Kumdo
Encyclopedia
Kumdo is a modern martial art descended from kendo
Kendo
, meaning "Way of The Sword", is a modern Japanese martial art of sword-fighting based on traditional Japanese swordsmanship, or kenjutsu.Kendo is a physically and mentally challenging activity that combines strong martial arts values with sport-like physical elements.-Practitioners:Practitioners...

, which is practiced in Korea. It is also romanized as kǒmdo, gumdo, or geomdo. The name means "the way of the sword," and is a cognate
Cognate
In linguistics, cognates are words that have a common etymological origin. This learned term derives from the Latin cognatus . Cognates within the same language are called doublets. Strictly speaking, loanwords from another language are usually not meant by the term, e.g...

 with the Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...

 term. Kumdo is a martial art that has become engrained within Korean culture and society since being introduced from Japan. The term kumdo has within recent history also been used as a generic term for other Korean martial arts based upon swordsmanship and caution should be exercised so as not to confuse Kumdo with martial arts of Korean origin such as Haidong Gumdo
Haidong Gumdo
Haedong Kumdo, also spelled Haidong Gumdo, is a name coined around 1982 and used for several Korean martial arts organizations that use swords. Spelling varies between certain organizations...

 and Hankumdo
Hankumdo
Hankumdo is a Korean sword-art where the basic techniques are based on the letters of the Korean alphabet, Hangul.-Goal:The goal of hankumdo is to teach people how to defend themselves and at the same time offer them exercises to stay healthy. It also is meant to give practitioners the means to...

. Although identical to kendo, minor superficial differences exist due to appropriation and acculturation of kendo. Such differences include the use of native terminology, the use of blue referee flags in contrast to red flags. Furthermore, hakama
Hakama
are a type of traditional Japanese clothing. They were originally worn only by men, but today they are worn by both sexes. Hakama are tied at the waist and fall approximately to the ankles. Hakama are worn over a kimono ....

 without koshiita and hakama that use velcro rather than be tied have been developed within Korea, and can be seen in use along side traditional hakama.

History

Kendo, then still known as gekiken, was introduced to Korea from Japan in 1896 as a form of police and military training. After Japan outlawed many Korean martial arts, they introduced Japanese martial arts such as judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...

 and kendo
Kendo
, meaning "Way of The Sword", is a modern Japanese martial art of sword-fighting based on traditional Japanese swordsmanship, or kenjutsu.Kendo is a physically and mentally challenging activity that combines strong martial arts values with sport-like physical elements.-Practitioners:Practitioners...

 to schools. Its popularity in Korea spread quickly as part of Korea's first national physical education system. Up until end of the occupation in 1945, kumdo developed in parallel with kendo.

After the occupation ended, kumdo restructured itself, and the Korean Kumdo Association was formed in 1947. When the Korean National Sports Festival
Korean National Sports Festival
The Korean National Sports Festival is an annual sports competition held in South Korea.For a full week each October, about 20,000 athletes representing 16 cities and provinces throughout the country compete in about 40 separate sports. The site rotates among the major cities, including Seoul,...

 was reinstituted in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

 in 1956, Kumdo was included as an official event.

A brief time line of Kumdo.
  • 1896 Japanese introduce gekiken, the precursor to modern kendo
    Kendo
    , meaning "Way of The Sword", is a modern Japanese martial art of sword-fighting based on traditional Japanese swordsmanship, or kenjutsu.Kendo is a physically and mentally challenging activity that combines strong martial arts values with sport-like physical elements.-Practitioners:Practitioners...

     into the Korean police academies

  • 1904 Gekiken introduced as part of curriculum of the military academies

  • 1906 Gekiken introduced into Korean school curriculum

  • 1908 a tournament held between the Korean police and their Japanese counterparts. Gekiken was also included in the first official national physical education program for the general public.

  • 1910 Joseon is formally annexed by Japan and becomes part of growing Japanese empire. The term, kumdo, coined according to the Korea Kumdo Association. Japan begins efforts to replace and repress Korean culture

  • 1919 According to Japanese records, the term kendo
    Kendo
    , meaning "Way of The Sword", is a modern Japanese martial art of sword-fighting based on traditional Japanese swordsmanship, or kenjutsu.Kendo is a physically and mentally challenging activity that combines strong martial arts values with sport-like physical elements.-Practitioners:Practitioners...

     is coined in Japan on August 1, 1919.

  • 1927 Kumdo becomes an official curricular subject in junior high schools.

