A lang xian , which can be translated as "wolf brush" or "wolf bamboo" or "multiple tipped bamboo spear" was a branched, multi-tipped spear with blades attached to the branches. The blades could be dipped in poison. The lang xian was a weapon well suited for defense, as it would be difficult for an opponent to assault the wielder without risking contact with the blades.
41-566: Commissioned in 1790 by King Jeongjo (r. 1740–1810), the Muyedobotongji ( Korean : 무예도보통지 ; lit. Comprehensive Illustrated Manual of Martial Arts ; Muye Dobo Tong Ji ) expanded on the eighteen weapons systems identified in the Muyeshinbo of 1758. Written by Yi Deongmu (이덕무, 1741–1793), Pak Je-ga (박제가, 1750–1805) and Baek Dong-soo (백동수, 1743–1816), and published in four volumes in 1795, it preserved
82-483: A great influence and became both a great teacher and father figure for him was Kim Jong-su. Jeongjo also had the support of the many Silhak scholars who favored regal power over the parties, including scholars Jeong Yak-yong , Pak Ji-won , Pak Je-ga and Yu Deuk-gong . His reign also saw the further growth and development of Joseon's popular culture. Jeongjo favored members of the Soron and Namin party over those of
123-425: A military coup d'état and assassinate him. Jeongjo fought the rebels who were secretly in royal palace and personally arrested his assassins. Jeongjo executed Hong Sang-beom, Hong Kye-neung, and another some member of Norons , and put to death Prince Eunjeon, Hong In-han, and Chung Hu-kyom. Jeongjo tried to impeach Hong Guk-yeong in an attempt to stop the concentration of political power in single civil family but
164-509: A part of Hyojang's family because he was concerned that Yi San, who was Sado's son and successor, would be opposed. The Noron faction protested Yi San's legitimacy as the royal successor under the claim that Yi San was the 'Son of a prisoner' or 'Son of a madman' and thus ineligible to succeed the throne. This was a major source of vexation for King Yeongjo for an extended period. After 1762 to 1777, some members of Noron attempted to depose Jeongjo for his relation to Crown Prince Sado and open
205-463: Is the Muyedobotongji (“Comprehensive Illustrated Manual of Martial Arts”) and was published in 1795. With the advent of firearms as the predominant method of armed conflict, the methods and techniques in the Muyedobotongji largely became relegated to reference material. Many copies were lost or destroyed, along with much knowledge and practice of Korean military science and martial arts, in
246-458: The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyŏng , details her life as the ill-fated Crown Princess of Korea, and as advice and explanations for her grandson about the deaths of his grandfather and so many maternal relatives). His elder brother Crown Prince Uiso died in infancy. His mother Lady Hyegyŏng's collection of memoirs serves as a significant source of historical information on the political happenings during
287-520: The Ji Xiao Xin Shu ( 기효신서 ; 紀效新書, "New Books of Effective Methods" ). Ji Xiao Xin Shu was written in 1561. The authors considered that although this type of training had little value for large-scale battle, it was nevertheless useful to train bodily flexibility, reflexes, hands speed, quick yet solid footwork, and jumping capacity, all of which were very valuable for a warrior. As a manual,
328-540: The rattan shield bearers in a " mandarin duck formation ". In Korea, the weapon, known as nangseon , was mentioned as early as the 16th century martial arts manual Muyejebo , which was based on the Jixiao Xinshu . A notable variant design is Xian Qiang (筅槍, lit. 'Brush spear'), which reduces the number of branches to four or five layers, sacrificing some defensive potential for increased maneuverability and lethality. This article relating to polearms
369-474: The Andong clan, daughter of Kim Jo-sun , but did not live to see his son's marriage. In 1800, Jeongjo died suddenly under uncertain circumstances at the age of 47, without seeing much of his life's work come to fruition under his son, Sunjo. There are many books regarding the mystery behind his death, and speculation as to the cause of his death continues even today. He is buried with his wife, Queen Hyoui , at
410-548: The Great ( 정조대왕 ; 正祖大王 ), was the 22nd monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea . He was the second son of Crown Prince Sado and Lady Hyegyŏng , and succeeded his grandfather, King Yeongjo , in 1776. Today, Jeongjo is remembered for his various efforts to reform and improve the nation. He was the son of Crown Prince Sado (who was put to death when Jeongjo was 11 by his father, King Yeongjo ) and Lady Hyegyŏng (who wrote
