Gum Do
The root of Korean Gum Do
The meaning of Gum is a double bladed sword, and Do mean’s a single bladed sword.
Often people didn’t separate one from the other which means now its just called “Kum” or “Gum” simply meaning sword in general.
In fact, Gum Do means “the art of the sword” or it can also be called “the way of the sword “
Korean Gumdo brief historical overview
- Kokuryo dynasty (BC 37 – AD 668): Kudoonkahb Gumburp (sool)
- Baekjae dynasty (BC18 – AD 660): Kumoonjin Gumburp (sool)
- Silla dynasty (BC57 – AD 935): Chilsung Gumburp, Bonkook Gumburp
Unfortunately, as centuries passed, the authentic art of the sword curriculum was not well preserved in its land until the 17th century, “Yi dynasty’s King Jung Jo.”
Long after eight centuries past, it appeared in a formal military training textbook, called “Muyedo botongji”(AD 1790) by Yi, Dukmoo, it was written as twenty-four categories of military martial arts training drills. Including the Japanese back-influence version of swordsmanship form from the seven year war (AD 1592—1598) between the “Yi dynasty” of Korea and the “Samurai regime” of Japan.
Indeed, the true treasure of the ancient swordsmanship isn’t alive as its original version anymore, only the leftovers of its guide-lines and some enthusiastic martial artist’s assumptions and theories based on its modernized forms.
Finally, I, as a martial artist had to have my own path to find it and refine it to try and keep our connection between modern and ancient times, I should say it could be recalled as a cognate of Korean Gum Do’s background.
After I studied through all of the decades, such as “Korea haedong GumDo,” “Korea Kum Do,” “Korea Kumye Do,” and Japanese “Ken Do,” I had given birth to a refined modern version of Gum Do, called “Muyekhan Gum Do.”
I may be criticized by other practitioners as “not authentic,” but if any one would dare to point a finger at me then I would humbly inquire to the person about their theory and historical background to prove themselves as an authentic connection and prove my version is wrong.
I can only do my best to develop it to benefit modern day practitioners, not for combat warriors in ancient times.
Muyekhan Gum Do
Theories
1. UmYang (yinyang) ; The harmony of existence
It has existed with a positive energy and a negative energy through every living being on the planet. It has been called “a circle of life.”
It is very mythical, miraculous, and even very elusive to understand its whole truth.
Human elements must exist through the law of creation, our ancestors were born from the soil and they went back to the where they came from, we all go back to the soil just like what has happened in the past to our ancestors. Like we are an exudation of God to live and once we have past away we will be used for other living being’s energy of rebirth for God’s exudation to continue its journey.
Your belief in God or religious differences in no way relates to or conflicts with the circle of life, whether you believe or not we are all in the circle of life between heaven and earth.
It doesn’t have anything to do with the inability to control or empower enough energy to live longer or live forever.
Meaning, we can only know taste of sugar because it’s sweet? NO, because we also know the taste of bitterness among other things. Like man can’t exist in the world without the women.
We would not know where the sky is, if we hadn’t been offered the chance to step on the soil.
We would never know how bright daylight can be if we don’t get the chance to see the dark of night.
And leaning on one side can cause a harmful disproportion of our energy, we cannot only eat sweets all of the time, not because they are bad, because too much intake can be hazardous to our lives.
The circle of life has never-ending laws of two great harmonious elements, the one is “positive” but not too much of all, the other is “negative” but also not too little or too much of all.
2. Harmonious circle
When it comes, let it come
When it pulls, let it go
When it’s in the circle, it’s in your hand.
When you are in the circle you are in the power of harmony.
When a circle can be visible, you have more control of energy.
When a circle can be invisible, you have less control of energy.
The Spirit
1. Be humble
2. Be obedient to nature
3. Be a spiritual being
Sincerely,
Sabom nim(Grandmaster) In w. Kim
