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Title: Muye Dobo Tongji : Comprehensive Illustrated Manual of Martial Arts of Ancient Korea by Muye Dobo Tongji, Yi Duk-Moo, Park Je-Ga, Sang H. Kim ISBN: 1-880336-48-0 Publisher: Turtle Press (CT) Pub. Date: 01 October, 2000 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $18.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.75 (4 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Long Awaited Historical Manuscript!
Comment: For years Korean stylists have heard about the Mu Ye Do Bo Tong Ji (MYDBTJ). FINALLY, we can not only see illustrations from the original woodcuts, but read a decent English translation of the work. Sang H. Kim has done more in the popular martial arts media (with the possible exception of He Yong Kimm) to explain Korean martial arts to the general public than anyone else. It says a lot that in the year 2000, someone (Kim) finally found it worthwhile to share the MYDBTJ with the folks who have heard so much about how it impacted the development of their martial art (tae kwon do, hapkido, etc).
Compiled from a variety of (credited) Chinese military texts by court official Lee, Dok-mu, the MYDBTJ came into use in Korea during the year 1790, Yi Dynasty. This 400 page volume offers us an uncommon view of actual practical martial skill utilized in days past, and surprisingly for many of us, finally dispells the myth of the importance of empty handed fighting among warriors of days past. For with the exception of a single chapter (pg 311-332), the entire focus of this volume is upon drilling with weapons (sword, staff, pole weapons, polo, horsemanship, etc)! It is of interest to note that in this section, mention is made of sources that refer both to the Shaolin method and death point striking.
For a truely excellent perspective on the MYDBTJ, a recommended read is the article "Korea's Mu Yei Do Bo Tong Ji: A Sample of Martial Arts training in the Yi Dynasty" by John Della Pia in _Journal of Asian Martial Arts_ Vol. 3 #2 (1994). I should also mention that although the MYDBTJ is compiled from CHINESE documents there are many people who in recent years have used the MYDBTJ as a guide in trying to re-create old-style "native" Korean martial arts, among them Hwang Kee of the Moo Duk Kwan, various Hapkido and taekwondo teachers and others in Korea who have created both empty handed and sword forms based upon their unique interpretations of the sequences contained in this manual. It is interesting to obsrve that virtually none of these independent interpretations agree with one another in form or application, suggesting that even folks with the benefit of growing up immersed in Korean language and culture have difficulty understanding this 210 year old work. This is due in part to vagueness of the illustrations and the terms used to describe the techniques, and the fact that it was originally written in classical Chinese. The terms include a vernacular which probably referred to commonly known techniques that needed no further explanation for an audience of 18 century soldiers. The unfortunate fact today is that native Korean martial arts with the exception of taek kyun (kicking), ssireum (wrestling), and archery have been lost to us as have the specifics concerning the skills shown in these manuals drawn from overwhealmingly Chinese sources. Unfortunately, nothing outside of Korea has been published on either Taek Kyun, Ssireum, or Korean archery.
I highly recommend this volume to ANYONE engaged in martial arts practice (regardless of the nationalistic identity of your respective art). It will offer a unique historical perspective on pre-modern Asian military preparation and drill which is simply unavailable from other sources. You now have the opportunity to form your own opinions and draw your own conclusions from this fascinating historical document.
Rating: 5
Summary: A gem of a book for historical weaponry enthusiasts!
