My other passion... Haidong Gumdo (Korean way of the sword).

My Martial Art

I thought we would take a break from the regular photo blogs that I normally post, and talk about something personal that means a lot to me. Besides being a photographer and videographer, I'm also a martial artist.

A year and a half ago, I signed my son up for Taekwondo while we were living in Delaware. I thought he might like it and it would get him around other kids. He would also be learning a useful skill. I had no intention of signing up for a class myself, but then I discovered they offered Haidong Gumdo (Korean way of the sword). I decided to give the class a try. I've always had an interest in weapons, so why not? There wasn't anything to lose. However, I found there was a lot to gain.

Haidong Gumdo Changed Me

I had never been in martial arts prior Haidong Gumdo. Before Gumdo, I was a very different person. I was reserved, not very confident in myself, a people pleaser in a way, had really high expectations for myself, etc. I would say after my first belt testing things started to change. I learned to relax and not be so hard on myself. I slowly started to gain confidence in myself. One of the biggest and probably best changes of all was that I finally started embracing myself who I am. These positive changes I started seeing in myself were much needed. I was becoming a better version of myself. Beyond this, met some very special people and developed some very meaningful friendships along the way. These changes and my love for the art truly made me passionate about it. So much so that I've realized that I would love to teach Haidong Gumdo one day.

Devastation and Solution

As the move to Hawaii got closer, I started looking into schools that taught Gumdo on Oahu. I thought I had found a school, and later on further investigation, I discovered that the school was actually not located in Hawaii at all. There wasn't a school that taught Haidong Gumdo on the island! I was very upset when I found out that I would have to give up Gumdo. However, when my instructors found out that I would not be able to continue Gumdo in Hawaii, they came up with a plan for "cyber" Gumdo. With permission from Master and Grand Master, the plan for cyber Gumdo was a green light. What Gumdo class looks like for me now, is practice in my backyard, then submitting videos to my instructors demonstrating my progress. Through FaceTime or Skype we discuss critiques for the forms. I am able to still be tested by Grand Master through Skype or FaceTime, so I will be able to continue with my progression in belts. It's not the same as being in class, but I am very thankful for the opportunity to continue practicing Haidong Gumdo. Without all of them and their willingness to help me out, I would be without my martial art. Thank you all so much. HAIDONG!!!

Considering Martial Arts?

If you're a parent considering putting your child in martial arts or if you're debating about doing it for yourself, I will encourage it. If I had been in martial arts as a child, I know that I would have made the changes to myself much earlier in my life. There are so many benefits to being in martial arts for both children and adults that I can't name them all. However, from my journey so far, I have seen first hand all the positive that has come from it. Martial arts is much more than learning self defense, etc. It shapes your character in a way that would be hard to obtain otherwise.

The Photos

I can't go without talking about the photos for a minute. Both images were taken on a beach here in Hawaii. The sword I have in the images is my wooden practice sword. It is used for practicing my forms, basic stances/movements, and candle snuffing. The images were taken at sunset. We got to the beach after sunset had already begun, so I'm running down the beach in my doboak (uniform) trying to beat the light. We were able to get these two shots that turned out rather nicely. I have some other poses I want to try out, so don't be surprised if you see more in the future!

Suggested Blog Post

If you liked this post, then you might also like our post about my instructor's Haidong Gumdo Federation sword when I took photos of it last year. You can find this blog post (and the photos) here.