451-750: The Mongol Yuan dynasty in the mid-1300s did not bring peace to the Korean Peninsula. The withdrawal/retreat of Mongol hegemony roughly coincided with the collapse of the Kamakura Shogunate in Japan; the resultant instability and the relative lack of control exerted by the subsequent Ashikaga Shogunate led to an increase of incursions by coastal raiding forces, mostly from the Japanese islands. These pirate attacks, as well as raids from
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#1732790150607492-583: The Muyedobotongji made several improvements over its Chinese sources since many practical comments on training and the value of the described techniques were added, and shows the influence of the neighboring Chinese martial traditions on the Korean peninsula. The book divides the techniques into stabbing, cutting, and striking techniques, while earlier books divided them into long and short weapon skills. The old classification method had to be abandoned with
533-621: The Yi Dynasty"), identified this collection of 18 fighting systems. This manual contained the original 6 systems of the muye jebo but also included sections for juk chang 죽창 (long bamboo spear), gi chang 기창 (flag spear), ye do 예도 (short sword), wae geum 왜검 (Japanese sword – presumably this was in reference to the katana ), gyo jeon bo 교전보 (illustrations of combat), jedok geum 제독검 (admiral's sword), bon guk geum beop 본국검법 (literally "native sword methods"), ssang geum 쌍검 (literally "twin swords" — this referred to
574-419: The addition of material performed between partners. The material was intended to reflect a combat format in deference to Neo-Confucian thought, by having partners use matched methods which would only produce a "stalemate" rather than a victory of one partner over another. Though ideologically satisfactory, the practice rapidly fell into disuse for its lack of practical combat effectiveness. This revised publication
615-473: The cultural and political stance of Joseon and to recruit gifted officers to help run the nation. Jeongjo also spearheaded bold new social initiatives, including opening government positions to those who were previously barred because of their social status . He cultivated knowledge of humanities and philosophy ( Neo-Confucianism ). He was known to be studious and well-read. Among the King's entourage, one that had
656-399: The death rates. Concerned about political factions, Jeongjo continued his grandfather's policy of Tangpyeong [ ko ] (political harmony policy) in an attempt to balance political factions. By this, he tried to get rid of the parties which caused his father's death. From the first day of the reign, Jeongjo spent much of his reign trying to clear his father's name. One of
697-434: The development of firearms. The long spear had lost its function as a long-range weapon by the time the book was written. Quite clearly, first bow and arrow, and later the advent of firearms, rendered the long spear obsolete in this role. King Jeongjo Jeongjo ( Korean : 정조 ; Hanja : 正祖 ; 28 October 1752 – 18 August 1800), personal name Yi San ( 이산 ; 李祘 ), sometimes called Jeongjo
738-477: The expense of martial arts and military pursuits. As a result, many national and local defense structures, as well as the training and practice of armed combat, was limited and just sufficient to repel small-scale raids and tribal attacks. The Japanese campaigns in Korea during 1592–8 found a militarily complacent Korea that was woefully unprepared to ward off a major, organized, large-scale military invasion such as
779-441: The first things Jeongjo said following his ascension to the throne of Joseon was declaring that he was the son of Crown Prince Sado. He also moved the court to the city of Suwon to be closer to his father's grave . He built Hwaseong Fortress to guard the tomb. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Jeongjo was always threatened by some of his officials who were against his reign. He was able to overcome these challenges with
820-465: The fruit of their labor. Jeongjo then established the new law of Shinhae Tonggong [ ko ] (free trade law), which allowed anyone to sell their goods at the market. This abolished the previous law of Gumnanjeonguoun [ ko ] , which reserved this right exclusively to members of merchant groups in the capital. In his final years, Jeongjo arranged for the marriage of his second son and successor Sunjo of Joseon to Lady Kim of
861-406: The hanja 拳法 means "boxing" same as ch. quán-fǎ or jap. kenpō ). The Muyesinbo was revised during the reign of King Jeongjo (r. 1776–1800). The 6 fighting skills that were added were essentially the dismounted methods for such weapons as the spear, sword and flail, which had been described in previous versions for execution from horseback. GwonBeop material was also further modified with
