Choong 충 – Loyalty Part 1

Choong 충 - Loyalty “The True Meaning of Martial Art”

Published in Budo International November 2018 Issue

By: Grandmaster Taejoon Lee

 

Part 1 – The Story

In 660, during the Three Kingdoms Period in Korean History, the kingdom of Baekje on the western border fell to the Hwarang Warriors of the Silla Kingdom who made an alliance with the Tang Empire (China). Soon after, the kingdom of Goguryeo, the largest of the three kingdoms to the north, also fell in 668 to the Silla-Tang Alliance, which completed the unification of the Korean Peninsula for the first time. The Unification Wars were led by the Hwarang Knight, General Yushin Kim, and his successful campaign elevated his reputation to legendary status as the greatest general of the Silla Kingdom and one of the most important figures in Korean History.

This is a heroic tragedy, mythical in nature yet a true Hwarang story of the second son of General Yushin Kim, Wonsul Kim. He was an accomplished Hwarang Warrior who also became a general like his father. After the successful unification of the Three Kingdoms under the Silla banner, now Unified Silla, the Tang Empire betrayed the Silla Kingdom, aiming to conquer what General Yushin Kim worked his entire life to achieve, aiming to subjugate the Silla Kingdom as a territory under the Tang Empire. General Wonsul was near Baeksu Castle in August of the year 672, fighting the Tang Army. The Hwarang Warriors of Silla seemed to have been winning the battle in the beginning and anticipating an imminent victory, the generals decided to disperse the regiment. The Tangs (Chinese) decided to take advantage and attacked with full force. The Silla Army took heavy casualties with countless soldiers killed as well as several of the other Hwarang Generals.

Realizing defeat was unavoidable, Wonsul prepared to die by charging into the enemy lines. His executive officer, Tamnung, held him back and said, "It is not difficult for a heroic man to die, but it is difficult to choose the proper time. It is better to make plans in life for future success than to die without having any victory."

Wonsul answered, "A Hwarang cannot retreat in battle and die as a coward. Besides, I would be too ashamed to face my father." This is the Fourth Code of the Hwarang O Kae (The Five Codes of the Hwarang): “Im Jeon Mu Twae - Never to retreat in the face the enemy.” It also meant that if you go to battle, either you win, returning in victory or you die in battle, never to return.”

The Hwarang O Kae

SA GUN E CHOONG – Loyalty to one’s King and Country

SA CHIN E HYO – Loyalty to one’s parents and teachers

KYO WOO E SHIN – Trust and brotherhood among friends

IM JEON MU TWAE – Courage never to retreat in the face of the enemy

SAL SENG YOO TECH – Justice never to take a life without a cause

Wonsul whipped his horse to make a dash for the frontlines, but Tamnung seized the reins of his horse and did not let him go despite Wonsul’s resistance. As a result, Wonsul did not die at the battle and reluctantly, set off with the Supreme Commander to return to Gyeongju, the Capital City of the Silla Kingdom to face his father and the king. However, they were in hot pursuit by the Tang Army, who were gaining on them. The Chief Inspector, Taegam, stepped up and said to the Supreme Commander, “Strengthen yourselves and depart quickly. I am already 70 years old. How much longer can I live? Today will be the day of my death.” Then, he charged fearlessly into the enemy ranks, swinging his halberd, taking out many of the Tang soldiers, but outnumbered he was eventually killed. Seeing this, his son also charged and fell to his death.

Taegam’s sacrifice was not in vain as it gave the Supreme Commander, Wonsul and the troops the critical time needed to escape to safety. By taking hidden routes, they were successful in returning back home to the Capital, Gyeongju. When the great King Munmu heard what had happened, he asked his General Yushin Kim, who was also a good friend and confidant to the king, “Why is it that our army has suffered such a devastating defeat?”

General Kim answered, “The plans of the Tang (Chinese) are inscrutably devious. We should send troops to watch over strategic positions. Wonsul, however, has not only dishonored the charge of Your Majesty, but also neglected the instructions, which were given to him at home. He should be beheaded."

The Great King said, "In this campaign he was only the Adjutant General, Wonsul, cannot alone be punished so severely and if I were to behead him, then all the other commanders must be beheaded," and thus the King pardoned him.

General Kim replied, “I disagree, but you are the King so I shall abide. However, I am Wonsul’s father and as his father, I disown him. From this day forward I have no second son as a Hwarang would never return from battle defeated. Thus, he is dead to me.” Wonsul was ashamed and left with dishonor in tears. Fearing his father, he dared not appear before him and hid himself in the countryside.

In June 673, people witnessed several dozen crying soldiers in armor with weapons in their hands walking out of General Yushin Kim’s home. Then suddenly, they vanished without a trace. Rumors spread of this strange incident until it finally reached General Kim’s ears. He said, “They were the heavenly guardian soldiers who protected me. Now, my luck has run out. I shall die very soon." On July 1, 673, General Yushin Kim died of natural causes at an old age of 79, after spending more than two-thirds of his life fighting on the battlefield for his King and Country.

Wonsul returned home to attend his father's funeral. However, his mother, Lady Jiso, rejected him even though he was wrongfully accused of being a coward. She said, "For women there are three rules of obedience. Now, that I am a widow it is proper that I should obey my son. But since, a man like Wonsul could not be the son of his father, how could I be his mother?"

Wonsul was devastated and wept, beating his chest in agony, and would not leave. No matter how much he persisted, the mother, Lady Jiso, would not see him. With a deep sigh of anguish, Wonsul cried out, "How cruel is Heaven that I should suffer more by living than dying. I should not have allowed Tamnung to stop me. It would have been better to die than to live in shame and dishonor." Then he retreated deep into the forest of Taebaek Mountain.

In September 675, once again the Tangs invaded with an army of over 40,000 (according to some Korean sources, it is said that the Tang’s army was actually about 200,000) led by the Tang General Li Jinxing. Wonsul came out of seclusion, returning once again to fight against the Invading Tangs with a Silla Hwarang Army of only about 30,000 at the Battle of Maseo. General Wonsul fought fearlessly as if anxious to die on the battlefield. However, he would not die; although he entered battle once more so that he may redeem himself with an honorable death that he was previously cheated from by dying in battle, once again it would elude him. He was invincible and no matter how hard he tried to die, he could not be killed. As a result, he achieved a great victory over the Tang troops and saved the Silla Kingdom from ruin. Lastly, a victory at the Yellow Sea by the Silla navy against the famous Tang General Xue Rengui secured the Unified Silla Kingdom against the Tang Invasion.

When the war was over, Wonsul was scheduled to be highly awarded with a hero’s welcome in Gyeongju, the Capital of Silla. However, Wonsul never returned to Gyeongju, but rather went deep into the mountains regretting his impiety to his parents.

Wonsul Kim spent the rest of his days in the mountains, never to be seen or heard from again, and died alone in an unknown year, at an unknown place, at an unknown age.

 

PDF: Budo-2018-11Nov(1)-Choong(Loyalty)P1

The Four Loves

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“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.”

C.S. Lewis – “The Four Loves”

First time in utter ignorance
The anticipation of dabble diddle in the forbidden
Love and lust fused in wonderment
Consumes all mind and body
Nothing stands in its path

No Agape, no Philia, only Eros
If God willing
Words keep ringing
No future, no recourse, only Eros

All grown to maturity
Seen and done
Only tattered shirts left to tell tales
Love, last hope, last redeemer
Must be God sent

Fell in love with a C.S. Lewisian
Love only thyself
Hides in selfishness and luxuries
Keeping heart incased in gold casket
Hold lover in witch’s spells

Like Michelangelo’s masterpiece
So exquisite, so refined
Perfect in delusional eyes
To Lover only truth revealed
A loving child scared and scarred

Jealousy, distrust the core of disdain
Anger, money as bodyguards
Lies and cheat, never retreat
Must be right so rich and vein
Invited by all, but few to enter

No Agape, no Philia, only Eros
If God willing
Words keep ringing
No future, no recourse, only Eros

Submission must need
Lover surrenders for love as last hope
Taken captive by the love it enslaves
Nothing lost, only fallen men to gain
Promising love more than all can sustain

No warning no signs
Just as north wind blow waste
Forever entrust in foolish rhetoric and haste
In fear of loss of greed’s promise
In fear of love alone cannot fulfill

Can’t let go not for a moment
Must see and hear every whisper
Every sound and stay
Take aim and blame at what’s most dear
Burn all ships before come near

Heart broken and shattered
Dreams laid desolate with despair
Every worldly thing lost
Detached from the human race
Only reason didn’t jump, to God promise made

Many days and years past
Lost the fragrance of flowers
Lost the taste even for Ambrosia
There’s no sparkle in champagne
And no beauty in Eve

Want to destroy, maim and kill
But love not lost yet still
Everyday thoughts reveal
Can’t forget what was real
In the night, dreams never sit still

Near death, facing God yet no proof
If God willing
Words keep ringing
Surrender, let God take root

No love; Philia, Storge can restore
Only Agape can rebuild
Never knew God’s love
Until Eros shattered all that was
Hated all humankind for what’s in store

Only betrayal and deceit lay rampant
For woman can never be true
All their lives under other’s opinion
Cannot survive when truth be told
For whom can defend when stand alone

So many days and nights alone
Accompanied only by deep thoughts unknown
Reflecting all that once was
Held in company of men looked bright
Whence stood next to God it shone no light

Caution to future lovers of Eros
Like Adam, Ulysses, and Oedipus
Must first possess Agape before all else
For surely if not, one dwells
In the lonesome caverns of all hells

Yet surely when one asks
Have the serpent of love weaved it’s spells
I can say yea without regret or remorse
Yet, never wanting to suffer such harrowing end
For if I can embrace once again

I pray that it is
With the one that’s renewed
With the Holy Spirit
For I wish no other
Than to know the love lost is the Love True

Near death, facing God yet no proof
If God willing
Words keep ringing
Surrender, let God take root

God, I am in your hands. Please have mercy…
Forever vulnerable and humble I remain,

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“How Grandmaster Helped me to find my way back to my Father”

Testimonial By a Humbled Student

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I already knew that mentoring with Kuk Sa Nim would have been a deep experience, but the ability of the Grandmaster to know where to focus his attention and transmit his words really surprised me.

