Sib Pal Gi: The Eighteen Traditional Korean Martial Arts Weapons

Sib Pal Gi (십팔기, literally “eighteen skills” or “eighteen arts”) is the traditional Korean system of martial arts weapons training that was systematized during the Joseon Dynasty and codified in the Muyedobotongji — a comprehensive 1790 military manual that remains the primary source for the system’s history and technique.

Historical Context

The Joseon Dynasty (1392–1897) maintained a formal system of military examination and training that required candidates for military office to demonstrate competence in both literary and martial arts. Weapons training was part of this system from the dynasty’s founding, though it was periodically neglected during extended periods of peace and then urgently revived following military crises.

The crisis that most directly shaped the Sib Pal Gi system was the Japanese invasion of Korea (Imjin War, 1592–1598) led by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Korean forces, initially overwhelmed, were aided by Ming Chinese forces. The recovery effort included analysis of why Korean military performance had been inferior and deliberate improvement of training systems. Chinese military manuals — particularly Qi Jiguang’s Jixiao Xinshu (New Book Recording Effective Techniques) — were studied and adapted. The formalized weapons curriculum that resulted was later documented in the 1598 Muyejebo and eventually expanded into the 1790 Muyedobotongji (Comprehensive Illustrated Manual of Martial Arts).

The Eighteen Weapons

The eighteen weapons of Sib Pal Gi (as codified in the Muyedobotongji) span bladed weapons, pole weapons, projectile weapons, and specialized implements:

1. Gichang — Flag spear (long spear with pennant)
2. Jukjangchang — Bamboo spear
3. Gichang (variant) — Extended combat spear forms
4. Dangpa — Trident
5. Nangseon — Wolf tooth staff (multi-tined weapon)
6. Ssangsudo — Two-handed sword
7. Yeodo — Short sword
8. Waegeom — Japanese sword techniques (waeto/倭刀 study)
9. Gyojeon — Exchange sword (paired practice forms)
10. Jedokgum — Admiral’s sword
11. Bonguk geom — Native Korean sword
12. Ssang geom — Paired swords
13. Masang ssang geom — Mounted paired swords
14. Weol do — Korean glaive (crescent blade on pole)
15. hyeopdo — Narrow blade glaive
16. Ssang weol do — Paired glaives
17. Pyeongon — Flail
18. Gyeongdang — Cavalry lance

The exact enumeration varies across historical sources and modern interpretations. The “eighteen” number in the name functions more as a culturally resonant number suggesting completeness than as a precise count that all sources agree on.

Japanese Sword Influence

One of the more historically interesting aspects of the Muyedobotongji is the inclusion of Waegeom — Japanese sword techniques. Following the Imjin War, Korean military planners recognized that Japanese sword technique had been tactically effective and deliberately incorporated the study of Japanese sword fighting methods into the Korean military curriculum. This represents an unusual instance of a country formally adopting an enemy’s weapon techniques after a military defeat — a pragmatic response to demonstrated effectiveness.

The Waegeom section of the Muyedobotongji includes forms derived from Japanese kenjutsu, adapted for the Korean military context. This cross-pollination between Korean and Japanese sword traditions is rarely discussed in popular martial arts contexts, where nationalistic narratives tend to emphasize distinctiveness rather than historical interchange.

Modern Revival

Sib Pal Gi almost disappeared during the Japanese colonial period (1910–1945), when Korean cultural practices including traditional martial arts were suppressed. Revival efforts began after Korean independence and accelerated from the 1980s onward. Today the Korea Gungdo Association and various Sib Pal Gi organizations work to reconstruct and transmit the system from the Muyedobotongji documentation and surviving oral traditions. The 1790 manual’s detailed illustrations make it a more reliable reconstruction base than many traditional systems where documentation is fragmentary.

Sib Pal Gi is distinct from the modern Korean martial arts of Taekwondo and Hapkido, which are primarily 20th-century developments. It represents a separate historical thread — the formal military weapons tradition of the Joseon court rather than the folk and temple traditions from which Taekwondo and Hapkido partly derived.