Theory – Haidong Gumdo®

Purpose

The modern society, characterized by technology, information and globalisation has brought abundance of amenities and luxury to its members. However, it also brought corpulence, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and various diseases due to stresses. Also, the materialism and the individualism has spread to the society and slowly becoming serious problems.

Our society demands a cure for problems but the gap between the reality and the ideals are only growing deeper.

Haidong Gumdo® offers a solution to the problems.

Self cultivating education and physical training of Haidong Gumdo® will help the practitioners’ to increase confidence and patience, to relieve stresses and to build a healthy body. Through learning of etiquette, self control, meditation and breathing exercises, the practitioners learn the ideals of loyalty, filial piety, righteousness and faithfulness.

Therefore, the objective of Haidong Gumdo® is to nurture individuals to have sound minds and bodies to make a better society, by providing its unique training and education.

Characteristics

  • Haidong Gumdo® is a family martial art that 3 generations may practice together.
  • Haidong Gumdo® is a traditional martial art reflecting the glories of the ancient Korean kingdom that ruled over eastern Asia.
  • You can manage an emergency situation or counter violence with self-defense training of Haidong Gumdo®.
  • Exercising with a sword, learning Haidong Gumdo® increases the practitioner’s level of concentration.
  • Haidong Gumdo® assists you to overcome yourself, release stresses and refine yourself with hard training.
  • Haidong Gumdo® helps students to nourish their minds to obtain patriotism, filial piety, loyalty and faithfulness.
  • Practicing Haidong Gumdo®, you will exercise the whole body to perform various techniques.
  • Haidong Gumdo® improves the practitioner’s muscle endurance, reaction time, and sense of balance.
  • Haidong Gumdo® improves the practitioner’s level of confidence.
  • Haidong Gumdo® combines breathing exercises and meditation with physical training so that practitioners learn to control their mind as well as their body.
  • From the young to the old, and both male and female can learn Haidong Gumdo®.
  • Haidong Gumdo® is an international martial art that is trained in 50 countries by over 1.5million practitioners in the world.

Principles

  • You must always use your wooden sword as if it were a real sword. (Use caution, it is a weapon not a toy)
  • While training you must always work at achieving a union between your body, mind and the sword.
  • Anyone who practices Haidong Gumdo® should understand the meaning of all the movements in their forms, so they are not practiced carelessly and without thought.
  • The wooden sword is a tool to be used for learning how to use a real sword, this is the formal way to learning the way of the sword.
  • The practice of Haidong Gumdo® is a method to discipline, purify and tranquilize the body and mind, thus it must not be thought of or executed casually.
  • While practicing with the sword, students must not be hindered by outside distractions, but must always maintain a collected and focused attitude to ensure that they can train with 100% dedicated effort.
  • Anyone who owns a sword or practices Haidong Gumdo® must always be considerate, humble and open minded toward others.
  • Practicing Haidong Gumdo® is beneficial to one’s health and vitality.
  • Haidong Gumdo® students must always be respectful and grateful to their teachers for teaching them the way of the sword. Maintaining this attitude will allow the students to gain wisdom and learn from their teacher’s experiences.
  • Always do what is right because it is right.