Hosinsul
호신술
Self-defense techniques in Korean arts, mainly in hapkido and taekwondo. They include escapes from grips, joint locks and defense against a weapon.
Quick Facts
Term typeClassification of techniques, arts and schools
LanguageKorean
Formnoun
Pronunciation[hoh-sheen-sool]
Alternative Namesself-defense
Readings and romanizations
Revised Romanizationhosinsul
McCune–Reischauerhosinsul
Word breakdown
護 (호)hoto protect
身 (신)sinbody
術 (술)sulart, skill
Definition
Hosinsul (호신술, 護身術) literally means “art of protecting the body”. It means self-defense techniques: escapes from grips and chokes, joint locks, throws and defense against a knife or stick. Japanese equivalent: goshinjutsu. In hapkido, hosinsul is the core of the teaching. In taekwondo it is often part of higher-grade tests.