by Hyung Min Jung Black Belt Magazine - September, 2000
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Korean martial history has never been a simple matter. Many of its twists and turns resulted from the painful Japanese occupation that lasted from 1910 to 1945, but others stemmed from matters as mundane as the Korean-English language barrier. Meanwhile, practitioners and scholars have argued, struggled and fought about the evolution of the various Korean styles.
The best way to conduct research while operating with a handicap like that is to interview people who actually participated in the evolutionary process. Unfortunately, as we advance into the 21st century, fewer and fewer of those legendary martial artists are still around to testify. TaeKwondo's Choi Hong-hi, Hapkido's Ji Han-jae, Kuk Sool's Suh In-hyuk and Hwa Rang Do's Lee Joo-Bang are among those living legends who trained and taught during the pivotal period that immediately followed World War 11 and liberation from Japan.
In this exclusive interview, Black Belt speaks with Lee Joo-Bang to clarify some of the aforementioned inaccuracies and misunderstandings about the evolution of the Korean arts. -HMJ
BLACK BELT: What are the earliest origins of the Korean arts?
LEE JOO-BANG: The origins of the Korean fighting arts [go back] some 5,000 years to the formation of a country called Ko Chosun, which means "Old Chosun." During those ancient times, people were focused on sheer surival - maintaining the integrity of their country and defending themselves against other countries and animals. Because of Korea's peninsular position between the Chinese mainland and the sea, as well as its rugged topography, these early Koreans developed strong combative skills. Korea has been invaded more than any other place in Asia, but we've never been conquered. Even when the Japanese tried for for over three decades to destroy our culture during their occupation, they didn't succeed.
BLACK BELT: Let's skip forward to the Three Kingdoms era. That's supposedly when the Korean martial arts under went a lot of growth.
LEE: Yes. Over 2,000 years ago, the Three Kingdoms period began. The Three Kingdoms were Paekche (18 B.C.-661 A.D.), Koguryo (37 B.C.-668 A.D.) and Silla (57 B.C.-660 A.D.). Each had its own king, army, subjects and combat methods. Because all three kingdoms were vying for supremacy on the peninsula, each had to develop a superior fighting system to give its warriors and soldiers the advantage in battle. The Hwarang culture was born within the Silla kingdom.
BLACK BELT: The Hwarang warriors are a famous part of Korean culture. How were they organized?
LEE: The Hwarang were the heroes of ancient Korean culture. All children learn about the Hwarang and their heroic deeds in elementary-school texts. The Silla period lasted from 57 B.C. to 935 A.D. [as the United Silla dynasty], making it one of the most long-lasting civilizations in history, and the Hwarang warriors were to Silla's descendants like the knights of medieval Europe are to many Westerners. They were organized in bands, which were led by young men of royal descent called Hwarang. They led bands that ranged in size from 300 to 5,000 young men. These student-disciples were called rang do, which means "disciples of the Hwarang." The "do" in this term means "disciple," not the "way" as many martial arts historians incorrectly think.
BLACK BELT: Please explain the term "Hwarang."
LEE: It consists of two Chinese Characters pronounced in Korean. The first Character, hwa, means "flower." The second character, rang, is an ancient title of nobility for young men. Bringing the two characters together has the concept of noble boys who are growing, blossoming or flowering into a powerful state of manhood. It signifies the rite of passage that young Silla noblemen had to pass through to achieve their full potential as adults.
I have to make something clear: These Hwarang weren't just young brawling men who went around fighting armies of other kingdoms. They spent a great deal of time really working to develop their potential on all levels: mental, physical and spiritual. Hwarang bands went to live on a mountain or [near a] river, training together and developing strong values that would serve a soldier or nobleman well: morality, wisdom, emotions, loyalty, respect, obedience and honor. Their training gave them the means to understand human nature and develop martial skills. They became the standard for Silla's military at the time of King Chinhung in 540 A.D.
The legendary Buddhist monk, Won Kwang Beopsa, gave the Hwarang their five codes to govern their behavior. Because of the Hwarang, the Silla kingdom was able to defeat Koguryo and Paekche, unifying the peninsula. A version of this Hwarang system later spread to Japan and gave rise to their shogun-samurai system.