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THE HISTORY OF HAIDONG GUMDO

Haidong Gumdo is a Korean sword art which draws from battlefield tactics and techniques to build a curriculum for mental, physical and spiritual development. Students learn forms, step drills, sitting and standing meditation, sparring as well as bamboo and straw cutting. Students of Haidong Gumdo will learn meditation and proper breathing exercises that will relieve stress and promote a healthy body and mind.

Haidong Gumdo is the ancient Korean martial art of sword fighting. During the Goguryo Kingdom , Master Sul Bong established a dojang by Sam Ji Lake (AD 331) in the Baekdoo Mountains and taught his apostles a martial art based on the ideas of patriotism, filial piety, respecting the elderly and executing righteousness. Among them, the outstanding ones were called Samurang and they were always at the front line of the battle against injustice.

The true principle of Haidong Gumdo is to execute justice with the 'sword light' that is obtained at the break of day from majestic and brilliant sunlight that glows over the east sea. In recent days, Master Jang Baek San passed down a martial art to Mr. Jeong-Ho Kim, beginning in 1961. Mr. Kim modernized the art and established his dojang in Ahn Yang city on July 24, 1982. On April 10th, 1984, he founded the Korean Haidong Gumdo Federation in the Seocho district of Seoul and established the World Haidong Gumdo Federation on November 25, 1996. On July 23, 2002, the first World Haidong Gumdo Championship was held in Yong Pyung stadium in Kang Won Province. Over a 10,000 competitors from 14 countries articipated. Currently, Haidong Gumdo is one of the world's leading martial arts with a million practitioners and over 500 training centers in 50 countries.

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