SaCO

The roots of Gjogsul stretch as far back as 420 before time. At the time, there was a fight system in old Korea called Subak. The simple people practiced Subak and it involved defence with all rustic weapons against the warriors of the sovereigns who suppressed and robbed the people.
Subak actually means melon. To demonstrate one's capacity, it was necessary as a test to break open melons. Depending on the size and strength, the melons had to be cleanly cut into pieces with one blow from the edge of the hand. It was after this tradition that this style of fighting was called Subak.
In another version, people say that the aim was to strike the opponent to the floor with a stone-hard blow of the edge of the hand. This fight often had a deadly end.

With this depiction, it was clear to the experts of the East Asian martial arts that the roots of the Gjogsul were similar to the origins of the Taekwondo. That is the reality of it. Until the beginning of the 20th Century, there was still no defined difference in development between Taekyon and Gjogsul. It was not until the colonial rule of the Japanese in Korea in this century that there was a separation in the developments. The reason for this was simply that the people needed a fighting system against the Japanese with which they could be fully armed to fight their victorious enemies who were equipped with modern weapons. The almost unarmed people in most cases had to first disarm the enemy so that they too could have a chance. Many new techniques emerged, above all defence techniques against armed opponents like the attack techniques with these weapons.

1926 was officially made the year of origin of the Gjogsul. At this point in time, the leader of the Korean Resistance Fighters, Kim II Sung, trained in these special close combat techniques with his loyals so that they could successfully fight against the Japanese.
Most important in Gjogsul is that all positions, movements and fighting techniques prove their effectiveness in practical close combat and cause further development through practice.

Further essential impulses maintained the Gjogsul through the war in Korea from 1950 to 1953, in which the close combat techniques proved their effectiveness also against the physically superior American soldiers.
Based on the tense political and military situation at the border between North and South Korea, the development of the Gjogsul is until today at a standstill. There is for example a system in Gjogsul for the duel in and under water, which basically consists of hand techniques.
Today, the Gjogsul represents an essential training element in the military forces of the Korean People's Army. Every member of the army receives a Gjogsul training during his defence service. For the specialists, at least 300 to 400 hours Gjogsul training in a year is common.
Gjogsul is organised in eight training levels, four school degrees and four master degrees.

Through this narrow collaboration of the East European former communist countries with the Korean People's Republic, it was possible in around 1980 for the Korean Gjogsul masters to introduce their close combat system in some East European armies. There was secured knowledge on a special unit in the Polish Republic and on the paratrooper and special units of the military forces of the former GDR.