“Warriors don’t retire. We Die!”
-Do Joo Nim

The annual gathering of Hwa Rang Do Black Sashes took place from July 23rd through the 29th in Los Angeles, CA. Black Sashes from around the world converged for an intensive week of training at the West Coast Hwa Rang Do Academy. The sessions formally started at 9am. After cleaning and warm-ups, and besides a couple breaks for food and water the training went non-stop until midnight every day!

Day 1: It started with the basics, Tae Soo Do, addressing the details to make sure that students start off on a good foundation. Hwa Rang Do has one governing organization in the world which oversees the operation and standards of the art in all schools and clubs globally, the World Hwa Rang Do Association (WHRDA). This is unique compared to most other martial arts, where there are literally hundreds if not thousands of disenfranchised organizations.

For Hwa Rang Do, maintaining and preserving the integrity of the art (Yang) as well as developing additional unified dynamic programs to meet the changing times (Um) is a serious concern as we carry on a tradition that has lasted for some 1800 years. So, when going through the Tae Soo Do material as Black Sashes, the focus while obviously technical in nature also contained a great deal of learning how to properly educate students on how to grasp the fundamentals that they need during this stage of training. Perspective is important, as one must crawl before walking and walk before running. The Tae Soo Do program has effectively helped in better understanding Hwa Rang Do. The evening finished with Ki Gong and Meditation exercises led by Do Joo Nim.

Day 2: It began with morning Moo Gi Dae Ryun (weapon fighting) practice. Getting a chance to spar with other advanced weapon fighters is always a treat. This match time is always precious, as it really pushes our skills and abilities, as well as being a great bonding experience. Do Joo Nim continued the afternoon sessions working with the Black Sashes on their techniques again.

First everyone worked on memorizing the new material and then of course came the full throws and lock-ups all over the mats. The understanding of proper movement is essential, so forms training finished out the physical practice of the day. Much practice was done on making the soft movements more fluid, and also on maintaining nice crisp and clean movement on the individual techniques of the forms.

Day 3: This morning focused on more Moo Gi Dae Ryun. The weapon training was long and immensely informative. Besides some blisters on the hands and feet, the Black Sashes learned much about proper distancing, as well as how to setup effective combinations to the striking areas.

After making it halfway through the week’s training it become apparent to all of the new Black Sashes that they will easily learn a full year’s worth of material in one week at this pace. Then of course, conference must also be followed up with a full year’s worth of practice to understand and execute it!

This night concluded with an update regarding the current legal defense of Hwa Rang Do and the importance of preserving our trademark and copyrights, presented by Kyo Sa Jerry Kang.

Day 4: This day was one of the most enjoyable days of training as the first half was spent at the beach. A 45-minute drive up the coast to a beautiful clean quiet beach of (it’s our secret!) with hardly any people made it the perfect way to start the day. All of the Black Sashes armored up for matches on the shore. Matching in the sand and water is quite different than on the dojang floor.

After a lunch break, the training continued with Chief Master Lee teaching everyone how to use Ssang Jung Gum (double middle length swords). This kind of weapon fighting is packed with action. It was a great day of training at the beach, but after a quick swim and some relaxing moments in the sun it was time to pack up and head back to the dojang for training with Do Joo Nim.

Practice continued earnestly to maximize time training with the Founder. Along with the many physical aspects of the week, the Thursday night lecture and discussion was also welcomed as it focused on the management of our schools and clubs.

Day 5: It was our last day at WLA and after the morning meditation, free practice and warm-ups, Chief Master Lee worked with everyone on Go Too Gi combinations. The grappling started with some fundamental applications, then soon continued into all out combination grappling with counters, then counters to counters, then counters to counters to counters to counters and more! Chief Master Lee stressed that“knowledge is power” and one must seize the opportunities the opponent presents to us and not force something that isn’t there.

The night concluded with a discussion on Internet marketing. Hwa Rang Do has always been cutting edge not only in its curriculum but in it’s delivery of content and implementation. Thanks to a couple of Chief Master Lee’s students who are significantly involved in the online marketing business, a number of activities have been implemented which can greatly impact the presence of our art throughout the world wide web.

Day 6: A good night’s sleep was followed by a thorough cleaning of WCHRDA. Everyone was quite thankful to Chief Master Lee for opening his dojang to all of us and everyone did their best to make sure things were left better than when they arrived.

