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What
is Han Mu Do?
Han Mu Do is a comprehensive martial arts
system comprised of the study of empty hand techniques, the study of
weapons, the study of Ki, and the study of martial arts philosophy.
Han Mu Do was created by Dr. He-Young Kimm in
1989, after more than forty years of training and research in Korean martial
art systems. A true martial
arts scholar, he sought to integrate the techniques and philosophies of
these styles, most founded in the 1950’s, with new and innovative
techniques into a single comprehensive balanced system.
Han Mu Do is recognized and registered by the
Korean government (reg. no. 534) as a traditional Korean Martial Art.
Han means Korea (nation of optimism), Mu
means martial arts and Do means "the way." Together, Han Mu Do means as “The way of Korean Martial
Arts.”
The central tenet of Han Mu Do is balance.
By this we mean that the martial art is organized so that there is balance between:
·
Empty hand and weapons techniques
·
Techniques powered by physical strength and
Ki energy
·
Training of the physical body and
philosophical, mental and spiritual training
·
Techniques of the left and right side of the
body
·
Traditional and Modern philosophy and
techniques
The Han Mu Do System is divided into four
major divisions. These
divisions are:
·
Yuh Kwon Sul - Study of Empty Hand Techniques
·
Mu Ki Sul - Study of Weapons Techniques
·
Son Du Sul - Study of Ki
·
Han Chul Hak - Study of Han Philosophy
Yuh
Kwon Sul - The Study of Empty Hand Techniques
The
largest division in the Han Mu Do System, Yuh Kwon Sul encompasses basic
kicking and striking, sweeps and throws, Han Mu Do Ho Shin Sul
(Self-Defense), Hyung (Form), and Dae Ryun (Free Sparring).
Students
practicing the Han Mu Do Ho Shin Sul technique sets will find that the
techniques they learn at the beginner levels are the foundation of the sets
they learn as they progress through the system. This intuitive method of learning is further enhanced by the
Han Mu Do Hyungs (Form). Unique
in Self-Defense Martial Arts, Han Mu Do Hyungs are based upon the Ho Shin
Sul technique sets. Han
Mu Do Hyungs allow students to practice the techniques  sets without a
partner in an aesthetically beautiful and graceful exercise.
Han
Mu Do Dae Ryun is a Free Sparring System designed to challenge students to
apply the kicking, striking, throwing, holding, and choking techniques they
have practiced in an unscripted, yet safe and exciting environment.
Mu Ki Sul - Study of Weapons Techniques
In the Han Mu Do System, students are exposed to a number of
martial arts weaponry through the course of their training.
The students begin training with offensive weapons such as the pole
and sword. Later, they learn to
use defensive weapons such as the rope, the cane and the fan.
Son
Du Sul - Study of Ki
Son Du Sul or the Study of Ki (internal energy) is a
vital component of the Han Mu Do System. During the early stages of Han Mu Do training, students learn
breathing exercises that stimulate the flow of Ki through the body.
Through time and practice, Han Mu Do students learn how to cultivate
and accumulate Ki energy. Later in the advanced levels of Son Du Sul, Han Mu Do
students learn to control the circulation of Ki through the body.
Throughout a student’s Han Mu Do Training,
they are taught how to utilize Ki energy while performing Yuh Kwon Sul and
Mu Ki Sul techniques.
Han
Chul Hak - Study of Han Philosophy
The Han Philosophy is what separates Han Mu
Do from other combative activities such as fencing, boxing or wrestling.
The Han Philosophy endows Han Mu Do practitioners with a common value
for the practice and application of Han Mu Do.
Approximately Ten thousand
years ago, the ancestors of the Korean people began to migrate from the
Pharmil fields of Central Asia to the eastern coast of Asia.
They moved towards the warmer climate and access to the sea and
settled in present-day Manchuria, and Peninsula of Korea.
There, the Korean people created a unique civilization based on the
Han Philosophy.
The Han Philosophy is purely of Korean origin.
It was nurtured and matured by the Korean people before relations
with neighboring nations were established.
The Han Philosophy is based on four distinct characteristics.
First, Han means head or leader.
