New And eager to learn

[grubbogoppoly]

and let me guess the shaolin art is derived from other arts as well. .lol

and you still haven't said if you even knew anyone who was taking the art.

[DraKeN]

so hawrang do is not effective in the street?

[lssanjose]

is that what you're looking for ? street effectiveness? what kind of environment is your neighborhood? again what are you looking for from any martial art you wish to partake in ?

[DraKeN]

well I was just curious I am kinda intrested in that martial art style because I'm heading toward it since it's not to far away but tho I was expecting HD was gonna be effective in the streets since I kinda live in the ghetto kinda near south central

[Ben Dover]

Anyone ever heard of Micheal Echanis? Died in plane crash with Somoza Nicharaguan dictater? Echanis was a knife guy books forward said hwrang do.

[RobertG]

Originally posted by Ben Dover
Anyone ever heard of Micheal Echanis? Died in plane crash with Somoza Nicharaguan dictater? Echanis was a knife guy books forward said hwrang do.

Thanks BD, I was trying to remember that guy's name. He was a psycho. That knife book is horrible though. He somehow conned the military into doing that stuff for a while because he could stick needles through his neck and crap like that. Needless to say they've subsequently discovered that Hwarang knife work isn't really cut out for real life (big surprise--it came from a bunch of monks supposedly).

Oh, Grubby, obviously I know a thing or two about Hwarang Do seeing as I know where the damn school is right there on Pico and Sawtelle. I even checked out a class, sat through a promotional video (which was a bunch of guys in colorful outfits doing a bunch of spinning aerial type kicks...), talked to the grandmaster's son, etc. Not impressed.

Lets look at some gems from the Hwarang Do website shall we?
"It was almost a 600 year period that the ancient Silla Hwarang combat skills and its culture lived apart from society. During this Yi dynasty, the concepts and techniques of this Hwarang title were passed secretly generation to generation from monk to monk in the mountains of Korea. This was a unique period for the Hwarang combat skills because they were passed from only one master to one disciple. Also, along with passing on these combat skills, the Hwarang title was passed from master to student during this period. If the student had truly mastered this entire culture, the master would give the Hwarang title to the student before he died."

Ummm, ok, just like I said. So a bunch of dudes living in the moutains who didn't fight anyone were training in "secret" (big red flag there) and not against real opponents or fighting in real battles. As Kano discovered with the Japanese arts, this leads to dead, unrealistic martial arts. It is not possible to maintain combat effectiveness when you aren't really getting real feedback from the field. The arts become filled with silly concepts like death touches and flying kicks--the Hwarang who fought for real back in the day knew better. They used swords and hacked people up. Oh, they wouldn't have kicked anyone btw--this would lead to getting your legs cut off. So this elaborate kicking business didn't come from the Hwarang warriors who fought almost exclusively with weapons.

Hey, notice that the Hwarang guys use the word "secret" a lot?

Here's another one:

"Their master Suahm Dosa said that these combat skills were too dangerous to be taught to the public because they would inflict great harm if people with evil minds learned them"

Yeah, too dangerous my ass. That's why they got rolled by the Japanese huh? That's why good ole' monk Dosa and the Lee brothers went running from North Korea when it got ugly there. If you've got secret techniques and are "too dangerous" you can **** up anyone. The Japanese army, the North Korean army....riiiiiiiight.

Oh wait, here's a big HINT on their website:
"Since our Founder had already opened a school, had a strong mentality for teaching his students the honorable way, and was secondly a trained master of YuSool , he began to temporarily use the new name Hapkido."

So basically Joo Bang Lee was teaching Hapkido and then he dressed it up in some Korean mythology and sold it to dumb Americans. Hmmm, sounds just like what Hatsumi did with Ninjitsu. People will believe anythings...sheesh.

Anyway, Draken...again, you've got the frigging Gracie's, Machado's, Inosanto, Paulson--it doesn't get any better than L.A. Go learn from guys who don't bullshit you about secret techniques and will actually teach you to fight and not waste your time having you jump in the air and practicing telepathy (yes, the Hwarang Do folks have claimed telepathy, telekenesis, and a host of powers that would make the X-men jealous....).