The knowledge, the depth, the experience of this man are prodigious. The many subjects we encountered in our conversation went from quantum physics to philosophy, with absolute simplicity. I only had to bring out the reason of my interior resentment, that is the absence of a relationship with my father, whom was never a father, to obtain from him a detailed analysis and the direction to overtake rage and fears, and to free myself from my own conditioning.

I only had to bring out the reason of my interior resentment, that is the absence of a relationship with my father, whom was never a father, to obtain from him a detailed analysis and the direction to overtake rage and fears, and to free myself from my own conditioning.

I felt necessary to let the GrandMaster know of the burden I had been carrying for many years. A real setback in my life: the total lack of any relationship with my father. That was a decision I had to make fifteen years earlier, after having realized throughout the previous years that he did not care about me at all. He did not want any fruitful communication with me; there had never been any exchange of love or transmission of life experience or know-how in the manner of a father-to-son relationship. I had tried many times to speak to him and draw his attention on me, but was never successful. I had also tried to write him a letter, the most important letter of my life, in which I made a point about us, explaining his typical behaviors and again tried to tell him of his faults. When he received the letter, he just sent it back with the postman…

I was left with no choice but to quit on my father, in order to protect me and leave him to the life he wanted, without me.

The Grandmaster came directly to the point, his words cutting on my conscience like a sharp sword: I had to forgive my father; go to him and tell him I loved him. I also had to do it quickly, being my father 76 years old: in case of any troubles with his health, shouldn’t I succeed in letting him know in due time, a permanent shadow on my soul would have crippled me for the rest of my life.

I tried to explain how hard that task was after so many years, but I didn’t need to: He knew it already. He said that a warrior must always be ready to take on heavy duties without never stepping backwards. He ordered me to do it, so that I should have done it even if I hadn’t agreed. He said that I had to do it not because my father deserved it, but because I deserved to be set free from my burden, from my self-imposed anguish.

At the end of our time together, I was definitely much shaken by His words and on the verge of crying. He came and gave me a warm hug and in that very moment I somehow felt his strength passing on to me. I knew He was right!

At the end of our time together, I was definitely much shaken by His words and on the verge of crying. He came and gave me a warm hug and in that very moment I somehow felt his strength passing on to me. I knew He was right!

We have to realize the huge privilege of being a part of the Hwa Rang Do Family: the Grand Master, such as all of the instructors, are following our growth personally, and they are interested in making sure that each one of us express the best that we can be and become a better man, a better warrior. “Empowering the world, one person at a time!”

Grandmaster Taejoon Lee gave me the hardest assignment of my life. He wants me to do it quickly, and then he wants to be informed of the developments. No chatters, no excuses, no blame, I just have to get busy and act. I’m not saying that I’ll be able to do it tomorrow, but I need to let Grandmaster Lee’s words and reflections change me from the inside and break down the thick walls that I felt I was forced to build in these many years. However, I’m sure of one thing: I know I’ll do it, I must.

He’s right: nothing in the world is more powerful than “Love”, and if we have even one single hope in one billion to make someone think and maybe change, we can only do it relying on that “Love” that we all have within us. All we need is the strength to express it.

He’s right: nothing in the world is more powerful than “Love”, and if we have even one single hope in one billion to make someone think and maybe change, we can only do it relying on that “Love” that we all have within us. All we need is the strength to express it.

“In almost fifty years I learnt more than four thousands way to hurt someone, but true greatness is in not using them and believing in Love”. I have no other words, but immense admiration and deep gratitude, to define our Grandmaster. I’ll try to be worthy of his teachings and to transform the great inspiration I received from him into reality.

Thank you and Hwarang forever!

My update:

It took me a few days to think over Grandmaster’s words and I was ready to accomplish my task, the hardest ever in my life, but still the most necessary.

I waited for the right time in which I could find my father at home, and I advised the Grandmaster that the following Sunday I would go and meet him. Kuk Sa Nim told me to go there and speak freely with no expectations whatsoever, in order not to be let down in case of possible negative reactions. He told me to let my words come right from my heart.

I felt very confident because of this wonderful direct communication with my Grandmaster and all the strength he was able to pass on to me!

The day came and I went to meet my father. He appeared to be in full possession of his intellectual capabilities but did not recognize me for at least half a minute.. for sure, by showing up before him I had put him way outside his comfort zone..!

I greeted him and told him I was at the end of a path and I just wanted to let him know I loved him.

He replied he had been waiting for that all these many years..

A thought came across my mind, that he would have waited until death if I hadn’t decided to come over and meet him. As far as I could remember, he always preferred deciding not to decide… Then, I remembered Grandmaster’s words to love with no expectations and to stay in the positive. So, I quickly I let go of that negative thought and focused on dwelling in the positive.

We then spoke for about 10 minutes. He asked me of my work and I asked him of his retirement. We exchanged our cellphone numbers and everything let me think we would be in touch again soon.

I had succeeded in forgiving him and started a new chapter of a father & son relationship, which I have longed for all of my life. And, finally it’ll have a chance to be good since I promised myself that I won’t bring up anything of our past and his faults – never, ever again.

I had succeeded in forgiving him and started a new chapter of a father & son relationship, which I have longed for all of my life. And, finally it’ll have a chance to be good since I promised myself that I won’t bring up anything of our past and his faults – never, ever again.

All in all, that is the essence of forgiveness. You do not forget (you never could!), you just go through it and expand.

I left him with some time to fully understand the reasons of my visit and after one week my father called me on the phone to invite me for lunch at his place. He would introduce me to the woman he lives with and to her family.

We spoke for more than twenty minutes; he was friendly and I got along well. I can now say that all conditions for the beginning of a new and finally fruitful communication are set.

I entirely owe this victory to the words and wisdom of Grandmaster Taejoon Lee. He taught me that with the necessary humility and determination and most of all with a kind, compassionate heart every goal can be achieved. Never retreat!

Thank You, Sir.
Hwarang forever and everywhere!

Yours faithfully,

Reflections on Grandmaster Taejoon Lee’s Lessons – Conference 2013

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Reflections
By Marco Mattiucci
Susuk Sabum – 4th Dan Black Sash
Italian Branch of the WHRDA

World Hwa Rang Do® Association Championships/Conference/Seminars 2013
Hwa Rang Do USA Headquarters
July 27th – August 4th, 2013

Hwarang!

This document is both to organize my notes about the event and to offer some reflections of our beautiful yet powerful annual event.

Before going on, please let me say that I’m very grateful to have received such teachings and that these lessons are very valuable and worth the sacrifices my family and I have had to make to come all the way from Italy to Los Angeles and participate annually. No growth is possible without sacrifices.

Also I extend my gratitude to all the black sashes and students who have supported me in this event, before, during and after. And, of course infinite gratitude to Kuk Sa Nim Taejoon Lee and his father Do Joo Nim Dr. Joo Bang Lee who are the pillars of Hwa Rang Do®.

“Do you know the difference between self esteem, self empowerment and self discipline? We teach self-discipline and self-empowerment, not only self-esteem! We have to explain that to the parents and create the right expectations.” – Kuk Sa Nim Taejoon Lee

Yes, I agree and believe that when we teach, we have to teach self-empowerment and self-discipline to our students, not only self-esteem. Because, self-esteem is only the love and appreciation for the self, self-empowerment is the courage and power to face problems and self-discipline is the possibility to adhere to a precise set of rules (morals/ethics) and respect them in spite of everything.

I think that self-empowerment is the foundation of our teaching process. The philosophy that Kuk Sa Nim teaches us is fundamentally a philosophy of power: a person is only truly strong when he makes the right decisions. Good and bad are just shadows of our actions. Only the Truth can direct a person towards what is good. I would like to think that when I am teaching my students, I am making them stronger in all aspects: mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

“What is the difference between trying and doing?” – Kuk Sa Nim Taejoon Lee

Many people “try” but few people “do”. When a committed student says that he’s trying to improve or something of that nature it’s a symptom of his predisposition: he’s going to quit. It could be for many reasons; maybe the responsibility he feels is too much, maybe he’s tired, lost his motivation, but nevertheless that is his condition, his illness.

When you’re concentrated in doing (making something happen) you cannot complain, you cannot waste your time, you cannot think about leaving or other negative issues; you’re focused on achieving. That’s because by the act of “doing” it is self-motivating. When you need to “try” to do something it shows a defensive, apathetic, self-defeating approach. Even before starting you already know that your doubts are greater than your motivations and that’s surely the end. Maybe not immediately, but sooner or later that’s the result, failure. So, as teachers, leaders, we have to be aware about this process/symptom and act accordingly, preventing or fixing it (preventing is better).

