Teukgong Moosool
특공무술Combat system of the South Korean special forces from 1979, blending hapkido, taekwondo, judo and Chinese arts.
Quick Facts
South KoreaCharacter & Origin
Organisation & Competition
What the style is built from
Editorial rating on a 0–3 scale, based on how much room each area gets in ordinary training.
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About Teukgong Moosool
Teukgong Moosool is the combat system of the South Korean special forces and holds the status of their officially taught method. It did not emerge as a sport and has no competitive form. Its development was prompted, in the nineteen-sixties and nineteen-seventies, by North Korean infiltrations into South Korean territory; according to the received account, the immediate impetus was an incident in which a North Korean fighter defeated three South Korean commandos within a matter of seconds. By 1979 the special forces had adopted the system in an official form. A group of masters took part in assembling it - sources name grandmasters Lim, No Won Park and Chang So Ok, and add that a number of others also contributed. The system draws on what had proved effective across several older arts at once: hapkido, taekwondo, Chinese martial arts, judo and Kyuk Too Ki. This is also reflected in its composition - footwork comes from taekwondo, throws from judo, sparring from Kyuk Too Ki, and to this is added an extensive grappling and joint-lock component. Training also covers weapons: nunchaku, knife, sword, long and short staff, and firearms. The aim is to neutralize and disable an opponent as quickly as possible. Outside the military, Teukgong Moosool has been adapted for personal protection, the police and other units, and it is also open to civilians interested in self-defense.
Similar styles
Selected by overlap in the style profile, not by historical lineage.