Simgumdo

Simgumdo

Focus	Weaponry
Hardness	Non-competitive
Country of origin	Korea
Creator	Chang Sik Kim
Olympic sport	No
Official website	shimgumdo.org

Simgumdo
Hangul	심검도
Hanja	心劍道
Revised Romanization	Simgeomdo
McCune–Reischauer	Simgŏmdo

Simgumdo, translated as the "mind sword path", is a martial arts system of recent invention, originating in Korea. Simgumdo emerged from the enlightenment of the monk Won Gwang, born as Chang Sik Kim, during a 100-day meditation and prayer retreat at Hwagyesa temple in Seoul, South Korea in 1965. In 1971, Kim Changsik established the Korean Simgumdo Association and began teaching Simgumdo in South Korea. He moved to the United States in 1974, and, in 1978 he established American Buddhist Simgumdo Association. The main temple, Shim Gwang Sa, was built in Boston, Massachusetts, and there the World Simgumdo Association was established as the center of Simgumdo Associations around the world. The central component of the system is a series of 330 forms (choreographed sequences of techniques) using the sword. The system also includes forms using two swords, a long staff, a short staff, and empty hands, as well as a series of 3000 self-defense techniques called Ho Shin Sul.

Spread

Chang Sik Kim, the founding master of Simgumdo, began teaching in Korea in 1971 and brought his martial art to the United States in 1974. Simgumdo schools have since been opened in Italy, Japan, and Poland. The current headquarters of the World Simgumdo Association as well as the American Buddhist Simgumdo Association is Shim Gwang Sa temple located in Brighton, Massachusetts.

Training

From the time of Kim’s enlightenment, training in Simgumdo sword techniques has focused on the use of a wooden practice sword, commonly called a mokgum in Korean. After achieving the rank of black belt, Simgumdo sword students may use a Korean style steel sword, which has a single-edged blade and is closely related to the Chinese Tang dynasty single-edge swords or the Japanese katana.

Simgumdo sword training is broken down into a progression of several series of forms. New students learn a series of basic forms and then move onto beginning defense forms before attaining their yellow belt. After learning 15 of these forms a student may test for a first dan (degree) black belt. Progression may continue through the beginning attack series and on through 14 different series of sword forms. In addition to sword forms, students may learn up to 330 empty-handed forms called Shin Boep ("body dharma"). Advanced students may study Ssang Gum Boep ("two-sword dharma"), Dan Bong Sul ("short staff art"), or Jang Bong Sul ("long staff art"), consisting of 50 forms each.

Philosophy

Although the physical techniques of Simgumdo are intended by Chang Sik Kim to be effective fighting techniques, Chang Sik Kim teaches that the foundation of a clear mind and harmony between mind and body’s action is the most important thing a person can learn for defense. He argues that this ideal makes Simgumdo a non-violent martial art. In fact, spiritual aspects are highly emphasized in this martial art. It is typically practiced in spaces set up as Buddhist sanctuaries, and students have frequent opportunities for sitting in meditation and receiving dharma instruction.