Sun (禪), also spelled seon or son, refers to meditation. It is the Korean pronunciation of the Chinese word “chan;” it is perhaps best known as “zen”, its Japanese pronunciation. These words are derived from the sanscrit “dhyana”, which literally means ‘meditation’, or ‘meditative state’. The essence of this state is profound stillness.

Mu (武) means martial art (pronounced “wu” in Mandarin Chinese, as in “Wushu”). Do (道) means discipline, or the way of doing something; the method.

Sunmudo, then, literally means “the way of doing meditative martial arts”. It is both meditation and martial art. It is a unique in that it contains a variety of different elements that complement each other. It envelopes the dynamic and powerful movements of a martial art into the peaceful practices of meditation, yoga, and chi qong exercises.