Sunmudo or Meditative Martial Art , then, literally means “the way of doing meditative martial arts”. It is both meditation and martial art. It is a unique in that it contains a variety of different elements that complement each other. It envelopes the dynamic and powerful movements of a martial art into the peaceful practices of meditation, yoga, and chi qong exercises.
History
Sunmudo has its origins in the Shilla Dynasty (57 B.C.E. – 935 A.D.). Throughout the course of Korean history, monks were called upon to both lead people spiritually and protect them temporally. Monks were often soldiers, and during both the Goryeo Dynasty (918 – 1392) and the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897), monks fought against invasion by foreign powers