Art of Zen Sword: The History of Shim Gum Do [Hardcover]

Chang Sik Kim (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1985

The Art of Zen Sword details the origin of the Zen art called Shim Gum Do. This book contains some history of Zen Buddhism and Zen Sword in Korea. Shim Gum Do Founding Master, Zen Master Chang Sik Kim details the history of his life, his Korean Zen temple study and his enlightenment which gave birth to the Art of Shim Gum Do. Shim Gum Do means Mind Sword Path and embodies Zen Buddhist practice along with martial arts.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Zen Master Chang Sik Kim is the Founding Master of Shim Gum Do (Mind Sword Path), a Zen martial art. Zen Master Kim resides and teaches Zen and Shim Gum Do at Shim Gwang Sa (the Mind Light Temple) in Boston, Massachusetts. In addition to his daily practice and teaching, Zen Master Kim spends time gardening, practicing calligraphy, cooking and writing poetry. Zen Master Kim is a member of the Korean and the American P.E.N. centers. Zen Master Chang Sik Kim has written more than 20,000 poems to date. He is the author of The Art of Zen Sword, The History of Shim Gum Do and fourteen volumes of poetry: The Pillowhead Collects Your Dreams; Happy Birthday To You; The Sky Is Blue, The Water Is Clear; The Stars Shine, The Ocean Is Blue; The World s Flowers; The Wind Never Stops; The Countries of the United Nations, Name Poems of the 191 Member State; Heaven and Earth (English, Korean and Spanish editions); A Handful of Earth (French and Japanese editions); Our Planet Is Nature s Stage; The Faces of the Day (in Korean); The Mountain News; The New Life and Earth. Zen Master Kim s poems have also appeared in the French edition of the Korean P.E.N. s Korean Literature Today, The Korean P.E.N. Center s publication The P.E.N. Literature and in the periodical Modern Buddhist in America.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 142 pages
• Publisher: Amer Buddhist Shim Gum Do Assn; First Edition edition (April 1, 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0961442700
• ISBN-13: 978-0961442705
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,431,259 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An open mind is a clear mind., May 12, 2002

By 

Brian A. Glennon "BAG" (South Boston, Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Art of Zen Sword: The History of Shim Gum Do (Hardcover)

This is a good book which illuminates what 'Shim Gum Do' is all about. It seems to be a standard exposition of Zen Buddhist views and values coupled with an interesting story of how Zen Master Chang Sik Kim was inspired through meditation in discovering his 'Art of Zen Sword'. Zen Master Chang Sik Kim is a former member of the Korean Buddhist 'Chogye' clergy, a celebant order, but obviously the founding master has modified that practice in Shim Gum Do as his book includes photographs of his wife and children. This book shows that the founding master is a serious, dedicated, and qualified Zen monk and his martial training is used as a form of dynamic meditation to complement sitting meditation, done from the excellent Korean point of view. Americans forget that fighting Buddhist monks are priests first, warriors last. And that the karate/kung fu/ho shin sul training conforms with the Zen precepts of cultivating a 'focused' mind and developing a strong sense of character and self-reliance. Zen Master Chang Sik Kim's book: The Art of Zen Sword, deftly draws out this message with photographs, drawings, ko-ang (koan)examples, philosophy, and fascinating anecdotal information from past Korean Zen masters. He also emphasized that humble work such as cooking and cleaning are equally important in the human devopment as the sword training, and that was impressive! After reading his book several times, I believe Shim Gum Do has a healthy future in the United States and Zen Master Chang Sik Kim should be congratulated for bringing his discovery to these shores.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading for every athlete, coach and teacher., August 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Art of Zen Sword: The History of Shim Gum Do (Hardcover)

Many martial arts have been developed over several thousand years. This is a wonderful tradition; but the downside to it can be that an ancient art, far removed from its source, becomes not enriched, but corrupted. Consequently, it is an exceptional opportunity for any martial arts student to have contact with the founder of the arts. Founding Master Chang Sik Kim, author of The Art of Zen Sword, is such a teacher. He founded Shim Gum Do (a sword form), Shin Boep (a karate form), Ho Shin Sul (an Akido form), in addition to his own forms of long-stick, short-stick, and two-sword. Furthermore, Master Kim is also a Zen master, so he teaches his students "from the inside out," as it were. Speaking as a sports psychologist, athletics author and sports historian, I know that true excellence in athletics comes from inside of the athlete, using what Master Kim calls the "mind sword." This is not a how-to book, nor a book of fighting strategy. This is a rare insight into a teacher who is a genius on the subject of how true energy flows through the human being. Skill sports in particular depend on mental calmness, discipline and creativity, and there is no other physical discipline that is as difficult as martial art; therefore the skill sets of martial arts are widely and beneficially applicable to every other sport. This book could be somewhat better organized, and I wish it gave a more global picture of what a kind and creative man Master Kim is. I once saw him place a watermelon on a student's stomach, take up his katana, walk quite a number of paces away, then go into a cartwheel, land right next to the student, kneel down on one knee and cut the melon in half while leaving the student unscratched. Oh yeah -- when he did it, he was blindfolded. He said "This was not easy to do." The History of Shim Gum Do is a rare primary source for any athlete, sports psychologist, coach, and student of peak human achievement.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a wonderful book and a really wonderful teacher., February 8, 2001

By 

G. Feldman "Geoff" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Art of Zen Sword: The History of Shim Gum Do (Hardcover)

This is a must read for any student of Martial Arts. It is so rare for new Martial arts traditions to be introduced, rarer still for them to be so rich in scope and technique and even more rare for the genius of the art to be alive, well and accessible to all who wish to meet and study with him.

I know the author as my teacher and friend. Read the book, then make the trip to Boston and meet the man. If you give him just a little of yourself, you will be rewarded with such an incredible shot of knowledge and ability in return, you will be left reeling with the enormity of the gift for the rest of your life.