Korean Swordsmanship

[Todd]

I am wodering how many practice and teach Korean style of Swordsmanship?

[Todd]

The style of swordsmanship that I teach and practice is called Chung Suk Guhapdo translates to Blue Stone Quick display Sword Way. GM Lim, Hyun Soo is its Headmaster. Guhapdo has its roots in MJER and clasical Korean Sword arts. GM Lim and the Jungki Kwan are affiliated with the Komei Juku branch of MJER with Komei Sekiguchi - Sensei as its 21st Headmaster.

We use wooden practice swords with plastic or wooden scabards in the beginning and when doing some training drills then when one is able to comfortably handle the wooden sword they can move on to a practice blade with a dull edge. After the drawing and resheathing is to a point where one can do safetly then a live sword can be used.

We do Hyung and poomse work along with 2 person training drills and my favorite is the target test cutting, where we use a live blade and cut goza matt. The cutting is definately a spiritual persute.

This is just a little bit about what Guhapdo is about. Any other thoughts or questions?

Todd
Korea Jungki Hapkido & Guhapdo Assc. :) :)

[kodanjaclay]

I think you did an excellent job of a general overview :) Thanks.

What got you into sword arts? You have to admit, that those who practice the sword are a dying breed.

[Todd]

I think that many are anamored by the sword and the mystique that goes along with the sword but relatively few are willing to practice BASIC motion the thousands of times it takes to be proficiant and confident in truely weilding the sword. We are holding a sword tournament at our dojang July 14th.

The 1st New England Tournament of Swordsmanship. Sensei Russell McCartney will be teaching a cutting seminar from 9:00 - 12:00. If anyone is interested in participating in this event you can e-mail hkdtodd@ttlc.net with your address and I will send you a tournament packet.

Tkae care
Todd

[kodanjaclay]

Thank you, but you have to be careful about SPAM on this board.... however, it does sound like a great deal of fun :)

[Todd]

The sword should never be taken lightly as it can be a very dangerous tool. Martial Artists of all people should know that no matter what skill you have in a particular art that does not mean you have skill in all. I would never attempt to swing the Nun-chuck(sorry about spelling)with out learning how to in a safe manner.

It is my hope with this tournament to generate interest in taditional swordsmanship and bring traditional sword practitioners together in a spirit of friendship. We have 8 different styles of Korean and Japanese swordsmanship so far attending.

Todd

[Todd]

The design is pretty much the same for the blade. The scabard is laqured differently. My swords all have mother of pearl inlaid Korean dragons on the scabards. There may be some other very minor differences but for the most part they are the same.

Take care
Todd M.

[Todd]

I thought you spoke Korean? Bamboo - Juk Do Wooden sword - Mokdo or Mok gum.

Take care
Todd ;)

[Michael Tomlinson]

Guys nice thread, I have "dabbled" for a while in Japanese Iaido and really loved it, but I am very much a novice,, cool reading,, keep it up..
Michael Tomlinson

[Carl Jenkins]

I've noticed that our instructor uses a curved blade that is more similar to the Japanese style. I had thought that the Korean sword was a straight blade. Does anyone know which is more correct?

--
Carl

[kodanjaclay]

Carl,

Welcome. I have seen Koreans use both, probably because the Japanese style is easier to obtain. I believe that you are correct in saying that normally the sword is more straight, but that is als going to depend on discipline as well. For example, in one of the arts that I am learning we call the sword a Kum, as do most, but to us it can either be straight, or big and rounded, what the Chinese would call a broadsword.

Whereabouts in VA are you from? Those are my old stompin grounds.

[Carl Jenkins]

Sir,

Thanks for the welcome.

One of our instructors teaches sword for our Hapkido class. We have at least one class a week and have only used the bamboo and wooden sword so far. He gave a demonstration with a live blade and that was when I noticed the distinct curve.

What part of Viriginia did you live in? I currently train in the Alexandria, Virginia area.

--
Carl

[kodanjaclay]

Carl,

I used to live in Richmond and Chester, a suburb of Richmond.

And, its our pleasure to have you here. :)

[H@pkid0ist]

I hope this gets answered sometime soon.
I have been studying for a long time but have never really got into weapons much. So, it has only been a year since I have started formal weapons training. What I would like to know is what the primary diferences are between Kendo and Kumdo as far as technique and execition. Also, is there a korean version of Iado?Thnx.

[Todd]

Kendo and Kumdo are essentially the same thing. Every Kwan has different things they are known for as far as technique. The Korean term for Iaido is Guhapdo. Yes there is a Korean version although it has different areas of focus than Iaido.

Take care
Todd Miller

[glad2bhere]

Dear Daniel:

Once you draw a clear distinction between the nature of Kendo and its Kumdo counterpart, the differences between the two activites becomes pretty self-evident.

