A Brief History of Kumdo Modern Kumdo
A Brief History of Kumdo
A direct translation of 'Kumdo' is 'the way of the sword.' The art of the sword in Korea evolved from a martial art heritage reaching back more than three thousand years to the time of the Bronze Age. Archeological records indicate that the sword and its art were a part of daily life in Korean antiquity to defend territorial hold extending from Manchuria to Korean peninsula and early settlements in the Japanese main island.
About two thousand years ago at the time of the early Three Kingdoms period, the unique sword techniques called 'Bon Gook Gum Bup,' or 'Native Sword,' were developed by Shilla's Hwa Rang warriors. The Three Kingdoms period marks a contentious period in which Koguryo, Paekche, and Shilla were in contention with each other and the Han Chinese for control of East Asia. Warriors in this period and the following Unified Shilla, Palhae, and Koryo Dynastic periods were known to be sword-bearing and to conduct their daily lives with strictly disciplined and moral manners. For every warrior the moral code was strict, but the discipline was stricter for those cherished honor above everything.
Many good examples of the warrior culture can be found in the Palhae and Koryo Dynastic periods from the 7th to 15th century. In particular, the Palhae Dynasty was found and ruled by the former Koguryo warrior class after the fall of Koguryo in 668 A.D. With the art of the sword and the disciplined warrior's sprite, Palhae was successful to conquer and to extend their territory from the Sungari and Amur rivers in northern Manchuria all the way down to the northern provinces of modern Korea at the first half of the 9th century, at the height of its power.
At the beginning of the Choson Dynasty in the 15th century following the fall of the Koryo Dynasty, some 500 years after the fall of the Unified Shilla and Palhae, the political and ideological foundations changed dramatically. These changes brought the elimination of the warrior class and their power bases in private soldiers. Thus, gradually, the art of the sword was limited to the state military which was regraded as inferior to scholars. Until the end of Choson Dynasty, the art was practiced and taught mostly by individuals in the state military who refined and developed the art under the name of 'Ghihuck-Gum.' In 1896 during the era of modernization, the art of the sword, also known as 'Ghihuck-Gum,' was selected as a mandatory training requirement for the newly established police academy. From there on, Kumdo, the modern amalgamation of 'the art of the sword' and 'the way of righteousness' from the Taoist philosophy, was developed to be practiced by some as a sport and by others as a means of character development or spiritual refinement.
By the early 20th century, Kumdo training had adopted and utilized a practice weapon made of bamboo and lightweight armor that had been developed by the Japanese. This method of practice largely replaced the earlier, more dangerous, methods of training. Yet, the Kumdo popularity had been limited until early 1960 when the practice armor could be mass produced with the latest materials. When Kumdo equipments became easily available and affordable, the Kumdo population started to grow rapidly. Kumdo became no longer the martial art of the selected few.
Modern Kumdo
The present form of using a "juk do" (bamboo sword) and the "ho goo" (the protective gear) began around the 18th century. With the implementation of the "juk do" and the "ho goo", the art took a surprising change in its style. It allowed for more experimentation with minimum injuries, and the style became more effective by allowing stronger and deadlier blows without the extensive swing of the sword. The present form combines the inner strength, signified by a scream, "ki", the swing and striking of the sword "kum", and the use of one's lower back and body, the "chae". This is known as the "ki-kum-chae." In tournaments, one does not receive a point by only striking with the sword. The strike needs to be accompanied by all of the three components of the "ki-kum-chae."
In other martial arts, strength has an advantage in most cases. There is more advantage if one is fitter and stronger than the opponent (of course giving consideration to certain level of expertise and experience). During a fight, one can come back after a hit, to win a losing battle. This is not the case for for Kumdo. In Kumdo, there is no second chance. If you receive a blow, the battle is over. Under this circumstance, one's attitude and spiritual understanding of oneself is crucial. The statement of "never underestimate your opponent" cannot be more true for Kumdo than anything else. Without the proper attitude and reverence to the art form, one opening for the opponent is all it takes to lose. Although combination of strength and speed plays an important role, one cannot master the art of Kumdo without the pure and unadulterated state of mind and soul.
The spiritual maturity, inner strength, calmness of the soul, and pure heart combined with strength and speed is the "essence" of Kumdo.