Office of Martial Arts Guards

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The Office of Martial Arts Guards was an elite Joseon dynasty unit that protected the king and royal palaces. Formed in 1630 as part of the Military Training Command, they served King Seonjo during the Imjin War and guarded the five grand palaces while providing close protection for the king. Their officers were known as Martial Arts Special Guards or simply Martial Guards, and sometimes as mugwan.

Key points:
- Purpose and origins: Established in 1630 under the Military Training Command to guard the king and the palaces. The unit trained skilled martial artists from the military schools to serve as the king’s bodyguards.
- Roles and structure: The soldiers guarded palace gates and the king’s carriage. In 1781, 102 members were split into left and right units, each with a chief and five subordinates; each subordinate supervised about ten soldiers. By 1802, the force grew to about 198 personnel drawn from different military units.
- Training and lineage: Guards trained at Bipajeong (near today’s Dongguk University) in spring, summer, and autumn, and at Hadogam (today’s Dongdaemun History & Culture Park) in winter. They passed on their martial traditions to their sons through the Dae-nyeon-gun and studied the Muyesinbo, a core martial arts manual.
- Uniforms and weapons: They wore distinctive uniforms that changed over time (green helmets and purple hoods; later red uniforms). Gate guards wore red clothing with yellow straw hats and tiger beards. Weapons included swords, muskets, cudgels, bows, halberds, and other traditional arms.
- Later history and disbandment: The unit sometimes served as instructors to other royal security units. After Joseon opened to the world in 1883, they were equipped with modern rifles in addition to traditional swords. The Martial Arts Department was disbanded in 1894 during the Gabo Reforms and the creation of the Imperial Korean Armed Forces.
- Legacy: The Muyesinbo, a key martial arts manual associated with the guards, remains a noted part of Korea’s traditional military training and cultural heritage.