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

These are highlights of the Black Sash Sword Fighting (Gumtoogi)Tournament at this year's World Hwa Rang Do Championships. This dynamic weapon fighting method is unique to Hwa Rang Do.

About the World Hwa Rang Do Championships

For the first time in Hwa Rang Dos history, the World Championships featured a total of 7 separate tournaments with up to 5 divisions in each which included the debut of Hwa Rang Dos weapon fighting methods, Gumtoogi (Sword Fighting) and Bongtoogi (Stick Fighting). This new opportunity for weapon fighting owes much to Grandmaster Taejoon Lees groundbreaking invention of the Hache Hogu (Leg Protector) armor, as an attachment to traditional Kumdo & Kendo body armor.

Overall the World Championships included tournaments in: 1. Open Hand Forms
2. Weapon Forms
3. Kick-Punch-Throw Fighting
4. Kick-Punch-Throw Fighting (Teams)
5. Submission Fighting (Grappling)
6. Stick Fighting (Long Staff)
7. Sword Fighting (Long Sword)

The mind blowing thing is that, many of the individual Tae Soo Do & Hwa Rang Do participants competed in every single tournament, with the tournament champions being determined based on their overall performance in all 7 events.

Competitors had to switch been uniforms and gear throughout the day, as a new event was about to start.

From the sparring event requiring head gear, gloves and chest gear

The competitors not only demonstrate incredible athleticism and skill in each event, but an incredible level of endurance to be able to compete at peak levels, with each event requiring the mastery of a different set of martial skills.

For more videos and information, please visit:

http://hwarangdo.net/championships
http://completemartialart.com

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• kendo
• kumdo
• sword fighting
• weapon fighting
• hwa rang do
• taejoon lee
• joo bang lee

[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.

[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.

[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!

[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.

[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.

[rcsmith67]

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

[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]

Isn't this just kendo?

[cree69]

wow, that is wow O.o so beautiful

[holmganghamburg]

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