Shim Gum Do, translated as the "mind sword path", is a martial arts

Martial arts

Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....

 system of recent invention, originating in Korea

Korea

Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...

. Shim Gum Do emerged from the enlightenment of the monk Won Gwang, born as Chang Sik Kim

Chang Sik Kim

Chang Sik Kim was born in South Korea in 1944. When he was thirteen he met his teacher, Seung Sahn Lee, and entered the Hwa Gye temple in Seoul. When Kim was 21, his teacher sent him on a 100 day meditation retreat...

, during a 100 day meditation

Meditation

Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....

 and prayer retreat in 1965. 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 Shim Gum Do, began teaching in Korea in 1971 and brought his martial art to the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 in 1974. Shim Gum Do schools have since been opened in Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

, and Poland

Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

. The current headquarters of the World Shim Gum Do Association as well as the American Buddhist Shim Gum Do Association is Shim Gwang Sa temple located in Brighton, Massachusetts.

Training

From the time of Kim’s enlightenment, training in Shim Gum Do 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

Black belt (martial arts)

In martial arts, the black belt is a way to describe a graduate of a field where a practitioner's level is often marked by the color of the belt. The black belt is commonly the highest belt color used and denotes a degree of competence. It is often associated with a teaching grade though...

, Shim Gum Do sword students may use a Korean style steel sword, which has a single-edged blade and is closely related to the Chinese Tang dynasty

Tang Dynasty

The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...

 single-edge swords or the Japanese katana

Katana

A Japanese sword, or , is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. There are several types of Japanese swords, according to size, field of application and method of manufacture.-Description:...

.

Shim Gum Do 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

Dan (rank)

The ranking system is a Japanese mark of level, which is used in modern fine arts and martial arts. Originally invented in a Go school in the Edo period, this system was applied to martial arts by Kanō Jigorō, the founder of judo and later introduced to other East Asia countries.In the modern...

(degree or ‘star’) 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 Shim Gum Do 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 Shim Gum Do 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.