Japan has the root of kendo.

[Dan Shea]

There is a Chinese saying, I forget the exact wordings, but it was from Nganzi(sp?), "When planted in the North of the river, Mandarins taste bitter." The soil is different, and you can't expect the taste is the same.

It's funny because that saying has to do with the Canton people being angry at the northerners who essentially came in and usurped authority. (At least if my teachers and sources are correct)

or rather what i also think is, and maybe i read it somewhere too, that kumdo has korean roots but was only a form of iaido with bokutos. haedong kumdo i think it was called, then when japan invaded korea, the bogu and shinai were introduced, and therefore kumdo which was a non contact art, became a full contact sport... like modern kendo...

Actually I think it went more along the lines of...Japan invades Korea teaching Koreans kendo, and decades later Korea tries to justify kendo to its populattion who is angry at Japan for being occupied as claiming some kind of heritage from Hwa-rang warriors who while actually existing, have nothing to do with kendo. It was a political rewriting of history to benefit nationalist causes.

It's not very interesting, as it is a tired same old thing countries have been doing for centuries. Just imagine what England would say if America claimed to have invented English...

Total BS for politcal reasons in my book means double plus ungood!!!!!

Oh well...have a good night people!

[Yowai]

"1) i wouldn't be talking about spelling mistakes if i were you..
2) most people here do kendo not kenjutsu..
3) i am korean, and kendo originally comes from korea, and the japanese stole it (among loads of other things) when they occupied korea for 50 years, through dictatorship and torture.. the origin of the japanese sword it self is n 80% copy of the korean blade, the art in which to use it was made in korea, so dont u go and f**king start about japanese honour..."
(mystic_kendo http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/sho...0173#post30173)


Hahahahahahahahahahahaha. Nice try mystic_kendo, but your idiocy really stood out this time.

[mystic_kendoka]

thank you...

[Eldritch Knight]

Having studied kendo in Japan, I tend to agree that it originated in Japan. I've seen kumdo being practiced (as a matter of fact, I'm adjusting to it right now, with a small amount of discomfort) and find it to be very similar to Japanese kendo, but with a more Korean touch to it (less emphasis on respect, fortitude, and higher powers, and more emphasis on strength, agility, and ability). As far as I've seen, it lacks the soul that I see as integral in kendo, and replaces it with a more militaristic edge. Of course, I don't claim to be an expert on either, but I adhere to this view based on what experiences and understanding I do have.

[Yowai]

Respect, fortitude, higher powers, and soul? Spoken like a true tea-sipping Wapanese Kendo zealot. Wake up from your sick anime samurai fantasies...

Ack. I just can't do it as nicely as Confound.

Anyways, nevermind claiming not to be an expert, Eldritch, because I would be more worried about your pea-sized anime rotten brain.

[mystic_kendoka]

i'd say kumdo is more competitive and focusses on shiai (shihap) more than kendo as well... i agree when you say it lacks respect and etiquette...

[samurai999]

Respect, fortitude, higher powers, and soul? Spoken like a true tea-sipping Wapanese Kendo zealot.

I don't about you, but kendo has taught me about respect. How? To respect the people who teach you, to respect the people who take care of you, to respect the things around you, and to respect my ancestors before me.

About soul? I wouldn't put it that way, but it has taught me what it takes to overcome some of my hardships. Hardships such as me getting laid off and rupturing my achilles. It gave me the right state of mind to proceed past those times in my life and to succeed.

Sounds cheesy? Maybe to you, but I think kendo has taught me many things to apply in life as well as in practice. According to what was said by Mr Hong, maybe this is the difference between kumdo and kendo.

Tea sipping? Oh yeah. Green tea calms my nerves, it is healthy for you, and it reduces your risk of getting cancer later in life.

Tim

[litige]

Well said Tim. For long we heard yowai reply on stupid comments...

[Old Warrior]

My anecdotal experience tells me that most Kumdo Dojangs are operated for profit (the one I attend is this way). And, the fees we pay are probably 4 times the amount of most Non Profit Dojo's. From what I can see, our school is run with plenty of respect and overwhelming politeness, but without rigidity. There would be no point in being unkind or overly harsh to the paying students.

I have been corrected many times for mispronounciations, and then unknown breaches of etiquette (leaning my shinai against the wall, touching the tip to the ground, etc.). But, there is never punishment or such strict discipline that it reminds me of my military service.

[Keith Hong]

An example of how Kumdo people view what they do.
When Kumdo people ask you, in Korean, how long you've been practicing Kumdo - they say "how long have you been working out?"
It's like lifting weights at the gym to them.
Definitely not 'budo'.

P.S. I am a Korean living in Korea going to a Kumdo Dojang - I know what I speak of.

[xvikingx]

Keith,

How do you view kumdo/ kendo? I noticed that you call it kendo in your profile.

[Old Warrior]

Last week I patronized a local business owned by Korean immigrants. The owner, a very distinguished looking woman in her fifties was having a discussion with a customer about her son's taekwondo class. I joined in and said, I wish I was younger, I'd love to participate. Somewhere in the conversation I mentioned that I had studied Kumdo for some time and the woman commented:

Oh, a very classical art, takes much more concentration and skill to
learn than taekwondo. Very good for the mind.

Now, I am no linguist, but here was the impression of someone who did not appear to be involved in the martial arts but was giving an outsider's view. This person obviously held the pursuit in some special regard.