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A martial arts based on dance and music, the music played by the Gayageum, which is a beautiful sounding, Korean, traditional stringed instrument sometimes thought of as a harp. The objective of the art is for practitioners to be able to empty their minds completely and act the void. It is a meditative type art that shares a similarity in essence to Tai Chi, yet also includes various explosive, quick fire, striking techniques similar to those found in Shaolin based arts.
Although we are unclear as to the exact timeframe that the Gayageum originated, recent archaeological finds indicate to its use during the first century B.C. It is thought that the fighting systems origin however lie in the dance and music traditions performed by soldiers of the Silla kingdom. The sword dances of the officer elite core known as Hwarang were called Musa Chum.
The sword dances may also form the basis of modern Kun Mudo. The instrument, which is essential to the art, consists of a wooden board made from paulownia wood that supports twelve strings made from twisted, silk thread, placed upon Tolgwae which are pegs used for adjusting the tension of the string. The instrument is played by pinching the strings or plucking them, the distinct Korean sound is made by shaking and bending the strings as they vibrate.
The unique rhythm of the melodies played by the instrument and the ethereal like sound lends itself well to both the practice of martial arts and meditation. When listening to the music it is easy to fall into a meditative state. A unique aspect of the Gayageum music is the importance of the silent moments in between notes giving the overall feeling to the listeners that the unmanifests is of equal importance to the manifests a dualistic concept which underlies many martial arts forms.