The Hwarangdo

[bhchao]

During the Three Kingdom period of Korea, Silla had a warrior system (The Art of the Flowering Knights) who were well versed in the martial arts, poetry, physical conditioning, and moral principles. This system began with the formation of the Silla state in 57BC, but started off as a basic martial art system. King Chinhung in 540AD developed this system further and was the individual who developed the power and strength of this system, and integrated it within his administration and military. This system was called the Hwarangdo, and was the Korean precursor to the Japanese samurai.

Before the Hwarangdo were incorporated into the military, a group of youths began the task of developing this system further. They went to mountains, rivers, and other places of scenic beauty to develop principles of morality, loyalty, physical strength, and to exercise mental and emotional control. Gradually they became the elite warrior class of Silla. In addition to physical and mental training, the Hwarangdo were taught how to dance and sing to further their emotional development. They learned poetry, art, and the sciences as part of their academic development. They swam ice-freezing rivers in the coldest months to toughen themselves physically, and learned archery, warfare tactics, and hand-to-hand combat while incorporating yin and yang into their techniques. One lethal punch or kick can kill an enemy instantly.

Examples of principles learned by the Hwarangdo included filial piety and devotion to parents, treating a friend honorably, and killing justly. To add to the ranks of the Hwarangdo, young men were selected from noble families based on their character and upbringing. Anyone showing a deficiency in moral character was not selected. The Hwarang spiritual code was a combination of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism.

During the wars of unification in the 7th century AD, there was a young Hwarang commander named Kwan Chang who was only 16 years old. During a battle between Silla and Paekche, he was captured and taken to the Paekche general. After lifting the boy's helmet, the general was taken aback by the young man's youth. It was customary practice to execute captured enemy commanders. But after seeing the youthful looks of the boy, the general decided against executing him because the boy looked like his own son. So Kwan Chang was released and sent back to the Silla camp. Kwan Chang told his father to send him back to war so he can help defeat Paekche. His father agreed and Kwan Chang was captured a second time. He managed to break free of his guards and killed both of them by hand. He then attacked the Paekche general's second-in-command. A flying circular kick killed the second-in-command as he sat on his horse, a full eight feet up in the air. Kwan Chang was finally subdued and taken to the Paekche general who originally released him. The general said, "I released you previously and spared your life. Now you come back and take the life of my second-in-command." The general then beheaded the boy and sent the boy's head back to his father, a Silla general. The father rode into battle and completed the final defeat of Paekche.

The Hwarangdo were instrumental in helping Silla defeat Paekche and Koguryo, as well as Tang forces when the latter tried to incorporate Silla into its sphere of influence.