  • 1935 Kumdo included in the 16th National Joseon Sports Festival

  • 1938 National Joseon Sports Festival prohibited by Japanese

  • 1945 Kumdo began to flourish again after Korea regains independence from Japan

  • 1947 Korean kumdo began to restructure itself with the holding of the Seoul Police Kumdo Tournament

  • 1948 Approximately 100 highly ranked kumdo instructors gathered in Changdeokgung Palace and formed the predecessor to the Korean Kumdo Association

  • 1950 The 1st National Police Kumdo Tournament was held

  • 1952 A committee was created to oversee the formation of the KKA

  • 1953 The KKA was inaugurated and became affiliated with the Korean Amateur Sports Association

  • The 1st National Individual Kumdo Championships were held (Same year that the All Japan Kendo Federation was formed)

  • 1956 Kumdo was once more included as an official event of the National Sports Festival after a break of 20 years

  • 1959 Kumdo became increasingly popular with the President’s Cup Grade Category Tournament, and the National Student Championships

  • 1964 The Student Kumdo Federation became affiliated with the KKA

  • 1970 The Student Federation separated into the Collegiate Federation and the Secondary Schools Federation. The International Kendo Federation was formed and a Korean named as Vice President

  • 1972 Kumdo was included in the National Youth Sports Meet

  • 1979 The news agency Dong a Ilbo joined forces with the KKA in sponsoring the President’s Cup National Championships

  • 1988 The Korean Social Kumdo Federation was formed and followed by the 1st National Social

Championships
  • 1993 Inauguration of the SBS Royal National Championships

Today

Kumdo tournaments have abandoned some elements of Japanese culture, such as the squatting bow (sonkyo) performed by competing kumsa or kenshi at the beginning and end of a match.

Equipment

Protective equipment is used in Kumdo. This equipment is called bogu
Bogu
is training armour used primarily in the Japanese martial art of kendo, with variants used for jukendo, naginatajutsu, and sojutsu. The name consists of two parts: bō meaning "protect" or "defend," and gu meaning "equipment" or "tool." A set of bogu has four components:: combined face mask and...

 in Japanese but is referred to as hogu in the Korean language.

Clothing

While many practice with the same uniform as kendo, usually indigo-blue, kumdo practitioners have been willing to change elements of the uniform including the colour and other modifications. Many wear hakama
Hakama
are a type of traditional Japanese clothing. They were originally worn only by men, but today they are worn by both sexes. Hakama are tied at the waist and fall approximately to the ankles. Hakama are worn over a kimono ....

 without a koshiita and use velcro instead. In national tournaments, the Korean national team typically wears white keikogi
Keikogi
or dōgi is a uniform for training, used in martial arts derived from Japan, or budō. . The prototype for the modern keikogi emerged in the late 19th century. The keikogi was developed by judo founder Kano Jigoro...

 with black trim and stripes on their hakama, in contrast to the all indigo-blue worn by kendo practitioners.

Levels/Ranks

Kumdo practitioners start at the lowest level of the 10th geup
GEUP
GEUP is a commercial interactive geometry software program.It lets you dynamically explore mathematics or build mathematical models of real world.OS: Windows 7/Vista/XP/2003/2000/NT4/Me/98/95-Main features:...

 and progress upward, until the 1st geup
GEUP
GEUP is a commercial interactive geometry software program.It lets you dynamically explore mathematics or build mathematical models of real world.OS: Windows 7/Vista/XP/2003/2000/NT4/Me/98/95-Main features:...

. The requirements for each geup progression, depends usually upon the school and what organization they are affiliated with. After the geup
GEUP
GEUP is a commercial interactive geometry software program.It lets you dynamically explore mathematics or build mathematical models of real world.OS: Windows 7/Vista/XP/2003/2000/NT4/Me/98/95-Main features:...

 levels, students reach master or dan
Dan (rank)
The ranking system is a Japanese mark of level, which is used in modern fine arts and martial arts. Originally invented in a Go school in the Edo period, this system was applied to martial arts by Kanō Jigorō, the founder of judo and later introduced to other East Asia countries.In the modern...

 and start at the 1st dan level. The students may then go onto higher levels in an increasing increment for their dan levels. Examinations are usually required in order to proceed to higher levels, and are monitored and observed by members of a respective organization to the school.

Forms

Forms practiced by kumdo practitioners include the Bonguk Geombeop
Bonguk geom
The Korean word Bonguk geom refers to both a sword and a sword skill which are said to have originated from the sword skills of the Hwarang from the Silla Dynasty. This is why the sword is also called Silla sword or singeom...

