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IV. HAN..Intellectual

Education in penmanship and swordsmanship has been greatly emphasized throughout Korean history. The scholarly warrior is the object of great respect of the Korean people. The scholarly warrior is the object of great respect of the Korean 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 and 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 Hay, a college level educational institute, was established in the capital city. There, the sons of upper class learned literature and martial arts. At the provincial level, Pyung Dang, local colleges were established to teach martial arts and literature to the sons of the common people. Graduates of these institutions were known as the Sunbi and became the backbone of the military and civilian services.

The Sunbi felt a dual purpose in their lives. As well trained soldiers, they went to the battlefields to defend their country. At the same time, the Sunbi felt that penmanship and swordsmanship were of equal educational value. The harmony between the two was the ultimate goal. They possessed both a scholarly charm and a warrior's bravery.

Today in Han Mu Do, the Sunbi are still learning self-discipline, self -control, self-confidence, and self-realization. Learning new techniques and training through repetition of these techniques for months to years sets a pattern of lifestyle. Techniques improve every day but some days it may be very difficult to train with strong desire and other days it may be difficult to train due to weariness or other competing interest; even so, the student trains. This is how to learn the habit of self-discipline. In Han Mu Do training, students set a goal to become a Black Belt and, regardless, the student trains, like it or not.

Self-discipline learned in Han Mu Do training could be applied to daily life. For example, in the practice Bhang Kwon Sul (defense against a punch), the opponent punches which is defended with a block and then counter attack is initiated. This is a basic white belt requirement. This can also be applied to your daily life. In the morning, before getting up, count "one" and sit up on the bed. Count "two and stand up beside the bed. Count "three" and walk around the room. Using this formula, you will not have a problem getting up in the morning. Han Mu Do practitioners also use this method for application of self-discipline.

There are two ways to learn self-control in Han Mu Do training, physical control and mental control. In learning physical control, when the opponent punches, the Han Mu Do practitioner blocks and counters with proper distance in order to learn how to control attacking and defending techniques. Verbal or nonphysical attacks from an opponent may cause stress, anger, fear, etc. When Han Mu Do practitioners learn self-discipline they also learn self-control.

Learning self-confidence in Han Mu Do training does not come without the backing of techniques, physical health, knowledge, and a strong mind. Joint locks taught in Han Mu Do give you technical confidence that can help control a larger opponent with your fingers. Ki breathing exercises teaches you how to calm anger and control emotion. Han Mu Do philosophy conveys how previous masters lived and how they lead meaningful lives. With this kind of technical, mental, and intellectual training, you begin to realize that God created the universe but allows man to explore it and has given him unlimited potential for the future. This develops self-confidence for the future. Today, young people, especially in the western nations, are loosing the frontier spirit. Many of them come from family environments where there is no training in self-discipline, self-control, or self-confidence. Han Mu do training can provide this training which was not given at home.

Another purpose of Han Mu Do training is to learn the habit of self-realization. In our lives, we must learn to set goals and learn habits of achieving goals. In Han Mu Do, beginners set a goal to become Black Belt, which takes approximately three years. In goal setting, it is important to define your long-term goal and then set steps to achieve the long-term goal. These steps are defined as short-term goals and intermediate goals. In Han Mu Do, the dream to become a Black Belt is defined as a student's long-term goal. Without this dream, life in Han Mu Do can be meaningless. The Black Belt Course is divided into a twelve rank system. Each rank takes approximately three months to complete. The Han Mu Do system is designed in order that at every four ranks a student meets a goal. These are called Beginners Course, Intermediate Course, and Advanced Course. The first year of Han Mu Do training is a student's short term goal, the second year is a student's intermediate goal, and the third year is a student's long term or Black Belt goal.

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