I have read into it.... heard the person that started it is a fraud and his brother left because he didn't think the current grand master was on the right path. But still is it a good matial art? Is it worth the time? Anyone here study it? Please post what you know about this martial art. I am still trying to find and decide what I want to learn.
His skills and abilities are reputed to be very good. However, there is absolutely no historical basis to many of the claims the WHRDA makes, and much in the way of contradiction. Good for what. For what reason do you seek martial skill and to what ends would you put your skills to use?
i heard about it ...dont know that much though i heark its closer to MT than it is to TKD since there are much more hand techniques
There's very little that's Muay Thai about it. The syllabus of Hwa Rang Do is essentially the same as Kuksool. This is not surprising given the shared history of both arts.
Well when i meant is it good. I meant for it to mean; is it a good for self defence and is it good for fitness. Sorry for not making myself clear...
I've worked with Hwa Rang Do folks and have been pretty impressed at their willingness to bang. That said, ditto everything Mad Monk stated about the history -- there's a reason why I'm in the fan club. Still, there's a cult like mentality and heirarchy about HRD that I just can't handle (and it was present even with the group I liked). - Matt
Hmmmm... Thats weird, Did they try to press it on you? Never heard about a cult kinda situation. But I guess every martial art has it's own cult following though. What is the MA like? Is it a grappling or Striking art? I heard it was like Kook Sol, but i don't have a clue what that is. Just trying to figue this whole thing out.
For self-defense: There are good practitioners...but it wouldn't be my first choice. For fitness: Yeah.
It is a cult of personality to the founder. If you study Hwa Rang Do, you are not allowed to cross-train. Do so, and you're out. Lots of striking, lots of crappling. Korean Kung Fu mixed with Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu.
Can't cross train....that is bs. I wouldn't cross train for the first year or so, but still thats way out of there. I don't think I can deal with that. I want to learn, but not if inpedes my movement forward. I thinks it's a draw back/ Well X that Idea. Thanks Mad Monk for your anwsers, I really appreciate it.
There are groups that have broken off from the main cult and done their own thing. From what I understand they are better than the old group. The reason seems to be that once the guy who started the art lied about a technique and said he showed it as it was shown him, there was no way he could go back and show a better version. The guys that broke off were able to look at things, find the flaws and improve the art. So you might want to look into some of them.
To be completely honest, you'd be just as well off taking up Hapkido if you're looking into Hwa Rang Do. Hapkido, Kuk Sool and Hwa Rang Do all have the same roots and employ pretty much the same self-defense techniques. I think that Hapkido is, however, the least cultish of all the Korean eclectic arts I've looked into.
