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Well, lots of people study Haidong Gumdo or other weapon-centered arts. They all do it for different reasons too. Imagine that. I think a better question is, 'Who can study Haidong Gumdo?' The predictable answer is 'everybody' but I'm not going to say that. Why? I don't believe that it is entirely true. There are certain basic requirements to learning any skill and this one is no different.

You must have at least one hand with the majority of its fingers and the dedication to overcome physical limitations. You must have the ability to think. You must be responsible. You must be able to separate your studies from your ego. You cannot be too old to study Haidong Gumdo but you can be too young. Haidong Gumdo attracts students of both genders in equal number from all age categories. You must be capable of appreciating the power and beauty of the skills you will learn. You must be able to respect these skills and learn all the lessons they can teach you. Haidong Gumdo does not require great flexibility but of course flexibility will improve your performance. No one will ask you to kick heads or wrap your knees around your neck (although it's cool if you can!).

It does require that you be willing to develop a level of endurance over the course of your studies which can often exceed the demands of other martial art styles. Haidong Gumdo does not require that you be an acrobat willing to fall from any height just to see if you can. It does require that you learn how to safely control falls and learn to tumble safely with a weapon. You do not have to run marathons, learn to levitate, walk on coals or fight anyone. All you have to be willing to do is learn and grow. The three most important factors in learning Haidong Gumdo are speed, power and timing. The good news is that these terms are relative and the curriculum of the World Federation is such that it tailors itself to the needs and abilities of the student. If you find that you just cannot leap your body length, cut and do a dive roll all in one continuous motion do not worry - there is a less dynamic option for you. It is a goal of the World Federation of Haidong Gumdo to enable grandparents, parents and children to all study together with no barriers.

A normal class generally runs for one hour with 30 minutes of free practice afterward. In Korea, classes are held 6 days a week and attendance is expected at all classes. Saturday classes last many hours and have a more open and exploratory nature.

The class begins with a total body warm-up. Usually the class tries to determine a comfortable median between the lowest and highest levels of fitness, working those who are most fit while not draining those who are the least fit. Other times a sliding scale is applied to the class by rank. This lets members of each rank know precisely where they should be in terms of fitness and where they in fact are. Still, the major focus is on personal development not meeting the box-like ideal of another.

The second stage of a class involves executing basic cuts and stances. There are nine basic cuts with many attendant variations of each taught as a core curriculum to a beginning student. These basics are used as part of the warm-up drill in every class to develop the students' understanding, fitness, endurance and technique. Practice of the basic techniques can become a meditative aid for some students.

The third stage of class is divided by rank. Students are asked to perform their patterns and key-point drills in an order of rank determined by the needs of the class on each day. When the students finish their patterns they receive instruction. While the floor is occupied by other ranks, students work on their meditative breathing, watch the lesson or do candle exercises. Decorum is to be maintained at all times. It is important to state (in this crazy age) that anyone practicing with candles should remember not to allow their practice time to exceed 5 minutes due to the stress it places on the eyes.

The final stage of class is free practice which ranges from performing patterns and forms to limited types of free sparring. All classes begin and end formally with respect being paid to the flag, the instructor and one's fellow students.

The primary piece of equipment for the student of Haidong Gumdo is a wooden sword. This hardwood weapon is the same length as the average Korean sword but is significantly lighter. These wood swords (mog-gum) weigh between 300 and 900 grams depending on the material. Wood weapons do not have the same balancing characteristics as their metal replicas or real counterparts. The better the manufacture of a wooden weapon, the more closely its balance will resemble a real blade. Wooden swords are much safer to use in a learning environment but are still capable of causing injury and death. At no time is it to be considered a toy or the class a time for play.

When engaging in sparring or practicing specific techniques with a partner a split bamboo weapon is sometimes used. This style of practice sword was developed for the purposes of "safe" sword combat and is taken from Kendo. This weapon has many problems but it is the safest choice for unrmoured sparring practice. The Korean name for the weapon is jook-toe. The Japanese name is shinai. However, if the student desires they can now purchase Haidong Gumdo Armour and practice full contact sparring. Many instructors will teach kumdo/kendo rules to students but thanks to the new armour, real, full-body contact sparring is available to everyone - not just those who don't mind a few cuts and bruises. The purpose of armoured sparring in Haidong Gumdo is to employ realistic attacks and defenses in a duelling atmosphere. Sparring is quite free and mobile as a result. It is important to realize that while the participants are wearing armour, the combat they are simulating is that of unarmoured combatants.

At third kup students with the proper respect and control may begin to use a metal practice sword called a ka-gum. The weight and balance almost match the averages of Korean swords but the dynamics of the blade through the air are slightly different. Still, at this level of experience using the ka-gum is virtually indistinguishable (and much safer) than using a live blade. These practice weapons weigh 900 grams. It is interesting to begin using a ka-gum because the mechanics of good form become much easier. As the weapon is properly balanced it feels like the effort of keeping the blade in alignment and in proper position disappears. The increased weight is also not really noticeable until after one has been performing cuts for awhile - the muscle fatigue pleasantly creeps up on you. As the student rises in rank they will be asked to perform their patterns (gum-pup) more often with the ka-gum. For safety reasons the wood swords are generally used.

At first dan (black belt) the adult student has finally earned the privilege of using a real blade(jin-gum). These weapons weigh between 1 and 1.3 kg. They closely resemble but are not identical to Japanese swords. Variances occur most commonly in curvature and length. The student will use this weapon to perform their patterns at the discretion of the instructor but it generally is only used for cutting exercises and tests.

