Subakhui is a martial art game in which people strike others or check their attack with bare hands.
The game is vividly depicted on old tomb murals including those in the period of Koguryo (the first feudal state in Korea that existed from 277 BC to AD 668) like three-chamber tombs, tombs with murals depicting dancers and mausoleum of King Kogugwon.
The characters in the murals put their arms up or down in a defensive posture to check other’s attack.
These are similar to the paintings showing the fistfight in the 18th century. This means that subakhui that dates back to Koguryo was handed down to posterity. In the period of Koryo (918-1392) subakhui games were mainly played by soldiers. In the period of the feudal Joson dynasty (1392-1910) it was very popular also among civilians.
Subakhui is a game of knocking down the opponent with hands in the main and its result is decided according to which part of the body the attacker hits.
Its main techniques are therefore to knock down the opponent by hitting him on his vital spots and concentrate the blow on his weak points. In addition, the attacker must resist or dodge the rival’s attack with much agility and fight doggedly.
Therefore, it was required to acquire skills through routine training and foster strong physical preparedness and high patience.
Subakhui with a long history and tradition has been carried forward through generations. In the latter half of the feudal Joson dynasty it developed into thaekkyon and nalpharam which was popular in the area of Pyongyang.
Thaekkyon was an art of striking opponents using hands and feet and nalpharam was performed mostly by punching, as well as kicking and heading.
Such martial art games greatly contributed to building up the body and defending the country.
Kim Ye Ryong
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