Hwarang-do

What is Hwa Rang Do?

Hwa Rang Do is a modern Korean martial art that was developed in the 1960s by brothers Joo Bang Lee and Joo Sang Lee. Depending on the academy, the curriculum includes unarmed techniques, weapons, forms, meditation, character development, ground work, and modern sparring programs.

The name refers to the historical Hwarang of the Silla Kingdom. However, no surviving technical sources demonstrate that the modern martial art directly derives from an unbroken ancient Hwarang fighting tradition.

The historical Hwarang

The Hwarang were an elite group of young aristocrats in the Silla kingdom during the Three Kingdoms period. Historical accounts associate them with administrative, military, religious, and cultural education. The precise nature of their military training and the continuity of a distinct martial art are not fully documented in surviving sources.

The modern Hwa Rang Do Association presents a lineage to the Hwarang through the teacher known as Suahm Dosa. This tradition includes the training of Joo Bang Lee and Joo Sang Lee in Korea and their later meeting with Choi Yong-sool. The claim of a direct historical line and titles such as Do Ju are attributed to that organization, not presented as an independently proven genealogy.

Development of the modern art

According to their biographical tradition, the Lee brothers initially trained with their father and later with Suahm Dosa. In the 1950s, they became involved in Hapkido and other Korean martial arts circles, including contacts with Choi Yong-sool and Suh In-hyuk. Around 1968, Hwa Rang Do was established as an independent name and organization alongside earlier Hwarang and Hapkido designations.

Joo Sang Lee moved to the United States in 1969, and Joo Bang Lee followed in 1972. From there, the World Hwa Rang Do Association grew through demonstrations, academies, and international seminars.

Name and historical distinction

Hwa Rang Do and the ancient Hwarang are therefore not the same. The modern art draws its name, ethical imagery, and origin story from the Hwarang, but its technical curriculum is a twentieth-century development. Claims about a directly transmitted ancient system are presented as lineage tradition rather than established historical evidence.

Training and curriculum

Hwa Rang Do training may include punches, kicks, throws, joint locks, breakfalls, forms, ground fighting, weapons training, meditation, and character development. The exact content varies by academy and its affiliation with the World Hwa Rang Do Association.

The organization divides its traditional curriculum into, among other areas, Nae Gong (internal meditation and physical development), Oe Gong (physical techniques), Mugi Gong (weapons), and Sin Gong (mental development). Numbers such as 21 training areas, 20 weapon categories, or 108 weapons are curriculum claims made by the organization, not universal standards.

Modern competition programs

From the 1990s and 2000s onward, the WHRDA developed programs that supplement traditional training with competition-oriented practice. Examples include Gotoogi for ground fighting, Gumtoogi for sword-sparren, Bongtoogi for stick-sparren, and Yongtoogi for semi-contact sparren. These programs are not identical to the traditional self-defense curriculum.

Philosophy and ethics

Modern WHRDA uses the Hwa Rang Do Maeng Se as its moral framework. The O Gye contains five rules concerning loyalty, respect for parents and teachers, trust between friends, courage, and restraint when taking a life. The Gyo Hun sets out nine virtues, including humanity, justice, courtesy, wisdom, trust, and courage.

The historical connection to the Hwarang and Won Gwang is part of the tradition and organizational explanation. Modern translations, such as loyalty to one's country instead of to a ruler, may vary by source.

Meditation and body knowledge

Ki Gong may include active and passive meditation, focusing on posture, breathing, relaxation, and concentration. Within the WHRDA, In Sul refers to traditional Asian knowledge of the body and its care, including acupressure, herbs, acupuncture, and other categories.

These practices are not presented as a replacement for modern medical care. Claims about internal energy, healing, or extraordinary performance are traditional explanations and not established scientific effects.

Hwa Rang Do in the Netherlands

According to Dutch and organizational sources, Hwa Rang Do in the Netherlands was organized by 1995 in the Netherlands by Alex Krijger, following his contact with the Filipino instructor Henry Shin Duguil. This Filipino intermediary step and the precise lineage are presented as source-based tradition.

Historically, activities in the Netherlands were mainly associated with Zeeland and West Brabant, with Vlissingen mentioned as a center and earlier training activities in Bergen op Zoom, Halsteren, Terneuzen, and Hoogerheide, among others. These are historical references and not a current list of active locations.

The Dutch branch is listed by the WHRDA as an affiliated academy or organization. Tae Soo Do is often used within this lineage as a preparatory program before students enter the Hwa Rang Do curriculum. Graduations, classes, and current locations may vary by academy.

Rankings

Within the WHRDA, Tae Soo Do belts and Hwa Rang Do sashes are distinguished. The preparatory Tae Soo Do program uses nine geup grades, followed by colored sashes and black-sash ranks. The colors, titles, and study durations mentioned belong to this specific organizational system and are not a worldwide standard.

Higher ranks may carry titles such as Jo Gyo Nim, Gyo Sa Nim, Sa Beom Nim, Gwan Jang Nim, Guk Sa Nim, Guk Seon Nim, and Do Ju Nim. The WHRDA describes the ninth and tenth degrees as honorary positions within its own structure.

Competitions and demonstrations

WHRDA events may include disciplines such as open-hand forms, weapons forms, point sparring, Yongtoogi, Gotoogi, Gumtoogi, Bongtoogi, and free demonstrations. Rules and divisions are determined by the organizing federation; participation is not mandatory for every student.

Source criticism

Modern Hwa Rang Do history is largely based on organizational and lineage sources. Claims about the ancient Hwarang, Suahm Dosa, a 58th-generation succession, a very large number of techniques, military influence, and the exclusivity of ranks are therefore attributed to the organization concerned and are not presented as independently proven facts.

The historical Hwarang, the modern Hwa Rang Do art, and the WHRDA are three different layers of the story. This distinction prevents a modern genealogy from being interpreted as direct continuity from the Silla period.

Train safely

Throws, locks, weapons, and sparren should be learned step by step and under expert supervision. Use mats, safe training weapons, and appropriate protective gear. Stop the exercise if there is pain, dizziness, or loss of control. De-escalation and avoiding violence take priority over every technique.