“Human beings are definitely afraid of change. We have to look for consistent and stable patterns. That’s the reason why the class has to be standardized to an extent.” – Kuk Sa Nim Taejoon Lee

Being afraid of change is one of the main reasons why many of our old instructors left Hwa Rang Do. It’s a very important issue for all of us leaders. Why are people afraid of change? Because it consumes much energy, critical thinking, and forces you to question yourself and everything you have ever believed in, shaking your foundation to its core. Definitely, we have to understand that there is a unique point in which our lives balance on, the issue of our death. As wise people, we should understand that there is no other points of external balance which can be accepted. Growth is change and change requires pain and sacrifice. It’s easy to say, easy to understand, but very hard to accept.

Normal students are afraid of Hwa Rang Do because they believe it is too much. The standard class is the only stable point in their martial arts journey. They need to be anchored with things that they can expect, giving them sense of stability and confidence. Changing the class too much daily where it’s always unpredictable is a sure way to lose students. It is our responsibility as teachers, instructors, and leaders to offer them in the beginning the sense of security through a stable, consistent program and empower them with the end goal of liberating them from mundane routine, systematic control, ultimately to live dynamically.

From this point of view, I think it’s very important to divide the classes for instructors and the classes for normal students. It has to be clear what the distinctions are and normal student should not be in the high-level instructors classes as there are different degrees of expectations and levels of self-belief.

“You, the Black Sashes, must strive for accuracy, precision and perfection. There are at least 18 levels to become a 1st dan Black Sash so you should be at least 18 times better than the other students.” – Kuk Sa Nim Taejoon Lee

What a huge responsibility! Every time I think about it, I’m in fear of being inadequate, but that’s the right direction and I cannot waste my time with negative feelings. I must only focus on training harder and become better than before. My students are always critiquing me, even when they seem to be patient and tolerant with my weaknesses. When they follow me, they should inevitably learn, improve. So, if I am weak, they become weak; if I am bad, they become bad. All leaders must push themselves to be the best, to do their best: that’s the only way to teach how to improve and grow. It doesn’t mean that my best is absolutely the best; it is only doing my best and the process of giving my personal best is what is necessary to be a positive, self-empowering teacher.

“…If you perform the same technique thousands of times, it can be a way to exercise the spirit; but if you perform it in the wrong way, you gain nothing but bad habits. You have to train with accuracy and precision to learn the techniques properly. More doesn’t necessarily mean better!” – Kuk Sa Nim Taejoon Lee

One of the fundamental aspects of my training is repeating thousands of times the same technique. I have also taught my students to do the same. What I didn’t teach them and myself is to be accurate and precise. My way to teach and train has changed much in the last 2 years. The sentence “more doesn’t necessarily mean better!” is always in my mind and I strive to find more effective ways to train, learn and teach. Time is important! Repeating techniques are good for the spirit, but only when you’re getting older, you start to understand that time is very precious and it must be used efficiently.

“Today, people want what is immediate and don’t want to commit to long term goals. The virtues of perseverance, commitment and loyalty are being lost” – Kuk Sa Nim Taejoon Lee

This idea perfectly describes our times of crisis. People don’t want to commit to long-term goals because they are afraid that they might be missing out on something, some opportunities, but that is terribly absurd. When you try to do too many things, trying to have everything, not to lose anything, focusing on nothing, you are surely going to lose everything. The right way to accomplish more is to focus precisely on one thing, and then relax to finish one task at a time. Then, from the completion of one, many more opportunities grow from its solid foundation.

I don’t have solutions for this. I only teach people to be strong, I think it’s the only answer that I can give as a teacher and a leader. Nevertheless, I’m sad about the overall situation, as I feel at times helpless to change the popular trends of the world today.

“The way, the process of learning is changing. The method, the act of learning was a continuous search, involving the individual to take physical action; going to the library, asking the librarian, looking up each book. Now, all we have to do is type a few words into Google, a search engine and the answers appear, requiring no more action than the act of typing. It’s altering the way we think, the way we interact with others, with the external world. It’s a way to create dependencies: intellectually, emotionally, and economically. From culture, arts to even food, everything is about dependency. We must be aware that we are giving up freedom, our privacy, the question of “why & how” in order to gain more convenience. What must we, then preserve? The process of learning; the act of seeking for knowledge, for truth, through Hwa Rang Do! That’s the only way we may preserve both our Martial Art and humanity.” – Kuk Sa Nim Taejoon Lee

Our journey of learning and seeking knowledge is really Hwa Rang Do in itself for me. If we remove this of idea of epistemology, philosophy, of seeking truth from Hwa Rang Do, then it’s no different than any other martial arts. What I mean is that it’s not only the amount of techniques or the techniques itself that makes Hwa Rang Do special, but the way we teach and learn them. From this perspective, it’s clear that the journey is really much more important than the destination, as the destination might not even exist.

“I am creating ESBD: EaSy But Deadly, a program without commitment base and for those with the inability to seek, for the short-attention span of the modern-mind… I’m just kidding, but it could make some money LOL.” – Kuk Sa Nim Taejoon Lee

A program without commitment is really hard to understand for me because I cannot teach non-motivated people. I am relieved to know that Kuk Sa Nim was joking, but there’s some truth in it. Anyway, I want to think about it, as I understand that it’s a good means for business and to give people a good opportunity to be introduced to the world of martial arts. From this point of view, it’s better than pure fitness, dance, or yoga, etc. We have to survive from an economical perspective and it’s not easy in a very competitive world where you can become a karate or Tae Kwon Do black belt in less than 1 year (paying a lot of course…). But, of course only as a gateway, an indoctrination into our core curriculum.

“My goal is to be independent from you and make you independent from me. You have to be able to create on your own. You have to be able to make your decisions independently from me. You must be able to make decisions on your own, embracing the fact that you will have to suffer the consequences of the wrong decisions. You are part of Hwa Rang Do; you must be the drivers and no more remain as passengers, think on your own. Then, you must remain humble and when you have a good idea, you must share it. My goal is to make you instructors, and you have to teach 10 people to create 10 others with 10 people under them who are also able to lead, then soon we can lead thousands of people. I’m the only person besides Dojoonim who knows everything about Hwa Rang Do and if we die, what will happen? The remaining instructors will have to be able to rebuild everything without us!” – Kuk Sa Nim Taejoon Lee

Independence or self-reliance is another reason why some old instructors left Hwa Rang Do and a specific reason why some black sashes don’t want to open their own schools. I set a precise rule in Italy: if you want to become a black sash, if you want to test for black sash 1st dan, then you have to open at least one Tae Soo Do Club. It’s very clear and there’s no compromise on this. Furthermore, this is exactly what Kuk Sa Nim has outlined many years ago as he clearly stated that we are not just Black Belts, we become Hwarangs and they are generals, leaders and if they don’t have anyone to lead, then what’s the purpose of becoming a Black Sash? If they don’t want to do it, then they can leave Hwa Rang Do immediately. For me, it’s not possible to learn Hwa Rang Do without taking the responsibility of teaching. Maybe I push my advanced students too hard, but I’m very concerned about the future of Hwa Rang Do and I want to do my best to help Kuk Sa Nim and Do Joo Nim to disseminate the Art and to create a stable set of schools in Italy and Europe that can survive for many years, even after my death.

“Black Belt Magazine representative, during a banquet, told us that all the students of different martial arts organizations usually say: this martial art really changed my life! But when you ask them: in which way? What changed? They are not able to answer. The representative went on to say; however, that’s not the case with your students. When asked the same question, they all knew exactly how and what Hwa Rang Do changed in their lives and the benefits they have received.” – Kuk Sa Nim Taejoon Lee

Being aware of what the martial art is doing and has done for one’s personality, the body and the spirit should be the primary concern for a good student. We have to motivate our students to better understand what Hwa Rang Do is and what Hwa Rang Do can do for them. Seeking understanding is energy-consuming and I know that a lot of our students don’t want to spend the time and effort necessary in deep self-reflection to truly know themselves and their changes. The fact of the matter is that it’s not possible to study Hwa Rang Do without introspection. Therefore, the process of understanding is inevitable. The goal for us, leaders and teachers, is to guide them in this process and help them when needed.


“…How much you know is not as important; what’s more important is the way you express what you know.” – Kuk Sa Nim Taejoon Lee

Yes, there are instructors who are not able to do many things due to physical limitations, age, etc., but they can still strive to teach very well the small amount of things they know. And, even if they cannot do it, they still need to know how it’s done. The result is that they will have many followers and those students will become very loyal to them. It’s a very important issue. We have to spend time not only in training, but also in teaching how to train other people. This starts from the basics.

From this point of view, I would like to thank Susuk Sabumnim Dylan Sirny for the enlightening class he gave us about how to teach children. I believe that the methods he explained were fantastic! And, should be standardized for all schools and teachers. I have been reviewing what I’ve learnt from it and I will begin by applying it on a specific experimental set of children (Alice, my daughter, will be part of it). I want to train myself in that direction, improving my skills in depth and then disseminate my knowledge to all the Italian instructors, motivating them to apply the same methodology.

“Kids mainly understand what they feel and not what you explain to them.”– Susuk Sabumnim Dylan Sirny

It’s a very interesting point. I’m glad for this reflection. When I teach kids I deal with them as adults, but I have to remember that for them feeling; what’s pleasant and unpleasant, what feels good and bad are much more important than rational reasoning. It’s a key point to remember when dealing with children.

“You’re teaching the child but you’re enrolling the parents.”– Kuk Sa Nim Taejoon Lee

Absolutely true!

