The Story behind the Mu Sool Won Logo

Embodied in the logo are the mission and principles that Mu Sool Won embraces. The logo was designed with the notion that martial arts practice would be a key element to staying healthy and fit, consisting of the boxed phrase “Mu Sool Won” in Korean, a lotus flower symbolizing a peaceful and ‘clean’ world, a Taeguk symbol representing the harmony of the two ki (life force) energies of um and yang, and a martial artist performing a beautiful high side-kick.

Mu Sool Won: Mu Sool Won (무술원), a Korean phrase literally meaning ‘Martial Arts Academy’, is an organization which studies and teaches Korean traditional martial arts made up of Royal Court Martial Arts, Buddhist Martial Arts, and Family Martial Arts. Mu Sool refers to all types of martial arts skills to protect and train our body and mind in an organized and systematic way, either empty-handed or using weapons including a sword, a stick, a stave, an ax, and a dagger. Ancient Chinese people recorded that all martial arts were derived from ssirum, Korean wrestling, and ssirum was first introduced 5,000 years by Chioo (also said as Chiu, Tiu, Tiw, or Ziu), the 14th Haanoong of Cooree (3897 BC ­ 2333 BC), a federal nation composed of nine states of Ree people, the present Korean people. Haanoong Chioo was born in 2749 BC and was trained under Sunin Jaaboo before he became Haanoong at the age of 42.

Lotus Flower: A lotus flower grows out of stinky and polluted water but never compromises itself. Rather, it destroys and eliminates smells and odors, making its dirty and unfriendly environment clean and safe. Thus, the lotus flower in the logo is to represent a ‘lotus world’, peaceful and clean, which Mu Sool Won is trying to build for world peace. While its gold background is to represent the Mu Sool Won’s power and prosperity in the world, its five black petals represent the five virtues that each student should develop as he/she ascends to the rank of Black Belt: honesty, patience, diligence, responsibility, and confidence.

Taeguk Symbol: A Taeguk symbol is a circle with the pattern of the two competing, co-whirling ki (life force) energies called um (negative, colored blue) and yang (positive, colored red) that work together in all things in the universe. The Taeguk symbol in the logo, seated on the lotus flower, is to represent a perfect um-yang balance in our body, fulfilled through constant martial arts practice, which boosts our immune system and promotes the strength and sustainability of our body against illness and disease. Such a Taeguk pattern, found everywhere in several different forms including those engraved on prehistoric Korean dolmens, those painted on the walls of ancient Korean tombs, and those found on the buildings of Buddhist temples, is the pattern that can best describes Korea.

Performing Martial Artist: The martial artist performing a perfect high side-kick, with his left foot placed on Mu Sool Won (무술원), with his right foot stretched wide and high up into the air, with his empty left hand in a defensive position, with his right hand holding a sword parallel to the stretched right leg, and with his eyes staring into the ‘lotus world’, is to represent the mission of Mu Sool Won to educate students to their highest potential, who can contribute to the building of the peaceful and clean ‘lotus world’.