The Widnes Hwarang Do
I want to tell you all about the best day I’ve ever had at our Home Dojang. I want to share the incredible team spirit and the joy of seeing students work together, grow, and gain satisfaction from their hard work. But first, let me give you some context.
At Kuk Sool Won of Widnes, we pride ourselves on the quality of martial artists we produce. Over the years, we have gained a strong reputation for the overall excellence of our students, not just at tournaments. I often say, “Tournaments are only a couple of days each year; what do you do to be the best every other day?”
We pride ourselves on our extensive knowledge of the Kuk Sool syllabus and the extracurricular aspects of Korean martial arts, such as sword cutting, archery, and knife defence. We also have a deep understanding of Korean martial arts history and Kuk Sool theory, reinforced by our regular written exams. However, what does any of this mean if we cannot run a mile, move without pain, jump over an obstacle, or perform basic bodyweight exercises?
History Lesson Sidebar: Around 1,500 years ago, a Buddhist monk named Won Kwang Bopsa was tasked with assembling and training an elite class of martial artists. These individuals were not only skilled warriors but also accomplished scholars, renowned for their exceptional skills and indomitable spirit. They embodied the ideal martial artist, true masters in every aspect of their training, and adhered to a strong moral code of conduct. They were the pr
ecursors to the Japanese Samurai and exemplified what is expected of the modern-day Black Belt.
This institution became known as the Hwarang Do, and tales of their exploits are well known throughout Korean history. You can read more about these warriors in Textbook 1 and Master Barry’s *5,000 Years of Korean Martial Arts*.
So, back to Widnes and the present day – introducing the Kuk Sool Won of Widnes Hwarang Do Programme. Written to set a benchmark for basic fitness and skill levels amongst our Black Belts, the programme from some perspectives could seem daunting, while from others, it might seem too easy. As my students have found over the past five weeks, it is all of these and more. Class time lessons have remained focused on the WKSA syllabus, and training for the new programme has been done outside of class hours, apart from the occasional “free practice,” in which some students have worked to develop their understanding of the blocks… This is one of those times they are learning and developing everything they do in Kuk Sool without even realising that what they’re doing is Kuk Sool 😉
The Widnes Hwarang Do Programme itself includes around 60 exercises divided into three classifications or “Blocks,” which, when combined, create the perfect training plan for any martial arts student. Each exercise is meticulously positioned in front of, or after another exercise that can either help with the next or compound the fatigue, making what might seem like an easy movement an absolute challenge. My years of studying exercise, body mechanics, energy systems of the body, and of course, the fact that I am an evil genius adept at all methods of torture, have made this work beautifully.
Our blocks are divided into:
- Block 1: Strength & Conditioning
- Block 2: Skills
- Block 3: Cardio
Each block takes around 45 minutes to complete but varies greatly in technicality, intricacy, and the knowledge required for each sub-section.
Strength Block: A “warm-up” of bodyweight exercises followed by three main lifting exercises using a barbell. Standards for this are set using a modified version of the Tim Henriques powerlifting table and a standard Rep-Max calculator. All students are given full instruction on how to perform the exercises relevant to their experience and age.
Skills Block: This includes weapons, kicking (each only done once), break falls, and Plyometrics/Isometrics. Sounds easy enough? Because each kick/fall/jump is done only once, it should be perfect! Body alignment, foot position, hand positioning, and mechanics all need to be just right. As I often say, “Your opponent won’t give you nine more chances to hit them if you miss.”
Cardio Block: Starts with a 5km run (to be completed in less than 30 minutes) followed by a 15-minute row, done together. Phase two adds a stand-alone 1.5-mile maximal exercise run and an optional 10km run for those who want the bonus points (this does not have a specified time limit).
Each Black Belt has to test for each block and hit the required standard set for them. Tests are done one-to-one with a judge, so there’s no getting lost in the crowd. Twice a year, we will have a whole school Hwarang Do day, as we did this weekend…
…On Sunday 4th August, 20 Widnes Black Belts met at the dojang at 09:00 for a pre-test briefing and to be divided into smaller working teams for the day. We had coffee and set out how the day would run. Accommodating so many at once needed more than one person in charge, so we had several team leaders and at least one of our testing judges in each team.
It was made clear that there was no rank in the day’s session; we were all on the same level and there to push each other through the entire Hwarang Do worksheet. Once the Dojang and Strength sections were complete, we walked to
the canal as a group and all set off on the run together. To say the day was a success would be underselling it – the atmosphere was absolutely electric. Groups cheered as members hit new personal bests, people pushed each other to new levels in every aspect of the session, and there was laughter and camaraderie in the air that filled my heart.
Following the run, we gathered at a local establishment for food, beers, and laughter – the most important part of any day like this is breaking bread with your team at its conclusion.
Now, we move forward to phase two, where we have added new exercises and honed the process. We’ll add some slick new calculations into the background of the worksheet to make it more automated but keep the same baseline ethos.
Some people will conti
nue to work toward the missing aspects of their phase one sheet. Others will incorporate the programme into their daily warm-up, take it to their commercial gyms, or even just work on that elusive movement at home. This is, of course, our “Minimum Standards” programme.
Whatever the results going forward, we have brought together our team and channeled their focus for the five weeks leading into the summer. It’s been hard and it’s been fun, but every single one of them has learned something new, whether about themselves, movement, strength training, fitness, or Kuk Sool.
The Kuk Sool Won of Widnes Hwarang Do – A Legacy Programme Ensuring We Never Produce a – “Paper Black Belt”