The Korean people look for leadership and guidance from the holders
of high position. Examples are
the King – Head of State, the Father – Head of Family, and the Teacher
– Head of Classroom. They are
regarded as the most important persons in a society.
Second, Han means big or whole.
Each person is considered a vital member of the community as a whole.
Harmony within the community as a whole is very important in the
pursuit of happiness for the individual as well as for the country.
Third, Han means brightness or optimism. Brightness in the Korean language implies peace, cleanness
and honesty in life. To be
optimistic no matter what hardships one has faced in the past.
Finally, Han means higher learning. The Korean people place great value on education and culture.
They strive for excellence in learning, whether it is literature or
martial arts.
These four distinct characteristics of Han Philosophy permeated
into every facet of Korean society. It
has been embedded in Korean culture, religion, economics, politics, and
especially in the martial arts. It
still plays a significant role in what constitutes the Korean identity.
Choi Chi-won, the preeminent Scholar and Warrior of the Silla
Kingdom wrote about the philosophy of Han on the tombstone of the Nan Nang
Tomb. Master Choi wrote the
introduction of Confucianism in Korea reinforced the Han values of respect
to parents, teacher and King and loyalty to the country. The introduction of Taoism reinforced the philosophy of
harmony with nature and with other human beings.
And the introduction of Zen Buddhism reinforced love and mutual help
among citizens of the society.
I. Han -
Head, High
The
first meaning of Han is head or high position.
A. Head of State
By 2333 B.C., Dan Kun united many tribes and established the first
tribal nation in Korean History. It
was called Cho Sun (Land of the Morning Calm).
The first head of state of Cho Sun was known as Han Bai Kum or
"the bright head of the tribal nation."
 The
philosophy of Han gives the Korean Head of State a simple lesson.
When the water from the upper portion of a stream is clean and clear,
the water in the lower portion of the stream will be clean and clear.
Likewise when the Head of State governs the country with love and
care, the subject will follow with respect.
On the other hand however, if the head of State governs the country
for his own personal benefit and glory, the subjects will become selfish and
corrupt, and will turn away from the Head of State.
In the Han philosophy, the Head of State should not only be educated
intellectually in the affairs of politics, economics, culture and martial
arts, but also be well versed in the affairs of ethics, love, respect and
care for his fellow citizens.
B. Parents
In
the Koryo Kingdom, a book was written by the great Zen Master Il Yun.
Within the book, Sam Kook Yu Sa, there is a celebrated story
of a daughter's devotion to her mother.
There lived a girl in the Silla Kingdom, during the regime of Queen
Jin Sun, who lost her father a very early age.
She worked as an unskilled laborer to support herself and her blind
mother. One year, famine swept
the kingdom. Out of work and
destitute, the girl, without telling her mother, sold herself as a servant
to a rich household for the price of thirty bushels of rice.
She was allowed to work during the day, and return to her house at
night to take care of her mother. A
few days went by, and then the blind mother spoke to her daughter.
"In
the past, I have enjoyed peace of mind, even though the food was not the
best", she said. "Recently,
the food has been very good, but I do not know why my mind is not at peace.
I do not know what is wrong with me." Said the blind mother.
With
that the daughter told her mother the truth and both of them embraced and
wept. The girl realized that
she was only thinking about physical satisfaction--food for hunger--for her
mother, but failed to understand the peace in her mother's mind.
The
Han philosophy states that devotion to one's parents is not considered
submission or repayment, but it is an honor and a privilege, which comes
from the pure hearts of the sons and daughters.
This level of devotion has been maintained throughout Korean history,
regardless of age, wealth or social position.
The
devotion to the parents does not end with the parent’s death, but is
continued in the form of ancestor worship.
Even Confucius, the famous Chinese philosopher (500 B.C.), wrote that
he admired the devotion of Korean sons to their parents.
Especially the fact that they mourn the death of their parents for
three years.
Han
philosophy does not believe in the separateness of life and death.
Life in this world is the continuation of life in a previous world
and will continue into another world. In
other words, at birth, the journey in the previous world is at the end and a
new journey in this world is beginning; at death, the journey in this world
is at an end, but it is at a beginning of another journey in the next world.
