TukKong MooSool
TukKong MooSool can literately be translated as "Special Attack Military Techniques". The following data has mostly been mostly gleaned from the official Korea World TukKong Association's (KWTA) web site at www.tukkong.com.
TukKong Moo Sool is a very focused modern martial arts discipline created during the cold war in South Korea. South Korea's national sport of TaeKwonDo, while still compulsory for all military conscripts, was felt to be transforming more into a sport and not as useful in practical military situations as the military would like. North Korea had begun practicing a martial art known as KeukSool. South Korea's military felt that it needed a superior system to KeukSool. After a brief period of experimenting, HapKiDo was chosen to fill this need for their Special Forces (SF) and Special Operations Forces (SOF).
In time, it was felt that an even more efficient system was needed for the SF and Presidential Protection Services (Secret Service). In 1978, President Park Jung Hee ordered the creation of a new martial art form that was to be superior in efficiency and use to all other civilian and quasi-military derived self defense systems. This call to action fell onto the 606th Special Missions Battalion. The founding special operators were all Masters of Korean and other martial arts. From the efforts of these masters, "TukKong" the comprehensive combat martial system was born.
TukKong was first exhibited in front of President Park Jung Hee at Yean Mu Kwan, Blue house in June 1979. Park, who had a high view of martial arts, praised the superiority of it with acclamation and he named it TukKong MooSool. After that exhibition, it has been the standard training program of the Presidential Secret Service. TukKong MooSool has also been exhibited in front of President Jun Doo Hwan in October 1980; President Noh Tae Woo in May, 1992; President Kim Young Sam in June 1993; and President Kim Dae Jung in May, 1998. It was also exhibited at the parade ground of the Special Military Command center in August 1979.
TukKong's primary characteristics are the effective unification of a variety of disciplines, and utilizing innovative, practical solutions for real world situations. Initially TukKong was created to defeat terrorists with high martial arts abilities and skill in close quarters fighting. Thus TukKong Moo Sool is taught and practiced using brief and effective skills designed to quickly defeat terrorists.
TukKong's Military and Security martial arts were designed to be a superior personal combat system to defeat enemies of South Korea. KWTA's style of TukKong features updated special combat courses for soldiers and police, which are mission specific. Our TukKong includes civilian courses for the general public, which promote self-protection and good health.
KWTA's TukKong has been evaluated by military and security professionals who believed TukKong is the "Strongest martial arts in the real world". Now, units of the world's most powerful military forces are being introduced and trained by the Association. Martial arts experts of Jujitsu, Mixed Fighting and Russian martial arts that have trained with KWTA masters have expressed admiration of TukKong's proven innovative and practical methods.
The KWTA is registered with, and recognized by, the following bodies:
1. Republic of Korea (Ministry of Culture and Tourism)
2. ROK Presidential Bodyguard Unit
3. ROK 27th Anti-Terrorist Unit Veteran's Association ( official Military recognized founding unit of TukKong MooSool)
4. 707th Special Mission Battalion (SMB) Specialist Unit as the true source of specialist unarmed combat research.
The current Head of the KWTA is COL Lim, Woong-Hwan who has a distinguished military and martial art career. LTC Julian S. Lim was honored by an invitation to join the KWTA in December 2006 and currently holds the rank of 8th Dan.
