The Salsu Strike
Hapkido had... too many branches. Hapkido martial art was one of them, and because the roots were so different, it was impossible to say which one was the authentic Hapkido.
But... in his youth, he had seen his master demonstrate what was called the salsu of Hapkido martial art. It was just talk... it was a technique that existed even in Hapkido. It wasn't a fist or a knife hand... but using the very bottom of the palm, that is, the inner part where the wrist meets the palm, to suppress the opponent's neck and jaw in one strike.
It was a salsu. By pushing... applying the entire body's weight... pushing the opponent's upper neck... that is, right below the jaw... it was striking.
According to the old master's words... the reason Hapkido martial art originally defined this technique as salsu was... because it was an attack with the intention of separating a person's neck and face... so, if it went in properly... it was a terrifying technique that could cut a person's windpipe in one strike...
But... he had never actually performed it. The angle and the point for giving power were different from boxing punches. This wasn't hitting with a fist... but with the palm's edge, so there was little risk of injury, and no risk of the wrist bending. That's why it was a technique that required extending the arm forward like pushing with body strength, not arm strength, to sweep the neck.
In fact, whether this technique worked or was just like ancient Shaolin martial arts... a technique that only works in movies... even Yoo Kang-soo himself didn't know. That was because he had never hit anyone with this technique.
No... not this technique, but he had never attacked the point where this technique was supposed to attack... such was the situation.
However... now... if he failed... he could die from a knife to the neck... and the guy already knew he had a high school student son. It would have been better if he became a cripple in his legs... if his son Pil-jun became a cripple... it felt like he would really go crazy.
This guy... he thought he had to catch him today and reveal his behind... Yoo Kang-soo was at his wit's end.
The knife was in his eyes... and his body perception that could avoid it was sufficient. At the same time as avoiding the knife... he threw a decisive strike with the very bottom of the palm to the upper jaw of the guy's neck. It wasn't the front of the upper jaw... but the side. The area where the side jaw meets the neck... right where the carotid artery passes.
If this didn't go in... he could die from a knife to the neck... with that resolve... he felt like he poured all his weight over 90 kilograms into his arm... and the strike landed... and there was a crunching feeling felt throughout the entire palm. And... a clanging sound was heard. It was the sound of the knife he was holding in his hand falling to the floor.
* * *
"Manager Park... there's a big problem."
Park Young-ho, the executive director who was presiding over the morning managerial meeting at the insurance company, answered the phone from Jang Ki-tae with a small voice.
"I'll call you right away..."
Park Young-ho... he had an intuition that something was wrong. It was because last night was the starting point. But... because there was a drinking party last night, he hadn't really been paying attention. This time... because Jang Ki-tae the broker had boasted that it would be 100% successful.
After hurriedly ending the managerial meeting... Park Young-ho the executive director went to his office... and hurriedly called Jang Ki-tae the broker.
"What's going on? It didn't end well, did it?"
Jang Ki-tae the broker... was speaking with a voice that was out of breath... Park Young-ho the executive director... his face completely turned pale. He had unconsciously dropped the phone... the phone... fell onto the desk... Park Young-ho the executive director... regained his senses... picked up the phone again and brought it to his ear.
"First... let's meet... Don't come to the office... Let's meet outside... In a secret place."
* * *
"Detention warrant will be issued. Looking at the video... the situation is... very unfortunate... but anyway... a person died. It will probably be a detention warrant for injury manslaughter."
"No. It's not injury manslaughter. It's negligent homicide. I... have been a military police investigator for 21 years. The other party was holding a knife... and trying to kill me. It's all in the video. It's too unfair."
Yoo Kang-soo... was trying to maintain as much calmness as possible... while speaking.
"The prosecutor will judge. Go over to the prosecution... explain well... after all... the sentence will be there... detention... there will be no way to avoid it. If a person dies... first... detention will definitely happen."
The detective... was shaking his head while explaining to Yoo Kang-soo.
* * *
"Sorry... Professor... My husband... is detained in the detention center. I... I don't think I can continue with the cafe activities anymore. Sorry... don't call me..."
Ji Hye-in's words received with a sobbing voice... Hwang Jeong-geon the professor... couldn't help but be surprised. First... after cutting off the call like that... Hwang Jeong-geon the professor... decided to use someone to find out what exactly had happened. Because it was a sudden event... Hwang Jeong-geon the professor... was also in a very flustered situation.
* * *
"Kang-soo... since the incident has already happened... let's think about what comes next... they say there's a hole that will gush even if the sky falls. You didn't kill him on purpose, did you."
Oh Han-joong, who had come to visit Yoo Kang-soo after the detention warrant was issued... and he was sent to prison.
"Han-jung-ah... that guy... really knew how to use a knife... he tried to stab my neck. There was no choice. I used the salsu of Hapkido martial art that my master showed me when I was 20. I was crazy... why did my master's thoughts come to mind at that moment... I could have fought back with fists or feet... without killing... I must have gone crazy for a moment... that guy... he talked about my son. If I didn't become a cripple in my legs... he said he would make my son that way... so I had to catch that guy."
The lawyer sitting next to Oh Han-joong... shook his head.
"Such stories don't need to be told in the prosecutor's investigation. It won't help at all. The possibility of probation... honestly, there's none. All scenes of the two fighting... are captured in the video. Honestly... it went beyond the scope of justifiable defense. In America... it would be recognized as active justifiable defense... and no prosecution would even happen. But... Korean criminal law... does not recognize active justifiable defense. There is a possibility of around 4 or 5 years in prison. Because of Yoo Kang-soo's military career... or because he trained martial arts for a long time... and has a record of competing in martial arts tournaments... it seems that those things will be somewhat considered."
"Lawyer... the person who attacked me... the one holding the knife... I need to find out who paid the bribe. If that is revealed... the case could go in another direction. Please make that happen..."
"It's not easy because that person died. And... only the fighting scene between the two... was captured in the video... no conversation content was captured at all. If the conversation content was captured... I don't know... but whether normal mitigation will apply or not... these days, judges are strict about these things. Just looking at the fighting scene... although the other party was holding a knife, overall, Yoo Kang-soo had the upper hand. He was cut in a few places with the knife... but there were no severe wounds... there are few favorable circumstances."
".........
Yoo Kang-soo... closed his eyes tightly.
After Oh Han-joong and the lawyer left... Ji Hye-in, his wife, came into the visiting room. When Oh Han-joong was having the lawyer visit... Ji Hye-in had also come along with him. Ji Hye-in burst into tears the moment she saw her husband Yoo Kang-soo.
"Don't cry... it will be okay. I'm prepared... it seems I have to stay in prison for a few years. Pil-jun... don't be shaken... listen well... Pil-jun... whether it's in the detention center or later when I get a sentence and go to the prison... never let him come to visit... in life... this place... is a place that I never need to go to... never... don't bring Pil-jun... I'll write a letter to Pil-jun separately... so..."
"Honey... are you really... okay?"
"I'm okay... I eat well here... and live well. Hye-in... take good care of Pil-jun... if anything happens... call Han-jung right away... okay? while I'm in prison... if anything happens to Han-jung... he'll take care of everything. don't trust other people... trust only Han-jung... okay?"
"Honey... how could this happen..."
Ji Hye-in... in a very bewildered state of mind... was at a loss what to do.