United States
News:
World Headquarters Moves to Tustin!
WHRDA & World HQ Academy
13762 Newport Ave. #201 Tustin, CA 92780
(714) 731-5425(KICK)
(New) Hwa Rang Do Academy of Downey-
Norwalk
13824 San Antonio Dr. Norwalk, CA 90650
(562) 861-0111
OLD DOWNEY
NEW TUSTIN
After almost 40 years, our World Headquarters has moved from Downey,
CA to Tustin, CA. The move was definitely a large undertaking, but
with the help of Hwa Rang Do and Tae Soo Do students from both Downey
and West Los Angeles, the moved took only two weekends. Lots of stuff!
The new building in Tustin is a beautiful, spacious building which
will be remodeled into an even better, newer facility to house the
dojang and the acupuncture clinic. The dojang in Downey is now moved
to Norwalk, which is owned and operated by Instructor Jesus Hernandez.
Westcoast Graduation Winter 2006
Years of hard work boiled down into one afternoon on Saturday, December
16, for the Tae Soo Do black belt candidates in the 2006 winter class!
Philip Smith, Eric Sell and Chris MacLaughlin all put their best feet
forward, smashing boards with jump kicks and raining axe kicks down
on each other’s heads. Though they had only a few graduates
in their class, the support that they received was tremendous. Besides
their families who showed up to beam with pride at their accomplishments,
many of the Tae Soo Do and Hwarangdo student also filled the dojang
to congratulate them.
Beyond their board breaks, Mr. Sell and Mr. MacLaughlin treated the
crowd to “a battle of giants.” Both men stand well over
six feet tall, and as such, their blows strike high and hard. From
the roar of the crowd, it appeared as if two mountains had become
mobile and were engaging in a duel to the death! Not to be outdone,
Philip displayed his skills, demonstrating his half-black form and
long staff form to the spectator’s delight. Everyone on hand,
from Susuk Kwan Jang Nim to the guests enthusiastically supported
the candidates, and for the two who will be moving on to Hwarangdo,
welcomed them with open arms. It was a great afternoon, and another
step along The Way.
West Coast 13th Annual Christmas Party 2006
December 2006 saw chilly weather give way to summer sunshine, school
daze give way to holidays, and the annual Christmas Demonstration
and Party at the West Coast Hwarangdo Academy! Along with yuletide
cheer, there were jump kicks, hip throws, long forms and even a cutting
demonstration by Sabumnim Scott MacKnight! The dojang was filled with
festive laughs and positive energy, as everyone from white belt to
black sash put on a show for their friends and family who came out
to show their support.
The dojang pulsed with the beats and breaths of close to 250 people
clapping and cheering as Little Tigers spun, jumped and hurdled boards
into oblivion. They were followed by ssang gyel bong wielding intermediate
students, and beginning students working out their kujin, chiljin
and paljin hyungs. Then the Hwarangdo students got into the act. The
demonstration kept a dizzying pace, with bodies barely hitting the
mat before the next display began. It seemed the techniques came so
fast that if you began clapping for one, the next technique was completed
before your hands came together!
Then came the food! There is nothing better to cement fun, friends,
family and fellowship than breaking bread, and was it ever broken!
Enchiladas, chicken salad, pizza, potato salad, rice, beans, sandwiches,
soda, water, fruit punch, and the Desserts! Oh My! Chocolate cake,
cookies, pies, things we couldn’t pronounce, sweets to make
the teeth hurt. A wonderful time was had by all, as our hard work
led to a relaxing end to a good year. Welcome, 2007.
Students of the Year Honored:
TSD Adult Male - Michael Staley
TSD Adult Female - Angela Shih
TSD Jr. - Dresden Meyer
TSD Little Tiger - Alex Creek
HRD Male - Antonio Goodwin
HRD Female - Denise Parga
TGT Adult - Luis Santiago
TGT Jr. - Luke & Larry
Instructor - William Wright
Most Loyalty - Olivia Vaatete
Nicholas Day
Scott MacKnight
Jerry Kang
New Years Message from Chief Master Taejoon
Lee:
Seeking Truth
“Keep the faith and be true to yourself,
never relying on others or chance to determine your life.
