Left-right up-down swing

Choa-u sang-ha hurigi (좌우 상하 후리기, Revised Romanization: jwau sangha hurigi) is a basic swinging drill in kumdo. Hurigi is the stage at which, once the grip on the jukdo (bamboo sword) has been learned, striking with it is practiced for the first time.

The Korea Kumdo Association (대한검도회) textbook lists three variants:

• jeongmyeon sangha hurigi (정면 상하 후리기): straight up-and-down swing, facing front.
• jwau sangha hurigi (좌우 상하 후리기): the jukdo comes down diagonally to the left and right.
• bal bakkueo jwau sangha hurigi (발 바꾸어 좌우 상하 후리기): the same diagonal swing combined with the beollyeogeotgi (벌려걷기) footwork.

Execution. The jukdo comes down diagonally at about 45 degrees to each side. The blade direction must be symmetrical, at the same angle left and right. While swinging down diagonally, the left hand must not leave the body's center line (jeongjungseon, 정중선). The Association describes lifting the sword high, as in the frontal swing, and bringing the right fist down diagonally. The tip ends on the center line and only the blade is angled.

Purpose. Hurigi are used as warm-up or cool-down exercises. A Busan dojang page says the up-down and diagonal hurigi serve as a preliminary step for learning the strikes to the head, frontal and lateral (jwau meori chigi, 좌우 머리치기). The aim is to learn the correct path of the jukdo, the use of the shoulder and arm joints, and whole-body balance. It advises swinging large, free, slow and smooth, and matching the breath. Practice starts standing still and, once it is mastered, moves forward and back.