Kumdo vs. Kendo.

[arnisador]

An article in the current issue (July 2003) of Budo Intl. magazine discusses Master Han Sang Hyun and Haidong Gumdo.

 

[arnisador]

The current (Nov. 2003) issue of Budo Intl. has a brief pictorial segment on Haidong Gumdo.

 

[lhommedieu]

For what it's worth, last year I asked a Korean friend about Kumdo, since I live in Flushing, Queens, which has a large Korean population; there were a couple of Kumdo schools in my neighborhood.

His response was that Kumdo and Kendo were the same.

Of course, you can still go to Japan and study a classical weapons system. My best guess is that you could go to Korea and do the same.

Best,

Steve Lamade

 

[arnisador]

Originally posted by lhommedieu
His response was that Kumdo and Kendo were the same.

This seems a somewhat controversial issue! My understanding is the same as above--they're essentially the same art, with Kumdo a version of Kendo.

Of course, you can still go to Japan and study a classical weapons system. My best guess is that you could go to Korea and do the same.

That makes sense. Some Kumdo systems may indeed be independent of Kendo.

 

[lhommedieu]

Re. the above:

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Tape Name: Haedong Kumdo: Traditional Korean Sword Art (KCA3)
Tape Cost: $19.95
Length of Tape/Time: 58 minutes
Number of Moves/Techniques: Information and Concepts
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The Instructor: Sang H. Kim
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E-Mail: [email protected]

Best,

Steve

 

[Eldritch Knight]

I'm studied kendo extensively in Japan, and in my effort to open up a kendo club in my university, found a Korean sensei who knew kumdo. I learned a bunch from him concerning the art, but I'll put in some differences here

1) Kumdo practitioners do not squat (sonkyo) prior to fighting
2) Kendo practitioners grasp the shinai with the top three fingers, leaving the bottom two loosely - in kumdo, it is the opposite
3) The target terms in kumdo are in korean
4) Flag colors are different

That's essentially it. If you look at the arts beyond these aesthetics, they are identical. I think the important thing to realize is that the lesson of the arts and their respective souls are the same.

 

[arnisador]

2) Kendo practitioners grasp the shinai with the top three fingers, leaving the bottom two loosely - in kumdo, it is the opposite

Isn't this a big difference? It would affect the control of the shinai, right?

What's the reason for this difference?

 

[mtabone]

Hello,

I am a student of Haidong GumDo, and we hold the sword firmly with our little, ring, and middle finger, while keeping the index and thumb loose, but not too loose. My training in Kendo, while not so formal, had the same type of grip when it comes to holding the sword.

Michael Tabone

 

[Gemini]

Actually, I practice Kumdo, but use the term Kendo so people know what I'm talking about. And as mentioned by Eldritch Knight, I do hold the shanai with my bottom fingers on the left hand, not the top. We use japanese terminology though. As far as squatting, it depends on the style of the host. I have and haven't done it.

In HDGD, I hold it the same as mentioned by mtabone.

 

[Eldritch Knight]

Isn't this a big difference? It would affect the control of the shinai, right?

What's the reason for this difference?

Actually, my understanding of the art has improved a bit since I made that post. Both methods are considered acceptable in kendo, though kumdo practitioners only use the bottom fingers. The reason? No clue, but the grip has been standardized by the kendo/kumdo federations of Japan and Korea.

 

[arnisador]

Thanks for the info., Gemini and Eldritch Knight!

 

[Hyaku]

Here's a link for some interesting reading on this.

http://www.kendo-world.com/articles/web/korea/index.php

Sadly there has been a lot of anti this and that feeling for many years between Korea and Japan. Being in Japan I have gone to teach Kendo at a Korean University on a number of occasions. There really should not be any differences. It goes against the ideals of the sport/art. One instance was some years ago when a ZNKR delegation went to Korea to teach. The first day they taught basics (It's basics whatever country you teach). Second day no one came!

When the team come over here to train I am told, "While they are here teach them some propriety". This refrs to not doing sonkyo. To japanese its and element of mutual respect thats makes the difference between polite gentlmanly @practice and a barbaric action. Korean's on the other hand say, "We are not bowing down to Japanese". Then of course is the old story, As long as Japanese are the judges a Korean will never win the worlds".

I just wish they could all get on together more and stop screwing it up for other nationalities that don't know what the hells going on.

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

Here is a question: Until recently, I always thought, and have said, that kumdo and kendo are simply different readings of this: 剣道 However, I have found that the hanja used for 'kum' or 'gum' in both kumdo and haidong gumdo, is 劍, while 剣 is used for both kendo and kenjutsu.

I know that if I plug them into my translator, the one used in kum (&#21133 comes up as 'sword' and the one used in 'ken' (&#21091 comes up as 'jian.' Oddly, when I looked up jian, Wikipedia shows 劍 as the character.

Can anyone elaborate on the difference?

Thank you,

Daniel

 

[Kennesten]

The latter hanja is the simplified version of the former (traditional) character. In Japan, the Ministry of Education simplified a number of kanji in order to increase literacy and improve consistency in kanji writing (standardization) after the war; a similar simplification was also undertaken in China. The kanji for ken/tsurugi was among those simplified.

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

Many thanks!

Daniel