About 80 to 90% of Kumdo practiioners are, in fact, Kendo players owing simply to the relationship between Kendo and Kumdo. The characters for "Kendo" are read as "Kumdo" and this creates something of a problem as not ALL Kumdo practitioners practice Kendo. However, as with many of the KMA there is a stong interplay between both Chinese and Japanese traditions. So lets take this a step at a time.

First off, there is no single Korean sword architecture. The MU YEI TOBO TONG JI identifies at least four kinds of sword including the Long Sword (perhaps as long as 5 to 6 feet), the "short sword" which is closer to the Japanese Katana, the Cresent sword which is akin to the Japanese naginata, and the pair swords which may not have been more than perhaps 24 inches. In general terms the Korean sword is straighter, heavier, and a bit longer than its Japanese counterpart. While differential treatment of the blade is almost an institution in modern time (so much so that modern sword makers will apply a cosmetic hamon with acid just for effect) the history of Korean metalurgy does not support the use of this until the method was reintroduced to Korea in the 15th century. Ergo you don't see a lot of light, katana-like blades down through Korean tradition. In fact the greater number of swords on display in Korean museums tend to approximate the Chinese single-handed jian and dao rather than the two-handed variety.

Each of the bup ("methods") or hyung ("forms") usually expresses the essence of the style of the weapon for which it is intended. However, most people cannot afford to keep a collection of swords and often fall back on owning a single Japanese katana and using it for all hyung simply because it is more readily available and cheap.

This brings us to application. The Japanese sword modified in its usage following the start of the Tokugawa shogunate simply because the advent of firearms superannuated the use of swords--- plain and simple. The same thing happend in Korea. However, in Japan the sword had become a badge for an entire class of people which was not the case in Korea. The pressures of the Neo-Confucian culture in Korea also contributed to repression of sword use while in Japan the sword was re-deployed as a weapon for personal defense. Interesting this change is seen in the difference in form practice. Traditional Korean forms such as BON KUK GUEM BUP and CHOSON are readily seen to use larger motions covering a wider area over a longer period of time. The Japnese kata are shorter, more linear and quite often from positins of disadvantage such as sitting or kneeling. In application a Korean would not carry a sword onto a battlefield in its sheath, though the protocol for engaement for Japanese for many generations prior to the Mongol Invasion was to call out an opponent for individual combat. There probably is a quick-draw counterpart to the Japanese batto-jutsu/Iaido but it probably never got the regard that the Japanese art has.

Well, thats about it.

Oh. BTW. I teach YON MU KWAN Hapkido and the sword is the fourth weapon of instruction. I mention this because though I hold my 3rd Dan in HwaRang Kumdo, the art I train in is, once again, heavily influenced by Japanese tradition and includes the use of hogu and juk-to as part of instructing the sword to Hapkido practitioners I teach it as a weapon rather than as a sport. Another small but telling difference from its Japanese counterpart.

Best Wishes,

Bruce

[kodanjaclay]

Good post. I agree.. the tradition of KumDo I studied was more along the Japanese lines, and very different from the ofther KumDo I have seen.

In any guise, I believe that sword training is very good for helping to develop better eye hand coordination and decisiveness.

[glad2bhere]

The way I present this concept at a seminar or to may Hapkido students is that the same biomechanics are used whether a peson has an item in their hands or not. A simile' that I am fond of is that MThand material is the tune, and weapons are the various harmonies. The first weapon we learn in Yon Mu Kwan is the Soh bong which is used to emphasize the biomechanic of thrusting and the quality of accuracy. The venue used to ingrain this are the 36 pressure points. Now, all the of students have been made familiar with the concept of thrusting since they were white belts but the use of an "amplifier" (aka "weapon") requires that individuals revisit the components that make up a good thrust as the more complex the weapon--- the greater the "amplification of intent"-- then likewise the more deviant an imperfection of execution becomes through the weapon. An unbalanced thrust with a soh bong is one thing, but imagine the magnification of that imbalance when one starts using a sword or staff?

There is also the matter that things grow exponentially as other weapons are studied and other biomechanics are added. For instance, after the soh bong comes the dan bong. Yes, you can still do thrusting with a dan bong but it also requires that one learn (or "relearn" or "reexamine" the striking biomechanic. The venue for this are the 46 strike points). If one has had poor balance, lets say, with their thrusting and that now spreads to their striking techniques we now have imperfection spreading and tainting execution along two axis rather than just one.

Occassionally I get called to task by folks for criticizing the sort of instruction found in many Hapkido classes and seminars, but you would be amazed at how common it is to find folks teaching empty hand lessons and then instructing in weapons as though it were a completely different science.

Best Wishes,

Bruce

[miguksaram]

Hello Todd,

I practice and teach Daehan Kumdo. One difference though is that we practice more cutting and forms than most of the other Daehan schools out there.

Jeremy

[miguksaram]

" think that many of the forum members would like to know what are the Korean names for the different parts of the sword?"

