The ''Muyesinbo'' (; alternatively ''Muyeshinbo'') is a

Korean martial arts Korean martial arts ( or ) are fighting 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 ...

manual published in 1759.Ehwa University Press 2008, Sippalgi: Traditional Korean Martial Arts, Dr. B.K. Choi The book is a revision of the older ''

Muyejebo The '' Muyejebo'' (''Compendium of Several Martial Arts'') is the oldest extant Korean martial arts manual, compiled by Han Gyo (韓嶠) in 1598 during the reign of King Seonjo. With the addition of material from Japanese martial arts, a sup ...

'', made during the reign of King Youngjo (1724–1776). It adds twelve disciplines or "skills" of both armed and unarmed fighting by

Prince Sado Crown Prince Sado (; 13 February 1735 – 12 July 1762), personal name Yi Seon (), was the second son of King Yeongjo of Joseon. His biological mother was Royal Noble Consort Yeong of the Jeonui Yi clan. Due to the prior death of Sado's ...

to the original six which were descbribed in the ''Muyejebo''. No copies of the ''Muyesinbo'' have survived, but its contents can easily be determined by tracing back and comparing the ''Muyejebo'' with the later ''

Muyedobotongji ''Muyedobot'ongji'' (; ''Muye Dobo Tong Ji'') was a Korean martial arts text written by , Pak Chega, and Paek Tongsu and published in four volumes in 1795. It was commissioned in 1790 by King Jeongjo (r. 1740–1810). It expanded on the eigh ...

''. Prince Sado also originated the term ''Sib Pal Gi'' (십팔기, 十八技, “Eighteen ightingMethods” or possibly "Eighteen arrior'sTools” if using 十八器), shortened from ''Bonjo Muye Sib Pal Ban'' (본조무예십팔반, 本條武藝十八般, "A Treatise on the 18 Martial Categories of the Yi Dynasty"). This mirrors the Chinese concept of the "

Eighteen Arms of Wushu The Eighteen Arms is a list of the eighteen main weapons of Chinese martial arts. The origin of the list is unclear and there have been disputes as to what the eighteen weapons actually are. However, all lists contain at least one or more of the f ...

" (十八般兵器) to identify the Korean collection of weapons depicted in the Mu Ye Sin Bo (note that 十八般兵器 is pronounced ''Sip Pal Ban Byeong Gi'' in Korean, 십팔반병기, where the words ''Ban Byeong'' are left out to render Prince Sado's term, and these omitted words roughly translate as "martial methods" making them essentially superfluous when taken in context).

Historical background

The earlier manual of 1610, ''

'' (''Martial Arts Illustrations'') had as its background the

Imjin War The Imjin War () was a series of two Japanese invasions of Korea: an initial invasion in 1592 also individually called the "Imjin War", a brief truce in 1596, and a second invasion in 1597 called the Chŏngyu War (). The conflict ended in 159 ...

(1592–1598), which revealed severe shortcomings in the Korean national army causing

King Seonjo Seonjo (; 6 December 1552 – 6 March 1608), personal name Yi Yeon (), was the 14th monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. He was known for promoting Confucianism and attempting reforms at the beginning of his reign. However, he later gained ...

(1567–1608) to order reforms based on the successful training model of the Chinese General

Qi Jiguang Qi Jiguang (, November 12, 1528 – January 17, 1588), courtesy name Yuanjing, art names Nantang and Mengzhu, posthumous name Wuyi, was a Chinese military general and writer of the Ming dynasty. He is best known for leading the defense on th ...

(1527–1587). During the reign of

King Yeongjo Yeongjo (; 31 October 1694 – 22 April 1776), personal name Yi Geum (), was the 21st monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. He was the second son of King Sukjong by his concubine, Royal Noble Consort Suk of the Haeju Choe clan. Before asc ...

(1724–1776) the ''Muyejebo'' was revised, and supplemented with 12 additional fighting methods by

, published in 1759. Prince Sado was the heir-apparent of king Yeongjo, but he suffered from a mental illness which triggered violent outbreaks. After the prince took to randomly killing and raping people in the palace, he was executed by suffocation in 1762, aged 27. Both the ''Muyejebo'' and ''Muyesinbo'' formed the basis for the later ''

'' ("Comprehensive Illustrated Manual of Martial Arts") of 1795, which added 4 already depicted disciplines only as executed on horseback (namely: flag spear, twin sabres, moon-knife, and

flail Flail may refer to: * Flail (tool), an agricultural implement for threshing * Flail (weapon) A flail is a weapon consisting of a striking head attached to a handle by a flexible rope, strap, or chain. The chief tactical virtue of the flail i ...

) in addition to horsemanship itself as well as a polo-like game, bringing the total number of systems to 24.

The Eighteen Skills

These are the eighteen "skills" (技 skill, ability, method) which are classified into three categories (thrust, slice, and strike) and reflect strong influence from

Chinese martial arts Chinese martial arts, commonly referred to with umbrella terms Kung fu (term), kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (sport), wushu (), are Styles of Chinese martial arts, multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater Ch ...

. The first six skills already present in the ''Muyejebo'' can also be found in the ''Muyesinbo'': *Gonbong 곤봉 (long staff), cf. Chinese

Gun A gun is a device that Propulsion, propels a projectile using pressure or explosive force. The projectiles are typically solid, but can also be pressurized liquid (e.g. in water guns or water cannon, cannons), or gas (e.g. light-gas gun). So ...

(棍) * Deungpae 등패 盾牌 (shield) *

Nangseon A lang xian, which can be translated as "wolf brush" or "wolf bamboo" or "multiple tipped bamboo spear" was a branched, multi-tipped spear with blades attached to the branches. The blades could be dipped in poison. The lang xian was a weapon wel ...

