What is GiCheon?  

GiCheon was named after what doesn’t have its name originally  

 How many sides does a mountain have? Answering this question is like answering the question, how many paths lead to the truth? A mountain has countless sides, and at the same time, it has only one side. When we pursue physical, mental, and spiritual well-being, there are many paths to choose from. It is important for us to keep in mind that though these paths may differ, they share a common destination.  

 What waits at the top of the mountain? Shall we call it truth? health? love? wisdom? joy? true nature or true self? enlightenment? the meaning of being? There are as many names for the destination as there are ways to approach it. It is also called God, the divine mystery, and oneness. And to some it is too sacred to be named. Among the great truth-seekers of the past who hesitated to reduce the ultimate goal of physical and mental discipline to a word or phrase were some sages in Korea . Their path toward this nameless truth, to the studying and teaching of which they devoted their lives, has come to be known as GiCheon.  

The Etymology of GiCheon

  Gi,  a well-known concept throughout the world today, is perhaps best translated as "life force" or "energy or power (i.e. electric, magnetic, physical, mental, spiritual, etc)." This concept is central to GiCheon philosophy. It is this internal energy, this vital essence, that oriental medicine has long regarded as crucial to health and healing, and that practitioners of many martial arts have cultivated as a secret weapon in combat.

 According to GiCheon stories, 氣, representing an illumination radiating in every direction (symbolically 8 directions) through the darkness.

       Gi (1) = Cheon (∞)  

 Korean ancestors had believed the Gi as the beginning (or source) of material and the universe, and the Cheon (the heavens) as the most extreme scale of existence (or entity). So the name of “GiCheon” implies that it includes every principle of ranging from the smallest (1) to the biggest scale (∞).  

       Gi (oneself) = Cheon (the heavens)

 In Korean language, ”Gi” is “Eol (spirit).” "EolGul (face)" is a place where one’s spirit exists. There is an expression that "EoLi PpaJiDa (loss of spirit)." And another word, “EoReun (adult)” refers to an adult who has been spiritually mature since childhood. HaNeul means sky or heavens today. It is believed that HaNeul originated with "HanEol (Han: the biggest creature or existence, Eol: spirit -- the greatest spirit).” Han can also be written Cheon (the heavens) since ancient people in Northern East Asia regarded it as the mightiest being. Therefore, "HanEol" can be written as "Cheon Gi (the heavens’Gi)” which was the original name for "GiCheon."

 From this linguistic point of view, we presume that GiCheon is in a sense a method which allows its trainees to achieve further understanding of the heavens (the most mighty). In other words, it allows mind, body and spirit to grow nearer the heavens or even being equal to it.

All the existence of the universe including the humans are involved with Gi  

 There’ lot of words and expressions in Korean language related to the Gi that perhaps explain about the relationship between the humans and Gi as below:

History

GiCheon motto - Don't do practice with words or writings but perform the virtues only by the action in Korean

  There is a unique GiCheon motto that don't leave behind any trace and don't do practice with words or writings but perform the virtues only by the action. There is not any evidence about GiCheon when it was made and by whom it was created because the nameless GiCheon sages had kept the motto as a way of life to perform the virtue of GiCheon.

 Before WonHye SangIhn

  This unique training method is assumed to have been passed down secretly by nameless sages who lived amidst the mountains in Korea. However, since none have left behind their names or any other written material which is commonly founded aspects in any Korean traditional cultural heritages, the origin and history of GiCheon remain something of a mystery. The nameless GiCheon sages had emphasized GiCheon motto to their successors. This tradition made GiCheon have no lineage in its history except for a few legends that have been transmitted orally till now, and “WonHye SangIhn (SangIhn: the supreme title of a GiCheon practitioner)” and his student, DaeYang JinIhn.