Much of Korea's historical sword use was with straight, double-edged blades but Korea willingly embraced the change to the curved single edged style when the killing power of the weapon was proven. The straight, double-edged blade which was retained by the Chinese, was faster but unable to generate the amount of force the curved blades could produce nor was it as effective in mass engagements. The Japanese also preferred this weapon style when it appeared and most agree they refined its forging and development to the highest degree. For more information about Japanese sword styles such as Iaido and Kendo check the Japanese Sword Arts FAQ. The Japanese sport of Kendo is called Kumdo in Korean. The name of the sport uses Chinese characters and many practitioners of Japanese styles make the assumption that any style name which incorporates these characters must be Kendo. This is not true. Kendo (Kumdo) is very popular in Korea and is organized into the Daehan Kumdo Federation (and possibly as many as 20 others). People here in Korea refer to it as either (Daehan) Kumdo or Kendo. Styles like Haidong Gumdo do not practice Kendo but can incorporate it for its psychological value depending on the knowledge base of the instructor. It is a mistake to confuse Kendo and any other sword art other than Daehan Kumdo.

The World Haidong Gumdo Federation comprises an ever-growing base of more than 500 training halls (dojang) across South Korea and an outgrowth of over 500 dojangs internationally. In addition more than 2000 Korean schools and companies incorporate the art into their programs. Haidong Gumdo is organized like most modern martial arts into a series of ranks and degrees. The initiate begins at white belt and progresses from that level through several coloured belts before reaching the next beginning - black belt. The western idea that a master holds a black belt is one that ought to be dispelled. Akin to a Bachelor's Degree, the black belt or first dan (degree) is full of 'sound and fury' but signifies only a foundation. The lessons preceeding this level teach you how to learn your choice of martial art be it Taekwondo, Iaido or whatever. This is not to say that the gubs (ranks below first dan) know nothing of their art! What I mean is that at the entry level one learns how to relate to the style on many levels and progression through to black belt is a circular journey... Anyway, navel contemplation aside, the progression in Haidong Gumdo is logical and well designed. A student will study memorized patterns for solo practice. These are very dynamic and grow more physically challenging with each rise in rank. The gradual progression of the patterns teaches understanding of how to combine various offensive and defensive postures with movement to create effective tactics. In one sense, patterns (or forms) are the historical version of multimedia presentations. They catalog techniques and stances, reveal body mechanics and strategies as well as fluidity of motion all in an easy-to-access location. The lessons taught must be learned well, at speed and at a more meditative pace, for once real combat begins everything you thought you knew flies out the window - only what you truly know remains. Without some form of combat practice, it is almost impossible to completely learn some lessons. As an example, the psychological impact of conflict cannot be appreciated without experiencing it in some form. Unfortunately, at the moment the only truly safe way to engage in full contact Asian sword combat is via the art of Kendo (pronounced Kumdo in Korea). A perceived shortcoming of this style lies in the targets, which by necessity are the most heavily protected parts of the armoured warrior. C'est la vie. When duelling in the style of Kendo, it is therefore important to remember that while participants are armoured they are simulating unarmoured combat. In Haidong Gumdo unarmoured sparring develops slowly with trusted partners. A first degree black belt in Haidong Gumdo should have learned the responsibility of self-control, developed an understanding of honour, internalized the 12 basic two-handed sword patterns (sang-soo gumpup), the 12 corresponding 'key-point' drills (gyuk-gum), developed a high tolerance for the physical and emotional demands of Ki Gong exercises (breathing-based meditation facilitated by movement), basic unarmed defense vs punches and kicks, basic kicking skills, learned safe falling and tumbling practices and achieved a fairly good level of emotional and physical fitness.

The memorized patterns can be thought of as solo performance pieces that serve two functions. The first function is to enable the practitioner to discover the correct way to move with each technique in order to develop proper speed, power and timing. Without these things the student is lost. The second function is to provide the student with a way to demonstrate their level of skill safely. In unarmed combat arts there is much more latitude in developing rules and protective devices while preserving realism in sparring. Because there is no realistic way to spar safely using properly shaped and weighted blades of this type the student of sword arts must either take the route offered by kendo or instead focus on patterns and careful, non-contact duels in order to display their abilities. The two-handed sword techniques (ssang-su gumbub) begin with a very basic approach to moving and cutting properly. Over the course of the 12 pattern series the student will be required to reach greater speeds, higher endurance levels and expand their level of environmental awareness. This series stresses awareness of multiple attackers in action appropriate to the battlefield. These forms are appropriate for use with the long sword or short sword. These terms are misleading. In this case long refers to a blade of approximately 4 feet while short refers to what we consider a normal length blade to be. The fighting sword drills or key-point drills (gyuk-gum) distill the essence of each of the twelve patterns in ssang-su gumbub. They are similar to two-step sparring. They include a draw, the new technique, a 180 degree rotation, a repeat of the attack and a return of the weapon to the scabbard. These drills must be performed as quickly as possible with a focus on skillful execution. Mastery of the gyuk-gum allows the practitioner to truly deliver inspiring performances of any of the gumbub. Shimsang gumbub is a single pattern used to determine the overall skill of a candidate for first dan. It comprises all of the techniques found in ssang-su gumbub and exceeds them. It is extremely fast and involved, covers a great deal of area and repeatedly simulates confrontations with multiple attackers at all angles. It consists of four distinct parts and is intended for the "short" sword.

As should be expected the road through the higher degrees of Haidong Gumdo is slower and much more demanding. The curriculum is smaller but involves a higher degree of technique and conditioning on the part of the student. Cutting skills are the primary requirement for test candidates but forms are practiced as well. The highest rank in Haidong Gumdo is 9th Dan but as in most Korean arts this rank is ceremonial and is reserved for the Head of the art as a whole.