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Hwa Rang Do

Hwa rang do "the way of flowering manhood" is a comprehensive martial arts system whose training encompasses unarmed combat, weaponry, internal training and healing techniques. It is said to have been founded 2000 years ago by the Buddist monk, Bopsa Won Kwang. It is based upon the fighting style of Hwarang warriors (described in the History of Taekwondo topic). However, connection between the martial arts practiced by the Hwarang warriors and what is now called Hwarang-do is tenuous at best. Modern Hwarang-do is a combination of several other Korean arts that began in the 1960's.

In March 1942, Dr. Joo Bang Lee and his brother, Joo Sang Lee, were introduced to the Buddhist monk Suahm Dosa by their father, who was a personal friend of the monk, and they began their formal training at ages 5 and 6. The brothers lived and trained as the sole students with the monk mostly on weekends and during school vacations, but they also trained in other martial arts when they were unable to train under the monk.  Influences include boxing, Yudo, Komdo, and Tang-soo-do. In addition, the brothers attained Master level in Hapkido from its founder, Choi Yong­sul, in October 1956.

In April 1960, Dr. Joo Bang Lee founded Hwarang kwan by combining Suham Dosa's techniques with those of the other systems in which he had trained. This marked the first time the Hwarang were used publicly in connection with unarmed Korean martial arts. There is no way of knowing if the techniques Suahm Dosa taught the monks actually was the martial art of the Hwarang of the Silla dynasty. Lee later renamed his art, Hwarang-do. This marked the first time the character for "way" was used in connection with the Hwarang and the unarmed martial arts.

Its techniques are much like Hapkido and Kuk-sool, they include kicks, puncher, throws, joint locks, pressure point strikes, and ki development. The art's similarity to Hapkido and Kuk-sool is often explained as having resulted from numerous martial arts experts, who would later become masters and found their own styles, having trained together in Korea during the 1940's and 1950's. Hapkido is often taught in combination with Taekwondo.

Hwarang-do is a combination of um (soft/circular movement) and yang (hard/linear movement). The Mu-sul (martial aspects) of hwa rang do may be further explained in four distinct, though interconnecting, paths of study.

Nae-gong

Nae-gong deals with developing, controlling, and directing one's ki, or internal energy force, through breathing and meditation exercises in conjunction with specific physical techniques.

Wae-gong

Wae-gong includes more than 4000 offensive and defensive combative applications. Combining elements predominantly hard and linear in nature with those that are soft and circular; these techniques mesh to form a natural fighting system. This path includes full instruction in all hand strikes and blocks (trapping and grabbing as well as deflection applications, using the hands, wrist, forearm, elbows, arms, and shoulders), 365 individual kicks, throws and falls from any position and onto any surfaces, human anatomical structure as it pertains to combat applications (knowing and utilizing the body's weak points to effectively control the opponent, regardless of their size), joint manipulation and breaking, finger pressure-point application, prisoner arrest, control and transport, grappling applications, forms, offensive choking and flesh-tearing techniques, defense against multiple opponents, breaking techniques, counter-attacks, and killing techniques.

Moo-gi-gong

Moo-gi-gong involves the offensive and defensive use of the over 108 traditional weapons found within 20 categories of weaponry. By learning these various weapon systems, the practitioner may most effectively use any available object as a weapon as the situation demands.

Shin-gong

Shin-gong is the study, development, and control of the human mind to attain one's full potential and mental capabilities. Techniques are taught to achieve an increase in one's total awareness, focus, and concentration levels. Included are instruction in controlling one's mind, development of the "sixth sense", memory recall, the study of human character and personalities, practical psychology, visualization, the art of concealment and stealth as utilized by special agents (sulsa), as well as advanced, secretive applications. Hwarang-do teaches both a martial art (Mu-sul) and healing art (In-sul). If one is able to injure or worse, then he or she should know how to heal as well; once again maintaining harmony through balance of opposites. First aid and revival techniques are taught in conjunction with the traditional full studies of acupuncture, Royal Family acupressure, herbal and natural medicines, and bone setting.

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