Post-initiative

Hu-ui seon (후의 선, 後의 先) is one of the concepts of initiative (seon, 先) in kumdo. It means acting later than the opponent and still winning the initiative: the opponent's attack is avoided or blocked and answered at once with a counter-strike.

The Korea Kumdo Association (대한검도회) glossary describes it this way. When the opponent attacks on seeing an opening, you use the distance so that they strike empty air, or you evade, and you attack afterwards. It adds that this can only be achieved after long training, when the body can follow the mind. It also warns that if you are overpowered in the contest of spirit (gi, 기), the result can be the reverse, seonbalhuji (선발후지).

Another kumdo community source adds these points:

• Merely avoiding or blocking the opponent's sword and then looking for a new chance is almost impossible in kumdo. The opponent's opening must immediately become your advantage.
• Roughly, you avoid with three tenths of your strength and strike with seven.
• Blocking and striking must be done in one motion and one breath.

Together with seon-ui seon (선의 선, attacking first) and dae-ui seon (대의 선, attacking at the same moment as the opponent), it makes up the three kinds of seon. Those sources treat these three as the general ones. They place the principle hubalseonji (후발선지, 後發先至, "move the sword later, arrive first") above them, and say that someone who has it can use all three freely.

The Japanese equivalent that sources link to this term is go no sen (後の先). A general English description of that concept presents it as a state of mind and a harmonization with the movement of the attack, not just a counter-attack.