Choose and once you have decided, then stick to it to the end.
And, when you do - after you have ceased to exist, you will have created
"Truth."”
As
I was browsing through our Forum, “The Flowering Way,”
I happened to come across some student quoting me. So, I read through
it again and it hit a nerve. TRUTH, from the time we can speak we
have always asked the question “Why?” That is one question
that you can ask and ask and ask and it can never be satisfied. Don’t
you remember your three or four year old asking you, why is the sky
blue?
Because God made it that way?
Why?
Because he likes blue?
Why? Because, OK to tell you the truth, it is the combination of
gaseous material which diffracts light into particular frequencies
of electromagnetic radiation that is perceived by our retinas as the
color blue?
Why? And on, and on, again.
This is what drives most parents crazy. But let us think for a moment.
Isn’t that the fundamental question that we need to ask in order
to find the truth? Why do our retinas perceive it to be blue? Why
couldn’t it be something else? And do all creatures see it as
the blue we see or even other people and if they do not, then blue
as we know it could not be the Truth. And if that is so, then how
can anything we perceive be the Truth. Further, what is ‘blue’
anyways? It is our truth as human beings or truth as it remains convenient,
but not the ‘Truth.’
We can continue this epistemological debate and go even further into
the philosophy of language and as in Physics, the deeper we go, more
the questions we’ll find. So, after couple of decades of questioning
everything, I have come to the point where I know I cannot answer
all of them and that I will never know the “Truth,” but
only functional truths. And, I am at peace with that.
I think that this is the most important realization that one can
come to and it is not giving up, it is not being pessimistic, it is
not compliance, and it most certainly is not ignorance. It is a realization,
a self-actualized knowledge. Truth as in life is in doing, in living,
in seeking, it is in the journey. Whether we find the Truth or not
is not what is important, but that we seek it. However, somewhere
between why is the sky blue and does God exist, if there is a Santa
grant me a bike and why has God forsaken me, thinking you are Superman
and got to go to graduate school to get a raise, we have lost the
sense of wonderment, the fuel which drives our truth-seeking engine,
the stuff which makes dreams come true. We lost the belief in the
possibility that the impossible can happen and not only happen, but
made to happen. In my opinion, Truth is what we make of it. If you
say you cannot, then you cannot; if you say you don’t like,
you don’t like; if you say you quit, then you quit; if you say
I don’t love anymore, then you don’t love anymore; if
you say you are done, then you are dead. And what more truth is greater
than knowing that if you live there is life and if you die then it
is death. I choose to live.
Don’t misunderstand me, you cannot get to this point until
you journey. One must be critical. Not just be critical of others
and external things, but just as or more so be critical of the ‘self.’
The business of seeking truth is a lonely job, paved with disappoints,
disillusionments, heartbreaks, sometimes abandonment (letting go then
regretting it by blaming the offender), hopelessness, and many other
not so pleasant emotions as one’s foundation starts to shake,
crumble and rebuilt. Yes, rebuilt, many times. The question is will
you rebuild or will you accept it as is? To me this is a matter of
life and death of the soul. Once your whole world view and the truths
that you’ve built your paper empire on falls apart, what will
you do? And, if your foundation, your core has not turned to ash,
then it has not been tested, tried, and criticized. The journey of
Truth lies in the rebuilding and this takes all the courage in the
world. Who is better off, the bum who wanders for food and lives moment
to moment or the person who goes to work everyday to pay their debts?
For me truth lies in purpose and purpose rises from the rebuilding
of Truth. Each time you rebuild, there will be certain things which
will remain and that to me that is Truth and it is up to me to make
sure it stays true.
A Hwarang is a truth seeker and a Truth keeper. And, this means to
be unafraid – unafraid of being wrong.
