The logo of Gongkwon Yusul
The meaning
The logo depicts "Gongkwon Yusul" written vertically in a calligraphic rendering of Chinese letters known as cursive script or grass script.
"Gongkwon" means "empty (= weaponless) fist", "Yusul" is the "gentle way". In a broad sense, the "empty fist" stands for all aspects of unarmed fighting, in a more literal sense for techniques like punches, kicks etc.; the "gentle way" can be understood to refer to gentleness in itself , but this can be narrowed down to refer to throws, joint locks and other techniques which aim to redirect the opponent's force against himself.
Strength and resilience are the leading principles of Gongkwon Yusul, yet these manifest ideally in a soft and free-flowing form.
A trademark feature of the grass script is the unbroken and natural brushwork. This resembles the way in which Gongkwon Yusul combines all its elements and techniques in continuous and fluent movement.
The black colour is reminiscent of ebony, symbolising the level of perfection for which one should strive through constant training.
The circle reminds us of the eagerness we possess when we make our first contact with a martial art, and which we should always keep alive.
The red colour stands for the patience and effort one persistently puts into training.
According to the spirit of Gongkwon Yusul, there is a beginning, but no end. The mindset of "practising a hundred and refining a thousand times" allows us to recognise that hard and soft need not be mutually exclusive. Therefore, we strive to develop and to grow as a person through training Gongkwon Yusul, and to let our daily lives benefit from that.
The logo of "European Gongkwon Yusul Headquarters" additionally incorporates three colours: Black, Red and Gold. The outer circle functions as the initial "G" in Gongkwon Yusul; at the same time, it hints at the Eum-Yang-symbol (Yin-Yang) whose bordering line represents forces flowing into each other. The diagonally opposed red lines emphasise the dynamic nature of this process of (re)combination.