Foothold on Tradition

West LA instructor preserves ancient Korean martial art!

By Marilyn Martinez

January 1, 1995

In a bunker like building in West Los Angeles, behind Joseph's Liquor store with its ad-plastered windows and next to Carlsen Animal Hospital, ancient Korean rituals are practiced everyday.

As rush hour traffic races by the corner of Pico and Sawtelle Boulevards, students inside the Hwa Rang Do Academy are run through their paces by a compact, pony-tailed man.

"Ok, sit down. Back straight," says Henry Taejoon Lee, a 30 year-old-USC graduate who practices martial arts as well as acting and movie-making. "Fist open. Breathe slowly."

The class of 20 students is mostly men but there are three women, one little girl and five young boys standing barefoot on the polished wood floors. The students await the commands of Lee, the Korean immigrant who is teaching them Hwa Rang Do, an ancient martial art form relatively unknown in the United States.

FAMILY HISTORY OF STUDY

Lee's studio which opened in July, is more than just a dream for a small business man. Lee's father is Supreme Grand Master Dr. Joo Bang Lee of the martial arts form, the 58 th successor in a line stretching back 2,000 years.

Joo Bang Lee, who brought his family from Seoul, Korea was given the title in 1969 after the death of Suahm Dosa, the man who trained Lee and his brother Joo Sang Lee since they were boys. The Lee brothers, who were trained in monasteries, learned the martial arts form once used by the Korean Military.

Hwa Rang Do was brought to the United States in the 60's, and more than 200 studios have opened. Lee's is the first in Los Angeles. What makes Hwa Rang Do so different from other martial arts? Lee said it stresses balance of mind, body and spirit, and at his studio, there is heavy emphasis on the family.

"BETTER SELF-ESTEEM'

"Initially students come in for fitness and self-defense, but what they leave here with is confidence and better self-esteem," said Lee, who has earned a sixth-degree black belt. "I think one of the most important things we stress is respect, responsibility and strong family values."

On the wall of the studio's classroom hangs a picture of Lee's father, an American flag and Korean flag. The character traits extolled in Hwa Rang Do are spelled out: Humanity, Justice, Courtesy, Wisdom, Trust, Goodness, Virtue, Loyalty, Courage.

"I was teaching since I was 13," said Lee, whose studio also includes an acupuncture clinic. "I discovered that the martial arts give people the power to face their fears."

ONE'S STUDENTS CHOICE

Mark DeLa Tour, an architectural designer from Santa Monica, became a student two months ago after a survey of other martial arts studios. He agrees with Lee's description of the Hwa Rang Do studio. "I found this to be the most well-rounded and the most focused," DeLa Tour said. "There is a level or ritualism but there is also a level of harmony. It's a 2,000 year-old art form."

Joe Digati said his 10-year-old son Benjamin decided after a quick visit to Lee's studio this was the place for him. After being "bored to death at other martial arts studios, Benjamin was looking for something new. "He was taking more of an American-type of freestyle," said Digati, as he, his wife and their 3-year-old son watched Benjamin in class. "Here he liked it because it's mentally challenging as well as physically."

The studio, which is equipped with a comfortable upstairs lounge where visitors can view the classes, is so friendly that the Digati's ended up spending hours at Lee's Christmas party. The respect both adults and young students have for Lee is evident in their bows and "sirs." Lee is a stern instructor, but also quick to laugh. "There's a not a student out there that wouldn't do anything for that man," Digati says, looking out at the students following Lee's commands. "It's really amazing how that happens."