However, it was soon time to head down to Tustin and the new World Headquarters for actual begisul cutting with Do Joo Nim. Much work has been done on the new building during this first year at the new location. In fact, the whole second floor has been completely transformed into a beautiful new dojang and clinic which all of the Black Sashes were excited see for the first time. Of course we had to christen the new building Hwa Rang Do style!

Everyone got out their Jin Gums again, lined up in front of the building and proceeded to cut and slice their way through the tatami mats. A special Black Sash Promotional Exam was arranged for candidates who came from far away places. This included students from New York, the Midwest, and of course all the way from Italy.

Having to perform after such an intense week of complete immersion training, it was truly a formidable challenge. But, they all stepped up and overcame, successfully finishing and passing their tests.

What a week the 2007 Black Sash Conference was! There was so much intensive and detailed training; all of the Black Sashes were overwhelmed with what they had learned with ample material for them to review and master throughout the year until the next Conference.

Next year the material will advance as always, along with the development and structure of our schools and clubs. The ideas discussed this year are already making an impact in the schools that have implemented them. I think we can rest assure that Hwa Rang Do’s future looks brighter than ever. HWARANG!

Click Here for Pictures from the Black Sash Conference!

The Minneapolis Academy’s Junior Teuk Gong Team started things off on Saturday by leading warm-ups, and as usual, did a strong job all the way through even though there were so many people in attendance. After the warm-ups, everyone jumped right into the first seminar, Sparring Takedowns, where beginner students were given their first chance at takedowns, and more advanced students were given helpful instruction on how to properly setup and execute a takedown in a sparring environment.

This training is sure to lead to better attempts and accumulated points in the upcoming Midwest Championships next month in Madison, WI. The afternoon was packed with four hours of grappling:

• leg pickups
• ankle locks
• compression locks
• rear mounts
• arm bars
• neck cranks
• and more!

Master Lee’s emphasis on fluid movement and the technical ways to setup the next step of the technique greatly increased the participants’ ability to acquire the lock securely. The last segment of Saturday’s sessions focused a good deal on the transitional steps of grappling and the various positions one encounters as a grappling match rolls
along.

The students and their friends and family concluded the day at Timberlodge Steakhouse, sharing stories and bonding over a group dinner. A big steak dinner was definitely needed after the day’s training, and to prepare everyone for what was in store for them on Sunday.

Everyone returned the next morning excited for more intense training, and they were certainly not disappointed. Master Lee began with a self-defense seminar, focusing on not only the practical application of our techniques, but also some insights into prevention, or how to avoid a self-defense situation. He emphasized common sense, awareness, and knowing the psychology of the attacker as well as the victim to enhance one’s personal safety.

However, if an unavoidable altercation does arise, then committing to a variety of simple yet effective techniques shown by Master Lee would surely increase the chances of escaping and surviving a violent attack.

The afternoon entailed a solid four hours of weapon fighting, not only Kumdo (sword fighting), but also a topic rarely covered until the more advanced stages of weapon training: staff vs. staff. The Kumdo session focused on the competitive side of counter fighting once the beginners caught up on some basics. Participants drilled on seeing the movement of the opponent’s weapon and following up with proper stepping and countering. As the drills progressed some participants were able to land very swift strikes before the opponent was able land anything at all. Now, we all just have to practice a lot more in order to be faster and more accurate when it comes to our matches.

The Mugidaeryun (weapon fighting) then continued with our jang bong (staff). Using Kumdo as a basis of movement and striking, the staff combinations followed these fundamental principles of weapon combat. Proper footwork is a must in order to strike and defend, and while it takes a little time to get used to swinging a jang bong around your head when you are wearing armor, the participants of this session definitely got deep into the training. In fact, the kiaps and the sounds of weapons clashing filled the Minneapolis Academy to the point that it was difficult to
hear Master Lee’s instructions!

As always, the weekend was punctuated with honest advice and motivating discussion from Master Lee to inspire us all to push ourselves harder everyday. Using our skills, and the wisdom gained through the experience of Hwa Rang Do training to benefit the world at large through our daily actions is also a message that requires our diligence and the participants were grateful for Master Lee’s example to us all. As the students packed up their things to head home, they left with not only the new equipment they had trained with and new knowledge about how to use it, but also a renewed commitment to their training and development, resonating with a greater understanding of the Hwa Rang way. Each and every student was instilled with the desire to learn more and be more, and even as they were leaving, many were already discussing their plans to attend their next Hwa Rang Do seminar.