SeoRakSan mountain in GangWondo, South Korea where GiCheon is assumed to be originated

 GiCheon only became known to Korean society-at-large in the late 1960’s or the early 1970's, when GiCheon practitioner Park Dae-Yang who had been taught by WonHye SangIhn left behind his reclusive life in mountains with the mission of teaching all humans how to achieve happiness in their aspiration for “cosmic reality,” ”self-awareness,” or “enlightenment.” According to Grandmaster, Park Dae Yang’s saying, GiCheon was named after what doesn’t have its name originally.  

 We guess when GiCheon was begun by a few GiCheon legends such as Bodhidharma & “CheonSeonYeo” story (about 5th century) and “YeonGae SoMun” story (about 7th century) when GoGuRyeo (about B.C.277~A.D.668) was the strongest country in its national power in East Asia .  

 And the original name of DahnBaeGong, “DahnGun BaeGong (a special way of bow to ‘DahnGun or TengGri OngGun' – the forefather of Korea or the title of the ruler of nomadic tribes in Northern East Asia who were Koreans, Manchurians, Mongolians and ancestors of Japanese)” gives us a clue that GiCheon may have been originated from DahnGun period which dates back to at least five thousand years historically.

There is a historical Chinese writing called "SaGi (史記)" written by "SaMaCheon or Ssuma Ch'ien (司馬遷- Chinese historian. about  BC 145 ~ about BC 85) saying that “HwangJe or Hwang Ti (黃帝 - the forefather of China)” learned “SeonDoh (ancient Korean mind body discipline)” from “JaBu SeonIhn (紫府仙人)” in SamCheongGung (三淸宮) of DaePungSan (大風山) mountain (presently, BaekDuSan mountain in North Korea), and taught it to Chinese.  

From this fact, it is guessed that “SeonIhns (ancient Korean mind body discipline practitioners or sages)” in DaePungSan mountain, where the headquarter of GiCheon had existed, would have connections with GiCheon. After all, it is guessed that nameless sages or national or religious leaders would have been practiced GiCheon as a way of discipline in the mountain which people can’t do easily.

 Because GiCheon has been preserved in its original form, without pandering to fads within the way of practice, today’s GiCheon trainees can learn the same techniques and forms as did the GiCheon masters thousands of years ago. 

          The Titles

 It is said that it took students 10 years to achieve each title (HaengIhn – GongIhn – JeongIhn – BeopIhn – DohIhn – JinIhn – SangIhn) in the mountains and only Grandmasters entitled them after checking out their level of study. These titles can’t be acquired like a Dan (black belt).

 
      HaengIhn: HaengIhn (Haeng: to go, Ihn: a human) means a human going the path continuously. Once practitioners begin training, they should continue it all the time until the end of their lives.

 
           GongIhn: GongIhn (Gong: force) means a human of accumulating the force (internal, external and mental). Practitioners will accumulate the Gi in the DahnJeon and accordingly strengthen not only physical force but also mental one to make them overcome “Sah (evil or cunning)” from their mind and body.

 
      JeongIhn: JeongIhn (Jeong: righteous) means a human of going the righteous path. They can perform a martial art in the righteous mental attitude. They can have righteous words, behaviors and thinking. They also have a way of life, enlightening the world while realizing the principle of nature.

 
            BeopIhn: BeopIhn (Beop: the principle) means a human of realizing the principle of nature and living his life according to not a social law but the principle of nature. The deeper they cultivate themselves through the practice, the closer they return to the principle of nature. Every of their words, behaviors and thinking is in accordance with it. They begin to realize the principle of society, nature and universe.

 
           DohIhn, JinIhn and SangIhn: DohIhn (Doh: the Way – a human of the Way), JinIhn (Jin: true – a true human of the Way) and SangIhn (Sang: supreme – a human of the Way in the supreme level) are levels of one realizing the Way (or enlightenment). The first is DohIhn, next JinIhn and last SangIhn. If they don’t endeavor to keep cultivating themselves, they will have their titles become vain and return to HaengIhn (the first title).

 It is said that one should practice through his entire life to become JinIhn and it’s almost impossible for people to become SangIhn except for the inborn ones.