To
illustrate this concept, let's examine the following analogy.
You decide to travel by train from New York to San Francisco.
First, you must go to Grand Central Station in New York to purchase
your ticket and then board the westward bound train.
At this point let us relate the actions you took before you boarded
the train to our life in the previous world.
As a train begins its cross-country trip, we can relate that to being
born in this world. The trip
across the country is wonderful. Life aboard the train is very enjoyable.
At this point, we can relate activities on the train, such as
enjoying the scenery, eating, sleeping, and talking with your fellow
passengers, with our life in this world. Finally you arrive in San Francisco, and get off the train.
Here, we can relate it with the death of our lives.
However, does getting off the train constitute the end of the
journey? No!
You can visit the Golden Gate Bridge or go to Fisherman's Wharf and
eat Alaskan King Crab. By the
same logic, after death we will life in another form of life in the next
world.
This
type of philosophy not only gives psychological comfort to living persons,
but also helps perpetuate ancestor worship.
C. Teacher
Along
with the Head of State and Parents, the Teacher is a very respected member
by Korean Society. Han
emphasizes education. Without
the teacher to educate, human beings would be no different from other
animals, which only try to satisfy instinctual needs such as hunger, sleep
and reproduction. But because
of the teacher, one can have intellectual and martial arts training.
Compare
the teacher to a mountain guide. Climbing
up a mountain without an experienced guide may lead to disaster. However, having an experienced guide leading the party will
allow the party to reach the top of the mountain and enjoy the view.
From
a teacher's view, there are three groups of students.
The first group listens to the teacher’s instructions very well.
Following the teacher's guidance step by step, they reach the top of
the mountain and enjoy the view. The
second group of students is filled with doubt and mistrust to their teacher.
Inevitably, they will separate from their teachers and wander about
the middle of the mountain. The
third group never pays any attention to the teacher from the beginning and
never will step from the bottom of the mountain.
The teacher should know how to handle these three different groups.
Respect
to the teacher does not come naturally.
They earn it by becoming role models to their students in the areas
of morality and ethics as well as in their chosen field.
During
the early period of the Lee Kingdom, a very wise teacher tutored the son of
the King. The prince saw the
teacher as a perfect gentleman and could not find any weakness.
One
day the prince decided to test the teacher.
He came to class early and decided to test the reactions of the
teacher by placing a very sharp nail in the teachers sitting cushion.
The teacher came to class, sat on a cushion and began lecturing on
the day's lesson. Time passed,
and the Teacher continued lecturing without any shows of emotion.
Curiosity about the nail preoccupied the prince, and he soon began to
neglect the lesson. Had the teacher sat on the nail?
Maybe the nail was not pointing up when the Teacher sat on the
cushion.
Soon
the prince saw a pool of blood emerge from the cushion and stain his
teacher's white pants. The
teacher continued his lesson, not giving the slightest notice to the blood.
Astounded, the prince explained to his teacher that he had placed a
nail in the cushion and begged for forgiveness.
The
prince asked the teacher, "I see the blood in the cushion and on your
pants. Don't you feel
pain?"
"Of
course, I feel pain, but I cannot jump off the cushion to express my
personal pain in front of you. I
am your teacher. I have to
teach you how to control your emotions in case of pain or emergency",
the teacher answered. "When
you become King, you may face many painful situations, such as famine,
foreign invasion, or internal rebellion.
If you jump off the cushion and do not know what to do, people will
fault me as a teacher for not educating you properly.
Therefore, this incident is a living lesson to show you how to
control pain and emotion."
The
prince respected the teacher more than ever.
II. HAN -
Big, Whole
The
second part of Han means big or whole.
An integrated member of a community will enjoy unity, cooperation,
harmony and peace.
A. Unity
Human
beings originate from different traditions, social backgrounds, and levels
of education and ethnicity's. We
possess different opinions, ideas, thoughts and behaviors.
But as long as he is thinking that his is part of a whole collective
community, there can be compromise among these differences.
The
value of good and bad in Han philosophy is based on the whole.
