Kuk Sool Won is a systematic study of the
traditional fighting arts, which together comprise the martial arts history of Korea. As a martial arts system, Kuk Sool Won is extremely well-organised, and seeks to integrate and explore the entire spectrum of established Asian fighting arts and body conditioning techniques, as well as mental development and traditional weapons training. The following list includes some, but by no means all, of the elements of Kuk Sool Won:
Hand Techniques
Closed and open striking methods, pressure point
striking, blocking and parrying. Leg Techniques
Fundamental kicks, advanced kicks, pressure point
kicking, speciality kicking. Throws and Grappling
Throws include: body throws, projection throws, hip
throws, leg throws, grappling defence, wrestling
techniques, ground fighting. Joint Lock Techniques
Restraining methods, joint breaking techniques,
combination joint locking, control and redirection
techniques, arresting and pain-compliance techniques. Falling and Acrobatics
Body conditioning and agility techniques, body
protection techniques, acrobatics for defence and
offence. Body Conditioning
Overall stretching and flexibility training, cardiovascular conditioning, muscle toning, ligament and tendon strengthening, joint flexibility and bone conditioning. There are 24 different traditional Korean Royal Court
weapons in the curriculum of Kuk Sool Won. In addition to the physical training, mental development is of equal importance in Kuk Sool Won and helps to instil self-confidence and self-discipline, a calm self-assurance, and the psychological and spiritual values which are traditionally associated with the character of a martial artist.