Hwarang Forever,
Chief Master Taejoon Lee
Annual TGT Snowboard Trip 2007
This year's cast of snow warriors sent to conquer Mammoth
Mountain was led by Chief Master Taejoon Lee himself. Following him
were Jokyonims Olivia Vaatete and Nick Day, Instructor Will Wright,
Luis Santiago, Chy-Anh Tran, Antonio "Summer Breeze" Goodwin,
Christian "No Fear" Boothby, Juana "the Annihilator"
Rodriguez, Rodrigo Ochoa, TGT guest Jeff Pheffer, and our three junior
representatives, Thebe Kgositsile, Larry Pershing, and TGT guest Nick
Pheffer.
Our 3-truck convoy departed the Dojang Friday morning for the 6-hour
journey north. We stopped only for lunch and the occasionally rest
break -- during which Mr. "Summer Breeze" Goodwin made sure
he would never go hungry during the drive, stocking up with and devouring
snacks at every opportunity. Lesson Learned: next time grappling Mr.
Goodwin, make sure he's well-fed. Otherwise, he might eat you.
Christian Boothby was so excited to try snowboarding for the first
time that he performed neck-loosening exercises throughout most of
the drive. "Listening to music" was his term for it. His
almost inhuman display of violent head-thrashing demanded regular
checks at each stop to see if Mr. Boothby's head did, in fact, stay
connected to his shoulders. Surprisingly, it never once fell off.
Lesson learned: neck cranks may not be the most effective submission
technique to attempt on Mr. Boothby when grappling.
The scenery evolved throughout the drive, becoming increasingly
mountainous as we approached our destination. Simply beautiful! We
arrived without the need for chains or 4-wheel drive, and quickly
unloaded our gear. The cabin was very cozy. We settled in, lit up
the fireplace, and enjoyed the evening. The television became the
video game center, and the Foosball table hardly got any rest. The
long dinner table was set and a delicious, satisfying Italian meal
was prepared by Jokyonim Olivia Vaatete and our WonHwa. Ms. Vaatete
did not let us go without dessert either! After dinner, the guys cleaned
up and we discussed our plan of attack for the morning.
Chy-Anh Tran and her breakfast club (Christian Boothby & Luis
Santiago) were up before anyone cracking eggs and setting the table.
Ms. Tran was flipping hot blueberry pancakes off the griddle in preparation
for the first day out on the slopes while Christian Boothby made coffee.
Lesson Learned: Don't let Christian make coffee.
After Mr. Goodwin finished sneaking as many blueberry pancakes into
his pockets as he could, we were ready for battle. Our gear and tickets
were procured and we stepped out into the snow. Lot's of it. The entire
first morning was cold, windy, and wet, posing a real challenge for
first-time snowboarders Christian Boothby and Larry Pershing, as well
as all of our fingers and toes. Mr. Goodwin and Mr. Santiago stayed
warm using kiapjagae exercises while waiting to regroup. Fortunately,
the second half of the day was a tremendous improvement.
We battled the mountain ferociously, shouting HWARANGDO! before
jumping off the lifts and giving a spirited Hwarangdo cheer when arriving
at the base of the mountain. The deep powder was intense fun, but
we soon learned that it came with a price. Those who dared to make
paths in the smooth untouched portions of powder found that falling
had severe consequences. The tumble itself was painless in all the
fluffy powder; however, getting up and going again was an entirely
different story -- for some, a 15-20 minute novel! Struggling in quicksand
came to mind when passing victims floundering about, thrashing and
struggling to escape the grips of the mountain. We all had a taste
of the mountain. If you've never been stuck in deep snow on a snowboard,
you may not understand. But instead of avoiding such nice sections,
we decided to take on the powdery challenges and hone our skills.
Sometimes a defiant Kiap! is all it took to regain control at high
speeds when all seemed lost and a looming tumble seemed inevitable.
Lesson Learned: NEVER, EVER give up!