Actions that benefit one as an individual, but harm the whole is
considered bad. However actions
that benefit the individual as well as the whole group is considered good.
The
Sun Bi in Koguryo or Wha Rang in Silla placed great moral value on the
whole. They respected each other and would never betray a comrade on
the battlefield.
Master
Won Hyo said one should place value in the benefit of others as well as
himself. For example, the
captain of a passenger ship has to sail his ship safely to the destination. He is concerned with not only his personal safety, but also
the safety of the ship's passengers and crew.
The captain and the passengers share the common goal of arriving at
the ship's destination safely.
B. Harmony
Han
philosophy contains harmony and it had been penetrated into daily life in
Korea. Harmony means two or
more different elements combining with one another and becoming a part of
the whole without losing their respective identifies.
Nature
is a great example of Harmony. Great
beauty in nature does not come from a single element, but from many
elements, such as a clean water stream, a green mountain, and blossoming
flowers. All of these elements contribute in nature's beauty.
When
the Sun Bi of Koguryo or Wha Rang began their martial arts training, their
teacher did not teach them the techniques first.
At first, the students learned how to empty their minds through Zen
meditation. Then, they learn
how to build strong bodies by traveling through rugged mountain terrain and
the beaches of the shores of the Korean rivers and seaside.
Finally they were allowed to learn martial art techniques. In this way, they learned how to harmonize three
elements--mind, body, and techniques--to perform at maximum ability.
C. Cooperation
Geographically
Korea is located between China and Japan. It
is the natural land bridge between the two countries. Beginning in the First Century B.C., Korea has faced invasion
by the Chinese, Mongolians, Manchurians, and the Japanese.
Each time, Koreans cooperated with one another to defend the country
and expel the invaders. This spirit of cooperation comes from the Han philosophy.
The
Han philosophy does not see you and I as separated identities, but sees us
as members of the whole. This
mind of wholeness has brought cooperation among the Koreans.
You help other people when they need help. In return, you receive help from other people when you need
help. This spirit of
cooperation has become a way of life in Korea.
Master
Yul Kok, Secretary of Ceremony during the Lee Kingdom, encouraged villages
to provide assistance in the following five cases.
1.
When one's house is burned down by fire or washed away by water.
2.
When one's property has been stolen.
3.
When a poor man's parents are sick or die.
4.
When children lose both of their parents and are orphaned.
5.
When one's family falls into poverty.
III.
Han -
Brightness, Optimism
Brightness
and Optimism are major elements of the Han Philosophy.
In B.C. 2333, Han Bai Kum, the first King of Korea, established the
Cho Sun tribal confederation. He
proclaimed the capital of the new confederation to be A Sa Dal, which means
the 'brightly shining and promising place.'
The people of Cho Sun believed that they lived in the birthplace of
the Sun. Living in this
brightly shining place, they believed there could be a peaceful coexistence
among the different tribes. They
believed they could live in harmony with nature.
They believed in an optimistic future.
These beliefs of brightness, associated with peace, honesty and
optimism, have been carried out in the mind of Korean people for
generations.
Master
Won Hyo of the Silla Kingdom said that every man has an original mind, a
purely good mind. He likened
the original mind to bright sunlight. The
master believed that the original mind was a good mind.
The original mind is what caused people to help other people without
thinking of being paid back or what's in it for them.
For example, if you see a baby about to fall into a pond, the
original mind would cause you to run toward the baby and save him from
falling into the water. This
act of saving the baby did not come from the promise of reward money or
personal glory. It is an action
that emanated in the original mind.
Master
Won Hyo expressed the feeling that people could live in peace and happiness
as long as they acted according to the original mind.
But when original mind was corrupted by the actions of the false
mind, actions such as prejudice, greed and selfishness, people acted
according to the false mind. Harmony
in the mind is destroyed and peace and happiness are gone.
The
Master compared the relationship between the original mind and the false
mind to bright sunlight vis-à-vis a cloud in the sky.
On a cloudless day, the bright sunlight (original mine) is able to
distribute it's light evenly over the ground (behavior originating from the
original mind brings peace and happiness in the mind).
