History of Haidong Gumdo
Haidong Gumdo, The Way of the Sword, is an ancient and noble martial art from Korea. It’s purpose is to execute justice with the light of the sword, that is as majestic and brilliant as the morning sunlight on the east sea. Geographically, Korea is in a great location. It’s a peninsular nation with ample access to the ocean, as well as being a close neighbor to both China and Japan. Because of its location, nearby countries in ancient times often sought to occupy Korea to gain control of its excellent geographical attributes. Korea also frequently struggled with civil war, as opposing dynasties within the country vied with each other for power. As a result, Korean warriors of old often found themselves fighting off foreign invaders and warriors from rival Korean dynasties.
The prevalent state of warfare in Korea gave these Korean warriors the opportunity to practice their sword techniques and find out which techniques neutralized their enemies most efficiently and effectively. One group of warriors–Samurang–who lived in the Koguryo kingdom nearly 2,000 years ago, became particularly skilled at swordsmanship. Their training hall was located on Mt. Baekdu (which rests on the North Korea-China border) and they were led by a master swordsman named Sul Bong, who had great spirituality. Sul Bong not only taught his students the deadliest sword techniques, but also told them to live their lives according to the ideals of Choong (loyalty), Hyo (filial piety), Ye (propriety), Eui (justice), Shin (trust), Ji (knowledge), Duk (generosity) and Che (sound body).
The Samurang spread the vision of living each day with righteousness and justice, and under the command of General Uel Ji Moon Duk, fended off 2 million soldiers during the invasion of the Sui Dynasty. They also defeated 600,000 Tang soldiers at the Ahn Shi battle under the command of General Yang Man Choon. Through the centuries, the sword techniques that the Samurang perfected were passed down from warrior to warrior until, in the 1970’s, they reached a spiritual wanderer named Jang Baek-San. Jan Baek-San, living on Kwanak Mountain, found an eager and talented student in Mr. Jeong-Ho Kim. He taught Mr. Kim all he knew of Haidong Gumdo, and Mr. Kim has moved on to modernize Haidong Gumdo and establish a worldwide Haidong Gumdo presence.