kept their techniques secret from each other, and there are few traditions today in Japan that keep them alive (Kendo, Judo and the rest are modern creations meant for modern times). This is also, naturally, the case in Korea as well, BUT there is this book that has preserved the ancient techniques as they were back then for us today. The book describes in detail many series of techniques performed with the whole gamut of weapons, from fists to two-sword techniques on horseback. It even describes contests and games that can be used to sharpen skill and these include things, interestingly enough, like soccer and polo among others. I think in most cases it would not be possible to simply pick up the book and recreate whole forms in the backyard, but you can certainly learn and practice alot of individual techniques with the book in hand or conveniently placed nearby. In this way you can learn many of the techniques used by the ancient soldiers of Korea in their battles against Chinese, Yalu tribesmen, Japanese pirates and invading Mongols. I found the section on the Yedo (the so-called "short sword" which is what the Japanese call the Katana) to be particularly useful due to its detailed explanations of dozens of postures and attack/defense techniques. Generally, the Korean arts have received much less attention than the Japanese and Chinese, and this is probably due to the fact that the Japanese came up with popular sporting versions of their arts earlier than the Koreans and that Chinese culture is so strong worldwide through the cinema etc. The fact of the matter is that the Koreans beat off both the Chinese and the Japanese repeatedly throughout history, having been conquered only once before the 20th Century, and that was by the Mongols, whose victorious cavalry techniques they later adopted. During the Japanese invasions of the late 16th Century, the Koreans were first caught off guard, but soon rallied and through guerilla action on land by warrior monks and soldiers, and through armoured naval technology and tactics at sea defeated the Japanese in spite of the fact that they had the advantage of being equipped with the modern Portuguese-style arquebus and cannon. Another thing I really like about the book is that it speaks well of Chinese and Japanese techniques, many of which are adopted by the authors for instruction to the Korean troops. Rather than be held up by silly pettiness and pride, the scholars of this book make full use of other nations' techniques wherever they are useful. "Know thy enemy, know thyself" as Sun Tzu wrote. Foreign weapons are also displayed and described, and the history of each weapon is given as exhaustively as possible from available sources. If you are the sort of person who always wondered how Korean halberds, swords, spears, shields, staves, and so on were used, and you want to learn how to use them yourself, this is THE BOOK.