Comment: Wow! What an awesome book! I have always, as far as I can remember since beginning my martial arts training 15 years ago, wanted to know how martial arts were REALLY practiced back when they were really used in warfare. This book is a complete answer to the question. Now, many of you, if you live in the Western world, are probably most familiar with Japanese arts like Judo, Aikido, Kendo and Karate (originally meant "Chinese-hand", and came from the Ryukyu islands). This book, of course, is Korean, but that should in no way diminish its interest for you. Korea was a unified kingdom ever since about 700 AD. Japan arguably never truly was until the Meiji restoration in the 19th Century. So, the Koreans produced a textbook for their military whereas the Japanese kept their techniques secret from each other, and there are few traditions today in Japan that keep them alive (Kendo, Judo and the rest are modern creations meant for modern times). This is also, naturally, the case in Korea as well, BUT there is this book that has preserved the ancient techniques as they were back then for us today. The book describes in detail many series of techniques performed with the whole gamut of weapons, from fists to two-sword techniques on horseback. It even describes contests and games that can be used to sharpen skill and these include things, interestingly enough, like soccer and polo among others. I think in most cases it would not be possible to simply pick up the book and recreate whole forms in the backyard, but you can certainly learn and practice alot of individual techniques with the book in hand or conveniently placed nearby. In this way you can learn many of the techniques used by the ancient soldiers of Korea in their battles against Chinese, Yalu tribesmen, Japanese pirates and invading Mongols. I found the section on the Yedo (the so-called "short sword" which is what the Japanese call the Katana) to be particularly useful due to its detailed explanations of dozens of postures and attack/defense techniques. Generally, the Korean arts have received much less attention than the Japanese and Chinese, and this is probably due to the fact that the Japanese came up with popular sporting versions of their arts earlier than the Koreans and that Chinese culture is so strong worldwide through the cinema etc. The fact of the matter is that the Koreans beat off both the Chinese and the Japanese repeatedly throughout history, having been conquered only once before the 20th Century, and that was by the Mongols, whose victorious cavalry techniques they later adopted. During the Japanese invasions of the late 16th Century, the Koreans were first caught off guard, but soon rallied and through guerilla action on land by warrior monks and soldiers, and through armoured naval technology and tactics at sea defeated the Japanese in spite of the fact that they had the advantage of being equipped with the modern Portuguese-style arquebus and cannon. Another thing I really like about the book is that it speaks well of Chinese and Japanese techniques, many of which are adopted by the authors for instruction to the Korean troops. Rather than be held up by silly pettiness and pride, the scholars of this book make full use of other nations' techniques wherever they are useful. "Know thy enemy, know thyself" as Sun Tzu wrote. Foreign weapons are also displayed and described, and the history of each weapon is given as exhaustively as possible from available sources. If you are the sort of person who always wondered how Korean halberds, swords, spears, shields, staves, and so on were used, and you want to learn how to use them yourself, this is THE BOOK.
Rating: 5
Summary: The only surviving classical text on the Korean arts of war
Comment: In 1789, King Jungjo, ruler of the Yi dynasty (1392-1910), ordered General Yi Duk-moo, Park Je-ga and Pak Dong-soo to compile an official textbook on all martial arts forms then extent in Korea for the purpose of preserving them for future generations. Their efforts became the "Muye Dobo Tongji", and the only surviving classical text on the Korean arts of war. Organized into twenty-four distinct disciplines comprised of empty hand fighting, weaponry and horsemanship, The Comprehensive Illustrated Manual Of Martial Arts Of Ancient Korea is ably translated into English for the benefit of a western readership and a core contribution to any personal, professional, or academic martial arts library collection.
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Title: Teaching Martial Arts: The Way of the Master by Sang H. Kim ISBN: 1880336154 Publisher: Turtle Press (CT) Pub. Date: 01 July, 1997 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: The Unfettered Mind: Writings of the Zen Master to the Sword Master by Takuan Soho ISBN: 087011851X Publisher: Kodansha America Pub. Date: 01 March, 1988 List Price(USD): $9.00 |
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Title: Practical Hapkido Textbook by Hui-Son Choe, Hui Son Choe, Master Hui Son Choe ISBN: 0966825411 Publisher: World Hap Ki Do Pub. Date: 01 May, 1999 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
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Title: The Root of Chinese Qigong: Secrets for Health, Longevity & Enlightenment by Jwing-Ming Yang ISBN: 1886969507 Publisher: YMAA Publication Center Pub. Date: 01 December, 1997 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
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Title: The Kwans of Tang Soo Do by Len Losik, Len Losk ISBN: 0966117980 Publisher: Sanlen Pub Pub. Date: 08 October, 2002 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
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