In Korean martial arts video footage pulled from the Black Belt archive, hwa rang do grandmaster Taejoon Lee, author of the Korean martial arts book Hwa Rang Do: Defend, Take Down, Submit, demonstrates two visually impressive takedowns: a spinning leg-scissor takedown and submission technique and a powerful leg-grab counter. Born out of the martial and medical wisdom of Korea’s ancient Hwarang knighthood and organized into a modern system by Black Belt Hall of Fame member Dr. Joo Bang Lee in the mid-20th century, hwa rang do encompasses the full gamut of combat techniques.

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NEW KOREAN MARTIAL ARTS VIDEO Grandmaster Taejoon Lee Demonstrates a Powerful Leg-Grab Counter!

KOREAN MARTIAL ARTS VIDEO Grandmaster Taejoon Lee Demonstrates the Spinning Leg-Scissor Takedown and Submission!

While other arts showcase their power primarily with punches and kicks, HRD practitioners soar through the air with whirlwind hand and foot strikes, as well as grounded locks, throws and grappling moves that demonstrate the utmost finesse.

See how another Korean martial art uses strikes for self-defense in this FREE Guide —Taekwondo Forms: Uncovering the Self-Defense Moves Within Traditional Taekwondo Patterns.

A Brief History of the Art's Evolution as Told by Taejoon Lee Taejoon Lee, the eldest of Joo Bang Lee’s children and heir apparent to the system, sheds light on the historical evolution of the art: “When hwa rang do first came to the United States, everyone wanted to learn how to punch and kick. The flashier moves brought in more students, so my father adjusted the curriculum and ranking system from his original Korean teaching structure to fit our new home." “Back then, grappling wasn’t very popular,” he continues. “People who were interested in martial arts wanted effective techniques that looked good, too. With a kick, you can generally get an idea of its power without having to feel it, but a submission technique requires experience for you to appreciate it. "Ground grappling, by and large, isn’t as visually exciting as percussive techniques are. Just look at the way the rules have changed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Because spectators demanded more visual excitement, the promoters restart the fights [in a] standing position if there’s too little action on the ground.” How Dr. Joo Bang Lee's Art Brought Flair to Its Demonstrations Viewing footage of HRD training and demonstrations held in Korea during the 1960s, it’s easy to see that Joo Bang Lee was right on the money. Between demonstrations of their breaking and weapons prowess, practitioners can be seen performing a plethora of joint manipulations, throws, takedowns, ground-grappling moves and submission techniques. Taking Korean Martial Arts Into the Future Continuing with his father’s mission to make HRD a viable and well-rounded system that meets the needs of its environment, Taejoon Lee has developed a new system for training students to survive nonlethal encounters — which, no matter what some might argue, make up the majority of self-defense situations. The three-step process combines the joint manipulations, takedowns and throws of HRD into a defend–take-down–submit format that’s an effective alternative to knockdown–and–drag-out combat. To read more about this Korean martial art, check out Hwa Rang Do: Defend, Take Down, Submit by Taejoon Lee with Mark Cheng, available in our online store! For more information regarding Dr. Joo Bang Lee and Taejoon Lee's organization, visit the World Hwa Rang Do Association home page at hwarangdo.com. “Hwa rang do” is a registered trademark of the World Hwa Rang Do Association. For more information about Dr. Mark Cheng, visit Dr. Mark Cheng’s Facebook page!