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Hwa Rang Do

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Hwa Rang Do
Hangul
화랑도
Hanja
花郞道
Revised RomanizationHwarangdo
McCune–ReischauerHwarangdo

Hwa Rang Do is a Korean martial art that was created by Joo Bang Lee and his brother, Joo Sang Lee. This martial art teaches and encourages fighting techniques, weapons, spiritual training, intellectual enhancement, and artistic pursuits. It has a very involved technique structure.

History

The name Hwa Rang Do is Korean for "The way of the Flowering Manhood". It was named after the Hwarang, an elite youth order of the Silla kingdom during the Three-Kingdoms period, in what is now Korea. The Hwarang were an order of youths, mostly from aristocratic families, who were educated in artistic, academic, and martial fields of study.

While the founders and practitioners of Hwa Rang Do claim that their techniques are inherited from the fighting methods used by the Hwarang, there is a great deal of controversy among modern historians regarding whether or not the Hwarang were primarily a warrior order. (For more information on this controversy, see the Hwarang article.)

According to Joo Bang Lee, in 1942, a monk named Suahm Dosa took in he and his brother, Joo Sang Lee, to be trained. (Note that "Dosa" is actually his title, and it is roughly equivalent to "expert.") They lived with him at the Suk Wang Sa Temple in the Ham Nam province of North Korea, before later escaping with him to Ohdae Mountain in South Korea during the communist take over. He had no formal syllabus to teach them, but rather taught whatever caught his fancy that morning.

After their training by Suahm Dosa, the two brothers spent some time learning other martial arts before they set out to create their own martial art. They generated the syllabus from scratch, based on the techniques from Suahm Dosa that they could remember, and then started to teach it to the public. At this time, Joo Sang Lee moved to the United States to spread the martial art there.

In January of 1969, Suahm Dosa died. But before he did, he gave the Hwarang title of Do Joo Nim ("Owner of The Way") to Joo Bang Lee.[5] He gave it to the younger brother because he was the one still in Korea and, in Suahm Dosa's eyes, the one who cared more about the art. This did not sit well with Joo Sang Lee, and led to a falling out in later years.

In 1972, Joo Bang Lee moved (taking the World Headquarters of Hwa Rang Do with him) to California. He currently claims the title of "Supreme Grand Master" of Hwa Rang Do; it is supposed that he is the 58th successive holder of the title.[6]

Controversy

The research of martial arts historians and testimony of contemporary martial artists dispute Joo Bang Lee's assertion that Hwa Rang Do is a martial art derived from the fighting techniques of an ancient warrior order. In addition to the aforementioned dispute regarding the nature of the Hwarang order itself, [1] it is known that he and his brother were both educated in other martial arts, from which the techniques of Hwa Rang Do could have been derived.[2] Likewise, their instructor, Suahm Dosa, was not a person of record or public renown and may not have existed.

Historians assert that many modern Korean martial arts were actually derived from the martial arts of other countries, primarily China and Japan.[3] The Japan when it attempted to destroy the indigenous Korean culture in their occupation of the country during World War II and China who took in refugees during this time passing on their martial arts techniques.) Joo Bang Lee's detractors claim that Hwa Rang Do is an amalgamation of other, Japan-originated arts Joo Bang Lee learned, namely Hapkido.[4] Joo Bang Lee himself admitted, in the aforementioned interview, that in 1961 his own school was advertised "hwarangdo and hapkido."[5] Photographs taken from demonstrations organized by his school in the late 1960's display logos commonly associated with kuk sool won and hapkido.[6][7]

According to Kimm He-Young,[8] Lee also studied under Kim Moo Hong, one of Choi Yong Sul's students, who was a major innovator in the art of hapkido. Kim was also the teacher of Kim Woo Tak who founded the hapki kuk sool kwan and may also have been the teacher of Suh In-Hyuk, founder of Kuk Sool Won although this is disputed by Suh.

,

There is also controversy surrounding Joo Bang Lee's former top student, Michael Echanis, who trained with Lee only briefly and was apparently promoted to high rank for commercial reasons involving his books and military connections.

Technique structure

Hwa Rang Do is a martial with over 4,000 techniques, as well as 108 weapons. These are taught in a progression as a student gains sashes (items to signify skill level attained), with many of the more difficult ones only taught after a black sash is achieved. Due to the extensive nature of the curriculum, typically attaining a black sash may take between 8 - 15 years. More dedicated students may possibly achieve it in less.

The sashes

In Hwa Rang Do, practitioners are given sashes to signify their progression through the martial art. Before first dan (first black sash), the belt order goes from white to half-black:

  • White Sash: Coo Kub (ninth grade)
  • Orange Sash: Pal Kub (eighth grade)
  • Yellow Sash: Chil Kub (seventh grade)
  • Green Sash: Yuk Kub (sixth grade)
  • Purple Sash: Oh Kub (fifth grade)
  • Blue Sash: Sa Kub (fourth grade)
  • Brown Sash: Sum Kub (third grade)
  • Red Sash: E Kub (second grade)
  • Half-black sash: Il Kub (first grade)

After receiving a black sash, a practitioner earns the title Jo Kyo Nim (or alternatively, Yu Dan Ja), and can now be an instructor. In addition, every degree of black sash has its own title, and shows a respective knowledge level. Note that there can only ever be one ninth degree and one tenth degree at any one time.

