The First Star Black Belt Forms of Shim Gum Do Zen Sword

This book is about the First Black Belt level of the martial art Shim Gum Do. Shim Gum Do means Mind Sword Path. It is an original Zen Art that integrates the practice and principles of Zen Buddhism with the action meditation of martial art practice. This book is the authoritative text on how the Zen experience is fully integrated into the nature and practice of Shim Gum Do. The author is Shim Gum Do Founding Master Great Zen Master Chang Sik Kim who is the absolute authority on Shim Gum Do. This book is divided into three sections: Part One - The History of Shim Gum Do, Part Two - The First Star Black Belt of Shim Gum Do Zen Sword Course Material and Part Three - The Mind Sword Path of Shim Gum Do. Part One is the life story of Zen Master Chang Sik Kim. This section tells the story of his early life and how he met his teacher and entered the Hwa Gye Sa Zen Buddhist temple in Seoul, Korea. Zen Master Kim shares the personal journey of his enlightenment and discovery of Shim Gum Do, the Mind Sword Path. Also included in Part One is Zen Master Kim s complete Dharma lineage that began with Shakyamuni Buddha and includes the renowned Zen Master Bodhidharma. Part Two details the traditions and formalities of the Shim Gum Do practice. The nine courses of the First Star Black Belt of Shim Gum Do Zen Sword are explained step by step, including descriptions of the Sword Basic Forms; the techniques and sequence of Sword Forms #1 through #15; the Sword Fighting Forms #1 through #7; and the requirements for taking the First Star Black Belt Test. Numerous photographic images accompany the narrative in Part Two. Part Three contains the Proclamation of Shim Gum Do, which explains Shim Gum Do s Doctrine and reflects its spirit. This document describes the direct correlation of Shim Gum Do to Zen Buddhist doctrine and Dharma. This section also sets forth the entire Shim Gum Do martial art system and its thirty-three Star Levels.