Christian Boothby, a veteran skier but first-time boarder
honed his skills rapidly. He took countless dramatic tumbles and painful
spills but picked up the fundamentals impressively quick. Before long
he was keeping up. The skateboarding bass player was a natural! He
even learned some great tricks like "face-plants" and "inverted
snowboarding" -- or as it's more commonly known in Olympic-level
venues, "head-skiing". Intentional? Probably not, but interesting
to see none-the-less. Lesson Learned: A helmet may be a sensible investment
for budding young "head-skiers."
Dinner that evening was another special treat: slow cooked roast
prepared by Ms. Juana Rodriguez - wow! It couldn't get any better.
We toasted to our school, our successes, and our future. Again the
guys cleaned up and we all went about enjoying an evening of games,
movies, laughter, and conversations of both light and serious matters.
Those who dared tried their luck with Jokyonim Vaatete's game of Spoons.
While no silverware were harmed in the playing of this game, next
year we will certainly post a sign reading: "Caution: Low Flying
Spoons."
Later in the evening we commenced the TGT Snowboard Trip tradition:
GO-STOP! This intense game of Go-Stop, or Godori, is a very popular
game in South Korea played with small, thick cars called Hwa-to. The
cards are decorated with beautiful flower designs, come in sets of
four, and contain details that are a challenge to distinguish with
the untrained eye. The means of collecting points is so riddled with
rules and exceptions that each year Master Lee must teach us the basics
all over again just so we can keep up. This year, Instructor Will
Wright was crowned King Godori!
A storm dumped snow on the mountain throughout the night, and we awoke
to a snowboarding winter wonderland! The skies cleared, the sun came
out, and we found ourselves on the lift looking down on a mountain
of untouched powder. If the previous afternoon was a tremendous improvement,
then Sunday was just about perfection!
So fun were the morning runs that Mr. Goodwin and Mr.
Ochoa volunteered to host our First Annual Impromptu Hwarangdo Snow-Grappling
Demo right out in front of the big eagle statue before lunch. They
went at it for two rounds, searching for surface area to post off
of, trying to reverse the other and maintain mounts. We were filled
with pride and awe as we watched the raw display of skill and supreme
physical conditioning that our art has afforded us. It was as if we
had psychic powers that we knew exactly what the gathering spectators,
both young and old, were thinking: "Are those blueberry pancakes
in the snow?" After two grueling rounds of lung-busting action,
the winner was clear -- the mountain. Lesson Learned: grappling in
fresh snow several feet deep at an altitude of about 8000ft is...hard.
Master Lee and Mr. Pheffer continued to take the Juniors out in
the morning, but after lunch the mountain was all theirs! We had already
checked out and loaded the vehicles up, so after the last run we only
had to change and head home. We were tired, but hours of the road-trip
movie games kept everyone entertained until we pulled up to the Dojang
after 10pm.
This year's snowboard trip was the best yet, and we cannot wait until
the next year!
Lesson Learned: If you're TGT, don't miss it!
Special thanks:
To Master Lee for the entire trip!
To our wonderful WonHwa: Instructor Vaatete, Ms. Tran, and Ms. Rodriguez
who worked so hard to make the dining experiences so special.
To Mr. Pheffer and all the Parents!
New Men’s Lockers Room:
After 13 years the Westcoast Headquarters finally has a new locker
room with brand new showers and shelving. With the help of our gracious
students, Jeff Pheffer, Marco Lopez, Isaiah Faulkner, and Scott Webb,
our dream has come true. Here is a sneak peek for those of you waiting
for the seminars in the summer of 2007.
Minneapolis Christmas Party!
Another year has come and gone, and the Hwa Rang Do Minneapolis Academy
always has a celebration to mark the occasion. The annual holiday
party is always a blast in the winter, Christmassy landscape of the
north, as the students, family, and friends pack the dojang full.
Before all the wonderful food can be eaten, and the party enjoyed,
everything must be started with what we do best – do Hwa Rang
Do!
The all school demonstration was filled with excitement as students
of all ages and ranks put on a show to remember. The Hwa Rang Do adults
started things off demonstrating our Yellow Sash form in a circle.
