ninja or sulsa

[hwarang_do_adam]

which one is more deadly?

 

[Kacey]

That's like asking which MA is best. Too much depends on the instructor, the student, the situation, and a wide list of other variables.

 

[hwarang_do_adam]

which style is more comprehensive. i don't know very much about sulsa history

 

[Doc_Jude]

Ninjutsu, of course.

 

[tellner]

It's more like Spiderman vs. Green Lantern. We're essentially talking about works of fiction here.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Sulsa!?!?!?

Sorry I read this wrong, I thought it was which was more deadly

ninja or shesulsa and I was voting beyond any shadow of doubt shesulsa

 

[shesulsa]

Sulsa!?!?!?

Sorry I read this wrong, I thought it was which was more deadly

ninja or shesulsa and I was voting beyond any shadow of doubt shesulsa

Right on, Xue! :asian:

 

[tellner]

But of course Pirates are way cooler and way tougher than either of them

 

[SageGhost83]

Alrighty then...I was under the impression that the Sulsa didn't really exist and that they were another attempt for koreans at revisionist history. You know, like the Samurong? I am pretty sure that they did have their own shadow warriors because every nation and culture had their own groups of spies and the like, however, they probably weren't the Sulsa. Who knows, the koreans pretty much abandoned their martial arts after the peninsula was unified and they didn't care too much about preserving the history of their arts. Ninja or Sulsa? Neither one - they have both been romanticised into something that has little to do with their actual history. Any Sulsa out in here? Educate me if I am wrong or if I have offended. Happy New Years, all!

 

[IcemanSK]

Those of you who know Korean better than I correct me if I'm wrong, but I rember someone with a good knowledge of the language on this board saying that the word "sulsa" was Korean for diarhea.

 

[MBuzzy]

Incidentally....the Korea word for Diarrhea is 설사 which is pronounced basically like we say sulsa. The "u" is pronounced more like an "aww" sound though. Now I have no idea how the Korean word for Sulsa (martial art) is prounounced or spelled, so I can't compore. If someone can give me the hangul for that or tell me vaguely how it is pronounced (by a korean) I can tell you if they match.

 

[shesulsa]

I was taught that if you pronounce the "sul" as you would in the english word "sully," i.e. suhl, you would be saying 'diarrhea.'

The pronunciation we use is 'sool-sah' - sorry, I cannot provide the hangul.

Intention of transition is ... "Sul" translated to 'technique', "sa" translated to 'person' hence "sulsa" translated to "technician."

 

[MBuzzy]

Which therefore makes the Martial Art Sulsa into 슬사 or 술사 rather than 설사.....completely changing the meaning. Sorry, not a form of excrement.....

I honestly know or have heard very little about Sulsa, so if anyone has any more info, that would be appreciated.

 

[shesulsa]

The verbal history I have received is that the sulsa were quite like the ninja but worked for their king for free rather than as hired assassins. They were the "special forces" of the Silla Army and Hwarang warriors. And supposedly there were members of the Hwarang order who did not fight, others who did.

 

[Omar B]

This s the first time I've ever heard of Sulsa but it seems interesting to me. I would love to find some in depth information about it. Martial arts nerd I am my interest is piqued anytime I ear about an art that's new to me.

 

[SageGhost83]

The verbal history I have received is that the sulsa were quite like the ninja but worked for their king for free rather than as hired assassins. They were the "special forces" of the Silla Army and Hwarang warriors. And supposedly there were members of the Hwarang order who did not fight, others who did.

I have read a similar history concerning the Sulsa on the internet, too. I just didn't know how much stock to put into it given the historical revisionist problem that we must deal with concerning the KMA. I mean, I would like to believe that it was true because I find the whole stealth/shadow warrior subject to be very interesting, and it would be awesome if it were true. However, I am skeptical concerning any 'official' story concerning KMA (hey, I fell for the whole Taekwondo being 2000 years old thing, I am not about to look stupid again :duh. At the same time, I am quite certain that they did have their own shadow warriors in Korea. Every culture did, even in the west (Shirkers, Knights Templars, Wolfshirts, etc.), and the Japanese do not have a monopoly on the whole stealth/shadow warrior thing. What all of this babbling amounts to is - I think that they did have their own shadow warriors, but I think that the Sulsa may be a nationalist creation to counter the Japanese ninja craze. It still warrants a lot of research, though. Korean shadow warriors? Sounds awesome!

 

[kaizasosei]

i think that the different forms of martial arts as shadow arts or usual warrior arts is in itself a kind of illusion. at the end of the day, all that matters is skill and technique. even in the case of ninjutsu, it may take some uncovering before one penetrates to realize the skill of the ninja. some skills are so secret hardly any will even be able to realize. but dealing with the typical arts of the ninja, various skills were honed.
in the case of korea, it is my experience that the nation has many people who are highly skilled as well as artistic. as far as fighting ability and warrior legends go, i always found it interesting to hear of styles where the fighters did not use hands at all. taekwondo is a result of such skills. also, i have heard of warriors in korea that mastered the various sword arts such as twosworded style. to this day, korean bows are one of the best bows around.

j

 

[tellner]

The pointy end of the secret police worked for the king for free? :BSmeter:

These kind of things take money. Lots of money. People need to be trained. They need equipment. They need supplies. They need clothes for their children, food, land, houses, livestock, and so on. By way of comparison single mounted warrior and his retinue took the entire agricultural surplus of a European village. And these guys did all that and more and in secret for nothing? That's worse than unbelievable. It's an insult to the reader's intelligence. Besides, no king would trust people like that. He'd want them on the payroll, depending on his money. Loyalty is nice, but gold pays the bills, and free labor goes away when money is tight.

I'll bet plenty of six to five or even seven to ten that these fairy tales started getting traction after the ninja craze started. "They have ninja? We have Super Good Guy Ninja!"

 

[arnisador]

I'll bet plenty of six to five or even seven to ten that these fairy tales started getting traction after the ninja craze started. "They have ninja? We have Super Good Guy Ninja!"

I've heard it suggested that the modern attribution of ninja-like skills to the Sulsa began with the promotion of Michael Echanis as a Hwa Rang Do super-soldier (indeed, much as the Hwa Rang themselves were recast by the Lee brothers). Indeed, a quick check of the web shows a dearth of (relevant) links to Sulsa that aren't HRD-related.

 

[shesulsa]

I've heard it suggested that the modern attribution of ninja-like skills to the Sulsa began with the promotion of Michael Echanis as a Hwa Rang Do super-soldier (indeed, much as the Hwa Rang themselves were recast by the Lee brothers). Indeed, a quick check of the web shows a dearth of (relevant) links to Sulsa that aren't HRD-related.

Indeed - I've been hard-pressed to find anything more also. Though I must state that my Korean is virtually non-existent I have not done the faithful research others here have. I have never viewed the Hwarang Segi nor the Samguk Segi nor their partial translations (I think only one English copy exists of both - verification from others, please?)

*edited to add*

In fact - it was a google on "sulsa" that led me to this site on that fateful May day in 2004.