What is kummooyeh?
Kummooyeh is a modern Korean sword art that was developed in the 1990s by the World Kummooyeh Federation . It is designed to combine the Korean traditions of geom (sword) and gungsul (archery) into one system.
The program consists of:
- Sword forms & sparring (with shinai and protective equipment, similar to Kumdo/Kendo).
- Cutting practice (with real or practice swords).
- Archery (Korean archery art, with the traditional recurve bow).
- Meditation & philosophy , deeply rooted in Korean martial traditions.
Why train in Kummooyeh?
- Combination of sword & bow – unique in the martial world.
- Modern and safe approach – developed for international dissemination.
- Tradition & culture – based on Korean martial history.
- Discipline & focus – strong mental component.
- Internationally recognized – official federation and ranking structure.
How does Kummooyeh compare?
- Vs Kendo/Kumdo – Kummooyeh is broader (sword + bow), Kendo focuses only on sparring.
- Vs Haedong Kumdo – Haedong Kumdo focuses on flowing sword forms, Kummooyeh is more systematic and internationally structured.
- Vs Gungsul – Gungsul is pure archery; Kummooyeh combines that with sword.
- Vs HEMA – both combine sword tradition and reconstruction, but from different cultures.
Kummooyeh in Europe
Kummooyeh has been active since the 2000s in Europe, with official dojangs in Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. The World Kummooyeh Federation organizes international seminars and examinations.