I have to say, the one thing I enjoy most, more than any other aspect of my training, is preparing and performing demonstrations at our annual Christmas Party and Grandmaster’s Birthday/Anniversary Party in June. Since becoming a Hwa Rang Do student, I’ve had the privilege of performing in front of the student body, parents, and friends of the Academy.
The mental exercise of deriving a self-defense scenario using the skills and techniques we’ve learned since starting at the West Coast Hwa Rang Do Academy is something that really stimulates this former engineer’s brain and has made me truly appreciate the genius of Dojoonim and Grandmaster Taejoon Lee for the creation and evolution of a vast art like Hwa Rang Do. But I must admit, the mental exercise of deriving these scenarios and chaining techniques like we do for our demo is only part of the reason why I enjoy this process.
Pops & Bumps
Like many children around America, I grew up watching professional wrestling (Lucha Libre & WWF) and would roll around with my little brother experimenting with maneuvers we saw on TV. We idolized Hulk Hogan and Rey Mysterio. Watching wrestling with my father on Saturdays remains a treasured memory. Of course at the time, we didn’t know wrestling was fake and that many of the maneuvers had little basis for practical self-defense, but looked freakin’ cool!
For us, the show was a living, breathing, live action comic book story. If I listen closely, I can still hear the frenzy these performers would create. I later learned that the term wrestlers used for this frenzy was a “pop.” Even more important than their technical skill, pops were the barometer for the success of any wrestler. The devastating falls or hits they would absorb were called “bumps,” which of course resulted in “pops.” In fact, there were performers whose only specialty were “bumps” – meaning getting the snot beat out of them and taking huge falls.
The Art of Falling
Twenty years later, I’m at the West Coast Hwa Rang Do Academy and along with learning the response for every possible self-defense scenario, we are also learning life saving techniques on how to fall properly to avoid injury. As Hwa Rang Do students, one of our big responsibilities is in promoting, marketing, and showcasing the beauty and power of our art through demonstration. We are martial ARTISTS, which requires an awareness of not only what is effective, but what is visually stunning & beautiful – the art.
Now I’m the first to admit that I am not the fastest, most talented, nor knowledgeable practitioner in the school. I’m a big guy so naturally, I won’t be pulling off any of the incredible speed and aerial maneuvers that Luke and Larry pull off. I asked myself, “What could I do that people would remember and talk about?”
It hit me – Nak Bop (Falling).
My partner and I needed to devise some pretty impressive throwing scenarios, and as a result this 280-pounder will be taking some rough falls, as would my partner. I worked with my partner to chain techniques that by themselves were not complex or fancy, but were designed to create the biggest “pop” with some impressive falls.
Show Time
After weeks of practice and butterflies in my stomach, our Hwa Rang Do demo team went out to perform in front of a packed dojang. As we were lining up, I remember all the little tigers sitting only three feet away from us. I instantly knew who our real audience was.
From our past two demos there are three throws that I’m particularly proud of. The first was a hip throw I performed on Irfan where I come into his inside, wrap my left arm around his body and my right hand hooks the right side of his neck and flips him over my hip… at least that’s what it was supposed to be.
In the heat of the moment and with adrenaline pumping, this technique almost looked like a shoulder throw when instead of hooking his neck, I grabbed the cloth of his shoulder and lifted him over my shoulder, flipping him and slamming him on the ground with a thunderous crash and a roar of a kiap to cap it off.
It was effortlessly raw! The children, sitting only three feet away, yelled “Woahhhhhhh!” giggling and chattering. That was a strong pop.
Irfan performed the next big throw. His throw was actually a shoulder throw. Now, as if a much smaller person like Irfan performing a shoulder throw on someone about a hundred pounds heavier isn’t impressive enough, he had to do it while I was in full sprint, coming at him like a freight train that’s come off the tracks.
This would be my biggest “bump” of the night, and one that I was a bit nervous about because of the speed at which it would be delivered. I remember yelling and running at Irfan, then being lifted in the air, flipping upside down and coming down with a thunderous crash. The children let out an even bigger “Woahhh!” more giggling and chattering at not being able to believe what they just saw.
I imagine that from their perspective they are seeing a giant fall from the sky onto their dojang floor, right in front of them. For this fall, I partially landed on the wooden floor, cracking my elbow, which I’m sure added to the impressive sound effects that my 280 lbs. frame create upon
landing.
Finally, the third throw, which stole the show was from the Christmas party. And to Irfan’s credit, he agreed to take the biggest “bump” of the night by allowing me to perform a sacrifice throw. A sacrifice throw is done holding my opponent by the cloth of their uniform. I fall back, pulling him down with me, but before he lands on top of me, I stick my foot in their gut and catapult them with my leg over me.
I did this technique once before in tournament against a 260 lbs. opponent. It was an impressive technique, and I knew that with Irfan hovering around 180 lbs., I could definitely get him to catch some air. I executed the technique well. I launched Irfan from one corner of the mat to the other, forcing my Hwarang brothers and sisters to scatter as Irfan made his landing.
The spectators were shocked. The kids were going crazy. I can still hear the chatter from the kids, and how much they loved it. They loved all of it. I remember my techniques, but every Hwa Rang Do student was impressive and the Hwa Rang Do student demos continue to be the highlight of these parties.
Comic Book Heroes
The one thing I miss about being a Tae Soo Do student is not being able to see the Hwa Rang Do demo. I wish there were two of me, so I could catch everything! Most importantly, these demos entertain the children unlike anything else they could watch on TV, film, or read in a book. We are their living breathing comic book heroes, allowing their imagination to run wild as to the limitless possibilities that exists for them. Our goal as Hwa Rang Do students is to inspire them to be like us, which carries a heavy responsibility.
We are role models for these kids inside and outside the dojang. And to have them say after our performances, “I can’t wait to be a Hwa Rang Do student” is fulfilling beyond measure.
After it is all over, we nurse our “bumps” with a big potluck and some cold drinks. We are satisfied with our performance, but already thinking of some crazy ideas for the next one.
To get the next big “pop”.
