Korean martial arts (Korean: 무술 musul or 무예 muye or 무도 mudo) are fighting practices and methods that developed on the Korean Peninsula through its history, marked by frequent warfare and foreign invasions. They were later adapted for military training, self-defense, sport, cultural preservation, and personal development. They include both unarmed and armed disciplines and reflect a mix of indigenous traditions and outside influences, particularly from China and Japan.
Evidence of martial practices in Korea can be traced back to early history, including depictions of wrestling in Goguryeo tomb murals from the 4th to 6th centuries. During the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties, martial skills were organized for military use, most notably in manuals such as the Muyedobotongji (1795).
Many traditional martial arts and modern combat sports were formed or reorganized in the 20th century, particularly following the Japanese occupation of Korea (1910–1945). This period disrupted many indigenous martial traditions while also shaping modern training methods, terminology, and structures. As a result, the historical continuity of some systems remains debated.
Notable Korean martial arts include taekwondo, hapkido, ssireum, and taekkyon, while armed traditions include Korean archery (gungdo), swordsmanship (kumdo). In November 2011, taekkyon was added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list.
Terminology In Korean sources, several terms are used to describe martial practices:
Musul (Hangul: 무술; hanja: 武術), litter “martial techniques”, refers to methods of actual combat. Historically, the term was used broadly to describe practical fighting skills, including unarmed techniques and weapons use. Musul emphasizes technical application rather than moral or philosophical development, and it did not refer to standardized systems in the modern sense.
Muye (무예; 武藝), often translated as “martial arts,” refers to martial skills cultivated for military service or security roles, often within a formal training environment. The term appears in classical military manuals such as the Muyedobotongji.
Mudo (무도; 武道), meaning “martial way,” is a modern term in Korea, influenced by the Japanese concept of budō in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It describes martial practice as a path of moral, physical, and personal development. Today, mudo is used for modern martial arts that emphasize character education alongside technical training.
Cultural and institutional context Historically, Korean martial practices were shaped mainly by military needs and state institutions rather than by a hereditary warrior class. During the Joseon dynasty, long periods of relative stability and the dominance of Neo-Confucianism reduced the social status of martial pursuits. These practices became largely confined to the military and state service. As a result, martial training tended to be changed, revised, or abandoned according to changing political and military conditions.
From the late 19th century through the mid-20th century, the collapse of Joseon and social upheaval further disrupted martial transmission. The Japanese occupation, the Korean War, and the division of Korea changed how martial practices were taught, preserved, and reorganized.
These conditions made it difficult for individual schools or lineages to survive over time. Therefore, much of premodern Korean martial traditions survive only in fragments.
History
Early history Early Korean peoples and later states developed in a context of frequent warfare and territorial conflict.
Wrestling, known as Gakjeo or Ssireum (씨름), is generally considered the oldest form of wrestling and grappling in Korea. It was practiced as physical training and as popular recreation.
Unarmed practices formed part of broader martial activity, and weapons were often seen as extensions of empty-hand techniques. These activities were not limited to soldiers and were also common among civilians. They were often performed during village festivals and combined with dance, masks, acrobatics, and competitive games. Martial activity also served as a form of basic physical education.
Throughout their history, Koreans relied more heavily on bows and arrows in warfare than they did on close-range weapons.Draeger, Donn F. (1981). Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts, pg 155. Kodansha International. The composite bow was the primary battlefield weapon, and military training focused more on ranged combat and discipline. This emphasis on archery strongly influenced the development of Korean martial traditions.
However, close range weapons too were used widely and well throughout much of Korean history. During the Three Kingdoms Period, Swords, Battle axes, Spears, and Bow and arrow were the main weapons. In Goryeo Dynasty, main weapons besides the bow were swords and spears. However, during the first half of the Joseon Dynasty, the removal of swordsmanship from military evaluations, emphasis on archery and firearms, and absence of widescale war caused the decline in close range capabilities in the Korean army.
Most evidence for early martial practices comes from archaeological remains, such as tomb murals from the Goguryeo period, and later historical sources rather than detailed instructional texts. As a result, their specific techniques and training methods are not well documented. These early practices became more visible in historical records during the Three Kingdoms period.
Three Kingdoms During the Three Kingdoms period (57 BCE–668 CE), Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla were often in conflict with one another. Therefore, martial practices were important in both military and civilian life. These included unarmed activities such as armed skills like swordsmanship, spear fighting, archery, horseback riding but also unarmed combat like Gakjeo (known today as Ssireum) and Subak (수박, 手搏).
