The origins and true history of the South Korean Special Forces unit called Tu Kong may never be fully or accurately known. There is certainly a dispute over the creation of the Tukong Unit's combat training program known as Tu Kong Moo Sul.  Was it created by one man or was it the culmination of several martial arts masters? 

As most people know, history is written to present a view point.  Many times we find history is changed to suit the desires of the historian or chronicler.  For that reason, you must take all history with a grain of salt unless you were actually there to witness the events as they actually happened.  So, this version of the history is presented as recalled by Tukong Grandmaster In Ki Kim.  Others will have a different viewpoint or reference.  

As the Webmaster of the Tukong.com site, I take the responsibility for accuracy very personal and do my best to always be as accurate as possible. I have seen other more centric versions of the origins, but I believe this to be the closest in accuracy and historically correct.  I have helped write other historical versions, but the information presented here is the most verifiable I can find.  

I point out that the Tu Kong martial arts program was originally designed as an adaptation of many styles to become useful to modern combat troops and was never meant to become stagnant nor fixed without changing.  The whole idea was to constantly upgrade and improve in order to always have the best and most effective modern fighting program available.  To that end, history is less important than what is presently taught and how it has been improved over something designed decades ago.  

As a Tukong practioner for almost 20 years, I have seen many changes and improvements on the original program I first learned in Austin, Texas under Tukong Grandmaster Won Ik Yi.  I hope all my students will also add and improve on what I teach them, so that the program continues to evolve and change to remain the best program and most realistic taught in America.  Please help us keep this site current and give us your feedback.   

"Adapt, Improve, or be left behind."  -- World's richest man, Bill Gates.

Tukong History according to the TKMSA

Four Gold Medallists from the Tukong Unit. Four of the original 6 Masters to Co-Develop Tukong Moosul

In the late 1970s, the North Korean Army created the 8th Attack commando unit.  To counter this special commando unit threat, the top generals of the South Korean Army decided to create a special commando unit inside their current South Korean Special Forces group. They called the new commando unit the Tu Kong unit. Tu Kong means: Special Combat. The Tu Kong commando unit was to be the most elite infantry combat unit in the S.K.A.  It was to be trained in close-quarters, hand-to-hand, and jungle combat techniques as well as modern weapons and tactics.  The unit was originally comprised of 454 men. Today, there are several Tukong Units inside the South Korean Special Forces group attached to many divisions.

GM Kim and Tukong Unit Special Forces Hand-to-Hand Combat Senior Instructor

The South Korean Special Forces already had some advanced martial arts training programs with other names. All these programs had strengths and weaknesses. The job of the six Masters was to improve and combine the best techniques and training from any martial arts style into one complete system for the Tu Kong unit. The current Headquarters Commander of the Tu Kong unit, General Chang, wanted a program that would prepare his men to fight any soldier from any country and win in a hand-to-hand combat situation. This program was not for self-defense; it was for an elite attack unit that had to have the best training to survive its mission objectives. This meant the program was to focus on killing and injury rather than points, knockouts and submission as most martial arts do. 

Most of what is now taught in Tukong Moosul programs in America cannot be used in tournaments. Tournaments are sports that try to avoid injury to the players. Combat is real fighting that tries to injure or kill the opponents.  Tukong was designed for combat. Tukong techniques can be lowered to sport levels or remain as lethal or injurious as needed.  The original six Masters were also all champions at sparring so they knew the difference.

GM Kim Teaches a new Tukong Instructor while in the Korean DMZ.

Special Combat Martial Arts

Grandmaster In Ki Kim became the head Tu Kong Instructor in the Tu Kong unit after the other Tu Kong Unit Masters left the army. Grandmaster Kim continued to refine and develop the Tu Kong Unit's combat training program.  He trained the new Tu Kong instructors who would train the rest of the South Korean military in the Tu Kong Moo Sul program. Many former Tu Kong Unit martial artists are in the United States teaching different forms of martial arts and have included some Tukong Unit techniques in their program. One of the original six developers of the original program, Grandmaster In Ki Kim is now in the Washington, D.C. / Northern Virginia area as the head of the Tukong Moosul Association (T.K.M.S.A) and as Master of the Tukong Martial Arts Academy, with Senior Instructor Mr. JImmy Higgins, 5th Dan TKMSA.

Mr. Jimmy Bruce Higgins trained in Austin, Texas for 3 years and helped develop the WTKMSF organization between 1983-1986. Mr. Higgins is the only Tukong student to ever quadruple promote to Pum Dan in only 14 months of training under GM Yi. Mr. Higgins began training with GM Kim in 1987 when GM Kim came to visit his old army friend, GM Yi in Austin. 

Mr. Higgins received the first Tukong Black Belt certification Tukong Grandmaster In Ki Kim ever awarded in America.Mr. Higgins currently holds the rank of 5th Dan TKMSA in Tukong Moosul. He helped GM In Ki Kim build the TKMSA organization and he currently owns the Tukong Martial Arts Academy in Alexandria, Virginia, in the Washington DC area. Grandmaster In Ki Kim's standards are very high and he has only awarded 13 people in 16 years with his Black Belt certification seal. GM Kim hopes to have many Tukong Black Belts as students progress through their training in the nation's capital and surrounding areas.

Today tens thousands of soldiers have trained in the South Korean Army's Tu Kong Unit since the late 1970's. All have been greatly influenced by the original six Master's knowledge and experience. The current Tukong Unit combat training program is not the same as when it was first developed over 20 years ago. Other martial arts masters from the Tu Kong unit have continued to improve and evolve it to stay current and cutting edge. 

This is the basic history of the origins of Tu Kong Moo Sul.  Although, there is some dispute as to if Tu Kong was created by one man or many, the important thing is to have the best, most up to date program today in the present.  Everyone is invited to visit and watch classes at any Tukong School to compare and make their own decisions as to what program is best for you.  You may be interested in a school that focuses on tournaments or maybe you are looking for some exercise.  There are many schools that will have excellent programs and instructors that can give you that.  But if you want to learn fighting skills taught to elite combat troops and things even soldiers don't get in Korea, then visit one of the Tukong schools and speak with an instructor and the students to see why Tukong is one of the fastest growing styles in American today.