I'm not sure if this has been answered as I am coming late to the party. :)

Jukdo "Bamboo Sword"
- Charbi "Handle of the bamboo sword"
- Kodungi "Round Protector"
- Dongchul "String area"
- Chunghyuk "Midsection leather binding"
- Sunhyuk "Tip"
- Kulnalbu "Area of whole bamboo sword"
-Kyukchabu "Striking Area
Taedo "Long Sword"
Sodo "Short Sword"
Hogu "Protective Gears"
Hoan "Protective Gloves"
Kap "Protective for waist"
Kapsang "Protective for thights"
Myon "Protective Gear for forehead and face"
Myongpan "Name Tag"
Myonsu-gon "Towel for binding stand"
Takyocdae "Striking practice stand"

I hope this helps.

Jeremy

[miguksaram]

"But it is not a complete sword system."

Where is your sword training from? Why not do a complete system?

[Todd]

I practice Chung Suk Guhapdo
(Blue Stone Quick display Sword). Essentially it is a complete sword system, Hyung, Target cutting. GM Lim also teaches Kumdo for the practice of facing an opponent in battle. There is so much involved with Sword work but one of my favorite areas is the Hapki area of sword. Useing the scabard, string and handle of the sword for locking up an opponent.

Take care
Todd M.

[miguksaram]

Sorry Todd,

My question wasn't aimed at you...I apologize..I was asking Richard the question. How did you sword competition go that you held some time back?

Jeremy

[David Merrill]

Dear Readers;

Greetings! I have done some formal martial arts studies but never acquired any of the symbols of achievement. Miyamoto Musashi's "A Book of Five Rings" and years of banging a dodgeball around the raquetball court with bokkans cut to length of some of my metal swords - like that.

I got a badge last night with very little explanation.

I look forward to any comments and hope it is a good moment to bring up the subject.


Regards,

David Merrill.

[Kumsul Player]

Well I will finally begin teaching Korean sword class (in an Okinwain school). My Shorei-ryu instructor said I could teach a class, I just had to translate all techniques into Japanese. So much fun, so little time.

With respect,

Jeremy

[David Merrill]

please delete (repeated posting)

[David Merrill]

Dear swordsmen;


Maybe it is not clear above. If you know anything about that cloth badge, I would like to hear.

I am considering buying a sword but it seems all fancy. Pressing the button expands the blade into three. Does anybody recognize the technology? What system could this be utilized in? Is this "Hollywood" or a real weapon?


Regards,

David Merrill.

[David Merrill]

Dear Kodanjaclay;

What you say, quoted below, is certainly true in the broad swipe terms easily understood by laypeople. The benefits of martial arts to wellbeing are known globally. But resonant systems in advanced-resonance inductive plasma physics must also depend on physics and truth:

"Do not think dishonestly
The Way is in training
Become acquianted with every art
Learn the ways of every profession
Distinguish between gain and loss in worldly matters
Develop intuitive judgment and an understanding for all things
Perceive those things which cannot be seen
Pay attention even to trifles
Do nothing that is of no use"

Miyamoto Musashi - Japanese swordsman

So some of the healing frequencies, like in the Royal Rife and magnetic wave therapy machines here, and even combinations, or complex waveforms can be distributed specifically to organs and systems through meridians in the hand and ear. Especially through the solar plexus, regulating and normalizing the chemical processes of the digestive organs.

What an eloquent use of Strategy! To balance chi and heal directly.


Regards,

David Merrill.




Good post. I agree.. the tradition of KumDo I studied was more along the Japanese lines, and very different from the ofther KumDo I have seen.

In any guise, I believe that sword training is very good for helping to develop better eye hand coordination and decisiveness.


P.S. If you find this sort of approach or usage of martial arts interesting, I have fashioned an echo chamber for an organic webcrawler through the conduit tapeworm; http://ecclesia.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=378&whichpage=1

[jerrykrecek]

Good post. I agree.. the tradition of KumDo I studied was more along the Japanese lines, and very different from the ofther KumDo I have seen.

In any guise, I believe that sword training is very good for helping to develop better eye hand coordination and decisiveness.

Yup. But in front of all thes mentioned above, I would put SELF-CONTROL and CONFIDENCE.

beginner controls the sword by his BODY POWER
advanced person (master) uses his KI
and a real master (mythical) uses only his MIND....

Speaking of which. It just reminded me of Harry Potter (the first one) when he was trying to find a good magic wand and none of them worked for him, but the last one.
Same with swords: you do not look for a sword, the sword is gonna find you! I get very antsy if I have to touch someone else's sword and sad if someone touches mine.

[Dean F. Wilson]

I study Haidong Gumdo, which uses a curved blade called a Jin-Gum, which is slightly less curved than the Japanese equivalent. In class, however, we use a Mok-Gum, or wooden sword, and there is also the possibility of using a blunt steel sword called a Ga-gum. Forms and Formal Sparring are the main curriculum, and the art itself is meant for the battlefield, so it's more of a 1 versus 100 path, if you know what I mean.

Haidong,
Dean.