Sibpalgi (18 Martial Disciplines)
십팔기Eighteen foot-soldier martial disciplines of the Joseon dynasty army, described in 18th-century manuals. Modern Korean associations also promote them under this name today.
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About Sibpalgi (18 Martial Disciplines)
Sibpalgi, literally eighteen disciplines, is the name for the military martial curriculum of the Korean Joseon dynasty. The preface of the manual Muyedobotongji from 1790 states that the name arose when twelve further disciplines were added to the six disciplines of an older manual. A study by Kwak Nak-hyun (2019) describes these eighteen disciplines as infantry martial arts.
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After the war with the Japanese, King Seonjo, according to the preface, obtained a Chinese military manual by Qi Jiguang, and Han Kyo produced from it an illustrated manual of six disciplines. The Encyclopedia of Korean Culture dates it to 1598. A further twelve disciplines, among them the Korean swordsmanship bonguk-geom and the fist fighting gwonbeop, were added by the manual Muyesinbo. The Encyclopedia of Korean Culture dates it to 1759, but in its article on martial arts it places the addition of the twelve disciplines in 1749. Muyedobotongji, which according to the encyclopedia was compiled by Yi Deok-mu, Pak Je-ga and Baek Dong-su, added six mounted and other disciplines, bringing the total to twenty-four. The opening rules of Muyedobotongji state that all weapon techniques rest on three methods, thrust, cut and strike. According to the Encyclopedia of Korean Culture, these disciplines served as defensive martial arts of Joseon until the dissolution of the old army. In February 2019 the city of Seoul registered twenty-four disciplines of Muyedobotongji as intangible cultural heritage number 51. Kwak Nak-hyun points out that they are performed today by various groups with inconsistent technique and that these are arts revived without academic documentation. Korean Wikipedia states that the modern Korean Sibpalgi Association was founded in 1977 by Kim Kwang-seok, who had previously studied Chinese kung fu.
History
According to the preface by King Jeongjo to the manual Muyedobotongji (1790), only archery had previously been practiced in the palace gardens, and practically nobody knew the spear or the sword. After the war with the Japanese, King Seonjo obtained a Chinese military manual by Qi Jiguang, and Han Kyo from the military office produced an illustrated manual of six disciplines. The Encyclopedia of Korean Culture dates it, under the title Muyejebo, to 1598 and states that the office Hullyeon dogam, founded in February 1594, taught soldiers six disciplines, but officers skilled in archery avoided the new weapon techniques.
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A further twelve disciplines were added by the manual Muyesinbo. The Encyclopedia of Korean Culture dates it to 1759 in its article on Muyedobotongji, but in its article on martial arts it places the addition of the twelve disciplines in 1749 and at the same time in the 35th year of the reign of King Yeongja. The preface of Muyedobotongji states that the expansion took place when the prince regent administered state affairs, and that the name eighteen disciplines arose then. English Wikipedia attributes Muyesinbo to Crown Prince Sado and states that it has not survived. Muyedobotongji, completed in 1790, according to the encyclopedia summarizes both older manuals and adds six mounted and other disciplines. It was compiled by royal order by Yi Deok-mu, Pak Je-ga and Baek Dong-su and has four volumes. According to the daily Korea JoongAng Daily, King Jeongjo drilled the army according to Muyesinbo. The Encyclopedia of Korean Culture states that the disciplines served as defensive martial arts of Joseon until the dissolution of the old army at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.
How it differs
Sibpalgi is not a school with a founder but a set of disciplines of the state army. A study by Kwak Nak-hyun (2019) states that the older manuals concentrated on eighteen infantry disciplines, whereas Muyedobotongji added six mounted ones and thereby also mounted tactics. The Encyclopedia of Korean Culture calls the whole set of twenty-four disciplines muye 24-gi or muye 24-ban. The historical curriculum differs from modern sibpalgi in origin. Korean Wikipedia states that today's sibpalgi is an abbreviation for groups around Kim Kwang-seok, who studied Chinese kung fu and reinterpreted the disciplines from Muyedobotongji. According to the same Wikipedia, the name sibpalgi was also borne by the first organization of Chinese martial arts in Korea, and in China the term is not used.
Technique
The opening rules of Muyedobotongji state that all weapon techniques rest on three methods, thrust, cut and strike, and that is why the book begins with the spear, the sword and the fist. A study by Kwak Nak-hyun (2017) divides the manual's twenty-four disciplines in the same way into thrusting, cutting and striking. The six disciplines of the older manual Muyejebo were, according to the Encyclopedia of Korean Culture, jangchang, dangpa, nangseon, ssangsudo, deungpae and gonbong. The encyclopedia describes gonbong as a wooden staff seven cheok long with a blade at the end. Muyesinbo added twelve disciplines, among them jukjangchang, gichang, yedo, waegeom, woldo, ssanggeom, bonguk-geom, gwonbeop and pyeongon. According to the encyclopedia, bonguk-geom is Korean swordsmanship, which tradition links to the hwarang warriors of the state of Silla.
Training
Muyedobotongji describes the disciplines weapon by weapon in four volumes. The first volume covers spears, the second swords, the third other swords and weapons, and the fourth, among other things, fist fighting and gonbong. Mounted disciplines are spread across several volumes. According to the daily Korea JoongAng Daily, today's demonstrations are held at the Sinpungnu gate of Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon under the name muye 24-gi. The fighters perform duels with shields and clubs, and the long spear can measure up to 460 cm. Korean Wikipedia says that modern sibpalgi associations promote the disciplines without the six mounted ones and without the Japanese sword waegeom.
Today
In February 2019 the city of Seoul registered twenty-four disciplines of Muyedobotongji as intangible cultural heritage number 51, without recognizing bearers. A study by Kwak Nak-hyun (2019) states that they are performed by various groups with uneven technique, among them an association for the preserving traditional sibpalgi and a muye 24-gi demonstration ensemble attached to the city ensemble in Suwon. As limitations the author states that these are arts revived without academic documentation and recommends unifying the technique, verifying the clothing and weapons, and pursuing national registration. Korean Wikipedia says that Kim Kwang-seok led a Chinese kung fu dojang from 1970, founded the Korean Sibpalgi Association in 1977 and registered it with the Ministry of Education in 1981. The Encyclopedia of Korean Culture states that today's practitioners call the whole set muye 24-gi.
Frequently asked questions
Why is sibpalgi called eighteen disciplines?
The preface of Muyedobotongji (1790) states that the name arose when twelve further disciplines were added to six older ones. The Encyclopedia of Korean Culture links them to the manual Muyesinbo.
What is the difference between sibpalgi and muye 24-gi?
The Muyedobotongji of 1790 added six mounted and other disciplines to the eighteen infantry disciplines. According to the Encyclopedia of Korean Culture, the whole set of twenty-four disciplines is today called muye 24-gi.
Where can sibpalgi be seen?
According to the daily Korea JoongAng Daily, demonstrations of muye 24-gi disciplines take place at the gate of Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon. Since 2019 the disciplines have been intangible cultural heritage of the city of Seoul.
Similar styles
Selected by overlap in the style profile, not by historical lineage.