Paths crossed without incident as the 7 adults flew down the lines
of their forms, gracefully showing the soft flavor of Hwa Rang Do
that is exemplified by this beautiful form.
The rest of the demonstration was also packed with great action as
the juniors through adults demonstrated all levels of our forms. The
juniors were sharp in front of the large audience, and the adults
demonstrated great strength as the forms progressed. The weapon forms
followed, and looked great even in the smaller space. Everyone was
sure not to hit any spectators, but nonetheless showed great spirit
throughout the forms.
Everyone went through the breaking portion of the seminar with a
SMASH! Two lines made their way through the boards and bricks, juniors
in one line and adults in the other. As they alternated through the
breaks the audience cheered as both juniors and adults made solid
impacts as they went through their targets.
Hwa Rang Do Techniques are always a show pleaser, and this year the
adults took turns throwing their partners to the ground using joint
locks and take-downs all the way to a submission. Brett Shields and
Jason Ritenour also put on a cool Gootogi (grappling) demonstration.
They fought for positions and locks, were countered and pinned until
finally one was able to submit the other. There were some definite
oooos and awwwws that came from the audience throughout all of these
techniques as there were some pretty big throws followed with some
tight and painful lockups.
There was one special guest student here with us this evening, and
that was Dr. Rick McKenzie who came all the way from Alabama. Dr.
McKenzie has been doing long distance training over the past couple
years with trips to our headquarters in Los Angeles, CA shared with
trips here to the twin cities to learn Tae Soo Do. The day was special
for him as he not only demonstrated seated defense against gun in
the demonstration, but he joined Dr. Russ Ritenour and Sarah Minette
in graduating Tae Soo Do earlier in the day. The 3 of them put on
a great demonstration of their own in the afternoon and went through
the graduation ceremony and achieved their Black Belt rank. Congratulations
to all 3 new Hwa Rang Do Yellow Sashes, and Tae soo Do Black Belts
- keep training hard!
The action portion of the demonstration finished with Sabumnim Dylan
Sirny performing a 5 cut begisul (sword cutting) technique, advanced
joint manipulation, and then a pobuksul (belt technique) demonstration.
The precision needed for begisul is quite impressive, especially when
performing multiple cuts right in a row. Instructor Sirny made it
through all 5 cuts with sharply accurate movement so that the straw
mat was sliced totally apart. The pobuksul demonstration was also
unique as Instructor Packard got so tied up and thrown around, that
by the end of the demonstration he was left helplessly choking on
the floor as Instructor Sirny’s sash bound all of his limbs
and throat. The audience was left worrying for a short time as he
turned red, but Instructor Sirny untied him in the end.
After the demonstration a special event was held, and that was the
first Hwa Rang Do Black Sash Ceremony in Minneapolis. Instructor Preston
Packard and Instructor Alyssa Marlenee made it through the ranks and
tested in front of Dojoonim, Chief Master Lee, and the rest of the
WHRDA testing panel earlier this fall. This was definitely a special
day for them, and the whole dojang community that watched as they
were presented with their new rank, 1st Dan Degree, and took their
Black Sash oath.
After the ceremony, everyone filed up and devoured the put-luck dinner.
There were 5 tables full of food, but after the demonstration everyone
was hungry and enjoyed a great meal. Of course, after eating came
the rest of the party while we watched a special video highlighting
memorable moments of the year’s training, and finished the night
out with lively conversation and Karaoke! The night lasted until sunrise,
and was a great way to end 2006, and get ready for more training and
Hwa Rang Do action in 2007!
Jacksonville celebrates its First
Anniversary!
The school here is growing steadily, and all of the new students
are getting stronger everyday. The Juniors like to take turns leading
warm-ups, and are very excited about their new sparring gear! The
Little Tigers always look forward to the visits of “Mr. Instructor
Spoehr” from Tallahassee, as he always keeps their energy up
as they train hard around the floor.
