The Arts We Practice

Our Martial Art is based on the three main influences in martial art history: Sado Mu Sool (Tribal Martial Arts), Bul Kyo Mu Sool (Buddhist Martial Arts) and Koong Joong Mu Sool (Royal Court Martial Arts). Although only recently developed, Kong Shin Bup™ techniques are based on roots thousands of years old, and it incorporates three main segments of martial arts to form a martial art system rather than a style.

Sado Mul Sool, of tribal martial arts are likely to be the first organized martial arts developed in order to provide food for the families, clans, of tribes the world over. Later, as agriculture developed, it became necessary to defend crops and territory. Since nature has a way of allowing the strong and skillful to survive, the honing of skills must have been the number one priority for all tribes. It is from these finely honed skills that Our art takes the many "empty hand" and simple weapons techniques.

Bul Kyo Mu Sool are the unique skills developed by Korean Buddhist Monks. In his travels to spread his religion, the Monk Bodhid Dharma recognized that many hours of sitting in quiet meditation created a need for some form of exercise to maintain health. In addition, traveling was a hazard due to highwaymen and robbers. Monasteries the world over are the birthplace of many inventions, and it is widely believed that Bhodhid Dharma developed a series of exercises that form the basis of Bul Kyo Mul Sool. The famous Shaolin Monks are an example of his influence. Meditation, acupressure points, the study of animal fighting techniques, and special "KI" breathing techniques are among some of the influences our art has borrowed from Bul Kyo Mu Sool.

Koong Joong Mul Sool techniques include the use of weapons not commonly available to commoners. Just as our government today restricts us from owning advanced weapons, the ancient courts of Korea restricted the use of weapons to its citizens. In order to provide a more complete art to our students, King Shin Bup includes the skills normally reserved for members of the Korean Royal Court guard. For training purposes, practitioners use low, narrow stances that develop great balance and strong legs. In turn, this aids students in acrobatics, high kicking and jumping skills.

Caution! Whenever techniques are influenced by various martial art foundations, it is essential that the fundamentals of these techniques are compatible. For instance, a circular art is difficult to practice when using the strong wider stances of a linear art -- it is better suited to redirect the opponents power by using a narrow and more mobile stance. To mix these two basic principles would confuse most students. Some students prefer strong wide stances, others prefer lower and narrower stances. We suggest that each student finds a martial art that is best suited to their natural ability for one simple reason -- it is better to ride a horse in the direction it is going.