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#1732790150607902-576: The help of Hong Guk-yeong and others. During his accession, he also issued a royal decree that his mother, Lady Hyegyŏng, be a Dowager Queen since his father, her husband, was supposed to be the King before him. Thus, she became the Queen Dowager, the widow of Jangjo . From then on, King Jeongjo experienced many turbulent periods, but overcame them with the aid of Hong Guk-yeong, Kim Chong-su. In 1776, Hong Sang-beom, Hong Kye-neung and other some member of Noron unsuccessfully attempted to stage
943-539: The impeachment failed. In 1785 he established Changyongyeong ( 장용영 ; 壯勇營 ) as the King's royal bodyguards. Jeongjo had started selecting officers by competitive examination since 1782 to recruit them into the Changyongyeong unit, to replace the Naekeunwe (corps of Joseon royal bodyguards created by Taejong of Joseon in 1407), which he no longer trusted. King Jeongjo led the renaissance of Joseon, but
984-453: The initial Japanese invasion was stalled and pushed back thanks to Ming Chinese intervention, King Seonjo established a "Royal Military Training Agency." Following the cessation of hostilities and the full retreat of Japanese forces in 1598, the Korean government sought to record all material that they had found useful. As a result, the Muye jebo – 무예제보 (literally “Martial Arts Illustrations”)
1025-473: The large number of invasions suffered by the Korean Peninsula, the majority of any documentation of Korean indigenous martial techniques and combat styles has been lost. Much of modern-day scholarship related to the classical or pre-modern Korean martial arts, in particular those that predate the Mongol invasions of Korea (during which Korean palaces and libraries that would have contained many documents germane to
1066-948: The latter years of the Joseon dynasty, much of this occurring during the Japanese occupation of Korea in the first half of the 20th century. Volumes 1 through 3 focus primarily on polearms and swordsmanship . The fourth volume covers unarmed combat ( gwonbeop "boxing"), blunt weapons ( staff and flail ) and equestrian skills . Original to the 1795 Muyedobotongji are six methods of mounted combat : Gichang (spear fighting on horseback), Masang Ssanggeom (twin swords on horseback), Masang Woldo (crescent sword on horseback), Masang Pyeongon (flail method on horseback), Gyeokgu (ball game on horseback), Masang Jae (horsemanship specialties, such as riding stunts commonly seen in circus acts). Earlier sources can be traced to Chinese General Qi Jiguang 's treatise on troops training,
1107-469: The methods and practices of the earlier work while adding equestrian training . While little more than a field manual for cataloguing required skills, the Muyedobotongji is widely regarded as a resource for understanding the nature of Korean military science in the 18th century. As a result of the high frequency of warfare experienced in Northeast Asia, and in particular the destructive nature of
1148-404: The one ordered by Toyotomi Hideyoshi . While elements of the Korean court had attempted to update and otherwise revitalize lackluster Korean military resources, they were frequently opposed by rival factions and therefore unable to make substantive improvements in Korean national defenses on a wide scale until the Japanese invasion demonstrated the need for such an emphasis. In September 1593, after
1189-488: The parties of Joseon. Eight years later Yi San asked to visit Sado's living quarter but his Grandfather King Yeongjo refused. So he refused to attend Crown Prince Sado's funeral. On 21 February 1764, Yi San became the adoptive son of Crown Prince Hyojang and Princess Consort Hyosun by the order of King Yeongjo. Crown Prince Hyojang was the elder half-brother of his father, Crown Prince Sado. Crown Prince Hyojang though, had died during his childhood. King Yeongjo made Yi San
1230-555: The path of succession for his half-brothers Prince Eunjeon, Prince Euneon and, Prince Eunshin. His grand uncle Hong In-han and Jeong Hu-gyeom , adopted son of Princess Hwawan , were amongst them. When he was the Crown Prince, King Jeongjo met Hong Guk-yeong ( 홍국영 ; 洪國榮 ), a controversial politician who first strongly supported Jeongjo's accession and toiled to improve the king's power, but ended up being expelled because of his desire and ambition for power. Another helper