The adult students are advancing, and we now have our first BBC member.
Our most distant student, currently living in Hawaii, is anticipating
a visit from two Jacksonville students this month. Can life be bad
when you live in Florida and vacation in Hawaii?
Notes from Florida State University
Club:
The end of fall semester brings with it the normal finals and papers
that haunt all college students, and in Florida, the first cold winds
of winter. But at Florida State University, the Hwa Rang Do / Tae
Soo Do Club continues to have class and train, unphased by the onset
of winter. They train practically alone on the outdoor quarter mile
track, which has been abandoned by all but the most dedicated athletes
at FSU.
Sabumnim Spoehr, recently come from the Wisconsin Branch of Hwarangdo,
is seen below laughing while he wears the hat, scarf, and gloves of
one of his new students. Sunbae Nathan Young, who serves as the Vice
President and Assistant Instructor of the club, stands at Instructor
Spoehr’s left, holding back laughter as the newer students shiver
in the 40 degree “cold.”
“Our Italian brothers and sisters train on mountain sides in
the snow, without shoes or gloves!” Instructor Spoehr says as
his students steam in the cold during class, “What we have here
will not stop us. This is training to be Hwarang.”
A few days later the Club had its last Breaking Day. Sabumnim Spoehr
taught his students the specifics of how to break and control their
Ki. Large amounts of wood and cement were then destroyed. Afterwards
the students went back into the Hwarangdo House to share a meal cooked
by Sunbae Young, talk, and watch Fight Club. It was an excellent evening
of training and the beginnings of what will be a long tradition of
Hwa Rang Do’s sense of family at Florida State.
The semester has come to end, finals are over, and the students are
glad of a break, but they will remember what the Instructors of FSU’s
Club said on the last day of Tae Soo Do class: “Take a few days
and rest, but then step up and train harder, because we will, and
when we come back, all our training will reflect it. We must never
stop becoming better.”
International
News
Demonstrations
and Competitions in Rome:
The “La Giustiniana”Club holds its annual demonstration.
Continuing with a tradition started four years ago, this year we
held our annual demonstration in the B.V.M. Parish. The participants
were mostly children from the Parish Course at the Bruno Buozzi School.
For many of them, this was their first experience on stage, and it
was evident from the wondering expressions they made, “When
I get on stage, what do I have to do?”
Yet, they were all prepared, and they knew what they had to do. As
the demonstration got underway parents, children, relatives and strangers
watched with appreciation and amazement as the students demonstrated
their carefully practiced techniques. Forms, sparring, and self-defence
scenes were performed, plus some stage tricks such as when little
Luca (a 3 year old child) got on the stage and started attacking his
instructor Jokyonim Francesco.
Also, the Tae Guek Kwon segment was a big success as Jokyonim Maura
with a mastery of soft movement showed some of the passages with unquestionable
elegance. Jokyonim Maura’s power break was equally exhilarating,
resulting in a broken cement slab.
Even the parents provided a little help: for the first time we had
some live music to accompany our exhibition. Additionally Jokyonim
Mauro performed a wonderful soundtrack with his bongos.
It was a great experience for everyone.
Hwa Rang!
Jokyonim Francesco Biancuzzi
Team Builder Experience
Earlier this fall near Due Ponti in Genoa the Italian Hwa Rang Do
Sulsa Team and the Team Builder Agency of Milan met for the first
time. The Sulsa Team prepared a thorough lesson in team integration
and self-empowerment while also training how to fight and survive
in the forest. The event proved to be an interesting comparison between
both teams, as all participants involved developed a deeper understanding
of themselves, their actions, and their teammates during the course
of the event. This marked the beginning of an adventure for many.
Following is a description that came out of this first meeting as
the adventure was presented to the public at large (from www.teambuilder.it
in the events section under ORIENTEERING ADVENTURE):
From collaboration between Team Builder and Hwa Rang Do®
Italy an innovative and exciting format of Orienteering was born.
