Swordsmanship, Korean/ Hankuk Haedong Kumdo (Martial Arts)

Hankuk is the old name for the country of Korea. Haedong refers to the East Sea (Sea of Japan). Kumdo refers to the Way of the Sword. Hankuk Haedong Kumdo, therefore, explicitly denotes sword forms that are of Korean origin. Fantastic claims abound concerning the origins of many Korean arts, but more especially Haedong Kumdo. One reason for the confusion surrounding the origins of Haedong Kumdo is that the art remains obscure, even in Korea.

Korean History

On August 29, 1910, Emperor Sunjong abdicated the throne of Korea and officially relinquished control of the country to the Japanese. Japan immediately set about the systematic destruction of the Korean culture, including making it illegal to teach Korean history. A revisionist history, written by the Japanese, replaced the traditional subject matter in the public schools. Korean martial arts were banned, and eventually supplanted by Japanese forms. Ssimm, a form of wrestling that the Koreans probably learned from the Mongols, was replaced by sumo. T’aek’kyton, a form of unarmed self-defense that included extensive use of kicking techniques, was replaced by judo. And Korean (Hankuk) kumdo was replaced by Japanese kendo. The Japanese ban on Korean martial arts was, however, simply another obstacle in a long line of obstacles that hindered the transmission of Korean muye (martial arts).

In the latter part of the Chosun dynasty (1392-1910), military skills such as kungdo (archery) and kumdo fell into decline among the yangban (hereditary aristocracy), who embraced the philosophical notions of neo-Confucianism. And although radical Confucianism advocated the use of force as a practical means to achieve a political end, government by intellectual force was advocated over government by physical force. Ironically, the preservation of Korea’s martial heritage may have been the result of a scholarly movement known as Sirhak (Practical Learning), undertaken during the latter part of the eighteenth century by literati who sought to enact social reform. The Sirhak scholars sought the model for a perfect society in ancient Chinese texts, while, at the same time, examining events in Korean history that had led to their social and political dilemma. The emperors Yungjo (1727-1776) and Chungjo (1776-1800) encouraged these studies and even established the Kyujanggak research institute on the palace grounds, for the purpose of preparing and disseminating texts for government administration. The Ming Chinese military classic, Jixiao Xinshu (New topic of Effective Discipline), may have been among the documents that were researched and used to create the Sok Pyungjang Tosul (Revised Illustrated Manual of Military Training and Tactics). The Sok Pyungjang Tosul was probably the basis for the Mu Yei Do Bo Tong Ji (Manual of Martial Arts Training), the document that contains the sword forms used in Haedong Kumdo.


The Mu Yei Do Bo Tong Ji

The Jixiao Xinshu was a text on wuyi (Chinese martial arts) written by the Ming general Qi Jiguang in 1561, and history suggests that the Koreans acquired the document by dubious means during the latter stages of the Imjin War (1592-1598), which was fought with the assistance of the Ming against the Japanese forces of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. It is doubtful that the Ming would have freely given up such an important military document to the Koreans, especially when a mere thirty-six years later, in 1636, the Qing (Manchu) Chinese forced the capitulation of King Injo and demanded Korean troops to assist in the subjugation of the Ming. The Sok Pyungjang Tosul was probably based on a copy of the Jixiao Xinshu, while the Mu Yei Do Bo Tong Ji, composed in 1790 and containing sections on armed and unarmed combat, as well as cavalry and infantry tactics, is a copy of the Sok Pyungjang Tosul. The sword forms used in modern Haedong Kumdo were gleaned from those contained within the Mu Yei Do Bo Tong Ji.

Hankuk Haedong Kumdo students Glen Koen and Ron Mottern from the Round Rock (Texas) Kwan practice techniques from Sangsu Kumbup and Yedo Kumbup.

Hankuk Haedong Kumdo students Glen Koen and Ron Mottern from the Round Rock (Texas) Kwan practice techniques from Sangsu Kumbup and Yedo Kumbup.

Methods of Using the Sword in Haedong Kumdo

Haedong Kumdo uses various kumbup (methods of using the sword), which are composed of different pumsae (solo forms). The kumbup historically used different types of swords and taught different skill sets.

Ssangsu Kumbup is a method of using the sword with two hands and primarily focuses on techniques against a single opponent. This is the beginning method of practice. Shimssang Kumbup is a more advanced form and teaches the practitioner how to draw an opponent into his strategy and defeat him. Yedo Kumbup traditionally used the Chinese straight sword (jin) and lighter, shorter swords (hwando and dando), and contained many techniques for close fighting against multiple opponents. Bonkuk Kumbup refers to forms that were indigenous to Korea and contains techniques that were representative of the Korean method of swordsmanship. Chedok Kumbup used a very long, heavy sword with a straight blade. Wuisu Kum-bup is the method of using the sword with the single hand, and is prerequisite for learning Ssang Kumbup, the double sword method. Ssang Kum-bup uses two short swords, a long and a short sword, and two long swords. Wae Kumbup is the method of using the Japanese sword. Most modern practitioners use swords similar to waegum (Japanese swords), which are more readily obtainable. There are, however, certain groups within Korea that still create and train with the traditional swords. Jangbaek Kumbup is a highly advanced form that contains many indigenous techniques.