But when the sunlight is obscured by a cloud (false mind), the light
does not reach the ground (the behavior of the false mind destroys harmony
within the people and the peace and happiness of the mind is in danger.)
Master
Won Hyo emphasized that maintaining the original mind all the time was the
most important way to make good action.
Regardless of the situation, actions originating from the good mind
are considered good actions. However,
actions originating from the bad mind are considered bad action.
For example, when you advise someone, if your motivation originates
from the good mind, it can be considered a bad action. But when your motivation originates from the false mind, it
can be considered a bad action. The
Master's lesson is that one should not only should be concerned about the
action, but also one should also realize the motivation behind taking the
action.
IV. Han -
Intellectual
Education
in penmanship and swordmanship has been greatly emphasized throughout Korean
history. The scholarly warrior
is the object of great respect from the people.
In
the Silla Kingdom, the Wha Rang system was established during the regime of
King Jin Heung. Members of the
Wha Rang were chosen from the sons of the upper class.
They studied classical literature from scholars, meditation from Zen
masters, physical training in the form of mountain climbing and martial
arts. The graduates of the Wha
Rang served as military officers or as officials in the civil service.
During
the regime of King So Soo Lim in Koguryo, Tae Hak, or college level
educational institute, was established at Capital City.
There, sons of the upper class learned literature and martial arts.
At the provincial level, Pyung Dang, or local colleges, were
established to teacher martial arts and literature to the sons of the common
people. Graduates of these
institutions were known as the Sun Bi--intellectual warriors--and they
became the backbone of the military civilian services.
The
Sun Bi felt a dual purpose in their lives.
As well trained soldiers, they could go to the battlefield to defend
the country. At the same time,
the Sun Bi felt that , as learned scholars, they could work in the
government to assist the King. The
Sun Bi considered that penmanship and swordsmanship were of equal
educational value. The harmony
between the two was the ultimate goal.
The Sun Bi possessed scholarly charm and warrior's bravery.
About Dr. He-Young Kimm
As a young man roaming the hills near Suwon,
South Korea, it was hard to imagine that he could envision the course his
life would take. Spurred to
learn martial arts by an act of violence against his family, this young man
would later become a pioneer in the introduction of Korean Martial Arts to
America and a critically acclaimed martial arts author, journalist and
teacher.
Dr. He-Young Kimm, born 1/17/1940, began his
martial arts training in Yudo and Bi Sool in 1953. By the time he had graduated from high school, he had
captained the Yudo team and successfully led them to a national
championship. Later, as a cadet
at the Korean Naval Academy, Dr. Kimm taught martial arts to the 8th U.S.
Army stationed in Pusan, Korea. It
was there that the young marine was invited to further his education and
teach martial arts at a small university in the Midwest.
At the invitation of the Dr. Mark Scully, President of SE Missouri
State University and with permission from his government, Dr. Kimm began teaching Hapkido, Yudo and Tae Kwon Do in the
winter of 1963. He spent six
years there, spreading his art and attending classes. Then having been awarded a Master’s degree in American
History, Dr. Kimm moved onto Baton Rouge, Louisiana to further his education
at Louisiana State University.
The seventies were a time of recognition and growth for the young martial
artist. Throughout this decade,
he gained respect for exciting demonstrations that he performed throughout
the south and the seminars that he opened to members of all styles.
His articles on Hapkido were published in Official Karate, where he
also served as Technical Adviser, Karate Illustrated, Inside Kung Fu,
Traditional Tae Kwon Do, and Cinta Negra to name a few.
In January, 1975, he became the first Hapkidoist to grace the cover
of Black Belt Magazine performing his trademark Double Flying SideKick. Later in the
year, Grandmaster Myung Kwang-Shik visited Dr. Kimm at LSU. Together they pledged to work together to promote Hapkido
throughout the southern United States.
A product of their collaboration was a translation of Grandmaster
Myung’s Hapkido book written by Dr. Kimm.
In the mid-70’s, he met Grandmaster Suh, In
Hyuk, founder of Kuk Sool Won. Impressed
by the breadth of both man and martial art, Dr. Kimm joined Grandmaster Suh
to help him promote Kuk Sool Won in America.
