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Hwa Rang Do is a Korean martial art that was created in its modern form by Joo Bang Lee and his brother, Joo Sang Lee. This martial art teaches and encourages fighting and defense techniques, spiritual training, intellectual enhancement, and artistic pursuits. It has an extensive history, and a very involved technique structure. Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Image File history File links Hwa_Rang_Do. ... Jamo redirects here. ... Hanja is the Korean name for Chinese characters. ... The Revised Romanization of Korean is the official Korean language romanization system in South Korea. ... McCune-Reischauer romanization is one of the two most widely used Korean language romanization systems, along with the Revised Romanization of Korean, which replaced (a modified) McCune-Reischauer as the official romanization system in South Korea in 2000. ... Hawaiian State Grappling Championships. ...

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.) The Hwarang were an elite group of male youth in Silla, an ancient Korean kingdom that lasted until the 10th century. ... Silla (also spelled Shilla, traditional dates 57 BCE - 935 CE) was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. ... This article is about the Korean peninsula and civilization. ... The Hwarang were an elite group of male youth in Silla, an ancient Korean kingdom that lasted until the 10th century. ...

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. Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Look up expert in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Look up syllabus in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

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.[1] 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. Also: 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ...

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.[2]

Technique Structure

In 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. In education, teachers are those who teach students or pupils, often a course of study, lesson plan, or a practical skill, including learning and thinking skills. ...

• 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, Sparring in wushu (sport) using a dao (sword) and gun (staff) Sparring is a form of training common to many martial arts. ... Self defense refers to actions taken by a person to defend onself, ones property or ones home. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For Nintendos Wii Remote Nunchuk attachment, see Nunchuk. ... Swiss longsword, 15th or 16th century Look up Sword in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article is about the tool. ...

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. Tae Soo Do was a name under which the major Martial Arts Kwans (or schools) of post-Korean war South Korea unified in 1962, after briefly dropping the name Taekwondo, and prior to the switch back to that name in 1965 at the behest of General Choi Hong Hi Tae... Bold textA belt is a flexible band, typically made of leather or heavy cloth, and worn around the waist. ... Students in Rome, Italy. ...

Traditions

Philosophy

The Hwa Rang Do Meng Sae

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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: Image File history File links Broom_icon. ...

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.

Controversy

The claims and research of many historians and 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, 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. Likewise, their supposed instructor, Suahm Dosa, was not a person of record or public renown and may not have existed.

It is a common assertion among martial artists and historians that modern Korean martial arts were actually derived from the martial arts of other countries (primarily China and Japan, Japan which attempted to destroy the indigenous Korean culture in their occupation of the country during World War II and Chinese 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. Joo Bang Lee himself admitted, in the aforementioned interview, that in 1961 his own school was advertised "hwarangdo and hapkido." Photographs taken from demonstrations organized by his school in the late 1960's display logos commonly associated with kuk sool won and hapkido. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

According to Kimm He-Young,^[1] 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. Choi Yong Sul (1904 - 1986), alternative spelling Choi Yong Sool) is known as the founder of martial art Hapkido. ... Kuk Sool Won is a comprehensive Korean martial arts system founded by In Hyuk Suh in 1958. ...

References

External links

• The Official Site of Hwa Rang Do and Joo Bang Lee
• The West Coast Headquarters of Hwa Rang Do in Los Angeles, Ca.
• The_Dojang email discussion forum for HwaRangDo, Hapkido and the other Korean Martial Arts
• The Official Site of Hwa Rang Do East Coast
• The Flowering Way - The Official World Hwa Rang Do Association forum
• Hwa Rang Do Midwest Headquarters in Madison, Wisconsin and surrounding academies
• Korean Martial Art- Hwa Rang Do Videos