“Beauty is about esthetics and symmetry” – Kuk Sa Nim Taejoon Lee

I’m fascinated by this definition. I heard it from Kuk Sa Nim some years ago and I have been very happy to hear it again this year. We, as leaders, have to be beautified by the essence of fascinating people. I think it’s something that we can learn because esthetics and symmetry can be studied, understood and applied as concepts: (1) esthetics through the exercise of understanding the perceptions of others about us and the world; (2) symmetry through the study of rules and behaviors that make our lives consistent and balanced with what we think and say. That’s definitely why beauty and beautiful people attract other people even those they don’t necessarily want.

“Do Joo Nim says: that a fight is good! When it’s a comparison of skills to make each other grow.” – Kuk Sa Nim Taejoon Lee

I have been practicing the egoless way for several years and I find it very difficult due to my nature, but I’m coming to understand more each day. For the first time, this year, I participated in the championships as a competitor without thinking about the results and that has been a great experience for me. I also matched during the black sash test and in that situation; my main goal was to collaborate with my brother (not opponent) to allow him to demonstrate his abilities. I liked it so much more!

The problem I have here in Italy is that I’m the highest degree in Hwa Rang Do and when I match it’s always a lose-lose situation: if I lose I’m losing against a student of mine, if I win I’m winning against a student of mine… I partially solved this problem by matching only with the highest ranking black sashes in private with explanation and understanding of the unique situation. However, it’s a pity that it’s not too often.


“Promotion comes from imagination!” – Fernando Ceballos

Thanks to Fernando for the valuable business issues he pointed out during the presentations. The sentence “Promotion comes from imagination!” captured my attention. It’s definitely true! The greatest businesses in the world come from small but innovative ideas. The tools are important, mainly Internet based tools, but it’s the imagination, which is the source that fuels new and effective businesses.

“The Black Sash test will be changed and believe me, it will be very hard! In addition to the compulsory test, there will be specific subtests for grappling, weapon fighting, continuous sparring, voluntary service or social service, etc…” – Kuk Sa Nim Taejoon Lee

I completely agree! The pre-test for the Tae Soo Do black belt test, here in Italy, is unbelievably difficult now as it is. I made it harder and harder each year. The hardest test creates the greatest results and the greatest value.

“I cannot change my Father, but when I disagree I do question? Always seeking betterment, to make Hwa Rang Do and the family better you must question when you lack understanding and/or to seek what is best. You have to understand, Do Joo Nim is like Picasso, he is a master artisan. We cannot stifle him into a set scheme or routine due to our inability for understanding and for simplification. Most of life is gray and ambiguous, but if you don’t know black and white how can you understand the different gradations of gray and be complete? Because of this, it’s not up to him, but for me to define the standards of what is black and white for every Hwa Rang Do technique.” – Kuk Sa Nim Taejoon Lee

Kuk Sa Nim is doing the most incredible job I have ever seen in martial arts, he’s standardizing the entire Hwa Rang Do curriculum with the tools of multimedia and everything will be online. I’m so grateful for this and I follow every indication and detail He teaches online. The standardization is really valuable for Hwa Rang Do, mainly for long distance students like me. On the other hand, Do Joo Nim is the creator of the syllabus and of course he can see and understand all aspects of Hwa Rang Do and to expect him to remain within a set of standards is both an impossibility as well as a waste of his prodigious talents, his genius. Therefore it fits perfectly into our framework of Um and Yang, static and dynamic: Kuk Sa Nim is the standardized reference point, and Do Joo Nim is the infinite variations.

“My goal is to shake! I have to constantly test our beliefs. I constantly question myself; I don’t want to become dogmatic. Dogma is a way to control the masses and the only Dogma to follow is the one of Christ. You should be able to question everything, no other dogma either by man or the church is acceptable.” – Kuk Sa Nim Taejoon Lee

When I deal with my students it’s hard for me to always explain the reason or the why of my behavior. Now, I understand that is not completely correct. I want to fix this aspect of my personality. I ask a lot of trust to my students and sometimes, because of that I lose some of them. I will find a new way to create a way of balance in which the students can understand much more the reasoning behind my decisions.

“You’re not human if you have no garbage hidden within you. We must reflect deeply and cleanse our deepest hidden trash. Then, once cleansed, with the renewed heart and soul, we must help others. We matter because we need each other. Although we are not perfect, we can help each other strive perfectly. And, definitely that’s the reason why everything is important, because we are sacred; we are made in the image of God. We exist for each other and with God every life has intrinsic value as we are all his children.” – Kuk Sa Nim Taejoon Lee

These words are so beautiful and human that I cannot say anything more.

“We’re not only interested in techniques or the rules created by imperfect beings, we follow the natural laws and the absolute laws of a perfect Being. Only through natural laws and the laws of Truth, can we be complete and fulfilled.” – Kuk Sa Nim Taejoon Lee

All of our techniques come from natural laws, so understanding those laws means becoming complete and closer to God. The techniques are only a means to understanding nature, God’s creation. And, to live and walk in that path is becoming Godly.

“Money is only a measure of what we’re willing to let go or sacrifice to get. Our society is money-based, yet forgetting what the value of money really is” – Kuk Sa Nim Taejoon Lee

Teaching for free is not a good idea for at least two reasons: (1) if it’s for free, the public doesn’t value and only question why it’s free, so we diminish the value of what we teach; (2) if we are not able to ask at a higher price, then it means that we don’t believe that what we’re teaching is worth any value and this is worse than the first point because we are diminishing ourselves.

“You cannot rely on things that you cannot predict. Therefore, you must exercise greater planning and greater organization. More variables you are able to control and predict, the higher the probability to quickly manage the unpredictable. Because no matter how much you plan, how much you organize, you cannot know and control everything.” – Kuk Sa Nim Taejoon Lee

Every Hwa Rang Do School should have at least a five-year plan. I have a ten-year plan for the entire Italian branch and for EU, but maybe I’m too presumptuous. Anyway, what I can say for sure is that ideas are the drivers of reality. If you don’t have a specific target or worse if you don’t have a target at all, it’s very hard to hit any mark. The target may change, but it must always exist otherwise every action is a waste of energy.

Having a target, a vision, for the organization means that we must plan accordingly and to plan before every situation before taking action. In this way, whatever structure we create is ready to face many problematic situations and increase the probability to survive the storms through the years.

“Is Hwa Rang Do good to me? Yes, and No, it gives me more headaches and heartaches! But, I made a commitment over 25 year ago. I tried to leave Hwa Rang Do many times, but the Art always pulled me back.” – Kuk Sa Nim Taejoon Lee

Hwa Rang Do asks for 100% of all what you can do and all of your potentials. Sometimes, it’s not easy to deal with what Hwa Rang Do requires and then we always have two choices: stay or leave. In spite of that, I believe that a person cannot really choose to stay or leave Hwa Rang Do. Every person is free to choose one way or another. However, I absolutely believe that it is the Art that chooses the person and not vice-versa.

Like a hero that gives his life for an ideal: can he really choose to give his life? Or is he what he is because he cannot avoid his fate?


“Spear fighting, sword and shield fighting and archery dueling will be implemented…” – Kuk Sa Nim Taejoon Lee

Yes, I think it’s possible and exciting. We never cease to progress, to move forward, onward, always moving. Kuksanim teaches us to be first and to not wait for others before we take action. So, at times more than not, to others we seem to be swimming upstream.

My Days with Grandmaster Taejoon Lee

GML-Giuseppe

From: Giuseppe Catania
July 2016

Hwarang Sir!

I stayed close to you the entire last month, first in Chianni and then in Genoa. It was another very important moment for me and and I feel very lucky to have spent this precious time with you, both during the seminars and during the mentoring on all these days.

I think that for any instructor who has the opportunity to participate in your lessons can be truly inspired… watching you teach a class and see how you gradually “build” the lesson – it’s like seeing a great painter creating his canvas … it was very exciting to watch and as instructors we can just hope, may be one day, to become at least a tenth of what you are as a Teacher and Master.

“watching you teach a class and see how you gradually “build” the lesson – it’s like seeing a great painter creating his canvas”

I am also very grateful for being present during the mentoring sessions… as I said, I think that teaching as you teach is extremely difficult, but even more so, I think that the ability to read and touch the soul of the people as you know how to do is truly impressive, sir.

To know how to truly listen to people and know how to say the right words at the right time; I think that only a great spirit may possess this kind of skill and abilities. All those who participated in the mentoring were very enthusiastic, and I think some of them were even a little shocked by your ability to get inside them and give deep reflections to think about their lives.

Time seemed dilated and the two weeks seemed like months as deep and intense was the time spent together.

In two weeks you have given us so much and uplifted everyone’s spirits … I know, however, that the enthusiasm is like fire… and if you don’t feed it with new challenges and new goals to achieve, the fire will be soon extinguished. And, I know there will be a lot of work we must do and I also know that we will make a lot of mistakes, but I am convicted that this will not stop us… Susuk Sabumnim Marco Mattiucci has always taught us to never give up even when faced with extreme adversities… You know that he is really strong in this belief; and at the same time we are very fortunate because we have the example of Do Joo Nim and you, Sir!

Maintaining a relationship with extraordinary people like you is never easy, but of course, it also really challeges us and gives us powerful inspirations.

As you are aware, last year was very “particular” for me to say the least… when I came back from the United States, spending an intensive week with you; for the first time, I began to think deeply of my whole life. I have come to realize that I did not know anything and what I thought I knew was not the truth. In the beginning I was struggling, as I felt very bad, inappropriate and unsuitable for everything; I felt like I was a bad Hwa Rang Do student as well as a bad Hwa Rang Do instructor, also a bad son, and a bad husband… a bad person.

