| Bonguk geom | |
|---|---|
| Hangul | 본국검 |
| Hanja | 本國劍 |
| Revised Romanization | Bonguk geom |
| McCune–Reischauer | Bonkuk kŏm |
The Korean word Bonguk geom refers to both a sword and a sword skill which are said to have originated from the sword skills of the Hwarang from the Silla Dynasty. This is why the sword is also called Silla sword or singeom (신검). The term bonguk geom literally means 'national sword'.
By including this skill in the Muyesinbo the Joseon warriors stressed the independent valor of Korean swordsmen. [1] They do this by telling the story of Hwangchang, a boy from Silla, who killed Baekje's king while performing a sword dance, geommu, at the court.
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The skill especially stressed the independent valor of Korean swordsmen. It was originated from the sword skills of the Hwarang, the elite paramilitary organization of the Silla Dynasty, hence its other name, "Silla sword," or "sin-gum." Double‐edged swords were presumably used at early stages but the skill had been rearranged to use single‐edged swords by the time it was included in Sibpalki, the 18 essential skills.
The sword in earlier times bore close resemblance to the double-edged sword of Eastern Han, but the sword and the techniques were later adapted to use single-edged swords by the time the Muyesinbo was written.
The name bonguk geom is now widely adapted by contemporary Korean sword styles, like Haidong Gumdo, to give expression to the presumably Korean roots of their art. And doesn't necessarily have a direct connection with the bonguk geom techniques of the Joseon period or even the Sill Dynasty. It is in more traditional styles like Sippalgi that the bonguk geom skills of the Muyesinbo and Muyedobotongji are preserved.