  • Cho Dan: first degree black sash. Title: Jo Kyo Nim (Assistant instructor)
  • E Dan: second degree black sash. Title: Kyo Sa Nim (Instructor)
  • Sam Dan: third degree black sash. Title: Sa Bum Nim (Head Instructor)
  • Sa Dan: fourth degree black sash. Title: Susuk Sa Bum Nim (Chief Instructor)
  • Oh Dan: fifth degree black sash. Title: Kwan Jang Nim (Master)
  • Yuk Dan: sixth degree black sash. Title: Kwan Jang Nim, or Dosa (Master)
  • Chil Dan: seventh degree black sash. Title: Su Suk Kwan Jang Nim (Chief Master)
  • Pal Dan: eighth degree black sash. Title: Kuk Sa Nim or Chong Kwan Jang Nim (Grandmaster)
  • Gu Dan: ninth degree black sash. Title: Kuk Sun (Head Grandmaster)
  • Ship Dan: tenth degree black sash. Title: Do Joo Nim (Supreme Grandmaster, Owner of the Way)

The physical techniques

During the course of study up until black sash, a practitioner will learn a long form, eight basic techniques, around 30 "one step sparring" techniques and about the same number of self-defense techniques, and some short forms, every sash level. In addition, three main weapons will be taught: The Ssang Jyel Bong (nunchaku), Jang Bong (long staff), and the Gum Mu (sword). Defense against other weapons, such as the knife, are also taught, but training with those weapons does not occur until black sash. Hwa Rang Do students will also have extensive study in grappling, joint manipulation and submission fighting, and new curriculum rollouts allow studying kumdo and weapon fighting earlier in the program.

Tae Soo Do

Tae Soo Do is an abridged version of the Hwa Rang Do syllabus, also created by Joo Bang Lee, and is often used as an introductory course for students that have not practiced martial arts before. After achieving a black belt in Tae Soo Do (it uses belts instead of the sashes from Hwa Rang Do), a student is given a yellow sash and is shifted into the Hwa Rang Do syllabus. Some new students are allowed to skip Tae Soo Do, and go straight into Hwa Rang Do. Typically this is an arrangement between the instructor and student, and is more common if the new student has extensive previous training. Some schools have a policy that all students wishing to learn Hwa Rang Do must obtain a TSD black belt. Programs also exist to get this very rapidly in the case of experienced students, but this requires a lot of dedication on the part of the student. While Tae Soo Do is easier and less comprehensive than Hwa Rang Do, it is a complete martial art in itself, and a student learns quite a lot of striking (kicking and punching), and the basics of joint locks, throws, grappling and simplified weapon forms. In many schools both Tae Soo Do and Hwa Rang Do are taught.

Traditions

Philosophy

The Hwa Rang Do Meng Sae

The study of human morality is more important to the Hwa Rang Do practitioner than learning how to kick and punch. When making a weapon out of a human through the learning of combat skills, you must have the responsibility to use this knowledge properly. Without this understanding of human morality, the martial art practitioner will cause great harm to themselves and the rest of society. That is why the moral foundation of Hwa Rang Do is the Hwa Rang Do Meng Sae. This is made up of the ancient Hwarang's five rules, and Founder Joo Bang Lee's nine philosophies concerning human morality:

Hwa Rang Do O Kae (five rules)
Romanized Korean number Aphorism Transliteration
Il Sa Kun E Choong Loyalty to one's country
E Sa Chin E Hyo Loyalty to one's parents and teachers
Sam Kyo Woo E Shin Trust and brotherhood among friends
Sa Im Jeon Moo Tae Courage never to retreat in the face of the enemy
Oh Sal Saeng Yoo Teak Justice never to take a life without a cause
Hwa Rang Do Kyo Hoon (nine virtues)
Korean English
In Humanity
Oui Justice
Yea Courtesy
Ji Wisdom
Shin Trust
Sun Goodness
Duk Virtue
Choong Loyalty
Yong Courage

Meaning of Hwa Rang Do

Hwa = Flower

Rang = Man

Do = Way

The common English translations are 'The Way of the Flowering Manhood' or 'The Way of the Flowering Knights.' The 'Man' idea in this title refers to an ideal man: one of honor, strength, responsibility, and virtue. The reason for the word 'Flower' is to state that just as a flower grows and then blooms, so should a man grow and then bloom into something beautiful. Also, just as a flower is beautiful just by being, so too should a man be honorable, loyal, strong, and virtuous by simply existing, without having to try to be any of these things. Obviously, since it is in the name of the Art, this idea is central to all aspects of Hwarangdo: one should be without needing to try to be. By this concept a practitioner is taught to be humble, strong, and honorable.

References

  1. ^ Rutt, Richard. "The Flower Boys of Silla (Hwarang), Notes on the Sources." Transactions of the Korea Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, 38 (October 1961):1-66.}}
  2. ^ Jung, Hyung-Min, The Lion of Hwa Rang Do® ROARS!: An Exclusive Interview with Founder, Lee Joo-Bang, Black Belt Magazine. October 2000[1]
  3. ^ Draeger, Donn and Robert W. Smith. Asian Fighting Arts, Kodansha International, 1969; re-titled Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts upon republication, 1980 (ISBN 978-0870114366)
  4. ^ Robert W. Young The History & Development of Tae Kyon - Journal of Asian Martial Arts 2:2 (1993)
  5. ^ Jung, Hyung-Min, The Lion of Hwa Rang Do® ROARS!: An Exclusive Interview with Founder, Lee Joo-Bang, Black Belt Magazine. October 2000[2]
  6. ^ Duggan, Bob. Society of the Hwarang; Photojournal.[3])
  7. ^ Duggan, Bob.A contemporary History of Korean Combined Martial Arts : Early affiliation between Hapkido, Kuk Sool Won and Hwa Rang, Cir. Mid-1960's.[4])
  8. ^ Kimm, He-Young (1991). The Hapkido Bible. Baton Rouge, Louisiana: Andrew Jackson Press.
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