What is Gumdo and Haedong Gumdo?
Gumdo is also known as Kumdo, Keomdo, or Geomdo. Those words are translation of the meaning of the word 'sword art' in Korean language. The meaning of Gumdo is the same as 'Kendo' in Japanese word. 'Haedong' was another name of Korea that had been called by other countries in ancient times.
Thus, 'Haedong Gumdo' means 'Korean sword art.'
Haedong Gumdo has more than 2,000 years of history. Nonetheless, it was not well-known as it handed down from person to person for centuries. However, some senior's efforts to teach it to the public have changed this situation.
Thanks to their contribution, Haedong Gumdo has now become a dominant sport in Korea like Taekwondo.
Today, it has more than 1,000 schools in Korea and over 300 schools overseas.
Gumdo is art of life
Koreans are typically peace-loving people.
Of course, they practiced sword fighting to protect their nation and their family. However, they used it only at wartimes. In peaceful times, they practiced it for self-discipline or self-control. For this reason, swordsmanship is beloved by many people as a course of exercising self-control.
The purpose of Gumdo exercising was to learn how to save a life, not to kill.
Moreover, the cultured people never fought each other. If they couldn't help fighting each other, one party cut a branch of tree using his sword and put it in an envelope, and sent it to his opponent.
When the opponent received the cut branch, he compared it with his own cutting. No real fighting happened between them because the cut branch told everything.
That was the way of their fighting...
What you learn?
Like other martial arts, Gumdo trains the body, the mind, and the spirit.
It also teaches self-defense, self-confidence, character development, patience, concentration, meditation, and etiquette. If you learn it, you must learn how to respect others, above all.
Along with those lessons, you learn two-handed style sword techniques (Ssangsoo Gumbup and Yedo Gumbup, Bonkook Gumbup, etc., 'gumbup' means the usage of sword techniques), one-handed style sword techniques (Sunbang and Sungong Gumbup), Cutting and many other things.
Besides, you also learn Gichunmoon - Korean martial art which is one of the most powerful but soft self-defense techniques that you have never seen before.
Who can learn?
As you can imagine from the expression "the sword art that can be practiced by 3 generations," there is no age limit in learning Haedong Gumdo.
Starting from age around 7, juniors, teens, adults and even seniors can exercise this sword art. It is not that difficult to see children, parents and grand parents exercise it together in Korea. Seeing people in the ages of 50s or 60s who start to learn this sword art is not particular either.
Haedong Gumdo is open to everyone!
