The History of Hwa Rang Do^®

Hwa Rang Do^® is the original Korean system of hand to hand combat. It traces its lineage back to the ancient Korean Kingdom of Shilla, one of the three ancient kingdoms of Korea. The 24th king of Shilla, Chinhung Wang – 549 to 576 AD, mandated that the Hwarang Warrior Corp be part of his Special Military Elite. He called upon the services of the venerable teacher Won Gwang to instruct this select group of young members of the royal family in the Martial Arts, philosophic and intellectual studies as well as artistic pursuits.

From the Hwarang Warrior Corps came many future kings, statesmen, and leaders of ancient Korea. Their deeds became legendary on and off the battlefield. The Hwarang were known as gentleman of high intelligence who were concurrently known as the fiercest warrior sect in ancient Korea.

It was during the Yi Dynasty of Korea (1392 to 1910) that the King disfavored the warring arts of the Hwarang and therefore disbanded the Hwarang. As a result, the remaining Hwarang warrior groups took refuge in the many secret mountainous regions and passed on and trained many students in secrecy for over 500 years.

Beginning in 1941, the Martial & Healing skills of the ancient Hwarang were eventually passed on to two brothers, Joo Bang Lee & Joo Sang Lee. They had learned the Hwarang warrior skills from a 57th generation warrior/monk known as Suahm Dosa. After training in secret for 20 years, the Lee brothers received permission to teach the Hwarang Combat Skills to the open public. The year was 1960 when the Lee brothers opened the first public Hwarangdo Academy in Seoul Korea.

For more detailed history of Hwa Rang Do^®, please click here.