Have you ever asked yourself what your reactions may be, both singularly
and in group, in adverse conditions? Have you ever asked yourself
how you would interact with other people, if you did not have all
the comfort we are used to have, at home and in the office, which
make our daily activities much easier? The “Orienteering Adventure”
will put your resistance to the stress, your self-control, your interaction
skills to the test...After a month the request from Italian Posts
had arrived. The responsible of 11 managers from different Italian
regions had chosen the “Orienteering Adventure” format…
" - Luca Gelati
THE FIRST EVENT
The event began on Thursday November 9th at 10:00 AM at Fonte Cerreto.
Kyosanim Marco Mattiucci’s program began with preparation in
the parking area. After a brief presentation the participants began
the long walk into the forest. While experiencing the beauty of nature
everyone began to navigate the hazards of the forest and the participants
developed orienteering and integration techniques similar to those
learned in exercises done in Genoa near Due Ponti. Kyosanim provided
helpful information and inspiring points of reflection which had an
effect on all members of the group. At lunch time the Italian Posts
stopped to take a break while the Sulsa Team continued to train without
rest. Once lunch was finished the activities for the day progressed
to Self Empowerment and Team Leading skills. As evening fell the participants
found themselves in an open glade listening to Kyosanim speak his
final words for the day. After a period of meditation the participants
opened their eyes to see that night had fallen upon the glade.
The feedback from the event was unanimously positive: Perfect organization
and a beautiful day, in combination with excellent instruction created
a wonderful, absorbing, and motivating experience for all involved.
The greatest satisfaction from the day came from knowing that once
again the spirit of Hwa Rang Do had been expressed to the world, beyond
simply kicking and punching. Truly the Team Builder Event illustrated
the positive impact Hwa Rang Do can have on the beliefs and values
of modern society.
Hwarang Forever
Tae Soo Do Jokyonim Luca Gelati
Sulsa Training in Genova:
On Saturday December 2nd of 2006, the usually large Genova Sulsa
Team, though reduced to only three people for various problems, undertook
some hard training on the Genova Hills. "While Diego, Roberto
and I were doing the initial bowing, these words from Master Lee came
to my mind (I don’t know why): "when your heart is broken
you must feed it with more love.” Right at that moment I asked
myself, “what does this have to do with us?” But then
I found the answer: "When there are few of us we have top put
more energy into the training" and I started the lesson!
I knew I could not perform the lesson I had planned for, it would
have been unproductive and senseless. I had to improvise, and so I
did! No orienteering, no knife-throwing, we just had to conquer a
new peak; the one on the East side of “Forte Ratti." Before
entering the thick wood, a group of Little Dragons from Bavari tried
to follow us…it was great to see their enthusiasm, and after
a fast bow we disappeared into the green depths. The climb was long,
hard, tiring. We climbed through a dry riverbed, which was quite a
perfect training place for the Sulsa Team. As we got higher, the difficulty
of our path was growing at every step. Every obstacle we passed over
was followed by another, even more difficult and amazing. But we could
not stop: we had to reach the top!
On a few occasions I had the sensation of being one whole person,
and it was a wonderful experience. As the night came, we found ourselves
in an unknown place. We decided to renounce our plan to get to the
top. We went across the mountain and found a path which brought us
down to the plain safe and fast.
When we reached the plain we turned we saw that we were very close
to reaching the top. We imagined our KSN laughing at us saying “you
see, guys, it is near the end that one tends to give up.” In
this instance giving up proved to be useful because it prompted us
to reflect on the nature of our journey for the day. Truly the important
thing was not reaching the peak but the experience we shared as we
journeyed towards it. While we were coming back home I asked Diego:
“Why did we do this? Why all this fatigue?” And after
a smile, he answered me: “to give a sense and value to all the
other things in our life”.
This training has taught me that, when you give unconditionally to
your Art, your Art will give far greater to you in return.”
Hwarang Forever!
