In the 15th Century, during the Choson Dynasty, the basic foundations for the art of the sword was changing dramatically. These changes caused an immediate decrease in the status of the warrior classes. Slowly, the art of the sword began to be limited to members of the state military. It wasn't until the end of the Choson Dynasy that the art of the sword was practiced mostly by members of the state military who later developed the art of the sword under a new name of "Ghihuck-Gum."
It was in the late 19th Century (during the era of Modernization) that "Ghihuck-Gum" was strictly pushed as a mandatory training requirement for the newly established police academy and state military members. During these years, Kumdo was developed to be used by some as a sport and by others as a way to develop spiritual refinement.
What is Kumdo? Well, put simply, Kumdo is the "way of the sword." A warrior would live by the sword and die by the sword with honor. The art of Kumdo is both a physical and mental type of martial art. Kumdo is directly related to the Japanese "way of the warrior," Bushido.
