Three-movement strike

삼동작 (samdongjak), written 三動作 in hanja, means "three movements". In Korean kumdo it appears as 3동작치기, a practice method used in the basic course or in warm-ups. It divides a strike into the raising movement, the striking movement and the middle stance (jungdanse, 중단세), so the practitioner can check their posture.

The three counts are "hana, dul, set" (하나, 둘, 셋). For the head strike (meori-chigi, 머리치기), as described by dojo pages affiliated with the Korea Kumdo Association (대한검도회):

• One: raise the left fist well above the head and lift the bamboo sword (jukdo) straight up, without leaving the body's centre.
• Two: strike the head; the tip ends at the practitioner's own head height and the left fist stops at the chest.
• Three: return to the middle stance (jungdanse).

In the wrist strike (sonmok-chigi, 손목치기) the second count cuts down to navel height with the sword almost horizontal. In the waist strike (heori-chigi, 허리치기) the second count lowers the sword slightly between head and shoulder and strikes almost diagonally, with the feet moving to the right.

Points to watch, according to the association:

• Push upward with the left fist when raising, keeping both fists and the tip on the centreline.
• Keep the right elbow from drifting outward.
• At the moment of impact, tighten both fists so the tip stops exactly on the target.

An English-language kumdo handbook translates the term as "three segment" and says the basic large-movement head strike is broken into three segments. A university club glossary lists it as the "three step movement", alongside the two-step (idongjak) and one-step (ildongjak) movements.