KWAN CHANG CHRONICLES WEST COAST HWA RANG DO® ACADEMY NEWSLETTER OF FEATURES AND INFORMATION Issue 17, Volume 1 Spring 2010 A Message from the Founder of Hwa Rang Do As I was struggling to open my first school fifty years ago, I often dreamt of this moment. A time when Hwa Rang Do practitioners from across the globe would gather to celebrate and recognize each others' achievements as well as sharing tales of courage and self-sacrifice. I came to this country to fulfill my destiny of sharing with everyone this beautiful and magnificent ancient art, to uphold honor, justice and peace in the world. Many have sacrificed much to spread Hwa Rang Do and I want to thank all of them for believing in me and the art. There are many lost tales of our ancestor warriors 1800 years ago. The book known as the Hwa Rang Segi which documented the lives of over 100 Hwa Rang knights and other books were destroyed over a century ago and thought lost forever. For 100 years there only remained the fragmented sto- ries of many knights and generals that relate their great service to country and countrymen, their undying loyalty to family, their devotion to friends, their courageous deeds and their love of nature and life. Thankfully, one of these books, the Hwa Rang Segi, was discovered a few years ago and the first ever Eng- lish translation of this historic treasure has recently been completed. The past 50 years of Hwa Rang Do has been an effort to re-write the lost books: Hwa Rang Segi, Samauk Yusa and Samauk Segi with modern tales of chivalry and honor. What we do today will determine what the future will be, picking up where the Hwa Rang Segi leaves us with the power to continue, to make history and realize our dreams. The alternative would be to dwell in the comforts of apathy and inaction. Destiny lies within the spirit - it is inseparable and indomitable. We are born into the world with a "destiny" and it will lie dormant until it is awakened by a loud thunderous clap or a gentle hug. Either way, "destiny" exists and the only question is whether it remains asleep or it is allowed to do its bidding. Hwa Rang Do was once taught in a beautiful temple called, "Bul Guk Sa", which still remains as a national monument in Korea. It was an institution of higher learning with emphasis on leadership, harmony and balance. Hwa Rang Do is unlike other martial arts where the focus is merely on self-defense & the specta- cle of modern martial arts competition. Hwa Rang Do is a school of thought that believes in achieving balance of mind, body and heart to enrich the spirit so that we can live in harmony with others and nature, and to develop strength and power so that no one ca take away our freedom by force. As we enter the 2nd decade of the 21st century, let us rewrite the re- maining lost books with examples of modern day exploits of the current crop of Hwa Rang Knights, and let us together rebuild our own modern "Bul Guk Sa". With all our resources, hard work, and cooperation with an eye on the future, Hwa Rang Do University (HRDU) will be a reality. Thank you for helping me make our dreams come true. HWA RANG! Dr. Joo Bang Lee Supreme Grandmaster Hwa Rang Do Founder & WHRDA President Summer Tae Soo Do Black Belt Graduates Kwan Changpg. Chronicles5 1 Hwa Rang Do World Tour Stops in Minneapolis, MN March, 2010 Minneapolis saw another amazing seminar weekend on voted juniors returned Sunday For another Full day oF March 6th & 7th with Grandmaster Taejoon Lee,8th Dan Hwa weapon ighting! A weekend of seminar training requires Rang Do Black Sash, and Vice-President of the World Hwa enormous will and Focus from most adults. Imagine the Rang Do Association. The entire weekend was packed with level oF discipline and dedication required For a group oF 7- exceptional training and camaraderie. As usual, Kuksanim 10 year olds to spend two intense days of training without (Grandmaster) also delivered insightFul stories and distraction and with continued enthusiasm. The conven- prompted wonderful intellectual discussion. The entire tional wisdom says that a child’s attention span is Forty-ive weekend was a success, with some of the most inspirational minutes. The conventional wisdom is wrong. Our juniors aspects of the seminars came during the irst session, the proved without a doubt that they possess the heart and kids’ session. spirit of true Hwa Rang warriors, as they stayed Focused and Previous seminars have yielded a good turnout from our engaged For six hours at a time, performing complicated juniors and little tigers, but this year broke all records. We techniques that even advanced adults struggle to master. As had more than 50 kids, of various ages and ranks, packed always, Kuksanim showed us that iF you set high