The way of Korean Sword art from Korea meets Italy

[HAEDONG]

The way of Korean Sword art from Korea meets Italy

For the first time the Korean Sword Art of Haedong Kumdo Jinyoung Ssangkum Ryu (HK)
crosses the oceans and reaches Italy thanks to Grandmaster Kim Jeong Seong (founder and
President of the United World Haedong Kumdo Federation) and Master Calvo Andueza
Javier (Italian representative).

After the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been confusion about how to keep on working to improve Martial Arts in general and Haedong Kumdo in particular. In fact, in Italy and all
over the world there were a lot of people that weren’t practicing anymore and that had
decided to close the dojangs.

Galileo Galilei, an Italian physicist, astronomer and writer considered the father of modern science, once said: “Behind every problem there is an
opportunity.”

It’s precisely the scientist who launched a new way of thinking that invites us to always go further and never stop nor give up when facing hardships.

When I met Grandmaster Kim, he understood my situation and gave me the possibility to continue learning, teaching me the Korean Sword Art like never before… I am deeply grateful for this chance and this is the reason why I have started to work in Italy to build a future together.

My mission was not only to improve in the Korean Sword Art but also to understand the philosophical principles behind the techniques.

It’s with the same mentality that I had
approached Hapkido (Korean art of self defense) with the help of GM Jason Mix. With his guidance, I’m working to improve the way we teach the Hapkido Martial Art focusing on the three principles of Hwa 화 (Harmony), Yu 유 (Water) and Won 원 (Circle).

Once I have obtained my Haedong Kumdo certificate and I have become the Italian representative, I participated in the Bulgarian Seminar (2023) to meet up with the
representatives of other countries.

I felt like I was part of a big family and it came as a pleasant surprise. After I came back from this seminar, my vision had already become a
reality.

My objective for the next seminar in Italy was not only to continue to teach and to improve the way in which we teach but also to practice this art feeling the connection and
the energy flow 기 (Ki, Universal Energy) with people around the world.

In fact, as a Master of Reiki, I work with the universe energy as a healing power as well and I am feeling the Ki
more and more everyday thanks to my daily practice in Martial Arts during our regular classes of Taekwondo, Hapkido and Haedong Kumdo.

I always try to let my students understand the principles of Martial Arts and not only to focus on the techniques.

That's why in Jinyoung Ssansung Ryu Haedong Kumdo style we also have Ki-Mu 기무 practice: to understand the importance of the connection with the mind, body and the sword feeling the energy of natural movements. When we practice HK,
we relax, feel the energy and channel it in the actual situation that changes because the flow of the energy of the universe is also constantly moving. This is the idea behind the practice in our Dojang.

Finally the date of the first Haedong Kumdo Seminar in Italy had arrived! I felt great about
the thrilling and cooperative atmosphere that all our participants created. Masters and
instructors from other countries came to join us from Bulgaria (Victor and Philip), Greece
(Christoforos, Mike, Nikos with Alexander and Thanos), Ireland (Kathy) and the Netherlands
(Carla).

They helped me teach our Italian students and I am so proud of them and of our
cooperation.

This seminar gave us the opportunity to practice our Sword Art and get to know each other
better.

It’s been pivotal for us to share not only HK but also our cultures. With this mindset,
we visited Bergamo’s Old Town, Piazza Vecchia, Castello della Rocca, the Venetian Walls…

we wanted our guests to live and feel the Italian lifestyle, food culture and history.

In order to share this vision and to grow as a Dojang, we have cooperated with Unitam
(Italian Taekwondo Organization).

I would like to extend my thanks to the president GM Monti Vitale: we think that union is always better than walking alone and I hope we can find a way to work better and better for a future together.

That's why we traveled to Varese on Saturday and decided to teach a group of black-belt Taekwondo masters, instructors and
students.

Some of them had never used a sword before! It has been an incredible day:
everyone has shown dedication and enthusiasm in this workshop. I hope we can repeat this practice again in order to develop Haedong Kumdo inside the Unitam organization as well.

On our last day (Sunday), our adult students were joined by a big group of younger students — both from our Lurra Dojang.

It has been a pleasure and also much fun to see the children feeling like ancient Korean warriors for one day!

We really enjoyed our time together in this seminar, in which we focused on Kimu practice, one / two sword forms, cutting newspapers, hitting flying soft balls, somersaults with the sword and private teaching in my own Dojang with GM Kim.

In particular, the cutting practice is one of the best moments to remember.

I will conclude by quoting a message that I have received once our Grandmaster Kim Jeong
Seong had landed back in Korea:

“It’s the first time you organized,
but I would say that it was much better than I expected before I got there.”

www.lurra.it