American Buddhist Shim Gum Do Association

Mission: American Buddhist Shim Gum Do Association is the American branch of World Shim Gum Do Association. World Shim Gum Do also has branches in Italy, South Korea and Poland. The center of all Shim Gum Do is the Shim Gwang Sa - Mind Light Temple. Shim Gwang Sa is dedicated to preserving and maintaining all aspects of the original Zen Buddhist art of Shim Gum Do, (the Mind Sword Path) and the teachings of Shim Gum Do Founding Master Great Zen Master Chang Sik Kim.
Shim Gum Do is an original Zen Art that integrates the practice and principles of Zen Buddhist meditation with the “action meditation” of martial art practice. Shim Gum Do has six parts which comprise about 1,000 “forms.” A form is a choreographed sequence of martial art techniques of blocking and attacking movements. Each form is unique and generates a specific energy and artful expression. The six parts of Shim Gum Do are Zen Sword, Shin Boep, Ho Shin Sul, Long Stick, Two Sword and Short Stick. Zen Sword consists of forms that utilize a single-edged sword; Shin Boep or “Body Dharma” is similar to karate in that it is a weaponless art of hand and foot movements; Ho Shin Sul, or self-defense, is a system of grappling techniques for breaking grabs, joint locks, throws and pressure points; Long Stick consists of forms that use a long straight, pole-like stick; Two Sword forms use two swords; and Short Stick forms use a short, arm-length, straight stick.
Shim Gwang Sa Temple has ongoing classes in Shim Gum Do. Shim Gum Do Founding Master Great Zen Master Chang Sik Kim teaches monthly meditation sessions and Dharma Talks that are free and open to the public.

From www.ic.org/directory/american-buddhist-shim-gum-do-association/:

Shim Gwang Sa (Mind Light Temple) is the main teaching center of the American Buddhist Shim Gum Do Association and the World Shim Gum Do Association. Shim Gwang Sa teaches the Zen Buddhist martial art called Shim Gum Do ("Mind Sword Path"). Shim Gum Do Founding Master Dae Soen Sa Nim (Great Zen Master) Chang Sik Kim is the 79th patriarch of his Dharma lineage that began with Shakyamuni Buddha. Zen Master Kim began his formal Zen training under Dae Soen Sa Nim Seung Sahn, Abbot of the Hwa Gye Temple of the Chyoge order of Zen Buddhism in Seoul, Korea, at the age of thirteen. When he was twenty one, Zen Master Kim underwent a 100-day retreat on Sam Gak mountain. During this time, Shim Gum Do was revealed to Zen Master Kim through his meditation and he attained enlightenment.
Shim Gum Do is a Zen practice that brings together the mind and body through dynamic practice of action meditation through the martial art forms of Shim Gum Do combined with sitting meditation. The practice of Shim Gum Do emphasizes attaining a clear mind, clear thinking, and clear action. Shim Gwang Sa has ongoing classes in Shim Gum Do and offers a residential training program. The residential program is for those who are interested in a more intensive study of Shim Gum Do and traditional Zen temple practices.

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