It was a very painful experience, but it was also an important, necessary process for my growth as a teacher and as a human being. And, I am reminded as you have said many times; “without pain there’s no growth.” During those days, I isolated myself for several months from my Instructor, my Hwa Rang Do brothers/sisters and my family, but I needed that time alone to process a lot of things, seeking truth and to rebuild myself on the foundation of the Truth.

And, I am reminded as you have said many times; “without pain there’s no growth.” During those days, I isolated myself for several months from my Instructor, my Hwa Rang Do brothers/sisters and my family, but I needed that time alone to process a lot of things, seeking truth and to rebuild myself on the foundation of the Truth.

Many people would like to have a better life, to grow and improve as human beings, but few are able to accept the change that this involves. I think that every time you want to “rebuild” something you need to destroy something that was before… and I think that is true for people too. We all want to grow and evolve, but more often than not we want better conditions without having to endure a transformational process because this often requires suffering and pain, and that’s why I think many people are scared of change, even when it’s for the betterment.

As Susuk Sabumnim often told me: everything that is not growing begins to die! In recent months, I have meditated on a lot of things and as I have said to you, I have felt that I needed to change and so now was the best time for that change… it was perfect!

I think, therefore, the best way to honor all your efforts is to improve as individuals and help as many people as possible to do the same as you do through our beloved and beautiful Martial Art, trying to bring our message of Strength, of Light, and of Love as far as possible in this world that is increasingly moving towards the darkness.


I think, therefore, the best way to honor all your efforts is to improve as individuals and help as many people as possible to do the same as you do through our beloved and beautiful Martial Art, trying to bring our message of Strength, of Light, and of Love as far as possible in this world that is increasingly moving towards the darkness.

Thank You for all you do, Sir!
Much Love!
HWARANG FOREVER!

Giuseppe Catania
Sabumnim – Hwa Rang Do® 3rd Dan Black Sash
Owner/Instructor of Hwa Rang Do® Branch in Genoa

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Love-KG

Be courageous and open your heart so that love finds you.
And, when it does, prove you’re worthy by giving up everything!
Finally and most important, trust in God and surrender to Love…

Happy Valentine’s. My last words…

“We can fall in love with what we want,
but we can’t fall in love with who we want.
We usually hate what we need,
but we fall in love with who we need.”

Grandmaster Taejoon Lee

Harmony = Grandmother

Grandma&Me

Hello Everyone;

First, Happy New Year of the Sheep! Suppose to be the year of luck & fortune. I wish you all the very best in the new Year.

I have been absent for a while and thought I would restart my blogging by sharing with you my eulogy for my grandmother at her funeral in 2001. She is the mother of the Founder of Hwa Rang Do®, Dr. Joo Bang Lee. I think this is very appropriate to my current state-of-mind, my state-of-being.

“With the passing of our grandmother, I have no more grandparents. I feel extremely sad and a great emptiness overwhelms me like never before. Maybe I am a little older now and understand more deeply the value of what grandparents mean. I know that she is reunited with grandfather and I should not feel this way. However, I cannot help to think about all that she was and all that I should have done.

Har Ma Ni (Korean for grandmother), harmony in English means a pleasing combination of elements in a whole. Harmani was just that. She complimented everyone and everything. I have never met a more selfless, gentle, kind and generous person. It amazed me how she was able to communicate with Americans who probably never heard Korean in their entire life, by speaking Korean to them and with a few gestures they all understood her (now I understand that to be her energy, her intention; words are meaningless). Sometimes I thought she was psychic.

Whenever her grandchildren would visit her, she would give us something from the little that she had. When I was younger, it was sometimes annoying, but as I grew older I appreciated her generosity. To give, whether she was wealthy or poor, hungry or full, happy or sad.

Her greetings hello or goodbye was, “Did you eat?” and with that she would pull something out of her fridge and offer it to us. When I was younger, I use to fight with her and say that it was okay (as most people who know me, I have had a terrible appetite all my life; but it shouldn’t matter) and she would not take no for an answer, but now I will miss her carving the few apples she had left to feed her grandchildren. Even while she was in the hospital, helpless, fighting for her life, nearly comatose, when I came to visit her, she would mumble, “Did you eat?” I do not think that our generation can truly understand why she did that. We can never understand the struggles of her life when she was young fleeing for her and her family’s life from North to South Korea during the war; when food was scarce and every night she would go to bed hungry, and every morning would wake worrying how she would feed her seven children. I am sure she would have offered a piece of her own body to feed her children if she could. But today, we are all spoiled and we take the basic necessities of life for granted.

She was able to see the good in all of us no matter how bad we were. She was always happy to see us and she never complained about her condition and everyone else always came first.

I try to live my life without regrets, but I do regret, very much. In the recent years before she passed away, being her eldest grandson, her greetings to me was, “When are you going to get married?” And I promised her that she will see my wife before she goes to see grandfather, but because of my stubbornness and self-righteousness, I could not. We are all stubborn, self-righteous, and selfish, but she showed us that there is no room for any of that; not within the family and for her, the world. She was a true Christian. (Grandmother, have not married yet so you didn’t miss anything)

I regret not visiting her very much, but in my own mind, I had these great plans of making a lot of money and giving her all the things she ever wanted and more. I was once again self-righteous and full of myself. I should have done more for her. I am very sad today because it took her death to make me realize that I should cherish and love my family today and everyday by showing them how much I love them and not when I am ready to.

I thank my grandmother for raising and educating such outstanding children, my parents, with the traditional values of honor, respect for elders, and selfless devotion to one’s children and family and these noble traditions, I shall try to emulate for the rest of my life, not only to my family, but to all my friends and students.

Lastly, when my grandfather passed away, I felt my uncles, aunts, cousins all drift apart. It is my hope that Harmani’s passing will bring about greater harmony between all of her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. (Of course this not manifest. How can harmony exist without harmani)

On behalf of all her grandchildren, I pray that God will give good care for my grandmother and we thank all of you for being present today to wish her farewell.”

She is my reference of serenity, calmness and true courage.
I will not promise,
I will not plan,
I will not strive,
I will not try,
I will be…

I miss you grandmother…

Grandmaster Taejoon Lee

A Dedication to My Hwa Rang Do Sons & Daughters.

Dedication

Sigh…

Oh how time has flown. It has already been 17 years since I first opened this school and with the help of my loyal pupil converted it from a tattered, left for dead Tae Kwon Do school, to a beautiful majestic space where my students and family can call it their second home. It has also been a long time since I actually had written a speech. However, this year, I feel compelled to write everything down as I don’t want to forget anything. I am definitely not a young pup anymore and sometimes my memory fails me.

There have been literally thousands of students who have passed through those doors and honored me with the opportunity to mold, teach, and yes sometimes, maybe often scold and discipline. There have been also, many parents who I have had the fortunate opportunity, actually some more than others, to meet, advice, and council. I have witnessed children wetting the matt floor to women stomping out of class in an emotional melt down. I have heard excuses ranging from “my dog ate my sash” to “I am an actor and the discipline here is stifling my creativity.” I have parents who have praised me with boundless love and support to parents who have resented me as their children obey me more than them. I have parents who have told me that they will move wherever I go as their child needs me to blaming me for spanking, later to find out that the child injured himself playing on the monkey bars. I have received gifts ranging from a sweatshirt that reads “I yell because I care” to a new oven to fuel my new hobby of cooking. I have enjoyed many triumphs and countless moments of joy and excitement, but most of all I have endured many heartbreaks and disappointments.

Beginning of this year, I was forced to readdress the aching question that has always lingered, ready to reveal itself in grand fashion in the deep recesses of my mind, but suppressed: first, when my bible studies teacher told me to “shut up” for asking too many questions when I was in my early teens; then later in college when I pursued philosophy and realized that it only sparked more questions than answers. So, I decided to live life and stop asking: Stop asking the existence of god, what is truth and what makes it true, what is the purpose of mankind, where did we come from, and if there was a god, then where did god come from, etc, etc…

I have resolved within myself that the only way to know the truth is to live life and experience as much as I can with a vigilant yet open mind, unafraid to be hurt, disappointed or disillusioned. I have traveled and done much throughout my life, gaining as much knowledge as I can soak up about people and their nature. Finally I decided to take root by opening this school in West LA. The last 17 years was challenging to say the least, but we have always found a way to persevere.

During the early part of this year, there were some eye-opening experiences that I am not going to get into for the moment, but lets just say that the desire to know the truth became more immediate than ever and it consumed my entire being. It shook my foundation and made me ask: how come we are in this global financial crisis where the dollar is worth nothing and the disparity of wealth is ever-increasing; how we have all globally agreed in this scam of using monopoly money; how come people are starving all over the world and we are facing a food crisis; why are we facing the shortage of oil with no replacement in sight; why if there have been so much more advances in technology that we could not find solutions to these problems; why with so many more institutions of higher learning, so many more college graduates, and professors that we cannot seem to resolve the core issues that affect the our continued survival; why are there more wars than ever before; and could we all be some lab experiment of a multi-dimensional being?

We are living in the information age and although it has helped us to live seemingly better lives, there are so much misinformation as well and it’s a monumental task to try to decipher what’s fact from fiction, what’s real from fantasy. I was scared for the first time in my life as my perceptions, my beliefs were tested and there was a brief moment where life became overwhelming, became meaningless and I lost my purpose. And, for me purpose is more important than food, without it I cannot continue to live. After many mornings of meditation and sleepless nights of reflection, I rose once more from what felt like was my burial. And once again it was Hwa Rang Do that has empowered me.

