Gongkwon Yusul

There are many martial art forms out there, and it can be difficult to choose which martial art system best suits your individual needs, personality, and character. It can be especially difficult for those who are unfamiliar with martial arts to begin pursuing the art form. With long names out there like Gongkwon Yusul, Hakko-ryu Jujutsu, etc., simply pronouncing a martial art system can be a daunting task! The good news is that many martial art schools are welcoming towards beginners and advanced martial artists alike. If you feel like you are the ultimate novice, there is no reason to fear. There are plenty of methods out there that are easily adapted for beginners. In fact, Gongkwon Yusul is one of the most popular forms of martial arts chosen by those who are just starting out in the world of martial art forms.

What Is Gongkwon Yusul?

Gongkwon Yusul is a relatively recent martial art form developed in Korea in the year 1996. This martial art form was heavily influenced by other well-known Korean martial arts including Too Ki, Judo, Hakko-ryu Jujutsu, and Kyuk. If you are interested in a form of martial arts that emphasizes a free form and fluid fighting style, Gongkwon Yusul may be the best choice for you. The art form is not considered a static application, but is instead considered a practical combat technique that resembles more traditional fighting systems such as the ever-popular martial art form known as Hapkido.

Gongkwon Yusul, like any martial art system, has a key set of qualities that make it stand out in a crowd of other martial art forms. To find out if Gongkwon Yusul is the right martial art form for you to learn, review the information below. After reading about the unique nature of Gongkwon Yusul, you may find it difficult to resist signing up for your very first Gongkwon Yusul lesson.

Why Learn Gongkwon Yusul?

Gongkwon Yusul was created by a man known as Master Jun Kang, as a complex system founded on his years of experience. After an entire career of analyzing the martial arts forms available, Master Jun Kang integrated his own “twists” on traditional martial arts. These “twists” give Gongkwon Yusul its unique nature in a sea of hundreds of other martial art forms.

The unique concepts behind Gongkwon Yusul can be gathered from simply analyzing the martial art form’s name. Master Jun Kang entitled his martial art form Gongkwon Yusul with good reason. Gongkwon, when translated from Korean to English, can be interpreted to mean “empty fist,” which refers to the weaponless nature of this martial art. Empty fist techniques include punches, thrusts, kicks, blocks, and any other move not utilizing a weapon. Yusul, the second part of the name, is translated as “gentle art,” which refers to a martial art form that focuses on using the opponent’s power and force strategically against him or her. This deflecting of the opponent’s power is achieved mainly through different sets of throws, grappling systems, or locks. One of the most characterizing aspects of Gongkwon Yusul is the way in which individuals practice organic and very powerful combinations of a wide variety of techniques. If the art form of GongKwon Yusul could be summed up in one word, perhaps it would be “organic.”

As you can see, GongKwon Yusul is comprised of a number of aspects that make it different than other original and traditional martial art forms. If you are not yet convinced that GongKwon Yusul is the martial art form for you, read over the following information about the purpose behind GongKwon Yusul and how the martial art form may benefit you as an individual.

Benefits of GongKwon Yusul

The GongKwon Yusul system overarchingly targets a main set of goals: a gradual increase in self-confidence, a positive change in the way you control your body in mind, a respectful lifestyle (treating others respectfully is a key characteristic of GongKwon Yusul), increased endurance, increased strength, increased speed, greater flexibility, greater fluidity, and increased concentration levels. In order to achieve many of these goals, GongKwon Yusul utilizes the practice of silent meditation as an extremely critical aspect of the martial art form. GongKwon Yusul, like many other martial art forms, focuses on the interaction between the body and mind.

If you are looking for a form of exercise that develops both the body and mind with minimal risks of injury, GongKwon Yusul may be the perfect exercise option for you. Many individuals find that GongKwon Yusul is a far more successful and satisfying exercise regimen than that of other popular exercise forms such as yoga, Pilates, swimming, and jogging.

It does not focus as heavily on samurai swords like Japanese martial arts forms. 

Concepts Behind GongKwon Yusul

Balance is one of the most important concepts behind GongKwon Yusul. This main concept can be fleshed out by examining a more detailed explanation for the concepts behind GongKwon Yusul: the martial art form involves quickly incapacitating an opponent in the most respectful way possible. At first glance, this concept may seem like an oxymoron; however, GongKwon Yusul students are trained to treat their training partner with the utmost respect toward his or her health, safety, and general well-being. Essentially, if you are practicing GongKwon Yusul against an opponent, you are expected to treat said opponent the same way you would want to be treated. This concept is considered by some people to be the golden rule of GongKwon Yusul. Many years of improvement and successful implementation have proven that this method does, indeed, work; interestingly, training students to effectively incapacitate an opponent while simultaneously guarding the opponent’s health and well-being is both achievable and very satisfying to students.

If you decide to pursue GongKwon Yusul, you will be expected to approach others in a way that is free from prejudice and lacking in strict limitations and habits. Instead of using brute force, you would be expected to control yourself and your opponent in a way that portrays harmony and intelligence. Remember, GongKwon Yusul emphasizes the importance of physical and mental health, and your skill level in these areas will begin to develop slowly but steadily as you continue to practice faithfully.

The Popularity of GongKwon Yusul

Since many aspects of GongKwon Yusul resemble boxing techniques used by Western boxers and a great deal of groundwork training (as seen in other forms of judo), the martial art form has quickly gained popularity among people of every background since it was founded in 1996. Since GongKwon Yusul resembles other popular martial arts aspects such as ranking structure, uniformity, and popular terminology, the martial art form is popular among seasoned martial artists and beginners alike. Its practicality and somewhat fluid application makes it the perfect martial art form for individuals in today’s society who value efficiency.

Since the martial art of GongKwon Yusul was developed fairly recently, it has spread outside of Korea slowly but surely. Some schools have been founded in other regions outside of Korea, including Brazil, Melbourne, Australia, Spain, and Texas. Speaking of Texas, we can’t resist throwing in a fun fact here: famous songwriter and performer Willie Nelson is a seasoned veteran of GongKwon Yusul, having earned his black belt in the fifth degree early in the year 2014.

A Final Note: Character and GongKwon Yusul

Many people think that a person’s character is far more important than his or her appearance. As the saying goes, it’s what is on the inside that counts. As we briefly touched on before, one of the most important aspects of GongKwon Yusul is the way in which the body and mind interact. The place where the body and mind intersect may be considered by some to be the heart or soul of a person: the qualities that make up a person’s character. GongKwon Yusul’s most beautiful signature is that of character building. Individuals who are interested in improving themselves on a level stemming from the very core may benefit greatly by choosing to pursue GongKwon Yusul. To learn more about how you can begin a journey to self-improvement by pursuing GongKwon Yusul, contact an instructor at a GongKwon Yusul school near you. Most instructors are very friendly and eager to inform others about this much-loved form of martial arts.

If you are new to the realm of martial arts, it may be best for you to take a little time and research the different martial art forms to determine which systems may best compliment your personality, character, and fitness level. Hopefully, the information above has increased your knowledge about the martial art form known as GongKwon Yusul and taken a little of the intimidation out of the hard-to-pronounce martial art form. If you are interested in a martial art form that highlights the interaction between the body and mind while simultaneously using practical methods of combat, GongKwon Yusul may be the best choice for you. If you further resonate with the other facts and information about GongKwon Yusul as a martial art form, then feel free to pursue an in-depth learning experience by contacting a school near you. We are confident that you will enjoy learning about and excel training for this beautiful form of martial arts.

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