Friday, June 7, 2019

Haidong Gumdo - Korean Martial Arts - An Introduction and Comparison

It is time for the record of Haidong Gumdo. For those unfamiliar with this, Haidong Gumdo is a Korean martial art focused on using swords. Most Americans are familiar with visual beauty and will remind one of the Japanese warriors because of the shape of the sword and the clothes they wear. Haidong Gumdo is about grace. This is about accuracy and power. It is about mastering your body and mind in the development of physical skills. However, it is not about cultural imitation or deduction.

sword
The sword used in the practice of Haidong Gumdo has multiple names, including Hwando with Jingum, this is equivalent to Japanese words Advance research, or "true sword." For those who are more familiar with Japanese swordsmanship, despite some surface similarities, they still realize that this novelty is not a samurai sword. This is mainly related to the difference in cutting technology. Although the history of the Korean sword has a variety of shapes and sizes, the modern jingum is easily separated from the Japanese samurai by the shape of the tip and the blade mounted to the handle. The quality jingum usually has a wider tip and has pins and bolts mounted in the handle.

uniform
The Haidong Gumdo uniform used by the World Haidong Guldo Federation is something that is confusing for those who are more familiar with Japanese swordsmanship. This is because the pants are worn out and open outwards, similar to the Japanese. . However, like the sword, the Japanese and Korean styles also differ. Japanese trousers are worn outside the gi [or jacket], while in Haidong Gumdo, the jacket is worn on the trousers. Because the tops of the trousers are invisible, they have an elastic waist instead of the delicate ties of the trousers.

In addition, Haidong Gumdo uses short sleeves Dobak, or uniform. This allows you to move more freely without having to worry about grabbing the sword in the sleeve. Finally, Haidong Gumdo uses a colorful waistband to indicate the level, similar to more familiar art such as Korean Taekwondo or Japanese Judo.

Relationship with "other" swordsmanship
Unfortunately, the aesthetic similarity between Korean and Japanese swordsmanship, coupled with the tension between the two nations, has caused a lot of misunderstandings and conflicts in the martial arts community.

For Japanese sword martial arts, this is not bad news! For example, I feel that there is no need to question the history or legitimacy of Iaido, which is the modern Japanese swordsmanship practiced by the National Kendo Federation of Japan. It's beautiful and elegant, I can add something new. The same is true of Haidong Gumdo.

However, the martial arts community is still plagued by long-standing tensions between these people. As American practitioners of these arts, we should respect each other's chosen subjects. It is not even beginning to mention the negativity that arises from the meaningless debate about historical origin, unity style or validity. This kind of jealousy will only weaken our ability to pursue mastery.

So let's move the discussion in a more positive direction. Do you practice martial arts? What do we even mean when we use the term?

The meaning of "road"
I think that sports such as MMA ["Mixed Martial Arts"] do not conform to the traditional definition of martial arts. This word kendo Translated into "the way of the sword." The "method" used here is the same as that used in Taoism. In fact, "dao" and "do" are the same characters, pronounced differently in different languages. Quote Wikipedia:

"Martial arts is a tradition of codification systems and combat traditions. There are many reasons for this: self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, and spiritual, physical and spiritual development."

The second phrase is very important. An important part of martial arts practice is psychological, physical and spiritual development. So this will include various styles of Chinese Kung Fu, Japanese Karate and Korean Taekwondo. It includes various ryu of Japanese samurai swordsmanship, yes, it includes Haidong Gumdo, a native Korean sword. Of course, nothing develops in a vacuum, and South Korea will inevitably show its influence on its geographical location and its interaction with other cultures. But this does not reduce art or its practitioners.

in conclusion
Haidong Gumdo focuses on many aspects of swordsmanship, from drawing and sheathing, to formwork and posture training, to cutting with live blades. There are no skills to make these cuts, whether on bamboo or other targets - without stage magic, it only takes years of training and practice. Personal improvement and continuous efforts to improve technology are the reasons for their role.

All martial artists in the discipline should be interested in seeing positive thought sharing. Tell me some of your own martial arts exercises, let's compare them. Anyone in the area is also welcome to visit my studio Blue Mountain Martial Arts to see my sword work. See http://www.BlueMountainMA.com for more information.




Orignal From: Haidong Gumdo - Korean Martial Arts - An Introduction and Comparison

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