All the creed, all of our goals were more relevant and necessary than ever before. All the things that I have been preaching became imminent and I was called to take action. There’s no tomorrow, only today and what we do today dictates our future. I became more motivated and inspired to fulfill our goals of empowering the world one person at a time.

In a world where it seems that the public is consumed with consumption, not to the fault of their own, but all you have to do is look around you. The corporations are becoming multi-national conglomerates with deep pockets in DC with endless resources to make sure that they sustain their greed for money and power. There are so many ways that they can influence and infiltrate into our lives to create dependencies through fear and hedonism.

It’s all about the bottom line, it’s all about feeling good, it’s all about having the most toys before you die. The martial art industry is like all other industries with the same goals. The goal is to make the customers happy so you can increase retention and repeat business. Don’t give negative criticism, constructive or not. Diminish any activity that would give them a negative experience. Dumb everything down so that it’s easy to do and easy to learn. Make everything fun and enjoyable. Don’t get too involved with the student’s personal life. And definitely no knuckle pushups!

And, yes this is where I have failed as a martial arts entrepreneur. My goal has never been to make the students happy, my goal has always been to offer them strength to realize and love their true self by stripping away their ego, which only serves to comfort them with lies of self grandeur for self-preservation. My students were never my customers, they were students who needed to be taught what they lacked and needed. I have always believed in the balance of both positive and negative reinforcement, and as they got stronger and moved from Tae Soo Do to Hwa Rang Do, the negative reinforcement would prevail. The underlying message of only using positive reinforcement is that you can’t do anything; the underlying message of negative reinforcement is that you should know. What are we training them for? What is the real world like? Who needs training to deal with good experiences? We need training to deal with the bad, negative, painful experiences. So, how can our students learn to deal with the hardships and disappointments of life if they were never exposed to it and never had practice dealing with criticism, disappointments, and conflicts, which are predominant in the real world. This can also be seen in our educational system where in elementary schools, they do not even play games life musical chairs by saying “why should 1 kid win and 30 lose.” All we are doing by this is creating more bait for the sharks. And, I have no interest in raising my students as someone’s lunch.

Oh, don’t even get me started on drugging our children. You know how I feel about that.

No, I do not dumb things down by speaking in terms that children understand in gaga googoo language, but I expect them to learn Korean terminologies as their capacity for languages are best when they are young and it helps to stimulate their brain activity. No I do not demean the seriousness of martial training by making everything into a game that kids can play. How can we make martial training a game where one learns to hurt, injure, maim other people? How is that for fun? We must not delude the serious intent of our training, but rather use it to heighten their awareness and have them pay respect and reverence to what they are doing so that they are careful not to error. They must learn also to do things that are not so fun. Maturity is learning to do the things that you do not like, but in order to get ahead, you must do these compulsory tasks of our lives very well. We must first teach them what they need and then give them what they want. And, they must learn the self-discipline to do the things that they do not enjoy but are necessary.

I know all my students personally and by the time they have reached their Tae Soo Do Black Belt, I know them very well in all aspects of their lives. What is the satisfaction to teach a person how to throw a kick, a punch, to hurt another human being? The satisfaction comes from knowing that you have trained them to be self-disciplined to control themselves mentally, physically, and emotionally to present themselves in the best light possible to others and to extend themselves selflessly to help those in need. A good teacher tells a student what they should do and fix their mistakes when they occur; a great teacher shows the students what they should do and fixes the source of their mistakes so they never occur again.

In this era of uncertainty, which I thought would not happen in my lifetime, but maybe for the future generation, I too looked towards self-preservation and wanted to survive. I became selfish and tried to find ways to secure a better future. Should I make the curriculum easier; should I lower my expectations; should I not be so strict; should I get rid of the knuckle pushups; should I discipline less; should I, should I. For sure, I would be liked by more people, have more friends, less headaches and invited to more baby showers. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with that, but I was focused on me and if I saved myself, that’s only one life. Where is the nobility in that? No, I must commit to teaching better, harder, and more to as many people as I can. In that way I may help many to live better. This is what fear does to you. It makes you egocentric, egotistical, selfish, entitled and myopic. Only truly strong and fearless people can be selfless and devote their lives to a higher cause.

This week I attended a high school graduation of one of my Hwa Rang Do Black Sashes, She’s the only teenage female Black Sash that I have taught besides my sisters in the over 33 years I have been teaching. She graduated with honors from Elycee Francais and is accepted to UC Berkeley. As I was walking into the school, I saw some familiar faces and in particular a grandmother of two kids who were formerly my students. I have not seen them in many years as the girl stopped training after receiving her TSD Black Belt, but she is my girl’s best friend and her brother, who also trained when he was 6 or 7 was unrecognizable. He was 6’5”, at only 15 years old and already being recruited by colleges for basketball. I remember him being quite a handful as a little tiger. The grandmother walked over to me and was delighted to see me. She held my hand and said, “Thank you so much for all that you do for the kids.” I have not seen her in 7, 8 years and she left me speechless and as I was fumbling for words like, “ah it was nothing or was it I didn’t do anything.” Before I can say anything, she gave me a big hug and that meant everything to me.

Sitting there in the auditorium as I am trying to see where my girl was in the parade of incoming graduates, I realized that I could not find her. I could not see the cute 4 year old in ponytails. When I finally made her out, she was a beautiful young woman, tall, proud, and with make up and heels. Wow! It’s been 14 years already. And of course we never think of how old we are getting.

As I sat through the speeches from the president and the school faculty, I was reminded that I am not an island, that I am not alone. And you can’t imagine how refreshing that is for me. As the president spoke, what remains in my mind are these two statements; “we do not give compliments easily. They must be earned.” And “we have high standards for our students.” Awesome! I am thinking to myself as I nod in agreement. As she receives her diploma and her awards, I was filled with great joy and satisfaction. And it dawned on me, she was not my girl, not my daughter, but she might as well be. Although she was not my own, it would be the closest I would come to feeling the joy of raising a child.

As I watched her mingle with her friends, taking pictures, and congratulating each other, I was admiring how beautiful she was, how feminine, how delicate, then for a moment I thought to myself, “Oh I should have been easier on her” and that quickly changed to “No, and then, do these people realize that underneath that cover of beauty and femininity, lies a fierce warrior who can seriously kick some ass.” And that thought brought a comforting, satisfied grin across my face. I was genuinely proud of her and I guess I was gloating a little in hoping that my teachings took some part in helping her to be how she is today. However, the true testament of her success lies with the mother, Christina. There were many moments when Andrea, oh did I mention who this girl was, yes it’s Andrea Perez-Bertolotto.

As I was saying, there were many moments when Andrea wanted to quit Hwa Rang Do, especially when all her friends quit. To give you a perspective: in Tae Soo Do they average a belt test every 3 to 4 months, for Hwa Rang Do it takes a year to 1 1/2 and has ten times more the curriculum than Tae Soo Do. So it would take an additional 6 to 10 years to reach Black Sash. These were critical times in their early adolescence with so many distractions, so many new experiences and possibilities. However, Christina did not give her daughter the option of quitting, even after many arguments with her husband, who is in fact a Hwa Rang Do blue sash himself and should have known better, LOL!

And, let me tell you, and all my students know, I was definitely not easy on her even through those awkward years where her body is growing faster than she can handle. We live by the idea of “not looking for exceptions, but to be exceptional!” And that was my aim. I am sure there were many moments she cried herself to sleep and wanted it all to stop. Things did not get easier as she had to prepare for her black sash examination. To review hundreds if not thousands of techniques, moves, forms, fighting, weaponry, then perform them in front of an intimidating board of judges compromised of Dojoonim (our founder) and his high ranking masters, a 15 page minimum dissertation, 2 poems, 2 hour written exam with a mean score of 50 out of 100, power break though concrete slabs, and doing this with a demanding college prep work at school, not to mention that she is the only or one of a very few women in class, having to spar, grapple, and weapon fight 20 to 30 other male adults throughout most of her teen life. To say the least she did excellent and seemed to have breezed through it. I think I was more nervous than she was. I know I was more nervous.

Finally, I saw her prepare for her college entrance exams, interviews and the application process. She could have on any of these occasions asked to take a break, stop training; many have, for far less as breaking of a fingernail. But, she did not. She managed and juggled through all her responsibilities here, her school and family, never complaining, never losing her poise, her character. And neither did her mother.

Usually, by that age, I rarely deal with the parents and it’s even more rare that I receive any credit or compliment from them. I was delighted to have had a chance to chat with the mother, Christina, and I was truly moved that she gives me so much credit to Andrea’s successes. And it moved me even more when she continued to tell me that Andrea measures all her school teachers against me and complains why they are not like Master Lee. I must say this was big surprise! She went on to say that Andrea’s school teachers tell her that Andrea is a very special girl, especially when she’s able to bring a rowdy, loud, unruly class to attention by just standing, turn and give a deadly stare with the intensity partly of Grandmaster Lee and partly Andrea. The entire class comes to a silent attention. Yes, this is why I do what I do, talking to myself. Yes, this is what I must do. It had uplifted my spirits and I have regained my purpose.

There are countless other stories of my student’s successes and how their dedication and commitment inspires me. But, I will leave you with one more.

I have another student who started when he was 12, 13. He received his TSD Black Belt, graduated from Winward High, did his undergraduate work at Harvard, then got accepted into one of the most demanding MBA programs in the country at UC Berkeley, graduating with a second masters in Public Health. He had committed to me that he would change the healthcare system in this country for the better. He got recruited by McKensey & Company, the world’s leading management consulting firm, first working in Brussels and currently he resides and works in New York City. He is now a Hwa Rang Do 1st Dan Black Sash and one of my most loyal pupil, William Wright.

