This article examines the compilation of late Joseon martial arts manuals, including Muyejebo and Muyedobotongji, as a dynamic process of knowledge translation and collaboration. Driven by the state's ambition to standardize military practices, the compilation was achieved through the close collaboration of “middling experts”such as Han Kyo, Lee Deok-mu, and Pak Je-ga with field officers and soldiers. Rather than merely replicating Ming Chinese texts like Jixiao Xinshu, these actors actively translated tacit bodily movements into systematic textual and visual formats tailored to the Joseon context. They categorized techniques by their practical applications and innovated visual representations to establish an authoritative standard of "correct martial arts." Consequently, the textualization of martial arts was a profound project to secure the state's epistemic authority over bodily knowledge. However, these standardized manuals did not entirely dictate field practices. Instead, late Joseon martial arts remained living bodily knowledge, constantly adapting to practical needs while interacting with the official texts. Ultimately, this study reveals that the unique landscape of Joseon martial arts was shaped by the continuous tension between text and body, state standardization, and local field variations.