It was a collaboration that would last for almost fifteen years.
In his capacity as the Secretary General of the World Kuk Sool
Association, Dr. Kimm promoted number seminars in the United States and
Mexico and was a co-director of the World Martial Arts Championship and
Demonstrations in Pusan, Korea. In
19xx, Dr. Kimm wrote and published Kuk Sool: Traditional Korean Martial
Arts, an immense volume cataloging the martial art as Grandmaster Suh
taught him.
Dr. Kimm has devoted his entire life to the
study of Korean Martial Arts. Not
content to study one or two systems, he sought knowledge from the masters of
many.
Among
his many teachers, Dr. Kimm considers Song Kwang-Sub and Yun Yong-Jo as his
Yudo and Bi Sool instructors, Won Kwang-Wha and Ji Han-Jae as his Hapkido
instructors, Kang Sub-Jong as his Tae Kwon Do instructor, Suh In-Hyuk as his
Kuk Sool instructor, Son Duk-Ki as his Tae Kyun instructor, Cho Seung-Yong
as his Kum Do instructor, Kim Kwang-Suk as his Ship Phal Ki instructor, and
Sung Soo Dae Sa as his Zen instructor.
In 1989, with the encouragement and blessing
of Grandmaster Ji and Grandmaster Suh, Dr. Kimm set out to create Han Mu Do
or The Way of Korean Martial Arts.
Han Mu Do is a self-defense art comprised of empty hand techniques,
weapons techniques, the study of Ki, and the study of martial arts
philosophy. It’s central
tenet is balance; balance of
empty hand and weapons techniques, balance between the use of
physical and ki centered techniques, balance of physical, mental,
philosophical, and spiritual training, balance between left and right side
techniques, and the balance between the traditional and modern philosophy
and techniques.
As Dr. Kimm’s interest in the historical
and philosophical aspects of Korean Martial Arts grew, so did his
disappointment in the relative lack of books of academic quality on these
subjects. After years of
research, Dr. Kimm wrote Philosophy of Masters in 198x.
A book of parables published in both English and Korean, this
critically acclaimed tome contains the biographies and the teachings of the
most famous Buddhist figures in ancient Korea.
This coffee table size book is also noted
for it beautiful photographs, most of which were taken by Dr. Kimm.
While Dr. Kimm’s career as martial arts author and journalist had begun
in the 1970’s, his reputation as a martial arts scholar would be
established in the 1980’s and 1990’s.
After publishing the books, Kuk Sool and Philosophy of
Masters, Dr. Kimm would go
on to write and publish two books on Hapkido, based on the teachings
of Grandmaster Ji, Han Jae, founder of Modern Hapkido.
Later works would include Tae Kwon Do Self-Defense, an
instructional manual for Tae Kwon Do instructors who wish to incorporate
self-defense techniques into their : curriculum and Han Mu Do: Korean
Martial Arts, a guide to the martial art that he created.
In addition, Dr. Kimm is a
frequent subject and contributor to martial arts publications around the
world such as Black
Belt, Karate Illustrated, Inside
Kung Fu, Traditional Tae Kwon Do, Tae
Kwon Do Times in the United States, Tae Kwon Do and Korean Martial
Arts in the United Kingdom, Centa
Negra in Spain, Katana
in Mexico, and Tae
Kwon Do in Korea. He
has previously served as Technical Advisor for Official
Karate, and currently serves as Technical Advisor to Tae
Kwon Do Times in the Untied States, Tae Kwon Do and Korean Martial Arts in the United Kingdom, Centa
Negra in Spain, and
Katana in Mexico. He has also
produced and directed corresponding videotapes for his books on Han Mu Do.
For almost the past ten years, Dr. Kimm has
been compiling information and conducting scores of interviews for his next
book, The History of Korean Martial Arts.
The book will document the history of martial arts of ancient Korea
and trace their evolution to the practice of Modern Korean Martial Arts
throughout the world.
Presently, Dr. Kimm resides in Baton Rouge,
Louisiana with his wife Hyun Ja. His
time is split between performing Han Mu Do seminars, conducting academic
research and teaching at his school.
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