Sonmudo: Korea beyond soccer and dresscode
My Way
At that time (1992), I was already practicing Taiji and Qigong for many years. My damaged health and a threatening wheelchair prophecy by a physician had been my reason to look for new and different ways to go. I felt that time was right to add Zen meditation to my body experiences. This is how I landed in the small hermitage Golgul. It is situated close to Kyong ju (the historical city which is known worldwide as "museum without walls"), in the midst of the
marvellous mountains of Korea. Lord Buddha, engraved in a waste rock, watches over valleys, forests, cascades and villages towards the sea. Awaited by a handful of curiously-looking young men, we were full of expectations from both sides. They turned out to be the "teachers". Until that time I had no idea that this temple was the place where Buddhist Masters were
trained in Sonmudo. In the morning, at a quarter to 4:oo am, a knocking woke me up. It
was accompanied by the chanting of a monk, who did the morning call for the small temple family. Tired and shivering with cold, I followed the group into an ice-cold rock cave. But the following "108 Bows" warmed me up in no time. With a clearing mind, I began to understand that temple life means to live in an ascetic, strict and paltry way, filled with discipline but actually ideal to gain spiritual knowledge and martial art capabilities at the same time.
Quickly, I decided to learn this discipline. So I became as first European woman a disciple of grand master Seol (the monk Jeok-un). From that time on I was a member of the Temple Family. For me, I did not mean to become a martial artist, but, as Jeok-un Sunim expressed it: "In about two years you will be able to move like healthy people do!"
The History
I t is known that over centuries Buddhist monks were trained equally in religious discipline and in Martial Arts. The Chinese Shaolin Temple experiences a big revival in the last years. In Japan, there is a strong connection between traditional weapon schools and Buddhist Shinto
organisations. Less known to the world is the SonKwanMoo (Sonmudo = Zen Martial Arts), the Buddhist Martial Arts of Korea. The roots go back to the beginning of Buddhism and the time of never-ending military conflicts with Japan. The year 1592 remains unforgotten. Thousands of monks fought side by side with the Korean people to defend their country.
Sonmudo as it is known in our days, has its origin in the temple Pomo, close to Pusan. It was a monk named Yang-ik who taught a few students and passed on knowledge wich was hidden over centuries. One of his pupils was Seol, Jeok-un, the later founder of Sonmudo. When he was abbot in the Kirim temple, he discovered the holy site of Golgul during his morning training. It was a shabby hermitage and Jeok-un Sunim decided to transform it into a place of
meditation and Sonmudo training. Over the years, this small hermitage became an impressive temple and all temple members help and support with their work with Master Seol ahead! Under his guidance the community stepped out of its status of shrouded in mystery: With the foundation of the "International Federation of Sonmudo" the gates were opened to a broader public.
Sonmudo
Body and Mind getting strengthened
Sonmudo differs substantially from other Korean Martial Arts like Taekwondo or Hapkido. There are neither plates or bricks to be smashed, nor effectful shouts. Young monks like to specialize themselves on spectacular kicking movements which are characteristic of Korean Martial Arts. But in Sonmudo the main emphasis is on performing the exercises very slowly. The high level
of Sonmudo becomes apparent in motions which require excellent balance and control (similar to Taiji and Qigong).
The great variety of the training method is special: It consists of relaxing exercises (stretching and calming Yoga), intensive breathing exercises (Chakra breathing), Ki-Kung (Qigong) and dynamic Martial Arts. Additionally, a big focus is laid on positive thoughts and attitude towards life and into healthy nutrition (no meat). This should help calming mind and body - and to renew it.
Sonmudo clearly offers bigger benefits for health than we would normally expect of Martial Arts. Not a surprise that many students are older than the average Martial Arts practitioners. Many of them gained experience in other styles or work with traditional medicine (TCM, TKM). Due to the high level, Sonmudo is the only Korean Martial Art Style recognized by Shaolin in China.
There is an active exchange between both schools.
During the last years, Sonmudo made itself a name under the teachings by
Frédéric Foubert. I personally received the teaching permission for Sonmudo
(main focus on Ki Kung) after an intensive training of over four years of
which I spent one year living with the community in Golgulsa.
Today, I see myself as a connecting link between East and West. I will be in Golgulsa in October and November 2009 again!
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Definition:Golgul:
Name of the buddhist temple ("Sa") in Korea
Sonmudo:
Son: Zen
Mudo: Martial Arts - Kampfsport
Sunim:
Monk
Poepsa:
Teacher