Tae Soo Do Jokyonim Luca Gelati
More Sulsa Training in Genova
On Saturday December 9th, 2006, the Genova Sulsa Team organized fight
training on the Genova hills. Participants started with short distance
fighting techniques, first by on their own, then against trees, and
finally against other team members. They then practiced with throwing
knives and did some orienteering exercises, which proved to be very
challenging.
The day was full of hard training and some memorable, if quirky
experiences. Among these, a lost brown belt and an accidental tumble
into a thicket of chestnut thorns. The latter drew some good natured
criticism from Kyosanim Mattiucci but proved to be useful in allowing
other participants to pass the prickly obstacles unscathed. A final
meditation session ended a wonderful training experience.
Hwarang Forever
Tae Soo Do Jokyonim Luca Gelati
February Sulsa Training in Italy
February 10th through 11th, the Italian HRD Sulsa Team went through
a hard training session in the forest under a rain. This training
session also included a special, Miss Jessica Schiff, a Hwa Rang Do
blue sash from Eau Claire, WI that currently resides in Austria. This
event was a great opportunity to meet and build cooperation between
Hwa Rang Do students from different EU countries.
After this experience Jessica is inspired to open a new Tae Soo Do
Club in Austria (GREAT!!!).
JESSICA SCHIFF’ COMMENTS ABOUT THE EVENT:
"I've come to Europe because I love adventure, culture, and
new experiences not available at home. Sulsa training with Instructor
Mattiucci was an amazing opportunity, and so when Kyosanim Mattiucci
invited me, I was excited to participate. I'd heard many stories about
mountain training, and I wanted to experience it for myself.
I think occasionally I get used to "Dojang Hwa Rang Do"--dobok,
mats, lights, water, and the drive home afterwards. But the Sulsa
training put this in to perspective for me, and I understood more
of the practical application of Hwa Rang Do. Acrobatics, for example.
Tumbling over a heap of mats is no different that tumbling over stones
or fallen trees. Hwa Rang Do is not meant to always stay in the dojang.
The physical challenge of the Sulsa training was not a big concern
for me. I knew I'd feel hungry and thirsty--Sulsa do not eat or drink
during the training period. Through the course of the training I understood
that hunger and thirst, while basic human needs, are still controlled
my one's own mind. A short time without food or water made me more
grateful for them afterwards. And support from the entire group made
the challenge less difficult because I knew everyone felt like I did.
For me, the mental aspect of the training was very deep. I encountered
small mental challenges along the way. Keeping up a positive outlook
gets difficult if one's mind isn't ready to resist the elements. My
experience seemed unique compared to the Italians' experiences--I
was completely new to the people, the language, and the country. Not
only was the training new, but the 20 people I was training with were
new to me. I don't speak Italian, but Kyosanim Mattiucci and the others
always made sure I understood what was happening, either through demonstration
or translation, or both. Because of this, I felt very much a part
of the group.
The Sulsa training seemed militaresque to me. Walking in silence,
very strong, like a force moving through the forest. I felt energy
all around me. Often, I felt as though I were journeying through the
mountains surrounded by 20 Hwarang bodyguards, who were all looking
out for me. Never was I frightened or worried. Not even when we were
training with live knives in the fog at night. (I just remember thinking
how fascinating it was to get to do that.) Trust and courage, two
of our nine virtues, were integral parts of my experience. Both were
put to the test throughout the training.
I
had basically no expectations prior to the Sulsa training (besides
perhaps being hungry and thirsty). I had chosen to participate; I
didn't have to do it. Training in the mountains was an amazing physical
and mental challenge and adventure for me, which has broadened my
understanding of what it means to be a Hwa Rang and what exactly Sulsa
is and means.
The Italian Hwa Rang Doists are intense. My experience was intense.
Sulsa training is difficult, mentally and physically. But with a strong
mind and support from my Hwa Rang Do brothers and sisters, I made
it through--and hope to return again soon. It has taken time and reflection
to understand how Sulsa training has impacted my own training, but
one thing is sure, I now better understand that Hwa Rang Do is Hwa
Rang Do no matter what the country, the language or the dojang."