I received a disturbing call couple of weeks ago. It was unexpected and I thought it was about converting our organization to a non-profit, which he is heading. But, it was not. He started to mumble in a feeble voice, which I barely understood. So, I shouted, “What is it? Speak up!” and in my grand self I added “are you man or mouse.” I have never heard him speak this way. He was always so confidant, self-assured, and always positive.
He replied, “How do you do it sir?”

I said, “Do what?”

“How do you do it? How do you day in / day out, stick to your beliefs? How do you…

I stopped him. I did not need to hear more. He was growing up. His innocence is challenged and perceived by others as being naive. He is disillusioned on how his colleagues, supposedly with high intellect from the finest educational institutions in the world, perform their jobs with such inefficiencies, waste and without ethics. And, how his bosses stifle his ability rather than challenging him to outperform. He is lonely, his friendships were not as deep and meaningful; they are superficial at best. It broke my heart to hear him sound defeated.

As I have said many times, “Teaching is Parenting and parenting is teaching.” And that our parenting never stops. At first, it made me sad, that my child, my student was in pain. I wished it was me in his shoes instead, but that was quickly overruled by my desire to offer him strength and empower him.

During Andrea’s graduation they had a keynote speaker who was nice and made some good points, but to tell you the truth, it left me confused. To summarize I think he delivered a message that goes something like this – strive for your dreams and when you can’t achieve them, don’t’ worry because you’re better off for trying and that it’s ok to be a flea as many fleas can do big things.

So this speech is for my Hwa Rang Do daughter as she takes flight for the first time alone, I wanted to send her off with powerful winds under her wings so that she may soar to reach her final destination, however long and treacherous it may be.

I told my beloved Will and now to Andrea: You must find your passion.

It says in the World English dictionary that the definition of passion is:
1. ardent love or affection
2. intense (sexual) love
3. a strong affection or enthusiasm for an object, concept, etc
4. any strongly felt emotion, such as love, hate, envy
5. a state or outburst of extreme anger
6. the object of an intense desire, ardent affection, or enthusiasm
7. an outburst expressing intense emotion
8. philosophy
a. any state of the mind in which it is affected by something external, such as perception, desire, etc, as contrasted with action
b. feelings, desires or emotions, as contrasted with reason
9. the sufferings and death of a Christian martyr

Yes, to all the above except for #9. Yes I have done them all.

You must discover what you are passionate about and create a cause higher than yourself. “No Will, not about healthcare. Are you that passionate about healthcare? Will you sacrifice your life for healthcare? What are you truly meaning?”

“That’s right! Helping others, making the world a better place to live for everyone by instilling what is just, fair and good. You can die for that can’t you?” I asked.

“Yes sir!” He replied.

Healthcare is the means, the focus in which you will improve humanity, but your passion must be the intense love of humanity.

So I say, choose carefully in what your passion is then never relent, never listen to others, never give up! You are being forced or asked, coerced in compromising your principles. And why would you compromise? You want to win their favor, you want to be liked, accepted. You want to belong. This is quite natural, but this is why you are losing yourself as you are starting to sell off piece by piece your foundation and now you are standing and shaky ground.

I went on to say, “Don’t be afraid to lose everything. Don’t worry about losing your job, your girl friend, your friends, disappointing me, your parents, don’t worry! Stand your ground, stand by your principles and your beliefs and those who love you will understand you. Our fear of loss cannot be the basis of our decisions; it must be for only one thing, what is right, what is noble. Do no accept the status quo, be exceptional!”

As I was telling him all this, so too I was saying it to myself. These words are automatic for me. They come out without having to think about it. It is my core, it is my foundation. My students have unknowingly inspired and motivated me. As Randy Pausch has said, “It’s the indirect lessons we learn the most from.”

Well, my students have taught me an indirect lesson to persevere, to fight on!

No matter if there is a god or not. No matter if the world will end or not. No matter live or die. No matter rich or poor. We must persevere! We must fight onward! For we are Hwarang, flowering knights to beautify and empower the world.

So Will, Andrea, we have each other, we have our family. You are not alone! Together we must encourage each other and others to greatness and never shall we accept mediocrity.

Dream and dream big, then be relentless and never compromise in your principles. Don’t be afraid to be alone, for you are supported by 59 generations of warriors.

Hwarang Forever my beloved students – sons and daughters.

Grandmaster Taejoon Lee

Just got this email today, 5/31/16, and thought we would share:

Grand Master Tae Joon Lee, It is with my most respect and humility that i find myself writing to thank you for undulating the societal covers that have for many years hindered my life’s perception. Reading the above dedication brought tears to my eyes as i was replacing Andrea with my own son and feeling the emotions you described.

My son Michael will be turning 7yrs old this July and because he has been excelling scholastically will be skipping second grade. He is currently an Orange Belt in TaeSooDo in the Norwalk Dojang. My wife is a 3 year Breast Cancer survivor who 4 months ago also enrolled and is also a TSD Orange Belt. I am a 38 year old Mexico born and raised until the age of 8yrs. My father and I were enrolled in Tae Kwon Do during the mid 80’s when it was extremely popular. I don’t remember much about that time, however, i do remember that the training was hard and not made easy just because i was a kid. I remember seeing and practicing based on magazines where Supreme Grand Master Do Joo Nim would appear.

My family migrated to the United States of America and with that transition my martial arts training ended. Been alone and unguided due to my father constantly working to provide for my mother and 3 younger sisters, I felt the need to belong, but where would I go, if I do not know anybody and i’m still a kid. School was the only place I had to socialize, however, without a strong foundation, it is easy for a kid to mold to what is easiest and not always best.

Meeting my wife and having our son has made me mature in a way that I never thought I would. I have stopped bad habits that damaged my body and mind. I was searching for something greater and 5 months ago I found it. It started with the enrollment of my Son, then one month later the enrollment of my wife, and finally, I will be enrolling in TSD this week. I am greatful to have found Hwarangdo yet again, and this time with a strong Foundation and Believes, My Family and I should one day make you proud of been Hwarangs.

You are an Inspiration to me.
Thank you Very Much.
Salvador Tinajero Lugo.

Grandmaster Taejoon Lee’s 8th Dan Speech

Newly promoted, Grandmaster Taejoon Lee delivers his speech at his Hwa Rang Do 8th Dan Ceremony & Banquet.

On May 23rd, 2009 in front of over 100 friends, family and students, Taejoon Lee was promoted to 8th Dan Black Sash Grandmaster and given the title of Kuk Sa Nim.

During his speech, Grandmaster Taejoon Lee revealed the real reason for allowing his students to organize this beautiful and historic event — to honor his father, master and founder of our beautiful art of Hwa Rang Do, Supreme Grandmaster Dr. Joo Bang Lee. In a speech, which was heard from as far as a mile away, Grandmaster Taejoon Lee used the entire time he was at the podium to share on the sacrifices and courage of Dojoonim, as he ventured off into the land of opportunity, the United States of America, from his home country of Korea – to spread Hwa Rang Do and provide his family the best possible life.

As Grandmaster Lee put it, his promotion to 8th Dan Hwa Rang Do Black Sash is not his achievement, but the achievement of his master, father and teacher – Dojoonim. Grandmaster Lee humbly delivered a heartfelt, yet thunderous homage to his father, for having made everything which took place that night possible.

At the end of his speech, Grandmaster Lee called Dojoonim to the podium and to demonstrate his gratitude for all he had done for him, presented Dojoonim with a handcrafted sword, made and imported directly from Japan, with an estimated market value of over $10,000. The construction of the sword included an beautiful handle made of gold, brass and stingray skin. The steel blade was forged completely by hand benefiting from Japan’s centuries of rich tradition, science and art of sword making.

Earlier in the evening, Dojoonim declared and announced to the world that Grandmaster Taejoon Lee in 20 years or at the time of Dojoonim’s passing, would become Supreme Grandmaster Taejoon Lee and 59th generation “owner of the way”, and pass the secret combat skills of the ancient Hwarang Warriors for yet another generation.

All whom were present, were in awe of this magical and powerful declaration, for it ensures the preservation of our ancient traditions, martial art and history. We thank you for sharing this very special night with us. It will never be forgotten!

Visit the official Grandmaster Taejoon Lee 8th Dan Page featuring the documentary, “Inside the 1st Family of Hwa Rang Do & the Life of Grandmaster Taejoon Lee”.

The entire Grandmaster Taejoon Lee’s speech in text form:

Thank you Dojoonim.

Good evening  ladies and gentlemen, students, parents, and fellow Hwarang Warriors.  I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your attendance and your support for making this event possible.

Before I begin, I would like to take this time to recognize the members of the 8th Dan Banquet Committee for their hard work and selfless contributions in making this event a reality.

Tony Diaz for the video presentation, which he has spent countless hours in reviewing over a terabyte of videos and pictures to extrapolate an eloquent yet powerful summation of the Hwa Rang Do family and my journey.

Fernando Ceballos and Raymond Fong for implementing an effective online campaign to organize and raise the funding necessary to make this evening a great success.

Rick Robbins for designing the classic look and feel of our online campaign.

Daniel Gonzalez for designing all the graphic elements that went into the publishing of tonight’s event.

Glenn Mantel for making it possible for me to present to you a small, yet poignant gift in the way of the danbong.

Reynaldo Macias for accepting the daunting task of being tonight’s master of ceremony and for doing a fantastic job.

