According to the Army Account of Military Arts and Science (Hanzi: 武備志; Pinyin: Wǔ Bči Zhě), a Ming dynasty strategy book written in 1629 by Mao Yuanyi, Korean fencing (朝鮮勢法; Cháoxiǎn shěfǎ) was a martial art that had reached Korea through Chinese martial artists.
Much of this text was based on earlier works by Ming general Qi Jiguang, who successfully adapted and emulated the use of the Japanese katana by developing the wodao, to respond to the prevalent threat of the Japanese wokou or pirates. Chosun Se Bup, one of the few surviving techniques of historical Korean swordplay, is based on this work.
However, warriors were regarded as secondary to scholars during parts of the Goryeo Dynasty and much of the Joseon Dynasty, due to the heavy influence of Confucianism and martial arts other than traditional Korean archery were little practised except by members of the military or mostly lost.
Many arts died out without successors to carry on its traditions as a result. Today, there are only two remaining documents that refer to ancient Korean martial arts.
These ancient arts are not popularly considered to be ancestors of kumdo, though some kumdo scholars, including those at the Korea Kumdo
Association.
Believe ancient Korean fencing as outlined in a Silla dynasty book known as Bonguk Geombeop (本國劍法; Korean Sword Method) was the basis of all modern two-handed sword techniques.
This belief is not commonly held outside Korea. However, kumdo is not usually understood to be a direct descendant of any of these ancient sword arts, rather it is the Korean version of Japanese Kendo, with almost all kata, techniques, rules and regulations identical between the two.
A direct translation of "Kumdo" is "the way of the sword." The art of the sword in Korea evolved from a martial art heritage reaching back more than three thousand years to the time of the Bronze Age. Archeological records indicate that the sword and its art were a part of daily life in Korean antiquity to defend territorial hold extending from Manchuria to Korean peninsula and early settlements in the Japanese main island.
About two thousand years ago at the time of the early Three Kingdoms period, the unique sword techniques called "Bon Gook Gum Bup, " or "Native Sword," were developed by Shilla's Hwa Rang warriors. The Three Kingdoms period marks a contentious period in which Koguryo, Paekche, and Shilla were in contention with each other and the Han Chinese for control of East Asia. Warriors in this period and the following Unified Shilla, Palhae, and Koryo Dynastic periods were known to be sword-bearing and to conduct their daily lives with strictly disciplined and moral manners. For every warrior the moral code was strict, but the discipline was stricter for those cherished honor above everything.
Many good examples of the warrior culture can be found in the Palhae and Koryo Dynastic periods from the 7th to 15th century. In particular, the Palhae Dynasty was found and ruled by the former Koguryo warrior class after the fall of Koguryo in 668 A.D. With the art of the sword and the disciplined warrior's sprite, Palhae was successful to conquer and to extend their territory from the Sungari and Amur rivers in northern Manchuria all the way down to the northern provinces of modern Korea at the first half of the 9th century, in the height of its power.
At the beginning of the Choson Dynasty in the 15th century following the fall of the Koryo Dynasty, some 500 years after the fall of the Unified Shilla and Palhae, the political and ideological foundations changed dramatically. These changes brought the elimination of the warrior class and their power bases in private soldiers. Thus, gradually, the art of the sword was limited to the state military which was regraded as inferior to scholars. Until the end of Choson Dynasty, the art was practiced and taught mostly by individuals in the state military who refined and developed the art under the name of "Ghihuck-Gum."
In 1896 during the era of modernization, the art of the sword, also known as "Ghihuck-Gum," was selected as a mandatory training requirement for the newly established police academy. From there on, Kumdo, the modern amalgamation of "the art of the sword" and "the way of righteousness" from the Taoist philosophy, was developed to be practiced by some as a sport and by others as a means of character development or spiritual refinement.
By the early 20th century, Kumdo training had adopted and utilized a practice weapon made of bamboo and lightweight armor that had been developed by the Japanese. This method of practice largely replaced the earlier, more dangerous, methods of training. Yet, the Kumdo popularity had been limited until early 1960 when the practice armor could be mass produced with the latest materials. When Kumdo equipments became easily available and affordable, the Kumdo population started to grow rapidly. Kumdo became no longer the martial art of the selected few.
Kumdo is both a physically and mentally demanding martial art. A Kumdo bout with a skilled opponent is an intense experience. For a moment, as one opponent faces another, concentration is absolute, conscious thought is suppressed, and action is instinctive. Such training develops the power of resolution and end
Gekiken, kendo, and kumdo: Kendo, then still known as gekiken, was introduced to Korea from Japan at the end of the 19th century as a form of police and military training. During the Japanese occupation, its popularity in Korea spread quickly as part of Korea's first national physical education system. Around 1920, the name kumdo was coined as a translation of the martial arts' new name in Japan, kendo. Up until the 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 was reinstituted in South Korea in 1956, Kumdo was included as an official event.
Consequently, the modern history of kumdo in Korea can be seen in the following timeline, where Chosun refers to Korea during the Yi Dynasty and subsequent Japanese occupation in the first half of the twentieth century:
1935 Kumdo included in the 16th National Chosun Sports Festival
1938 National Chosun Sports Festival prohibited by Japanese
1945 Kendo began to flourish again after Korea was liberated from Japanese colonialism
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
