Shoulder sword
A kumdo guard (겨눔세, gyeonnunse) in which the sword is held at the right shoulder. It is regarded as a variation of the left upper guard, and it is a waiting guard: you watch the opponent before attacking.
How to say it
- Korean
- 어깨칼eokkaekal
- Spanish
- Espada a la altura del hombro
- English
- Shoulder sword
- Japanese
- 八相の構えはっそうのかまえhassō no kamae
Shoulder sword (어깨칼, eokkaekal) is one of the five guards (겨눔세, gyeonnunse) of kumdo. The Korea Kumdo Association's textbook lists them as 상단 (sangdan, upper), 중단 (jungdan, middle), 하단 (hadan, lower), 어깨칼 and 허리칼 (heorikal, hip sword), plus other derived postures.
The Association describes it as a guard that can be seen as a variation of the left upper guard (좌상단세, jwasangdanse). The practitioner does not start a technique first. Instead they watch the opponent's movements and attack according to how the opponent comes forward.
How it is taken, according to that source:
- Starting from the left upper guard, the right fist is lowered to about the height of the right shoulder.
- The sword guard (코등이, kodeungi) sits at mouth height, about one fist away from the mouth.
- The edge-side tip points diagonally downward at 45 degrees, to the right and rear.
A page from a dojang affiliated with the Association adds that the left foot steps forward, with the feeling of raising the sword from the middle guard toward the left upper guard, and that the blade faces the opponent.
A blog review of the sword forms (검도의 본) lists 어깨칼 among the five basic guards and gives 팔상세 (palsangse) as another name for it.
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