KUMDO - Korean Sword Fighting Art A text for learning the basic vocabulary and beginning training techniques of Kumdo By Gregory Brundage and Ahn Jeong Huan (안정완) 1 Kumdo - Korean Sword Fighting Art - An Introductory Text © 2018 by Gregory Brundage and Ahn Jeong Huan (안정완) All rights reserved 2 Contents KUMDO - Korean Sword Fighting Art ............................................................................................................ 1 Preface ...................................................................................................................................................... 6 INTRODUCTION – WHY STUDY KUMDO? .................................................................................................. 7 CHAPTER 1 - HISTORY OF KUMDO .......................................................................................................... 11 INTRODUCTION - MODERN SPORT WITH ANCIENT ROOTS ................................................................ 11 INARIYAMA TAMULUS SWORD ........................................................................................................... 11 HWARANG – Flower Youths of Korea ................................................................................................. 12 ANCIENT ROOTS .................................................................................................................................. 13 Bibliography ........................................................................................................................................ 13 CHAPTER 2 - Philosophy and Gi – Intrinsic energy .................................................................................. 14 PHILOSOPHY ........................................................................................................................................ 14 BUDDHISM .......................................................................................................................................... 14 Son Buddhism ..................................................................................................................................... 15 CONFUCIANISM and COURTESY ......................................................................................................... 16 TOGYO or TAOISM .............................................................................................................................. 16 GI – INTRINSIC ENERGY ....................................................................................................................... 17 Physiologic Basis of Gi ......................................................................................................................... 17 Gi and breath ............................................................................................................................................... 18 Gi and the martial arts ........................................................................................................................ 18 Good mind, spirit, will, centering: Jong Shin ...................................................................................... 19 References .......................................................................................................................................... 20 CHAPTER 3 – BEGINNING EXERCISES ...................................................................................................... 21 WARM-UP ........................................................................................................................................... 21 BEGINNINERS TECHNIQUE TRAINING ................................................................................................. 21 BASIC STANCE ..................................................................................................................................... 21 TIPS ON THE BASIC STANCE ................................................................................................................ 22 FOOTWORK ......................................................................................................................................... 22 TIPS ON FOOTWORK ........................................................................................................................... 22 HOLDING THE SWORD ........................................................................................................................ 23 TIPS ON HOLDING THE SWORD .......................................................................................................... 23 HOLDING THE SWORD IN READY POSITION FOR FIGHTING (“Jundan” – En-guard position) ............ 23 3 TIPS ON HOLDING THE SWORD IN READY POSITION (JUNDAN) ......................................................... 23 CHAPTER 4 - KUMDO BASIC TECHNIQUES .............................................................................................. 25 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................... 25 KUN DONG JAK (Large movement attack) .......................................................................................... 25 THREE SEGMENT (“sam dong jak”) LARGE MOVEMENT (“kun dong jak”) HEAD STRIKE (“mori chigi”) ............................................................................................................................................................ 26 DIAGONAL HEAD ATTACKS ................................................................................................................. 26 LARGE TWO MOVEMENT HEAD ATTACK (“i-dong-jak”) ..................................................................... 26 TIPS ON THE HEAD STRIKES ................................................................................................................ 27 THREE SEGMENT (“sam dong jak”) LARGE MOVEMENT (“kun dong jak”) WRIST STRIKE (“son-mok chigi”) .................................................................................................................................................. 27 TIPS ON THE WRIST STRIKE ................................................................................................................. 27 THREE SEGMENT (Sam Dong Jak) LARGE MOVEMENT (Kun Dong Jak) WAIST STRIKE (Huri-Chigi) ... 27 TIPS ON THE WAIST STRIKE ................................................................................................................. 28 CONCLUSIONS ON THREE AND TWO LARGE MOVEMENT ATTACKS .................................................. 28 ONE MOVEMENT ATTACK (“il-dong-jak”) ........................................................................................... 28 SMALL MOVEMENT ATTACKS (“Cha don jak”) .................................................................................... 28 SMALL MOVEMENT HEAD STRIKE ....................................................................................................... 29 SMALL MOVEMENT WRIST ATTACK .................................................................................................... 29 SMALL MOVEMENT WAIST ATTACK ................................................................................................... 29 STRIKING TARGET (Ta Kyok Te) ........................................................................................................... 29 CHAPTER 5 - COMBINATION ATTACKS .................................................................................................... 31 FORWARD-FORWARD ATTACKS .......................................................................................................... 31 FORWARD-BACK ATTACKS .................................................................................................................. 31 FEINTS ................................................................................................................................................. 32 CHAPTER 6 - BLOCKS, EVASIONS AND COUNTERSTRIKES ....................................................................... 34 BLOCKS ................................................................................................................................................ 34 EVASIONS ............................................................................................................................................ 34 Body Evasions...................................................................................................................................... 35 Sword Evasions ................................................................................................................................... 35 COUNTERATTACKS .............................................................................................................................. 35 References .......................................................................................................................................... 36 4 CHAPTER 7 – COMPETITION ................................................................................................................... 37 Armor - HO GU .................................................................................................................................... 37 ENTERING THE FIGHTING DOMAIN..................................................................................................... 38 FIGHTING ............................................................................................................................................. 38 MATCH END .......................................................................................................................................