Hwa Rang Do

"The way of flowering manhood"

Hwa Rang Do is a fairly complete art encompassing throws, joint locks, strikes, and kicks. Its description would closely parallel Hapkido's.

Hwa Rang Do is an ancient Korean martial art that dates back nearly 2000 years. King Chinhung of Silla established an academy for young nobles to become educated in things such as martial arts, archery, poetry and dance. These young nobles were the first Hwa Rang warriors. Won Kwang Bhopsa established a code of ethics by which the Hwa Rang warriors lived. It stressed among other things loyalty to country and family, courage and justice. For years the art of Hwa Rang Do had to remain hidden in the Buddhist temples. In 1960 Joo Bang Lee recieved permission from his instructor, the Buddhist monk Suahm Dhosa who was the Supreme Grandmaster of the art at the time, to teach Hwa Rang Do to the general public. The first public Hwa Rang Do school was opened in Seoul, South Korea. From there Hwa Rang Do has spread, and now Dr. Joo Bang Lee is the Supreme Grandmaster of Hwa Rang Do and resides in Downey, California, location of the World Hwa Rang Do Association Headquarters.