1271-451: The powerful Noron faction, as a way to establish checks and balances and strengthen royal authority. He was opposed to new fashions in the composition style of Korean writing and personally taught composition to some intellectuals and bureaucrats called Munchebanjong [ ko ] (문체반정 文體反正 – literary criticism/reform ). In 1791, Jeongjo got a report from Chae Je-gong that the people were having difficulty surviving by selling
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1312-450: The reign of King Yeongjo (r. 1724–1776) the Muye jebo was revised and supplemented with 12 additional fighting methods by Crown Prince Sado who originated the term ship pal gi – 십팔기, 十八技 (“Eighteen Fighting Methods”). Though often confused with Chinese practices of the same name and later 20th century practices, the term coined by Prince Sado, a shortened form of bonjo muye ship pal ban – 본조무예십팔반, 文章武藝十八般 ("18 Martial Arts Classes of
1353-404: The reigns of King Yeongjo (her father-in-law), King Jeongjo (her son), and King Sunjo (her grandson). In 1762, his father, Crown Prince Sado , was executed (by imprisonment in a rice chest ) by King Yeongjo (Crown Prince Sado's father and Prince Yi San's grandfather) after long conflicts and Sado's years of mental illness. Crown Prince Sado opposed the ruling Noron party. He started to hate
1394-531: The royal tomb of Geonneung ( 건릉 ; 健陵 ) in the city of Hwaseong . On 7 December 1899, Jeongjo posthumously became Jeongjo Sanghwangjae. Consort(s) and their respective issue Nang seon It was probably an invention of the Chinese general Qi Jiguang of the Ming Dynasty , who described it in his manual titled Jixiao Xinshu . The manual describes that the lang xian acted as backup for
1435-736: The study of martial arts and combat self-defense were destroyed), relies on the study of the Samguk Sagi compiled by the scholar Kim Bu-sik and the Samguk Yusa compiled by the Buddhist monk Iryeon . Both works suggest that militant attitudes between and among the three major nations of the Korean Three Kingdoms period (37 BCE – 660 AD) resulted in each nation developing an institution for training its warriors in martial arts and military sciences. The end of vassaldom to
1476-427: The uncontrolled regions in southern Manchuria, provided the Korean state (first as Goryeo and later as Joseon ) with some rationale for rebuilding Korean military installations and units. However, as a whole, the ascendance of the Joseon dynasty in Korea in 1392 and the installation of Neo-Confucianism as its guiding philosophy meant that academics, civil pursuits, and cultural arts were overwhelmingly emphasized at
1517-456: The wielding of two perfectly matched swords in combat, one in each hand), wol do 월도 (literally "moon sword" — this referred to the Korean equivalent of the Japanese naginata , but whose blade was crescent-shaped thus making it more similar to the Chinese guandao ), hyeop do 협도 (spear sword — the better-known Japanese counterpart would be a curved yari variant]), pyeon gon 편곤 (flail), and gwon beop 권법 (unarmed combat — note that
1558-465: Was Kim Jong-su ( 김종수 ; 金鍾秀 ), despite being a member of Noron . In 1775, one year before King Yeongjo's death, King Jeongjo was appointed regent. However, King Yeongjo did not give him any military power. Before Yeongjo died, Jeongjo had his coronation in Gyeonghuigung on 10 March 1776. After his coronation, Jeongjo chose his spouse. The first thing that Jeongjo said to his officials
1599-407: Was initially busy continuing the policy of Yeongjo 's Tangpyeong ("Magnificent Harmony"; 蕩平, 탕평) policy of political reconciliation between the parties. He tried to control the politics of the whole nation to advance and further national progress. He made various reforms throughout his reign, notably establishing Kyujanggak ( 규장각 ), a royal library. The primary purpose of Kyujanggak was to improve
1640-427: Was published in 1610. The work was compiled by a royal military officer, Han Kyo, and consisted of 6 weapon-based fighting systems. These included the gon bang (long stick), deung pae (shield), nang seon (multi-tipped spear), jang chang (long spear), dang pa (triple-tip spear), and the ssang su do (two-handed saber). Content related to unarmed combat was not included in this manual. During
1681-473: Was that he was the son of Jangjo (temple name of Crown Prince Sado) who was executed by the former king. Jeongjo tried to empathize with his people. During his second year of reign, a great drought came. During the drought, Jeongjo was nervous just like the people and did a rainmaking ritual for his people. He also was deeply concerned about the continuing outbreaks of measles epidemics, and among other things supplied free public medicines in an attempt curb