history of kuk sool won:
1:10 POST KOREAN WAR KOREA: 1953 – Present Day

SUH IN HYUK: Founder of KUK SOOL WON
SUH IN HYUK began his martial art training formally at the age of five. Under the watchful eye of his grandfather, the young boy proved to be an exceptional student, showing great promise from an early age. It seemed that somehow he knew he had a destiny to fulfil. However, fate was to deal a deadly blow to the young SUH when, during the Korean conflict, his grandfather and mentor SUH MYONG DUK, was fatally wounded. Although this was a tragic loss, the young student’s training was to continue, thanks to his grandfather’s foresight in having written letters of introduction to several other masters of the Korean martial arts.

During the next few years of his young life, SUH IN HYUKtravelled the length and breadth of Korea, studying with many masters, to whom access would normally have been denied, if it were not for the letters of introduction prearranged by his grandfather. He also visited many Buddhist temple** and other places where knowledge of the Korean martial arts could be found, either in written form, or from monks who had continued to maintain the martial art traditions of their ancestors.

One such visit was to the HAIN SA temple, located near TAEGU, where SUH IN HYUK learnt MUK NYUM or special meditative practices, as well as DAN JUN KI BUB or special KI breathing techniques. One of SUH IN HYUK’s influential teachers at this time was a Buddhist monk named HAI DONG SU NIM, which translates as “Great Monk of the Eastern Sea”.

As the years passed by, SUH IN HYUKcontinued to gather and assimilate many hundreds of indigenous and varied Korean martial art techniques. These included: hand-striking techniques, kick-striking techniques, throwing and grappling techniques, joint locking techniques, falling and acrobatic techniques, body conditioning techniques, animal style techniques, weapons techniques, meditation and breathing techniques, and traditional Oriental healing techniques.