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What uniform is worn?
All Kum Do students wear a set of blue jacket and pants do-bok (martial arts uniform) and a colored dee (belt) due to their ranks. Advanced students also make use of protective armor (hogu) if they wish to participate in competitive matches.

Where can I buy equipment?
We know there are many places that sell the basic jang-do (long sword), dan-do (short sword) and juk-do but other rare advanced equipments are directly from Korea.

NOTE: TheUnited States World Kum Do Federation (U.S. WKF) obtains equipment directly from their own sources in Korea and therefore makes no claims as to the quality of equipment from any of the martial arts equipment suppliers outside.

Are colored belts worn in Kum Do?
Yes. Sabumnims (masters) wear a set of red colored do-bok, which is different from students.

Do I need to buy armor (hogu) right away?
No. hogu is usually not needed until a student is more advanced.

How large is the swords (competition & practice) in Kum Do?
Mok-dos and juk-dos vary their sized due to the holder's style. Basic regulated jang-dos are between 0.95 and 1.05 meters in length (37.5-41.5 inches). Adult size Jang-do juk-dos (long competition bamboo sword) are maximum 1.20 meters in length (47.3 inches) and weigh a minimum 500 grames (1.08 lbs). Hyup-do juk-dos are between 1.70 and 2.00 meters in length (67-78.8 inches) and weigh a minimum of 650 grams (1.4 lbs).

Is used equipment available?
Yes, used equipment is generally available.

Is Kum Do competition & testing held only in Korea?
No. The certified local clubs occasionally host their own tournaments. Some higher Dan (black belt) testing is conducted at most WKF or US WKF seminars or tournaments. Testing is usually done at the student's own school in United States.

Do I need to have had prior martial arts experience before I can study Kum Do?
No. Experience in other martial arts, while it may be helpful, is not a pre-requisite for studying Kum Do.

Does it cost a lot of money to get started in Kum Do?
No. Same as other martial arts, just basic equipments are required to get started in Kum Do. Also, there is rentable equipment available for beginners for a nominal fee and at no cost for trial students.

Is the protective armor (hogu) worn by Hyup-do students the same as that used for Kum do?
The hogu used by Hyup-do students is essentially the same as those worn by Kum do practitioners, except for the addition of shin protectors (ho-jok). Hyup-do gloves (ho-wan) are also slightly different than those utilized in Kum do. Hyup-do ho-wan singulate the index finger as well as the thumb to better facilitates the rapid shifting of the hands along the length of the Hyup-do's shaft.

Where did the Kum Do forms originate?
Students will train various Kum Do forms in classes. The main document for Kum Do forms is Mu-ye-do-bo-tong-ji, which is the encyclopedia of 5000 years of Korean Martial Arts finished in Cho-Sun dynasty. The world's oldest sword form (over 1500 years old), Bon-kuk-kum-bup will be trained in class for colored belt students.

Were the Korean sword forms ever used in battle?
Yes. Many different sword techniques and forms were used extensively in battles in medieval Korea. Generally, officers were equipped with multiple swords with a spear or a spear-length sword on the horse. Foot soldiers were equipped with one sword, double swords, or a spear due to different types of military division. Once firearms were introduced in Korea (mid-16th century), however, the sword declined in use and was practiced primarily by martial artists families for maintaining the heritage and by governmental institutes as a means of spiritual development among officers.
 

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