Korean swords that aren't katana analogs

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Daniel Sullivan

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Which brings me back to the OP: Korean swords, and by extesion, I suppose, sword arts pertaining to their use, that are not katana analogs: I know that there were a good number of Korean swords historically that were not katana analogs.

But most every Korean sword program that I have seen makes use of a sword that looks identical in every meaningful way to a katana. When I shop 'Korean sword', most of my searches at least come up with Haidong gumdo swords... that are essentially a Wae Geom (Japanese sword).

Or is this like asking how many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop?

Daniel
 

cdunn

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Are TSD sword forms made up specifically by TSD people (like Hankumdo was invented by Myung Jae Nam)? Or do they have origins in an actual sword art?

Daniel

TSD, as handed down by Hwang Kee, contains no weapons forms. Any sword or kobudo like hyung have been grafted on later, from any variety of sources.
 

Namii

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Or is this like asking how many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop?

Daniel

Not to get off topic but it takes around 900 or so....
I was a little bored on guard duty in iraq one night.
 

Sabunimfrank64

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Guess we'll need an actual KSW practitioner to explain. Not at all familiar with the form.

To Namii, I think that WTSDA is World Tang Soo Do Association. If it isn't Phoenix Rider will have to tell us what it is.

Daniel
As a ksw black belt the sword form/hyung is called Jung gum hyung straight sword form the movements are aimed at body's joints knees ankles neck wrist the combat applications are there
 

thanson02

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How many of you who practice a Korean sword art do so with a sword other than the Wae Geom (Japanese sword, i.e. a Katana or katana analog)?

I know that there were a good number of Korean swords that were either not curved, double edged, or otherwise differed greatly from the katana, yet every Korean sword art that I see seems to have people in hakama-like pants with swords that look pretty much like... well... a katana.

Daniel

From what I have seen, Japanese swords are easier to get a hold of, so many Korean arts just use them.
 

thanson02

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Also, it is hard to find a "culturally pure" sword type from the Koreans (or anything that is culturally pure in any Asian country). The biggest difference I have seen with Korean swords as opposed to Japanese is that the swords themselves are forged differently (but produce equivalent results to Japanese swords in quality), the blades are a little wider, and they are a little thinner The overall blade ends up being lighter. Also, depending on the type of sword, some of the single edge blades are shorter as well, but only by a few inches. That, and Korean swords have a different physical ascetic look to them with the hand guard, hilt, and scabbard.

I know in the system I train in (Hwa Rang Do), we have forms for single edge swords and double edge swords. We also have techniques for various sword uses (forward grip, inverted grip, double sword, etc) as well as hoshin sul for defense against single edge sword attacks while both armed and unarmed.
 

Steven Lee

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Korean sword was always similar to Katana. In fact, Korean Hwando (the one that looks like Katana) is older than Katana in history.
 

Xue Sheng

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You know @Steven Lee, nothing has to predate anything, they could appear independently. Because if both Newton and Leibniz can come up with Calculus at the same time, independently from each other....making similar swords or coming up with similar fighting styles is nothing
 

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