Muyejebo


The Muyejebo is the oldest extant Korean martial arts manual, compiled by Han Gyo in 1598 during the reign of King Seonjo. With the addition of material from Japanese martial arts, a supplement, Sequel to the Book of Martial Arts, compiled by Choi Ki-nam, was published in 1610.
It was reprinted from woodblocks in 1714 and a surviving copy was designated as Tangible Cultural Heritage No. 437 on 14 February 2019.

History

As the Imjin War dragged on for years, Korea needed a way to effectively and efficiently train a large number of troops, and the Korean military adopted a training methodology based on a Ming dynasty Chinese military manual called the Jixiao Xinshu, written by the famed Chinese general, Qi Jiguang. The book was of particular interest to Koreans, as it was written by a Chinese commander who had successfully defeated a major Japanese pirate force that had landed along the Southeast coast of China mere decades before the Imjin War began. Korean officials created their own version of the military training manual, based on the Chinese version, and called it the Muyejebo.
in 1604, King Seonjo ordered his officials to add supplemental information to the Muyejebo, but died before the updated work was published. His successor, King Gwanghaegun, continued the work of his father, which led to the publication of the Muyejebo sokjip by Choe Gi-nam. Around the time the book was to be published, four volumes of a Japanese martial arts manual were added as well, leading to the compilation of the Muyejebo Beonyeoksokjip in 1610. A woodcut edition of this updated manual still exists, and is currently held by Keimyung University in Daegu, South Korea.
In 1759, the book was once again revised and published as the Muyesinbo. Both books, the Muyejebo and the Muyesinbo, formed the basis for the compilation of another, more famous Korean martial arts manual called the Muyedobotongji, which was published in 1791.

Content

The Muyejebo contains chapters about the use of the following weapons:
  • Jangchang
  • Ssangsudo
  • Gonbang
  • Deungpae wisteria shield and throwing spear
  • Deungpae wisteria shield and waist sword
  • Nangseon
  • Dangpa
The information regarding the use of the shield and throwing spear in combination with one another is part of the same chapter that covers the combined use of the shield and waist sword.

Modern publication

Only one copy of the original Muyejebo Beonyeoksokjip has survived to the present day. It is held in the Keimyung University library in Daegu, South Korea in 1998, and was granted national treasure status in 2001. The Keimyung University Press republished the Muyejebo Beonyeoksokjip in 1999.