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The martial artist practicing
Tukong Moosul is trained in four areas, based upon the distance theory. The
four areas include Throwing (leverage techniques), Punching (hand
techniques), Kicking (foot techniques), and Weapons (extended body
techniques).
The Dae Yeon Sa Temple has origins as early as 1200 CE. Dae Yeon Am, meaning
"Great Achievement Place," was the predecessor to Dae Yeon Sa. Founded by Ji
Suk and two other masters in North Korea, they practiced Buddhism without
the Martial Arts. The arrival of Song Jae and Bup Kwang at the temple marked
the establishment of Martial Arts at the temple around 1269 CE.
Around 1692, the temple was moved to South Korea and the name was changed
from Dae Yeon Am to Dae Yeon Sa ("Great Achievement Temple"). From this
point, three masters from China joined and continued to develop the Martial
Arts being practiced at the temple. This explains why Tukong Moosul exhibits
both hard and a soft styles (or external and internal styles). Strong
undertones relating to Chinese Tai Chi were incorporated, and the internal
form of Tukong Moosul known as Ip Sun was created, analogous to Chinese Tai
Chi.
In Korea there are two types of Buddhist temples. One is similar to a church
of missionary work and is open to all people. The other is solely for
individuals who wish to seek self-enlightenment. These temples are ones of
sanctuary and privacy, and are not open for public visitation. A few of the
temples in Korea are of the later type. The Dae Yeon Sa Temple is a very
traditional temple that teaches Buddhism and Martial Arts. This is the
tradition that is taught to the students of Tukong Moosul today. |