[grubbogoppoly]

Wow. .You know where a studio is. It says that on the hwa rang do web site which anyone can easily find. .being that it is called hwarangdo.com and I gave the site out earlier. All he said was he was looking for an effective art on the street. Even IF what you said were true, I am not going to get into one of those dumb conversations with someone who has obviously already has his mind set about something. The fact is with the right instructor(as in all arts) it is a great art for self defense. The instructors in Fresno and Sacramento, the 2 places that I have trained are VERY good in developing the self defense aspect. There are schools that aren't as good as others. But, that is the way it is with any art.

So you say you watched a video of guys doing flying kicks and such and were not impressed. So what. Let him go and see what they do. We are not all show. When you get into hwarangdo the techniques work(at the school I go to they use real (double edged knives are required in testing at our school)knives, I should know. They are not the sharpest as can be, but it gets the message across that you will get real cuts and it will prepare you for the street if you train with us. That I think is the difference between the good and the bad. Just plain attention to detail and intensity. The students normally reflect the instructors. In my school there is none of that half assed punching at the side of someones head s*it. If you are supposed to attack someone, then you punch them, if they don't block, then that is their fault. Again this is why their is tae soo do. Like I said it is a physically demanding art when done properly.
So, like I said before. Don't listen to ME, don't listen to robert. Listen to what you believe after you see everything. If it is in your heart to train in Hwa rang do then do it. If not then do Jeet kune do or Muay thai or whatever is right for you.

[Thai Bri]

Hwa Rang Do is one of those many martial arts that attracts beginners with mystical stories and aesthetically pleaseing techniques. The beginners get dragged into all this crap and then, years later, slowly begin to admit to themselves that they can't really fight. Years. Wasted. On Shit.

Draken - You are in a wonderful place for martial arts instruction. If I were you I would mix a grappling art (like Brazillian Jiu Jitsu) with a striking art (like Thai Boxing). This will make you able to defeat ANY Hwa Rang Do practitioner within 1 year of training. Easily.

Grubby is just one of those people who got trapped. He hasn't yet been able to admit it to himself, thats all.

Good luck.

[DraKeN]

well i hadn't heard about his experience in it

[grubbogoppoly]

Draken. .
I am not sure what you meant by that last post. But I will give you one more piece of info. Don't listen to anything that thai says. NOTHING he has ever said really had a point other than simple minded insults. Just check out any of his posts. There is NO substance to them whatsoever.

[Thai Bri]

Draken! Its make your mind up time?

Are you going with the street wise cop who has had a great many real fights, as well as trained in many arts in the last 25 years?

Or are you going with the toss pot whose art flaps on about mystical enery, secret techniques and leaping about like a demented goose?

[Szczepankiewicz]

I'd take option B any day...

[grubbogoppoly]

Again, no real substance to thai's response. Essentially what I have been saying all along except for that he thinks he is a bad ass because he is a cop. Which would you rather listen to, someone else or your own opinion due to your own experiences. Check them all out and don't listen to the rantings of a egotistical cop.
By the way, I would take b also. But has he proven that he is A or that my art is B. No. He simply says this sucks or that sucks and I have experience. The true sign of someone who is immature and not very knowledgeable. Have you heard one point come from this guy other than him thinking that it doesn't work? No, all it is is him wanting to take whatever arts he takes. I have given you why I think this art is valuable and left it up to you.
So who would you listen to? someone who goes purely on opinion, which has no fact behind it and is basically telling you to do this art or someone who breaks all the arts down for you for you and gives benefits of all the arts and then tells you to decide on your own based on those FACTS and how you like the schools?

Notice how the last response by this cop was again just an attack on my reputation, even though he knows nothing about me or my art.

[DraKeN]

well I surely do hate the idea of cops getting paid off my taxes when they hardly ever do anything

[IPON]

Draken - I have a suggestion...it really does not seem like you have been in a lot of fight or that while a concern...a major concern (I may be wrong). I would actually recommend that you start training in a boxing gyms and then do some reseach on the asian arts and what style compliments your philosophy and genetics. With teh correct practicioner every art can have street applications, though some may be more practicatle than others.

Right or wrong all of us have our opinions usually from education and/or experience...it is the oldest and most subjective question which art is the best. No one has the asnwer and to truely find the answer it would be immoral as it would basically be a fight to the death.

So again, you have a lot of good boxing gyms in the area, start working out for a few months and then add an art...it may also give you a better more critical outlook when search for a MA school.

I think that everyone one this forum would agree that learning boxing is a good thing. But ultimately the choice is yours. Food for thought.