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The Trace of Eastern Martial arts
Source:
Tracing JuShin History
(http://www.pressian.com/scripts/section/article.asp?article_num=40050809183344&s_menu=%B9%AE%C8%AD)
Author: Professor Wu Hoe Kim of
Dongyang
University,
Translated
by Lee Ki – Tae & Daniel Julian
Remark::
The Huns or
HungNo ((匈奴: xiongnu in Chinese, noisy slave) originated from Hung
(XYH in Mongolian language, a human). According to Hwang Byeong-Ran, HungNo (匈奴)
occupied vast lands ranging from Southern west and Northern west of SanSi (陝西)
regions and HeoBei (河北) regions. The Ju (周)
Chinese dynasty called them YungJeok (戎狄: RungTti in
Chinese) or GyeonYung (犬戎: ChiEnRung in Chinese) and after the
war time (전국시대) Chinese called them Ho(胡),
or HungNo(匈奴) [Hwang Byeong-Ran, 『Chinese
ancient history』(1958) pg 102].
According to
Korean professor Jeong Su-Il (DahnGuk university in
Korea
),
HungNo doesn’t mean specific tribes (or races?) but all the nomadic tribes who
had resided in Southern East of Mt. Altai. In the period of MoDuRu
DahnGun[MoDon SeonWu(冒頓單于, BC 209～174)],
HungNo occupied lands ranging North of Korean peninsula to the East, Lake
Baikal North and the riverside of Enisei river to
North, Sea Aral to the west, and WiSu(渭水) of China
and the plateau of Tibet to South. HungNo included HyuDoh (休屠
or 屠各), WuMun (宇文), DokHo (獨狐),
HaRwoe (賀賴) and GangGeo (羌渠) tribes and each tribe consisted
several clans.
SsiReum, a Korean
wrestling form, is one of the most common styles in
Mongolia
. It
was also very popular in
Korea
until the late 20th century. It can
be said to be a martial art unique to
Northern Asia
, and even appeared
on wall paintings
of the Huns or HyungNo and GoGuRyeo dynasties. It is a martial arts form which
North Asian cavalry applied in one-on-one, hand-to-hand combat.
Japanese Sumo and
Korean SsiReum have deep connections. In Mongolian language, we
find the word “ShwiRun,” which means “violent or brutal.” In the process of changing from
ShwiRun
Mongolia
) to SsiReum (
Korea
) and Sumo (
Japan
), SsieReum was
systematized with little transformation [Park WonGil, “Mongolian culture
and natural geography”(MinSokWon: 1999), pg
129]. Mongolian wrestling evolved from that of Yo (遼: GeoRan), a Northern Mongolian
dynasty in China.
In 1931, an
octagonal white DoGwan (陶: pot or
ceramics, 罐: a well bucket) with
wrestling scenes painted on each side was found in the Eastern capital
city of the Yo dynasty (東京遺址). This wrestling
form continued to rise in popularity during the
Geum (金) Mongolian dynasty,
which followed Yo.
It is said that during the Geum (金: gold or bright) dynasty, both the
Manchurians (YeoJin) who were ruling
China and their Chinese subjects enjoyed wrestling. It was the sort of national
martial arts to the Geum dynasty that TaeKwonDo is to
Korea
today.
[Jang Jang-Sik, “A journey into
Mongolian folk customs”(
Seoul
: JaWu publishing
company, 2002), pg 311]. Despite its popularity as a sport,
however, ShwiRun was actually a martial arts form (or combat skill), so the
Geum dynasty had serious concerns about permitting their Chinese subjects to
become too proficient in it.
Eventually, the Northern Mongolians
took steps to prevent the Chinese from entering into the deeper secrets of
wrestling as martial arts. The emperor of the Geum dynasty,
JangJong (章宗: 1189～1208 AD) issued an edict prohibiting
wrestling by his Chinese subjects. Only Manchurians (YeoJin) were allowed to
practice the form, and ShwiRun faded from mainstream
China
very quickly.
Because the North
Asian tradition of wrestling descended down to
Mongolia
, it is understood that wresting is more than the strength
contests of modern times. To those of the Yo and Geum dynasties, and to
Mongolian and Manchurian JuShins, it was a body of combat skills and a martial
artform. Presumably, this form included formidable empty-hand martial
techniques. Otherwise the emperor wouldn’t have forbidden his Chinese subjects
from studying and practicing wrestling.
The wrestling of the
Yo dynasty has deep connections with the SuBak (手: hand, 搏: to strike) technique of the
GoGuRyeo dynasty. The wall paintings from the tombs of GoGuRyeo are rather
peculiar. They include people wrestling similarly to the forms of today, and
also depict two players in the distance standing with open hands raised, their
palms opposed as in sparring techniques of TaeKwonDo today. In these wall
paintings, the wrestling forms are described quite precisely and concretely.
They appear a little different from wrestling today.
Wall painting on the east wall in the
front room of AhnAk SahmHoBun (3rd tomb of AhnAk)
안악
3호분
전실 동쪽 벽면에 있는
수박놀이하는 역사(力士) 그림.
Wall painting of
GakJeoChong (tomb of GakJeo). Central Asian is wrestling with a man of
GoGuRyeo.
서역인과
고구려인이 씨름하는 모습을
그린 각저총 벽화.
It is clear that this martial art
was widely spread not only in GoGuRyeo but also on the Korean peninsula. Among the evidence of this is a historical writing called
“ShinDongGuk YeoJi
SeungRam(新東國與地勝覽),”which
says that people from
the neighborhood of EunJin-Hyeon, ChungCheong-Do in South Korea today gathered
on July 15th every year, enjoyed “SuBak” and competed (忠淸道恩津縣界每歲七月十五日
傍近兩道居民聚爲手搏戱以
爭勝負: 『新東國與地勝覽』卷34).
It is thought that
various people from the collapsed kingdoms like GoGuRyeo (668 AD), BalHae (926
AD), and Shilla (935 AD) continued to spread this form of empty-hand martial
arts. Wrestling seems to have
developed simultaneously not only in
BalHae,
HuGuem (post 金
– Qing dynasty in
China),GoRyeo). Empty-hand martial
artforms
were adapted uniquely throughout the JuShin
regions (Northern Eastern Asia:
Mongolia
,
Manchuria
, Korean peninsula
and
Japan
) and developed into
the wrestling known today.
A final note on the evolution of
wrestling in
North Asia
: generally speaking, the modern Chinese don’t like physical
contact. It is understandable that their wrestling forms developed as
empty-hand martial arts like Shaolin Kungfu while the JuShin (Mongolian,
Manchurian, Korean, and Japanese) sensibility gave rise to YuDo (JuDo in
Japanese) or other forms such as·SsiReum (Sumo), in which players undergo more
physical contact.
  
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