The Return of HWARANGDO!

Veterans’ Sports Complex
Friday, 20 October 2006
Carson, CA

In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.  So, too, in a field of mixed martial arts, of flying apple cores and broken glasses, did the Hwarang warriors stand out as the premier example of what is possible at the 7th World Martial Arts Exposition in Carson, CA last month.  Led by Kwan Jang Nim, the demonstration team from the West Coast Hwarangdo Academy repeatedly shocked, stunned, impressed and overwhelmed the capacity crowd at the Veteran’s Sports Complex with their precision and demonstration of over 500 techniques.

From the aerial kicking mastery of Instructor Matthew Kim and Jo Kyo Nim Nicholas Day, to the Kumdo attacks and spear defenses of Instructor William Wright and Jo Kyo Nim Olivia Vaatete, the Hwarang of the West Coast kept the crowd screaming, chanting and breathless from cheering.  Not to be outdone, the West Coast Academy student body turned out in force, making up over a quarter of the crowd!

No one drew more applause, respect, admiration or awe, though, than Chief Master Lee with his fluid demonstration of joint-locks and pressure application.  Perhaps the only person in the building not completely enamored of Kwan Jang Nim’s skill and power was Sa Bum Nim Scott Macknight, his demonstration partner!  Where Mr. Kim and Mr. Day flew around the mats of their own volition, Sabumnim’s body left the ground repeatedly, despite his best efforts to pin Master Lee, or apply his own techniques!

Accompanied by his wife, the founder of modern Hwarangdo, Dr. Joo Bang Lee, sat ringside as his eldest son engaged in a rare public exhibition of Hwarang artistry.  Dr. Lee was also honored by the Exposition for his lifetime’s work of maintaining the integrity of martial arts in the public sphere.  A resident of West Los Angeles for the past twelve years, Chief Master Lee has worked tirelessly and internationally to preserve the purity of the Hwarang spirit.  This dedication and commitment drew the entire crowd into his enthusiasm and performance.
From ancient weapons to modern ground fighting, Master Lee and the demonstration team exemplified the best of what martial training, and what the daily practice of Hwarangdo truly is.