Kupso chirigui:
The Origins

	TechGate: Han Kuk Mu Sul knowledge base Kupso Chirigui: introduction Kupso Chirigui: theory Kupso Chirigui: practice

Hsi Yuan Lü     Won Hyo

The book, dated to the Shun Yu Era (1241-1253), was the Hsi Yuan Lü (洗冤集錄 in Hanja) , or Records of the Washing Away of Unjust Imputations, a forensics manual related to assessing death of victims after hand-to-hand fights.

In the book, there are two charts showing the location of vital points in the human body. These are the earliest charts available on the subject. Nevertheless, some references to vital points are found in earlier works form the 6th century.

Due to the focus of the work (forensics), we can infer that the use of vital points striking was well known and practically used long before this work was written.

In this particular work, 34 vital points were described: 22 on the front and 12 on the back of the body. There were also 36 non-vital points on the front of the body and 20 on the back.

This is the oldest reference to vital points able to provoke a delayed death, within days after the strike. In this case, the book identifies those blows by inflammation and bruises, related to inner organs damage.

Strikes inducing immediate death are more evident by bleeding, broken bones and externally evident lacerations.

In Korea, the first oral mention to the use of Kupso Chirigui and Ji Ap is related to the abilities of Won Hyo, the Monk who introduced Buddhism to the Silla Dynasty in the year of 686 AD.

There exists a legend saying that he fixed the shoulder bone of a pilgrim just by slightly hitting him (in a specific point) with the tip of his cane. True or not, the tale is a demonstration of the existence of this ancient knowledge in Korea, during the 7th century.

No known written records are found in Korea, but it is generally agreed that evolution of Kupso Chirigui followed a parallel evolution in China and Korea, and in Japan (after the Tang Dynasty), following Buddhism expansion through Korea.