Subak refers to a category of unarmed combat practices that emphasized upright fighting using strikes and grappling. It was practiced by both soldiers and civilians and appears in historical records as a general term rather than a clearly defined martial art. Because descriptions are limited, the exact techniques and methods of subak during this period are not known. Some scholars have noted similarities between subak and Chinese unarmed combat practices such as shoubo (手搏). This suggests possible influence through cultural exchange, but the exact relationship remains uncertain. Sources indicate that Subak and Japanese Sumo are similar in form.
Martial practices during this period were also influenced by institutions. During the Silla period (57 BCE–935 CE), the Hwarang were an elite youth group that emphasized classical education, ritual practice, moral education, loyalty, and physical training. They are associated with martial activity and sometimes credited with contributing to the unification of the peninsula by Silla in the 7th century. Hwarang is described by Russian-Korean historian, Vladimir Tikhonov (Pak Noja), as "sweet young men." Tikhonov indicated that, from the standards of Silla Kingdom they were considered soft and affectionate people, but the reason why Hwarang were associated with military and referred to as warriors and knights is because the heavily militarized Korean societies of the Three Kingdoms Period had strict military laws and traditions that rewarded bravery and punished cowardice, and with the rest of the society, Hwarang too were required to become warriors and serve in the military. Surviving historical sources do not describe a formalized martial arts system. As a result, the actual martial role of the Hwarang’s and their influence in the development of later martial traditions is debated.
Koryo (935-1392) During the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), martial practices were closely linked to military service and social advancement. The kingdom faced repeated threats, including invasions by the Khitan, Jurchen, and later Mongols, as well as raids by Japanese pirates. These conflicts made practical fighting ability highly valued. Archery and cavalry continued to dominate battlefield tactics, but unarmed combat, especially subak, was also valued for training, competition, and display. Subak competitions (subakhui) were popular and sometimes patronized by the royal court, with kings reportedly taking part in demonstration. Skilled fighters could gain social or political advancement.
Although no manuals from this period survive, Goryeo represents a period of continuity and gradual formalization of earlier martial traditions before the more documented Joseon era.
Joseon (1392-1910) During the Joseon dynasty, martial practices were shaped by both external threats and internal ideological priorities. The new state ideology Neo-Confucianism emphasized civil scholarship over military pursuits, but martial training remained necessary for national defense. This tensions resulted in uneven state support for martial activities.
During the 1592–1598 Japanese invasions of Korea, Korea received help from China and was exposed both to Japanese and China military practices. In 1593, Korean troops encountered the Chinese military manual titled Ji Xiao Xin Shu (), written by the Chinese military strategist Qi Jiguang. King Seonjo (1567–1608) took a personal interest in the book and promoted it. This led to the creation of the Muyejebo () in 1599 by Han Gyo, who had studied the use of several weapons with the Chinese army. Soon this book was revised into the Muyesinbo (), and expanded into the illustrated Muyedobotongji (1790). This manual is considered a key source for late Joseon military practices.Kim, Wee-hyun. "Muyedobo T'ongji: Illustrated Survey of the Martial arts." Korea Journal 26:8 (August 1986): 42–54
The Muyedobotongji documents eighteen martial disciplines, mostly weapon-based such as sword, spear, staff, flail, archery, and mounted combat. Unarmed techniques appear under the term Kwonbeop (권법; 拳法) and play a limited role compared to weapon training. Kwonbeop is the Korean rendition of the Chinese term Quan fa.
While archery remained important, Joseon forces also quickly adopted firearms introduced by the invading Japanese armies, integrating matchlock weapons alongside traditional bows.
Starting from the 17th century aside from the Japanese and Manchu invasions, Joseon experienced long periods of relative peace, which reduced the practical role of martial training. References to subak decline after the 15th century, suggesting diminished official recognition. Some unarmed practices increasingly took the form of competitive activities during folk festivals. Taekkyon, for instance, often regarded as Korea’s oldest surviving martial art, appears in late 18th-century sources.
In the late 19th century, amid modernization efforts, Emperor Gojong introduced reforms that included foreign military instruction. In 1899, Emperor Gojong, with the encouragement of the visiting Prince Heinrich of Prussia, established gungdo as an official sport.
Japanese occupation (1910–1945) During the occupation period, many Korean martial practices were suppressed or discouraged. At the same time, Japanese martial arts—including judo and kendo—were actively promoted through the education system, police training, and military institutions. As a result, Japanese martial disciplines became widespread among Koreans, influencing both training methods and organizational structures.
Despite these restrictions, certain indigenous practices survived. Ssireum (traditional wrestling) and gungdo (Korean archery) continued to be practiced, often in informal settings or as part of cultural festivals. Both arts experienced renewed popularity during this period and established formal federations in 1920, which continue to exist today. In contrast, other traditional martial practices such as taekkyon declined sharply and came close to disappearing entirely.