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Currently, little printed material exists in English about the history of Hai Dong Gumdo. There is comparatively little written in Korean about it either. What has been written in Korea is closed to me at this time. As I learn more I will share it here. I will offer simply information, not commentary which I am unqualified to present.
It appears that there has been some attempt
made to trace the lineage of Hai Dong Gumdo back to the Kokuryo
Kingdom, specifically mentioning King Kwang Kaeto (371-384 AD).
Other figures, one named General Yu Yu and another, a monk referred to as
Sulbong Sunim, are mentioned as playing significant roles in the
orignial organization of this lineage of training.
It is important to note that the name 'Hai Dong Gumdo' is a
modern device. In one sense the name means simply Korean
Swordsmanship. It has other shades of meaning however which are
lost in translation. Dong means east. It can also refer to the rays of
sunlight at dawn. Hai means sea. It also refers to the sun. Gum refers to swords - specifically
the straight, double edged swords associated with China. To (toe) is more properly
used to describe the curved, single edged swords which the Koreans
began using en masse during the 16th century. It appears the
technology of the battlefield has outpaced the terminology in
much the same way that 3.5 inch floppy disks were not at all
floppy. Do (doe) has a wide variety of meanings but tend to revolve around the principle of "a way". 'Do' in this context includes concepts such as areas of study, principles of behaviour or paths of self-improvement but it is not limited to these meanings. It is perhaps best to keep multiple meanings in mind and not allow the experience of the art to be shaped by just one facet.
The name was chosen to reflect the tradition of
swordsmanship in Korea. Techniques and tactics change with time,
contact with the enemy and advances in technology. The character
of a people and how they train is more resistant to change and
this is part of what the choice of name is trying to relate.
I have been told that those trained under Sulbong Sunim became called after the place where they trained - The Samurang. This training hall is said to have been in the environs of Paekdu Mountain which lies on the present day borders of North Korea and China. As time passed the students became known as Samurang. The Samurang are possibly one influence on the social foundation of the Japanese Samurai as it is said that they adopted a code which included loyalty, filial piety, courtesy, justice, faithfulness, intelligence, virtue and physical fitness. It is known that settlers from what is now Korea played a very significant role in the shaping of early "Japanese" culture.
General Yu Yu is reported to have founded a school of swordsmanship called Jang Baek. I am told it was located on a mountain by the same name but I have been unable to find it. This in itself is not surprising - Korea has a lot of mountains. There is a chain of mountains by this name but as yet I have not found a singular peak bearing it.
I have no information how the traditions started with these groups in the 4th century were transmitted to the present day other than that they were shared 'man to man.' What I do know is the timeline of the formation of the Hai Dong Gumdo we know today. Basic elements from that timeline are listed below. My thanks go to Lois Chang for her translation.
1962 WHDGF President Kim Jeong-ho began training with his master, a monk called Jang Paek-san.
1982 July, opened the first Hai Dong Gumdo training hall in Anyang in Kyungki province.
1983 April, Hai Dong Gumdo Association established with main office in Seocho-gu, Seoul
1986 June, headquarters moved to Kangnam-gu, Seoul
1989 May, registered as a Social Organization
1996 January, moved the headquarters to Sungnam in Kyungki province
1996 November, established the World Hai Dong Gumdo Federation as a corporation aggregate
1996 December, established the American Hai Dong Gumdo Federation
1997 March, established the Chinese Hai Dong Gumdo Federation
1997 April, established the Canadian Hai Dong Gumdo Federation
1997 May, established the French Hai Dong Gumdo Federation
1997 May, established the German Hai Dong Gumdo Federation
1998 January, established the Spanish Hai Dong Gumdo Federation
1998 February, established the Mexican Hai Dong Gumdo Federation
1998 March, established the Japanese Hai Dong Gumdo Federation
1998 March, estblished the New York headqurters of the American Federation
1998 April, established the Australian Hai Dong Gumdo Federation
2000 July, held a Festival at Yongpyong Resort in Kangwon Do open to competitors and demonstrators from all over Korea.
At present more than 300 dojangs and 2000 schools and companies teach Hai Dong Gumdo in Korea. 500 dojangs have spread internationally.
