Sword at the waist

Heori-kal (허리칼, "waist sword") is a kumdo term that the Korean sources consulted use in two ways.

• As the sword-at-the-waist position (also given as heorie-kal, 허리에칼, or chan-kal, 찬칼): the thumb rests on the kodeungi (코등이, the guard) and the sword is drawn to the waist. If the howan (호완, hand protector) is worn, the thumb need not rest on the guard. The end of the hilt lines up with the navel.
• As a guard (gyeonumse, 겨눔세): it is listed with jungdanse (중단세), sangdanse (상단세), hadanse (하단세) and eokkae-kal (어깨칼). It is described as a guard that hides one's own weapon so the opponent cannot read it, and that can be used in response to the opponent's movements. It is called a strongly offensive guard.

How the guard is taken: the right foot steps back and the body turns to the left half-facing position (jwabansin, 좌반신). The tip of the blade is kept behind so the opponent cannot see it. The tip points obliquely downward, at about 45 degrees to the right rear.

Related actions:

• Ppoba-kal (뽑아칼, drawing): from the sword at the waist, the right hand grips under the kodeungi, the right foot advances and the jukdo (죽도, bamboo sword) is raised diagonally to jungdanse. The left hand takes the end of the hilt.
• Kkoja-kal (꽂아칼, sheathing): this is the reverse movement. From jungdanse the left hand goes back to the waist while the left foot joins the right, returning to the heori-kal position.
• In practice or matches with the jukdo, the bow is made with the sword in charyeot-kal (차렷칼, attention position) held in the left hand. The waist-sword position is then taken before the next movement.