GongKwon Yusul
Modern Korean martial art system
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Gongkwon Yusul is a modern Korean martial art system founded by Kang Jun in 1996. Its main influences include Hapkido, Hakkō-ryū Jūjutsu, Judo, Kumdo, Taekkyon, Taekwondo, Teukgong Moosool (Korean military martial art), Kickboxing, and Kyeok Too Ki.[note 1][1] Currently, this martial art exists in the form of an amateur-level combat sport.[2]
South Korea| Focus | Hybrid, Striking, Ground fighting, and Grappling |
|---|---|
| Hardness | Full Contact |
| Country of origin | South Korea |
| Creator | Kang Jun |
| Famous practitioners | Yoon Jun Lee, Ye Ji Lee, Nick Mann |
| Parenthood | Hapkido, Hakkō-ryū Jūjutsu, Judo, Kumdo, Taekwondo, Taekkyon, Teukgong Moosool, Kickboxing, and Kyeok Too Ki |
| Olympic sport | no |
| Official website | www.gongkwon.com |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 공권유술 |
| Hanja | 空拳柔術 |
| Revised Romanization | Gongkwonyusul |
| McCune–Reischauer | Kongkwonyusul |
Characteristics
Gongkwon Yusul is a martial art distinct from other styles, such as Hapkido. It emphasises the application of striking, locking, and throwing techniques in practical, free-flowing fighting situations, rather than the static applications more common in traditional styles of Hapkido. It also differs from Hapkido in that many of its hand techniques are strongly influenced by kickboxing styles (as mentioned above), and that a significant part of Gongkwon Yusul training is in grappling/ground fighting, applying techniques more akin to Judo than most Hapkido styles. Like many other modern hybrid martial arts and combat sports, Gongkwon Yusul combines the aspects and techniques often seen in combat sport styles such as Kickboxing and Judo, while still retaining many traditional martial art attributes, such as uniforms, terminology, and ranking structure.
History
Gongkwon Yusul was founded during the era prior to the popularization of modern Mixed Martial Arts and Brazilian jiu-jitsu in Korea, and its hybrid nature and emphasis on real fighting brought backlash from the mainstream Korean martial arts community where they at the time believed that, while grappling and striking are both accepted forms of combat, they must be trained separately. Gongkwon Yusul was accepted by the mainstream in the country only after when modern Mixed Martial Arts (in the early 2000s), along with Brazilian jiu-jitsu (in 1999), was introduced and became well known in Korea, effectively changing the views of the country's mainstream and martial artists.[3][4][5]
International Expansion
Since its acceptance by the mainstream in South Korea, the art has grown rapidly in its home country of Korea with many dojangs around Seoul and also some regional areas of the country.[6] On the contrary, this martial art is not widely known outside of Korea. However, there have been dojangs opened in other countries. The first was established in Brazil in 2006, the second in Melbourne in 2007, the third in Launceston, Australia in 2008, the fourth in Gold Coast, Australia in 2008, the fifth in Spain in 2009,[7] the sixth in Brisbane, Australia in 2009,[8][citation needed] and the seventh in Austin, Texas in 2011, where country music singer/songwriter Willie Nelson earned his fifth degree black belt on April 28, 2014.[9]
Ranks
GongKwon Yusul belt ranks are:
- White
- Yellow (5th gup)
- Green (4th gup)
- Blue (3rd gup)
- Red (2nd gup)
- Brown (1st gup)
- Black
Gongkwon Yusul practitioners in other combat sports
Yoon Jun Lee, a former 2011 Gongkwon Yusul champion,[10] won the Bantamweight title in the South Korean MMA promotion, Road FC, after defeating his rival, Kil Woo Lee in 2014.[11] Lee not only fought in MMA matches but also in a Submission wrestling match as well when Road FC featured special -70kg grappling rule bouts during one of their events, Road FC 057 XX, between Team Korea and Team Japan. Team Korea, Yoon Jun Lee and Soo Chul Kim, defeated Team Japan, Takumi Nakayama and Shunichi Shimizu, by submission.[12]
Ye Ji Lee, who was trained by Jeon Chan-jun, Yoon Jun Lee's former Gongkwon Yusul instructor, also competed in MMA promotions, including Road FC.[13] She defeated notable fighters, including Satoko Shinashi and Saori Oshima.[14] Lee also competed in the Japanese shootfighting organization, Shooto, defeating Takumi Umehara, a Zendokai Karate specialist, via TKO.[15] According to Fight Matrix, Lee was #8 in the Women Atomweight division in 2025.[16]
Australian Gongkwon Yusul practitioner, Nick Mann, also competed in professional MMA.[17][18]
Yeomtasul
Yeomtasul is a self-defense program created by Kang in 1996, when he created Gongkwon Yusul. The founder made it clear that, "Yeomtasul is not another martial art created to establish another school." Yeomtasul's techniques are based on striking and grappling principles and techniques of Gongkwon Yusul while utilizing a Hapkido-style Dan Bong (baton).[19] While other empty-handed martial arts also feature self-defense programs involving weapons, they often avoid sparring (unlike weapon-based martial arts like Kumdo). In contrast, Yeomtasul incorporates sparring into its training regimen.[20]