Question about Hwarangdo

[pknox]

I was checking a few websites out there, and noticed some info about HWD. Evidently the east coast HQ are right down the block from me, in fact. It seems like a very complete art, that fights in all ranges. I just had a few questions about how the training syllabus works:

1. In the very beginning, it seems like a lot of time is spent on kicks and punches (not that this is a bad thing). At what point do students start doing joint locking and ground grappling? Do they ever spend a lot of time in these areas, or is that training always less emphasized than the punching/kicking?

2. Are the techniques at all modified for someone's body type (i.e. bigger people spend more time on low kicks than high or jumping/flying ones)?

3. The weapons work -- is it done mostly in kata (hyungs?) or in paired work (or both or neither)?

Thanks!

 

[arnisador]

To your first question, note that they start off teaching an art called Tae Soo Do, then after black belt they transition to HRD.

See also these threads:
http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=711
http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5911
http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5422
http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5628

 

[pknox]

arnisador:

I checked those threads out too (basically looked at the entire General Korean Styles section). Most of the discussion tends to veer towards the system's history, how it is marketed, and whether or not it is a McDojo. One of the things I thought was interesting about it is they are supposed to have a standardized curriculum at all of their academies, since they are headed by one central organization. However, I find this isn't necessarily the case, and some schools teach things in a bit of a different order. I checked out the curicculum on www.hwarangdo.org, but while it may say "3 grappling defenses" or "8 basic kicks", what I'm really looking for is how much time is spent training in each given range (i.e. do they not ground grapple until you've been there a year, and if so, is it only once every other week, or do they grapple from the beginning and almost all of the time). Unfortunately it's kind of hard to find many technique discussions out there -- as for political ones, there's plenty.

As for the Tae Soo Do thing, that depends on who you talk to - if you have no prior MA training, or are a child, they would like you to start with it, but it is possible to walk into an academy and start with straight HWD training. In the beginning, there probably wouldn't be much difference. Different academies differ on how they feel about it. I talked to a Mr. Yum here in NJ, who is evidently the east coast head of the org, and he told me that being an adult and having some training, they would most likely start someone like me (or you) in their HWD program. Than again, he may have told me that because he might have thought that that's what I wanted to hear. Who knows.

 

[Hwarang]

Hello pknox:
Unfortunately I've never been to the east coast, so I really can't say how they're training there. But I've meet several of the instructors and students, and they have a lot of very, very good people over there. The best way is probably to visit the school since you live nearby anyway.

>> As for the Tae Soo Do thing, that depends on who you talk to <<

That's correct, the individual school can decide if it teaches Taesoodo at all, or if people should start Hwarang Do directly.

>> I talked to a Mr. Yum here in NJ, who is evidently the east coast head of the org <<

Yes, grandmaster Ki Nam Yum is one of the most senior people in Hwarang Do, he started Hwarang Do in seveal different countries. He became a black belt in 1966.

>> One of the things I thought was interesting about it is they are supposed to have a standardized curriculum at all of their academies, since they are headed by one central organization. <<

That's right, but that does not mean that you only train in the curriculum. The curriculum is the base, and on top of that the instructor/master teaches what he/she wants.
For instance in Denmark we do groundfighting from whitebelt and most of the schools I know on the west coast does the same.

And the questions in the first post:

>> At what point do students start doing joint locking and ground grappling? Do they ever spend a lot of time in these areas, or is that training always less emphasized than the punching/kicking? <<

In Denmark we start at white belt. It's about 50-50 on punck-kick and joint locking throughout the system, but as you get higher in the belts you spend more time in the areas that suits you/you find more interesting.
Joint locking becomes part of the curriculum from yellow belt.

>> Are the techniques at all modified for someone's body type (i.e. bigger people spend more time on low kicks than high or jumping/flying ones)? <<

Yes and no. Everybody learns the same base curriculum, but there is no rules that you must be able to jumpkick 5 meters
But one of the basic things in Hwarang Do is that we adopt the techniques to the person, not the other way around. So for instance there can be many ways of doing a frontkick... And again Hwarang Do is such a big system that people usually specializes in the techniques that are right for them (could be that bigger people train more on low kicks and joint locks, a law officer training more on his controlling techniques, etc ).

>> The weapons work -- is it done mostly in kata (hyungs?) or in paired work (or both or neither)? <<

Both, but more hyungs than paired work.

>>whether or not it is a McDojo <<

:lol:

 

[pknox]

Hwarang -

Sorry to respond so late, but thank you very much for answering my questions. I believe I will go to GM Yum's dojang and check it out, as much of what you said meshes well with what I am looking for. It defininitely looks like something worth giving a shot.

BTW, if by "west coast schools" you also mean the world HQ in Downey, CA, than I wouldn't be surprised to find out that they teach in much the same manner here on the east coast as well.

 

[dohap]

of course everything is changing and I realy believe HRD is now using Brazilian grappling, thai low kicks and boxing pads work...

What I can tell from the first hand, also from training with DojooNim: a lot of self-defence numbers, kicking and forms. If You got time to train 3 times a week don't count on "individual" way of training. You will do syllabus. It was great 20 years ago but now it's funny. Basics, kicking to pads (in NJ You will do a lot), hoshinsul and some forms, also with weapons - that's all.
Don't believe in commercials.
Don't get me wrong: I love this art, but it needs a little refreshment.

 

[arnisador]

http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=193402#post193402