Bonguk geom

Infobox Korean name
hangul=본국검
hanja=linktext|本|國|劍
rr=Bonguk geom
mr=Bonkuk kŏm

The Korean word Bonguk geom revers to both a sword and a sword skill which are said to have originated from the sword skills of the Hwarang from the Silla Dynasty. This is why the sword is also called "Silla sword" or "singeom" (신검). The term "bonguk geom" literally means 'national sword'.

By including this skill in the Muyesinbo the Joseon warriors stressed the independent valor of Korean swordsmen. [Ehwa University Press 2008, Sippalgi: Traditional Korean Martial Arts, Dr. B.K. Choi] They do this by telling the story of "Hwangchang", a boy from Silla, who killed Baekje's king while performing a sword dance, geommu, at the court.

Construction

The sword in earlier times bore close resemblance to the double-edged sword of Eastern Han, but the sword and the techniques were later adapted to use single-edged swords by the time the "Muyesinbo" was written.

Modern Bonguk geom

The name "bonguk geom" is now widely adapted by contemporary Korean sword styles, like Haidong Gumdo, to give expression to the presumably Korean roots of their art. And doesn't necessarily have a direct connection with the "bonguk geom" techniques of the Joseon period or even the Sill Dynasty. It is in more traditional styles like Sippalgi that the "bonguk geom" skills of the "Muyesinbo" and Muyedobotongji are preserved.

References