Joseon Period
The Joseon Dynasty, due to the heavy influence of neo-Confucianism, greatly valued scholastic achievement and refinement over martial prowess. Yangban, Joseon-era noblemen who were typically the only males eligible for government positions through the Chinese-based examination systems, generally preferred to apply for the civil service as opposed to the military as the civil service was considered more prestigious and a better guarantor of wealth and honor compared to comparable positions in the military's officer corps, which were also generally restricted to yangban and chungin. In addition, the royal court, mindful that the Joseon dynasty founder, Yi Seonggye, was a general who overthrew the last Goryeo king, looked warily at its successful and popular military leaders and were reluctant to support a large military. Influenced by Confucian thought, the royal court generally deferred to imperial China out of respect in regards to their foreign, cultural, and defense policies, relying on the Ming and Qing dynasties for military aid and necessary foreign intervention.
According to the Army Account of Military Arts and Science (Hanzi: 武備志; Pinyin: Wǔ Bèi Zhì), a Ming dynasty strategy book written in 1629 by Mao Yuanyi, Korean fencing (朝鮮勢法; Cháoxiǎn shìfǎ) was a martial art that had reached Korea through Chinese martial artists. Much of this text was based on earlier works by Ming general Qi Jiguang, who successfully fought off the prevalent threat from the Japanese wokou or pirates. Joseon Saebeop, one of the few surviving techniques of historical Korean swordplay, is believed to be based on this work.
The tradition of Korean swordsmanship continuously evolved into the period of Joseon dynasty. At this point, Korean swordsmanship has become more sophisticated and standardized. Swords were categorized to six specific types, Yaedo, Jedok geom, Bonguk geom, Ssang geom, Woldo and Hyeopdo. Yaedo was the largest of these swords by blade length, while Hyeopdo was the largest based on total length.
The Imjin War, the last large-scale pre-modern conflict between Japanese and Korean forces, is known more for the use of emerging weapons such as the Japanese use of the arquebus and the Korean use of naval technologies such as the turtle ship and panokseon that were advanced for its time and context, as well as the use of gunpowder-based artillery, than for the use of traditional weapons such as swords and spears.
While swordsmanship continued to be practiced, it was eclipsed in popularity by archery and the use of cavalry, was generally not as systematized as Japanese sword schools, and was seldom practiced beyond members of the military and their associates. Consequently, the popularity of certain martial arts waned without many successors to carry on its traditions. Today, there are only two remaining documents that refer to ancient Korean martial arts.
The Muye Dobo Tongji, compiled during the reign of King Jeongjo in the 1790s, cataloged various sword arts and applications known to Koreans during that time, as well as hand-to-hand techniques and the use of other weapons. This work was based on earlier Ming and Joseon texts including Qi Jiguang's Ji Xiao Xin Shu, the Muyejebo, and the Muyesinbo and incorporates known Chinese martial arts and weapon techniques. While noting the efficacy of the Japanese katana and its applications, the manual noted that Chinese influences on Korean swordsmanship and other martial arts were more prevalent.
These ancient arts are not popularly considered to be ancestors of kumdo, though some kumdo scholars, including those at the Korea Kumdo Association, believe ancient Korean fencing as outlined in a Silla dynasty book known as Bonguk Geombeop (本國劍法; Korean Sword Method) was the basis of all modern two-handed sword techniques.
In the early 17th century, Mao Yuanyi, a Chinese military tactician, recorded Korean swordsmanship methods in the Wubei Zhi (Army Account of Military Arts and Science). Many of today's revival movements of Korean swordsmanship are based on Muyedobotongji, which has detailed descriptions of Korean swordsmanship methods. The book was compiled in late 17th century by Joseon officials under the order of King Jeongjo.
Read more about this topic: Korean Swordsmanship, History
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