 , Joseon Saebeop and the ten bon or kendo no kata , forms standardized by the FIK. The first two forms, the Bonguk Geombeop and Joeson Saebop are unique inthat they are practiced by Korean kendoists and are not practiced by Japanese counterparts. Proficiency with these forms is required for rank promotion tests conducted by the Korea Kumdo Association, the de-facto governing body for Korean kumdo, and its overseas affiliates. However, the bon originating from kendo are practiced in a modified manner, omitting the sonkyo bow and using Korean names and terminology in place of the original Japanese. Joseon Saebeop and Bonguk Geombeop serve as kumdo's practical historical link to Korean swordsmanship from previous eras, while bon and overall training and sparring style reflect Japanese influences on modern kumdo.

A few kumdo dojang or schools will also incorporate kuhapdo forms, the Korean variant for iaido
Iaido
is a modern Japanese martial art associated with the smooth, controlled movements of drawing the sword from its scabbard, striking or cutting an opponent, removing blood from the blade, and then replacing the sword in the scabbard...

 in their curriculum as opposed to the typical distinction where iaido is taught as a distinctly different though complementary art, alongside kendo.

Competition


Korea sends a team to the World Kendo Championships or WKC held every three years and have been strong competitors in the past WKCs. During the 13th World Kendo Championships held in Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...

, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

 from December 8–10, 2006, Korea defeated the United States to win the men's team championship for the first time, the first country other than Japan to win a title at the WKCs. The United States had earlier eliminated the Japanese team during the semi-finals.
In competition, the main differences between kendo and kumdo are stylistic. Kumdo practitioners generally favor a dynamic style of play, focusing on using fast, aggressive, and effective small motion strikes to create openings for attacks more in line with battlefield use. Kendo practitioners however, general focus on the perfect single strike, waiting patiently for an opening and the correct timing to land a decisive attack. In recent years, with frequent contact between kendo and kumdo stylists through cross-training and competition, this distinction has somewhat blurred, as individual practitioners of either kendo and kumdo have preferred styles of play.

The scoring flags are different as well; blue and white instead of the red and white found in kendo.

Organizations

Though there are many kumdo organizations, the Korea Kumdo Association (KKA), a member of the Korean Sports Federation and by far the most influential and most dominant kumdo organization, claims to be the only official body for kumdo in Korea and serves as the Korean affiliate for the International Kendo Federation
International Kendo Federation
The International Kendo Federation was founded in 1970. It is an international federation of national and regional kendo associations and the world governing body for kendo. The FIK is a non-governmental organisation, and its aim is to promote and popularise kendo, iaido and jōdō.Seventeen...

 or FIK. Korean representatives to the World Kendo Championships (WKC) are typically chosen by the KKA, as the event is overseen by the FIK. The KKA's status is similar to that of the All Japan Kendo Federation
All Japan Kendo Federation
The All Japan Kendo Federation or Zen Nihon Kendō Renmei is a non-governmental organization to promote and popularize kendō, iaidō and jōdō. The federation was founded in 1952....

, which is the dominant body for kendo in Japan and claims to be the only official body, despite the presence of numerous, but smaller kendo organizations.

There are also a number of kumdo dojang
Dojang
Dojang is a term used in Korean martial arts, such as taekwondo, Kuk Sool Won, and hapkido, that refers to a formal training hall. It is typically considered the formal gathering place for students of a martial art to conduct training, examinations and other related encounters.-Meaning:Do means...

 outside Korea, primarily where there are large numbers of Korean immigrants, such as the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Many of these dojangs choose to be affiliated with overseas branches of kumdo organizations like the KKA rather than the local FIK affiliate for that country. For example, many of the kumdo dojangs in the United States choose to affiliate with an overseas branch of the KKA instead of seeking association with the All United States Kendo Federation (AUSKF), the FIK affiliate for the US. However, because the KKA is a FIK affiliate, rankings awarded by them, are honored and accepted by the other affiliates including the AUSKF. While kumdo practitioners outside Korea will also compete in kendo tournaments, many choose to compete only at tournaments sponsored by a kumdo organization rather than a kendo organization. One example is the Bong-Rim-Gi kumdo tournament held annually in the summer among kumdo schools in the United States and sponsored by an overseas branch of the KKA in the US.

