King Taejong, founder of the Joseon dynasty in the late 14th century, was wandering the grounds on his court when a tiger approached. One of the palace guards, a trained archer, sighted the tiger and fired a shot that felled the potential attacker, thereby saving the king.

For his bravery, the guard was sentenced to death. His breach was aiming at the king, a sin punishable by death. Since that time, Korean tradition held that all archery targets were directed away from the king’s palace.

The apocryphal story is the equivalent of a William Tell fable among Korean archers, according to Kwon Mu-seok, who should know. Kwon, 61, is one of the few remaining craftsmen who can create the famed Korean composite bow known as gakgung. He estimates that he has crafted 500 such bows in his lifetime.

Kwon’s craftsmanship earned him the designation of “master” and the Seoul city government honored him as “intangible cultural property No. 23 in gakgung.” Hailing from Yechon, 130 miles south of Seoul, Kwon recently visited the Korean embassy in Washington, D.C., to demonstrate the proper technique and discuss the craft.

His knowledge and skill have brought Kwon a measure of fame in Korea where he appears on radio and television shows to discuss the sport. As such, he developed a showman’s flair and gestures dramatically whether he is bending a bow backward like a rubber band for an audience or demonstrating the proper shooting technique in front of a camera.

“He was very enthusiastic when communicating with government officials about the importance of preserving the bow’s tradition,” said Hyeon-Pyo Lee, director of Korus House, the embassy’s cultural center. “I was fascinated with his enthusiasm and his endeavor.”

Kwon relishes in retelling stories that are a mixture of history, folklore and national pride. He tells one about Admiral Yi, the noted leader of military campaigns against the Japanese in the 16th century, and a skilled archer who practiced in between battles. Soldiers who did not practice faced severe punishment, according to Kwon.

“In Korea, the elites were trained in equestrian sports and archery,” he says. “The weapon repelled 800 invasions. In peacetime, Koreans practiced archery to build discipline and strengthen their [physical] constitution.”

Traditional Korean bowmaking traces its origins back to the Goguryo Dynasty. The bow is made from bamboo, mulberry tree, ash and the horn and tendons from a water buffalo. The same materials have been used for 300 years.

Kwon first learned to make bows from his older brother who learned from their father. The craft has been handed down in his family for several generations. Proper bow craftsmanship can take decades to learn properly. With the passing of one more generation, there likely won’t be any more like Master Kwon. By his estimate, there were some 80 artisans who could make the Korean composite bow in the 1980s. Today, he says, there are around eight, only two of whom have students learning the craft. Kwon’s lone pupil in bowmaking is his son.