Certified HRD Black Sashes

" We are proud of Hwa Rang Do’s special and specific identity. The honorable integrity of our martial art is different than other generic martial arts! "

Identifying true Black Sashes:

Every martial art has its own name and identity which separates it from other arts. This identity encompasses the art’s special syllabus, techniques, uniforms, symbols, and moral philosophy, which together, combine to establish its character to the public.

Practitioners of any particular martial art must proudly dedicate themselves to maintaining character, honor, and strong moral leadership in order to pass their art on to future generations of leaders and teachers. These are the kinds of characteristics that represent an art to the public and show the benefits that an art has to offer.

It is for these reasons that we post all true Tae Soo Do® Black Belts and Hwa Rang Do® Black Sashes to the public, showing that these people have the dedication and skills to be the leaders and teachers of Hwa Rang Do® and Tae Soo Do®. All certified Black Belts and Black Sashes must uphold and abide by the rules and laws of the Art that governs its values.

Even sports have governing organizations to maintain rules and quality. However, because a martial art is training a person to use their body as a weapon, a priority must be maintained on building a strong moral mentality and obedience to the art’s rules. If any Black Belt or Black Sash becomes involved in any anti-social or criminal activity, a judicial committee will pass judgment on the situation with possible results of revoking certification, reducing rank, or even expulsion in order to maintain the honor of our art, Hwa Rang Do® / Tae Soo Do®.

This is why our website contains a section of ourJudicial committee in which decisions regarding dishonorable actions by specific individuals have been posted. In this way the art as a public institution (martial art instructional business) that can keep a proud reputation like a country, society, or family. Remember, loyalty is given solely to the Art, not to a single master or instructor. Because the loyalty of a member is to the Art first, if a Master or Instructor is behaving in a dishonorable fashion, it becomes the member’s responsibility to correct that person and report it to a committee for an appropriate response. Thus the integrity of the Art is maintained.  

There are many unqualified and uncertified generic martial arts schools in existence today. These generic martial arts no longer have an owner of their art or a governing organization to ensure high standard for qualifications. Because of this there are many who open schools without permission, without a license, and without any qualification to teach publicly. Actions like this have caused the public to lose respect for martial art schools. These schools are simply bad retail stores. The operators of these stores even lie about their credentials for shameless self-promotion. Often times these individuals have stolen and/or use multiple martial art names to bring in people. However their actual training is non existent. As they lie to the public and break their martial art’s laws and rules, they give themselves false ranks, certificates, and the qualifications of any level of master’s title they deem profitable after probably only receiving a first dan degree or even a color belt. Despite not even knowing their art’s Dan Degree techniques, they sell Dan ranks like a retail store while using an association’s name.

Also, one martial art can not give their credit/ranks/titles to different martial art practitioners. Every martial arts has own special specific requirements that must be met in order to earn a true dan degree under their martial art name. Within the general martial art community there are many dishonest individuals who steal the reputation from hard working and dedicated martial art names.

Without respect or loyalty to an art’s identity, these individuals bring dishonor to the art by stealing its name and merely using it or displaying it. This damages the martial arts society along with the identity of those particular art’s founders and masters who have dedicated their lifelong reputations to the art.

These people are selfishly changing and destroying their true art’s identify. Because people continue to open and close these schools without true rank, techniques, and qualifications, the public opinion of martial art ranks has been, and will continue to be damaged. This is why we post all true Black Belts and Black Sashes ( active or inactive) so that the public may have access to the people with true dedication and honor.

There is only one governing organization in the world for the martial arts of Hwa Rang Do ® and Tae Soo Do ®. Only the World Hwa Rang Do ® Association (WHRDA) certifies and accredits all legitimate Hwa Rang Do ® and Tae Soo Do ® Academies. One man’s passion, the owner of the specific martial art Hwa Rang Do ® (DoJooNim), Dr. Joo-Bang Lee, first named the his martial art system called Hwa Rang Do ® in 1960. In order to learn these 2,000 year old secret combat skills in a public manner, one must go to the only source in the world, and learn from the qualified masters and instructors of the martial and healing art Hwa Rang Do ®.

Hwa Rang Do ® is unique from other martial arts in the fact that there is only one governing body in the world. Only the owner of Hwa Rang Do ® Dr. Joo-Bang Lee and the Hwa Rang Do ® World Headquarters Master`s testing committee can grant Hwa Rang Do ® black sash ranks and titles. We are learning and training in our art founder’s secret skills and his and the governing association’s properties (system, techniques, syllabus, symbols, uniforms, and ranks/titles). Whoever wishes to teach in some professional manner must make a commitment to abide by the laws/rules and regulations of the art, and also maintain the same level of respect as our true masters, instructors, and black sashes. If an individual does not agree to this, we cannot accept him/her as a student, let alone a teacher of the art, which is why this understanding is known when people first start at White belt.

Within our art there are two types of students, the first trains for his/her own personal development and self-defense, and the second trains so that he/she may eventually open a martial art Hwa Rang Do®/ Tae Soo Do® instructional business.

The concern and commitment to quality is paramount to us as we wish to protect the meaningful benefits that come with being a true Hwa Rang Do ® Black Sash. The Hwa Rang Do ® name has been Internationally trademarked to keep traditional values and honor synonymous with our art`s name, and to protect it from those who try to damage our art for any purpose. This page is to disclose to the public the names of all registered and licensed Hwa Rang Do ® Black Sashes active or inactive. Those individuals who were dismissed or expelled from our ranks due to improper actions are no longer listed here.

If you find someone who is claiming to be a Hwa Rang Do® Black Sash and is not on this list, please contact World Headquarters because their claim is false with public fraud. If you have received a Hwa Rang Do® black sash from anyone other than the Hwa Rang Do’s owner (DoJoo Nim) Supreme Grand Master Dr. Joo-Bang Lee and the Master`s Testing Committee, your sash is not valid and you need to redeem your fees from the false grantor and take legal action against them. They have committed fraud and have stolen our martial and healing art’s identity. They have stolen our art leaders benefits that comes with true dedication, honor, and the reputation of our art Hwa Rang Do ® TaeSoo Do ®. If you wish to earn a true degree, please call the Hwa Rang Do ® World Headquarters to learn your requirements and to schedule a legitimate testing date.

If your personal information has changed, please contact World Headquarters at (714) 731-5425(KICK) or e-mail whrda@hwarangdo.comso we can remedy the problem.