낭선 狼筅 (thorn spear) * Jangchang 장창 長槍 (long spear), cf. Chinese Qiang 槍 / Shuò 槊 *

Dangpa ''Dangpa'' (), or ''dang pa'', is the Korean name for a Ranseur (three-pronged trident-like spear) first described in the ''Muyejebo'', a Korean martial arts manual of the Joseon Dynasty (published 1610). Types There were several types of dang ...

당파鎲杷 (three-pronged spear) * Ssangsudo 쌍수도 雙手刀(two-handed sword) The remaining twelve skills are original to the ''Muyesinbo'': * Jukjangchang 죽장창 竹長槍(long bamboo spear) * Gichang 기창 旗槍(spear with flag) *Yedo 예도 銳刀 (sharp sword): a single-edged sword that was about three feet in length. It was typically used one-handed and was favored by foot soldiers and sailors. *Wae geom 왜검倭刀 :sword . *Gyojeon 교전校劍 (sword sparring techniques): *

Woldo The woldo (literally “moon blade”), was a Korean polearm that closely resembled the Chinese guandao (also known as ''yanyuedao''), though proportionally smaller. It was so named because of its curved blade. Its use and its methods were describ ...

월도 月刀(moon-blade): a polearm with a curving blade paralleling the Chinese

guandao A ''guandao'' is a type of Chinese polearm that is used in some forms of Chinese martial arts. In Chinese, it is properly called a ''yanyuedao'' (偃月刀; lit. "reclining moon blade"), the name under which it always appears in texts from th ...

. *

Hyeopdo The ''hyeopdo'' was a polearm used in Korea. It was also called ''micheomdo'' (), which could be translated as "eyebrow sword" because the curved blade resembled an eyebrow.Ehwa University Press 2008, Sippalgi: Traditional Korean Martial Arts, Dr ...

협도 (spear-blade): a polearm paralleling the Japanese

naginata The ''naginata'' (, , ) is a polearm and one of several varieties of traditionally made Japanese blades ('' nihontō''). ''Naginata'' were originally used by the samurai class of feudal Japan, as well as by ashigaru (foot soldiers) and sōhei ( ...

nagamaki The is a type of traditionally made Japanese sword (''nihontō'') with an extra long handle, used by the samurai class of feudal Japan.Friday 2004, p. 88. History It is possible that nagamaki were first produced during the Heian period (794 to ...

. * Ssang geom 쌍검 雙劍 (twin-swords): fighting with two identical swords; twin-swords were made to be carried in a single sheath. *

Jedok geom ''Jedok geom'' () or ''Admiral sword'' or ''Commander sword'' is a sword-skill originating from China and used during the Japanese invasions of Korea during the 16th century. The techniques required the use of both a sharp sword and a waist sw ...

제독검 將軍劍 (admiral sword): techniques introduced by Chinese admiral

Li Rusong Li Rusong (1549–1598) was a Chinese general of the Ming dynasty from Tieling, Liaodong. He was a Ming army commander in the first half of the Imjin War that took place in the Korean peninsula. Upon the request of the Korean King Seonjo of ...

, who fought on the Korean side in the

. Li used straight-bladed swords (jikdo) with a single edge for slashing and a double-edged sword (geom) for stabbing. The manual gives 14 basic stances for this discipline. *

Bonguk geom Bonguk geom (Korean 본국검 "national sword", also ''singeom'' 신검 "Silla sword") in Joseon era Korean martial arts (17th to 18th centuries) referred both to a type of sword and a style of swordsmanship. The term was introduced in the ''Mu ...

본국검 邦國劍(national sword): a method of swordsmanship stressing traditional Korean origin (as opposed to the more recent adoption of the techniques of the "admiral sword"). *

Gwonbeop ''Gwonbeop'' () is a system of unarmed methods in Korean martial arts which was developed during the Joseon era (15th to 19th centuries). It is the Korean language, Korean rendition of the Chinese ''quan fa'' (拳法). Early history Destruct ...

권법 拳搏(unarmed fighting skills): based on the 1567 ''Ji Xiao Shin Shu''紀效新書 or "Manual of New Military Tactics" by General

戚継光 (1528–1588). Of the original 32 methods cited by General Qi, about 19 methods are identified in the Muyesinbo, besides another 14 original methods, yielding a total of 33. *

Pyeongon The Pyeongon is a nunchaku-like weapon used by the Joseon army and is first mentioned in a martial arts manual called Muyesinbo. The weapon was inspired by the farmer's flail to thresh rice with. In the West it mostly known as a two-section staf ...

편곤 鞭杆(flail): paralleling the Chinese

two-section staff The two-section staff or changxiaobang () is a versatile weapon which originated in China from the ancient Shaolin temple and Shaolin martial arts. It is a Flail (weapon), flail-type weapon which consists of a long staff with a shorter rod attache ...

The term ''Sip Pal Gi'' in modern

has come to identify three separate but related activities.

Modern reception

In modern Korean martial arts, ''Sip Pal Gi'' has come to be used generically, much like "

kung fu Chinese martial arts, commonly referred to with umbrella terms Kung fu (term), kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (sport), wushu (), are Styles of Chinese martial arts, multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater Ch ...

" in the west. There are, however, small groups of practitioners who use the term ''Sip Pal Gi'' historically, for the attempted reconstruction of 18th-century Korean martial arts based on the historical manuals, much in the same way as martial arts reconstruction in the West.

References

* Ehwa University Press 2008, ''Sippalgi: Traditional Korean Martial Arts'', Dr. B.K. Choi * ''Comprehensive Illustrated Manual of Martial Arts''; Trans: KIM Sang H., Phd; Turtle Press, 2000.

Historical background

The Eighteen Skills

Modern reception

References

See also