Notable Organizations

  • Korea Kumdo Association (KKA) - the de facto governing organization for kumdo in Korea due to its size and its influence through their heavy promotion of the art in the media. The art promoted by them, Daehan Kumdo (大韓劍道), is virtually identical to kendo
    Kendo
    , meaning "Way of The Sword", is a modern Japanese martial art of sword-fighting based on traditional Japanese swordsmanship, or kenjutsu.Kendo is a physically and mentally challenging activity that combines strong martial arts values with sport-like physical elements.-Practitioners:Practitioners...

     as practiced in Japan, with noted changes to reflect Korean cultural influences and methodology, and is the kumdo which Koreans normally refer to. The KKA has established overseas branches in other countries which have substantial Korean populations and have kumdo dojangs or schools. Unlike most of the FIK affiliates, including Japan, they wish to see kumdo/kendo become an Olympic sport as with Judo
    Judo
    is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...

     and Taekwondo
    Taekwondo
    Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...

    .

  • World Kumdo Association (WKA) - founded around 2001 as a merger of thirteen smaller, rival kumdo organizations, they are critical of the KKA and seek to become a rival to the FIK by having kumdo included in the Olympic games with them as the recognized governing body ahead of the FIK. They are proponents of changes to the format and scoring system, advocating the use of electric scoring as with fencing
    Fencing
    Fencing, which is also known as modern fencing to distinguish it from historical fencing, is a family of combat sports using bladed weapons.Fencing is one of four sports which have been featured at every one of the modern Olympic Games...

    . Although they have strong political ties with people who were involved in making Taekwondo
    Taekwondo
    Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...

     part of the Olympics, their membership is far smaller in number to that of the KKA and many FIK affiliates. Some WKA officials are noted as being practitioners of taekwondo rather than kumdo. It claims affiliates in other countries as well.

Terminology

Kumdo uses Korean language
Korean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...

 terminology exclusively, though much of it is cognate
Cognate
In linguistics, cognates are words that have a common etymological origin. This learned term derives from the Latin cognatus . Cognates within the same language are called doublets. Strictly speaking, loanwords from another language are usually not meant by the term, e.g...

 with the original kendo terms. For instance, the criteria used to determine whether a point is scored is known as gigeomche (기검체; 氣劍體), instead of ki-ken-tai-icchi (気剣体一致). This name derives from the same Chinese roots; "gi" (氣) for qi
Qi
In traditional Chinese culture, qì is an active principle forming part of any living thing. Qi is frequently translated as life energy, lifeforce, or energy flow. Qi is the central underlying principle in traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts...

or spirit, "geom" (劍) for the sword, and "che" (體) for the body. Below is a table comparing some other similar terms and their corresponding Chinese characters. Note slight differences in the appearance of some characters are due to Japanese use of shinjitai
Shinjitai
Shinjitai are the forms of kanji used in Japan since the promulgation of the Tōyō Kanji List in 1946. Some of the new forms found in shinjitai are also found in simplified Chinese, but shinjitai is generally not as extensive in the scope of its modification...

 characters.





















Terminology

 

kendo(剣道)

kumdo(劍道)

sword

shinai
Shinai
is a weapon used for practice and competition in kendo representing a Japanese sword. Shinai are also used in other martial arts, but may be styled differently from kendo shinai, and represented with different characters....

(竹刀)

jukdo(竹刀)

armor

bogu
Bogu
is training armour used primarily in the Japanese martial art of kendo, with variants used for jukendo, naginatajutsu, and sojutsu. The name consists of two parts: bō meaning "protect" or "defend," and gu meaning "equipment" or "tool." A set of bogu has four components:: combined face mask and...

(防具)

hogu(護具)

See also

  • Kendo
    Kendo
    , meaning "Way of The Sword", is a modern Japanese martial art of sword-fighting based on traditional Japanese swordsmanship, or kenjutsu.Kendo is a physically and mentally challenging activity that combines strong martial arts values with sport-like physical elements.-Practitioners:Practitioners...

  • List of Korea-related topics
  • Korean swordsmanship
    Korean swordsmanship
    In Korean martial arts, sword disciplines are known as Gum Sool or Gum Do . The extant schools originate after the end of Japanese occupation and are heavily amalgamated with the modern Japanese schools of Kenjutsu or Kendo.Gekiken, the predeceossor of modern Kendo, was introduced to Korea in...

  • Haidong Gumdo
    Haidong Gumdo
    Haedong Kumdo, also spelled Haidong Gumdo, is a name coined around 1982 and used for several Korean martial arts organizations that use swords. Spelling varies between certain organizations...

  • Hankumdo
    Hankumdo
    Hankumdo is a Korean sword-art where the basic techniques are based on the letters of the Korean alphabet, Hangul.-Goal:The goal of hankumdo is to teach people how to defend themselves and at the same time offer them exercises to stay healthy. It also is meant to give practitioners the means to...


External links

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