expecta- into the dojang to train with Kuksanim. Even a number of tions, people of all ages will rise to them. our Tiny Tigers (ages 3-5) turned out For the big event. At After the kids’ session was complete, the curriculum For the irst, many of our Tiny Tigers were nervous and over- day turned to grappling, with the irst session being take- whelmed by all the people and new Faces. But, in true Hwa downs. As with the junior’s session, the Minneapolis dojang Rang spirit, they overcame their Fears and trained with was packed from wall to wall with participants ranging from strength and courage. The day was kicked off by an enthusi- TSD white belts to HRD black sashes. So many were in at- astic warm-up led by our junior TGT. The remainder of the tendance, in Fact, that Kuksanim decided to have the entire session Focused on drills to improve kicks and build leg group work out kneeling, as there were more than roughly strength. The TGT continued to impress throughout the ses- forty pairs of students on the loor! sion. Not only did they strive to perfect their own kicking The lessons, as always, started simple: How to pull an op- techniques, but they showed maturity and leadership by ponent ofF balance, work with his natural reactions to being aiding the younger students in the session. pushed or pulled to seize an advantage, and then From there Kuksanim also took a Few minutes to have a serious conver- achieve an advantaged position. Some of the basic tech- sation with the kids. They discussed how, even as kids, they niques covered were using Feints to duck under your oppo- can make the world a better place. In order to do this, they nent’s arms, and using the entire body to seize his torso must irst make themselves as strong as they can. Then they from behind, bearing both to the ground. Again and again, can show others what it means to live a true Hwa Rang life. the necessity For maintaining a local weight and balance ad- They can also do this by standing up For other people who vantage were stressed. Emphasized (and shown in a later are not strong enough to stand up For themselves, whether session) was that every moment where one grappler Failed this is at the playground or school. All the children demon- to keep the advantage over his opponent was a moment in strated amazing insight, thoughtfulness, and integrity in which you were giving him the opportunity to not only es- their responses to Kuksanim’s questions. The kids’ partici- cape, but seize the advantage himself. pation did not end when the session was over. Many of the Over and over the grapplers worked to Nind their balance juniors continued to participate in the grappling sessions and achieve proper techniques as Grandmaster led them that illed the remainder of the day. Additionally, a Few de- through arm bars, triangles, World Tour, continued p. 3 Kwan Chang Chronicles 2 Hwa Rang Do 50th Anniversary Championship Preview For the first time in the history of martial arts competition, the Hwa Rang Do 50th Anniversary Champi- onships will feature 9 tournaments in distinct categories, representing the full breadth of the most comprehensive martial art system in the world: Competitions Schedule World Tour, ContinuedOpen p. 3 Hand Forms Friday, July 30, 2010 Weapon Forms 1pm - 3pm Weapon Forms Kick, Punch, Throw Fighting 3pm - 7pm Weapon Fighting Submission Fighting (Grappling) Saturday, July 31, 2010 Bongtoogi (Stick Fighting) 9am Open Hand Forms 11am - Sparring (Kick Punch Throw) Short Twin Sticks vs Short Twin Sticks 1pm - 4pm Gotoogi (Submission Fighting) Long Staff vs Long Staff Banquet Events (5:15pm until) Mixed Stick Fighting 6:30pm Black Sash Finals Gumtoogi (Sword Fighting) 7pm Demonstration Short Twin Swords vs Short Twin Swords Sunday, August 1 Long Sword vs Long Sword 10am - Noon Mixed Sword Fighting Lecture/Q&A with Grandmaster Taejoon Lee World Tour, from p. 2 chokes, and shoulder locks. However, these were only introduced initially as individual techniques. The purpose of this ses- sion was not moving from position to submission. Rather, much like our stand-up ighting, it was to show the beneit of moving from one ight-ending submission smoothly to another, and to another, and another…until your opponent taps out! All the while, the instructors prowled the loor, correcting the mistakes of pairs as they worked. Always emphasized, but often Forgotten in the heat and pressure of the moment, was the necessity to isolate the joint being worked (“I said clamp your knees together! TOGETHER! Riiiight!”) and to ensure maximum leverage is applied with minimum motion – the basic Foundation of the hip movement drills, hip slides, and bridging practice that start every grappling class was never more clear, or clearly im- portant.