Antonio Goodwin for connecting us with one of the top DJ’s in the country, Mr. Quick, whom you will witness in a short while.

My Brother-in-law Danny Kim for providing the video projector.

Joey Klein for organizing all the people involved to work together harmoniously in making the planning process as smooth and flawless as possible as their team leader.

And, of course, my sister, Dr. Janet Lee for designing and creating the center pieces as well as coordinating this beautiful setting we are all graced with.  And to my sister Stacie Lee for being the handy helper to both mother and Dr. Lee.

The last couple of months have been quite interesting to say the least.  I was first approached by Dojoonim over a year ago, when he invited me to test for my 8th dan.  At that time, I humbly declined as I thought like a bottle of fine wine, I could wait a couple more years so that I can age properly.

I have never been interested in acquiring higher dans as most other martial artists I have witnessed. The way I see it, rank is something that the master offers his student as a gift when the student is ready to carry the responsibilities of such title and rank.  And, it has always been my philosophy that One Hwarang Should Conquer a Thousand, so no matter the rank, as a Hwarang we must always be prepared to accept whatever the challenge, however great or small. However, this spring marked the 100th Black Sash Examination and I could not pass up such important benchmark in our history.

There is so much I would like to share with you; it would take the breadth of this entire memorial day weekend and then some to fully express all the feelings, thoughts, and reflections I have had in these trying months.  However, I know Mr. Quick is waiting anxiously to get the groove on and I am sure you are as well.  So, I shall attempt to tell you about what is most important, most valuable, “The Ideal of One.”

You are all here tonight thinking that you are honoring me.  Well, if so then my “head fake” worked.  As the late Randy Paush, a professor at Carnegie Mellon, dying of pancreatic cancer says in his last lecture which he gave in front of all his students and colleagues, that the greatest lessons are learned indirectly and he finishes his lecture by telling everyone that the lecture was not for you, but it’s for my children.  So, I say to you, this banquet is not for me, it is for my father, my mentor, my master.

My trials, my accomplishments are nothing.  My hardships, my sufferings, I have none.

All I am and have done dwindles in comparison to my master.  My journey is smooth sailing in flat waters compared to my master’s journey through a tempest.

He was born the fourth son of siblings of 7 children.

He started his training at the young age of 4.

He trained in the mountains of North Korea under the strict guidance of his master Suahm Dosa, a hermit monk.

He escaped the communist regime of the dictator Kim Il Sung during the Korean War.

He survived through impoverished, war-torn conditions during the Korean war.

He left home to work and help support the family at 16 years old.

He systemized the knowledge passed to him by his master into a modern martial art system, introducing it to the public for the first time in 1960 in Seoul, Korea.

He had the first post-war nationally televised martial art expo in the largest and only sports stadium in Korea, Jang Chung Chae Yuk Kwan.

He met with Korea’s former president, Park Jung Hee, and was given the responsibility to create one unified Korean martial art.

He attempted twice to form the all Korean Unified Martial Art System, which was dismantled both times.  In the process, he aided in the development of Kuk Sool Won, and Hapkido.

He bumped heads with the former KCIA director and won his allegiance.

He protected his community in Seoul against the rampant bullying by unruly thugs.

He created the Korean Hwa Rang Do Association and opened 28 schools in Seoul alone.

He single handedly was responsible in bringing over all of the members of his immediate family to the United States which consisted of his parents, 2 sisters, 1 brother-in-law, 3 brothers, 2 sister-in-laws, 3 nieces, 4 nephews, 2 daughters, 2 sons, and his wife.

He has revived the Hwarang Knights and brought their significance to the modern consciousness and to the minds of all martial art practitioners today.

He has authored three books and co-authored three more.

He was instrumental in elevating the hand-to-hand combatives of the Elite US armed Forces through mentoring and cultivating the former head instructor of the Special Forces Green Beret, the late Michael Echanis.

He secured the name Hwa Rang Do and all of its intellectual property by acquiring the first trademark for a martial art and copyrighted all of it’s curriculum for the first time in history.

Without him, the world would have known of the Hwarang, only as a group of flower boys who rode on horseback and shot arrows, diminished as an archaic cultural side note on tour guidebooks of Korea.

I have yet to mention of his physical prowess and accomplishments.

He was the first to rotate 540 degrees in the air, striking a target 10 feet in the air with his foot.

He was the first martial artist to be aired on the ABC’s TV show “That’s Incredible.”

He has had cars and trucks run over his stomach.

He has had thousands of pounds of rock slabs smashed over his body with sledge hammers.

He is the first and last with only me coming close to have successfully completed a 5 directional cut of watermelons held against the naked stomachs of his students, while blind-folded.

He has taken down a bull with one blow.

And in the deep recesses of his mind, training under his master, he has fought against tigers.

There’s a saying in Korea that when you live long enough, you shall endure all of its pain.

As my father has been a witness to my journey, so too I have witnessed, fortunately or not, much of the hardships and heartaches that my master had to endure throughout his teaching career.

If I have taught thousands of students, then he has taught tens of thousands of students.  And, although the reward of seeing a person blossom, transform, and become the potential they all possess is priceless, it takes 1000 disappointments for one moment of satisfaction.

Above all, we as Hwarang cherish and hold in the highest regard, the virtue of loyalty.  If I have faced countless betrayals, then my master has faced too many for words to do justice.

I have seen my father take in students from the streets in their teens and raised them as his own children, with my mother feeding and nurturing them with kindness and love.  To the point where at times, I felt jealous as my father has always been the strictest with me.  Only to have them grow into manhood, acquire a taste for power yet short on wisdom, and claim their superiority.  To the unfathomable extent, where Dojoonim had to witness one of his students, whom he took in without question, once again treating him like his own son, in front of his face say, “With all of my vast knowledge of Korean Martial Arts, I have created Hwa Rang Do and all of it’s curriculum.”  And, this all done after being sworn in under the name of God.

I have known of a Buddhist Monk, who calls himself the Mop.  When I asked him, Why do you call yourself the mop?”  He replied, “Because like a mop I clean all things, yet like a mop I am always dirty.”

Unlike most teachers, we parent.  When teaching your children, just teaching is not enough.  You must make sure they learn the lesson.  And even though you have been scarred, dirtied from past disappointments, you must once again teach with conviction and love, for as children they can feel you more than they can hear you.  And, even when you are at the brink of disillusionment in people, you must believe in them even when they do not believe in themselves.

To be truthful, formal classes with Dojoonim for me, I can count with my fingers.

It’s the lessons I have learned in observing him as a teacher, a father, a husband, a man, which are most profound and have taught me the most.

Most of what I have been witnessed to are heartaches, pain and sorrow.

I have never seen him adorned with great gifts from his students; I cannot remember when was the last time one of his instructors treated him to a fine meal; I have never seen him take a vacation or his masters treat him to one; and I am just as guilty.

Most of what I have seen has been painful.  I have heard student’s complaints and resentments of my master, which only showed me their lack of understanding, compassion, and only revealed their self-entitled nature.

However, even after witnessing all of his trials and hardships, I was inspired to be like him.  He was my mountain, he was the one.

The one person, who have committed his entire life to one thing, to one love, to one passion.

Whenever, I felt it was all too much, all too painful, when my heart lay wasted in pieces; all I needed to do was to think of my father, my master as he lived twice as long, and taught as twice as much, and have endured twice as much; I could not complain, but only admire.

It is this I am an heir to. No raise in salary, no fortune, just more mopping.

The lessons I have learned from him are too many to tell in one sitting. It will take a lifetime.  So, I shall share with you all that I have learned from my master, if you will share your life with mine.

And we shall mop the world together as one, to hopefully instill the power of one; to believe in the self as all great things started from one person, then when all the people are self-empowered, then hopefully we can all live together as one in peace, in harmony.

There are too many people for me to thank. So before I close, I would like to recognize few of the people who are in attendance tonight who have made an impact in my life as well as made great sacrifices to be present.

Sensei Taro Ariga for having an open mind, helping me to realize my vision of a new weapon fighting method.

Master Fariborz Azhakh, whom I have known for over 25 years, for his guidance in keeping my dojang open and for helping me to revamp our organizational management.

Dr. Mark Cheng, whom I have known for 20 years, for being a great brother and for keeping me in the minds of all martial artists.

Jokyo Victor Garcia, whom I’ve known for over 25 years, for never giving up as I have challenged him to start over again, which for him at this point in his life is like climbing Everest for the second time in his 50s.

Susuk Sabum Dylan Sirny for accepting me as his grandfather and for being my proof that we are on the right course.

Susuk Sabum Scott MacKnight, whom I have also known for over 25 years, for his undying loyalty to me when I was a child and now hopefully a man.

Colonel Richard Downie, whom I have also known for over 25 years, for his dedication to his country and never forgetting the Hwarang Spirit.

My sisters, Dr. Janet Lee and Stacie Lee, for their unconditional love and support.

And, mostly, to my mother as she is my teacher of compassion and forgiveness.  I love you too mom.

Also, to all my students for believing in me and always challenging me to be a better teacher.

My father has said, that warriors do not retire, we die!

Although, I am most honored and privileged to be the heir to Hwa Rang Do, I must endure the greatest loss in order to claim it.

I will promise in front of all attending witnesses, that I shall do my best to secure Hwa Rang Do for the next generation, not only preserving my master’s life’s work, but fulfilling his vision.

I will accept once again his challenge which he has set forth for me to be second, but making second remembered as much or more as the first.

… or die trying.

Dae Dan He Kap Sa Hap Ni Da.

Dojoonim, Abonim…