Formation of the Hankuk Haedong Kumdo Yunmaeng

Modern Haedong Kumdo is represented by the Daehan Haedong Kumdo Yunmaeng (Republic of Korea Haedong Kumdo Federation) and the Han-kuk Haedong Kumdo Yunmaeng (Korean Haedong Kumdo Federation). The Daehan group is led by Kwanchang Nim (Grand Master) Kim Jung Ho, and was the parent organization of the Hankuk group. In 1962, Kim Jung Ho began his training in Haedong Kumdo from Jang Baek San. In 1982, he opened the first Haedong Kumdo dojang (training hall) in Anyang, Kyunggi province. In 1990, Kwanchang Nim Nha Han Il and Kwanchang Nim Kim Yun Chae left the Daehan organization and formed the Hankuk Haedong Kumdo Yunmaeng. The split was cordial, and students of the two organizations continue to exchange techniques, ideas, and opinions in the pursuit of Shimgum (the Way of the Sword).

Shimgum

Contrary to popular opinion, martial arts are not static paradigms. Those martial arts that exist today are dynamic systems of human interchange, an eclectic synthesis of adaptive forms that have been handed down through generations of teachers and students, all of whom have influenced the styles through their perceptions, understanding, and communicative abilities. Martial arts are reflections of the cultures that create them, and as the cultures change, so do their martial arts. They are modified to meet the needs of the cultures as they grow and interact with other cultures. Martial combative forms are adaptive to pressures that exert themselves on and threaten a culture from without and from within.

Warfare between the Ming and Qing dynasties of China; the invasion of the Mongol hordes; Japanese encroachments on the Korean peninsula; political strife between the Three Kingdoms of Koryo, Paekje, and Silla; and constant battles with Chinese and Japanese pirates helped to shape muye do, generally, and Haedong Kumdo, specifically. However, while all of these forces exerted some form of influence on what is now called Hae-dong Kumdo, to say that Haedong Kumdo is Chinese or Japanese is incorrect. The Koreans have a propensity for assimilating things from alien cultures and making them uniquely Korean. This is true of kumdo. The Koreans combined their own indigenous sword forms (Bonkukgum) and philosophies with those of external origin to create Shimgum.

Shimgum is the soul of Korea, a way and manner of wielding the sword that reflect the hearts and minds of the Korean people. It is the distilled essence of the collective martial experiences of the Koreans throughout their long history. But Shimgum is more than a philosophy and a training method. It is the external expression of the Korean soul and character. What is contained within the heart and mind is reflected without through Shimgum.

Paldo/Chakgum

An example of Shimgum is the practice of paldo/chakgum. Paldo/chakgum is the practice of drawing the sword, cutting, and returning the sword to its scabbard (kumchip). In Haedong Kumdo, paldo are used to open the pum-sae and chakgum are used to close the sets. Paldo/chakgum are also taught as individual pumsae, outside of the kumbup. Most of the paldo/chakgum used in Haedong Kumdo are derived from Japanese iaido kata (forms). It must be remembered, however, that while the origins of these forms are alien to Korea, they are studied as a part of Shimgum. Iaido is an art form and kendo is a sport. While these arts are the legacy of martial forms, they have long been divorced from their practical martial heritage. The All Japan Kendo Federation did not formalize the seitei gata (representative forms) for iaido until 1968. Additional forms were added to its curriculum in 1980 as a result of dissatisfaction among kendo practitioners who felt the required forms were inadequate to learn true swordsmanship. Haedong Kumdo has made a concentrated effort over the years to avoid becoming solely an aesthetic art form or a popular sport. Shimgum is a martial art.

Although its movements are aesthetic, they are naturally so, deriving their grace and fluidity from the flow of martial ki (energy) throughout the body and the sword. The techniques used within Shimgum retain their martial purpose and effectiveness.

With the adoption of the chukdo (bamboo practice sword) for use in kendo, martial techniques were usurped by sporting pressures. Techniques began to evolve around the point-scoring possibilities presented by the lighter bamboo sword, techniques that could not be performed with the real steel sword. Haedong Kumdo uses the chukdo as a training device in yaksuk kyukgum (sparring) for the purpose of safety. The techniques are not, however, altered from their proper form when employing the chukdo. As the practitioner advances, the same kyukgum are performed with the mokgum (wooden sword) and, eventually, with the chingum (real sword). The essence of Shimgum is contained within chingum kyukgum (sparring with the real sword). Emphasis is therefore placed on combat effectiveness and on the correct handling and control of the sword. As used in Haedong Kumdo, paldo/chakgum fosters Shimgum by retaining martial techniques and mindset while facilitating an understanding of the true nature of the sword and of man.

The Future of Hankuk Haedong Kumdo

Under the leadership of Kim Yun Chae, of the Hankuk Yunmaeng, and Kim Jung Ho, of the Daehan Yunmaeng, Haedong Kumdo continues its expansion across the globe. There are currently several hundred dojang teaching Haedong Kumdo throughout the world. The American Federation of Hankuk Haedong Kumdo was established in February 1997 in Round Rock, Texas. In March 1998, the American Federation of the Daehan Hae-dong Kumdo was established in New York. Kim Yun Chae and the Han-kuk Haedong Kumdo Demonstration Team have made several visits to the United States over the past few years in preparation for expanding operations into the United States. There are plans to begin development of a Haedong Kumdo instructors’ training center in the United States in 2001.

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