Sword Fighting (Gumtoogi): Black Sashes - Hwa Rang Do Championships 2009

[Alatharenn]

Being a swordfighter myself, I don't like these techniques. Especially the one when you duck and cut enemy's belly while you totally expose your head. My principle has always been: you attack while you're safe from attacks. First block enemy's sword and manage it to the position where it cannot endanger you. Then you can strike!

[WCHwaRangDo]

@Alatharenn Yes, we agree with you. However, in our case we have incorporated the leg strike with new attachment to the tare, kapsang. Two distinguish a clean belly cut with the leg cut, one has to be on one knee for the leg strike. It's always a concern to protect the head whether you are standing or on one knee to deliver the do (heuri), or leg cuts. Some of them in this video might have not delivered the techniques properly. Please review this Grandmaster Taejoon Lee's gumtoogi highlights.

[Alatharenn]

@WCHwaRangDo Thank you for your explanation. I like the Grandmaster's Taejoon Lee's highlights. It's just my personal opinion, but I regard the case when both of fighters hit each other a failure. It happens to us a lot too, of course. But we try to prevent it and achieve a clean hit while protecting yourself. But every school of swordfighting has it's valuable rules, philosophy and secrets which outsider wouldn't understand so I respect your teaching. Take my comment only as a humble idea.

[GreatSnake777]

@Alatharenn I dont belive you understand Gumtoogi. While Hwa Rang Do DOES have cutting techniques, Gumtoogi is more of a sporting game. The movements are used to clarify strikes for points in a match. This isn't about trying to kill your opponent. Hwa Rang Do is one of the most comprehensive martial arts in the world, it covers many different aspects and techniques of various types of weaponry. In fact, there are over 4000 different techniques!

[rcsmith67]

Isn't this just kendo?

[Esfeurell]

@rcsmith67 In Korean it's referred to as "Kumdo", and is similar to Kendo with it's bamboo swords and armor. However, Hwa Rang Do is a special style of Korean fighting that uses the jukdo (or "shinai" in Japanese) in ways that reflect the Hwa Rang Do training principals of "soft, circular motion" and "hard, linear motion" to personalize the Kumdo and integrate it more into the Hwa Rang Do training.

I hope that somewhat answers your question :D

[rcsmith67]

@Esfeurell Oh, so it's "Korean" kendo... ;o)

[WCHwaRangDo]

@rcsmith67: Kendo is a Japanese word that means, "The Way of the Sword." "ken" - sword, "do" - way. In Korean it's "Kum" or "Gum" and the same pronunciation for Do. You must remember that these are not English words, but only using the alphabet to sound out phonetically. So to that question yes, it is Korean way of the sword. However, Kendo is an established sport so we are not calling it that because it has it's own unique set of rules, different than Kendo or Kumdo. So, this is Gumtoogi.

[cree69]

wow, that is wow O.o so beautiful

[holmganghamburg]

killed 15 times within only 1 minute. better buy a bow guys :)

[gungnir2357]

Cold harsh beaches are the best place to train. The cold and harsh elements toughen your body. The bleakness toughens your mind. The loneliness and sound of the surf toughens your soul. Wish I could train in Hwa Rang Do again. Sadly, I do not live close to a Hwa Rang Do school. But deep inside I will always be Hwa Rang.

[Wykesidefruitmachine]

I practice WTF Taekwondo and boxing but my real dream is to learn the sword. I would give anything to study this, but have no schools or instructors in my vicinity. You are very lucky, keep practicing! Excellent video, I love the setting.

[JeffreyJamesLippold]

nice music, I am still confused how the Island of Hwarang defended themselves with these sword techniques. Puzzled?

[WCHwaRangDo]

Thank you for your comment and interest in our sword fighting method. First of all, Korea is not an island, it's a peninsula. This is a sport application of sword fighting which incorporates cuts to the legs and spinning/rotational attacks which is commonly found in Hwarangdo. Although it's close as we can to real combative sword fighting, but this is still a sport application. However, much more broad in it's techniques as well as types of weapons used. Hope this helps.

[ScottishSamurai1987]

@JeffreyJamesLippold Island of Hwarang? First off Korea is a peninsula and secondly the Hwarang is not a place at all. The Hwarang were a group of warriors within the ancient kingdom of Silla which was located in present day South Korea

[JeffreyJamesLippold]

@ScottishSamurai1987 It's an old tale, not a geographic location. Know the History of Hwarang do and it's origins, and you will know what I am talking about. I usually talk in circles, so that you would have to have some background to understand what I am talking about. 

[zukuru]

well faught and well composed.

tx for sharring.