This "foreword" is addressed to the Unificationist WonHwaDoist who will study this site not only for his/her own information, but mainly for the purpose of instructing his students in the Philosophy of WonHwaDo.

Based on documents I have received from various WONHWADO Instructors in different countries of the world, I have compiled this basic history of WONHWADO to be released to the general public, under the guidance of my Instructor, Master Jason Parsons of WONHWADO WALES.

WONHWADO - NAME & SYMBOL

“Won” meaning “Circle” symbolizes one of the most fundamental principles of human life and the universe. It signifies relationships. All beings and all things exist and participate within vertical and horizontal relationships forming a sphere. The parent-child relationship is the highest of all relationships.

"Hwa” meaning “Harmony” symbolizes the ideal upon which all relationships should be based. Regardless of their level of complexity, all beings and all things in the natural world display an effortless harmony in their relationships. Human beings, aspiring to attain this harmony, also should emulate this ideal.

“Do” meaning “Way” symbolizes the way in which we choose to lead our lives.

“The Way of Harmonious Circular Motion” is the way of establishing true relationships of reciprocal harmony with our own minds and bodies in our lives at every level so that we may become true people embodying total goodness, giving joy and happiness to all beings and all things.

WONHWADO was created to fulfil and elevate the original purpose of the martial arts and to engraft the authentic spirit of sports onto a foundation of truth that teaches us the value of living for the sake of others, which is the actual practise of true love, and to put this spirit and truth into action to fulfil our responsibility.

WONHWADO is designed to help people harmonize with their original mind which always pursues absolute goodness, and to achieve mind-body unity through practicing WON-HWA motions of mind and body. Just as a healthy body depends upon a sound mind, spiritual joy is incomplete without physical well-being.

WONHWADO - ORIGIN & HISTORY WONHWADO was established in 1976 in South Korea by Great Grand-Master Han Bon Gi in accordance with the directions of his spiritual mentor and guide whose name is Sun Myung Moon and is also known by the honorary name: Father Moon. However, WONHWADO origin and history dates back to well before 1972.

WONHWADO's Great Grand-Master Han, born 1944, passed into the spirit world on Wednesday 10th February 2010. The work presented here is an expression of love and gratitude to our Great Grand-Master Han in honour of his works and legacy. We hope that through sincerely reading and understanding this content that you will be able to receive positive inspiration from Great Grand-Master Han in spirit. In 2010, shortly after Great Grand-Master Han’s passing, a number of highly respected

WONHWADO Instructors gathered together to discuss the future direction of WONHWADO. As a result, they requested Grand Master Hyeong Sook Han, Great Grand-Master Han’s son, to take ownership over WONHWADO in the position previously held by his father. After some time carefully spent in prayerful reflection, Grand-Master Hyeong Sook Han, born 1972, accepted this responsibility and is now leading WORLD WONHWADO.

WONHWADO, to a certain degree, has its origins in traditional Korean dance and prayer. The latter consists of holding the hands together in the traditional prayer position and then rotating the palms as one in a vertical circular motion, representing the interaction between a person’s spirit mind and physical body, and heaven and earth, symbolizing their natural alignment and harmony and bringing peace, stimulating good health and generating happiness. The former consists of harmoniously utilising flowing circular motions to create beauty for the sake of an audience. Original Korean martial arts were known by the term: “moo-yeh”, meaning: “for demonstration and display”.

WONHWADO possesses this original spirit of the martial arts. Great Grand-Master Han once said about WONHWADO: “If we have a circle with 360 degrees, only 1 degree is fighting techniques”.

WONHWADO consists of a lot more than simply martial arts fighting techniques. In the years preceding 1970 Great Grand-Master Han, who was then simply Mr. Han, started developing an unparalleled, revolutionary new martial art based upon his several years of profound spiritual experiences which included receiving direct WON-HWA tuition from Father Moon in spirit.

At that time Mr. Han called the new martial art: “WonHwaSul”, meaning: “Harmonious Circular Technique”. But it was not until 1976 when Father Moon called Mr. Han to his home near Cheong Pyeong Lake in South Korea, that Father Moon gave Mr. Han the new name for the martial art: WONHWADO, meaning: The Way of Harmonious Circular Motion , which signifies the more internal and higher activity of valuing the spiritual life over the physical life and practicing it.

During their meeting in 1976 Father Moon examined Mr. Han extensively for over one hour about the true nature and reality of the spirit world, and Mr. Han also asked questions to Father Moon. At the end of this hour Father Moon confirmed that everything Mr. Han knew was correct and then gave Mr. Han the new name for the new martial art: WONHWADO. Mr. Han also received the design for the uniform from Father Moon: a diamond shape with green and purple stitching, representing universal principles to life.

WONHWADO is rooted in the unique, unchanging, eternal and absolute universal principle of harmonious give and receive action, which necessarily takes place between two partners, a subject partner and object partner, in a reciprocal relationship, that produce circular and spherical motions through their interactions.

In WONHWADO martial art techniques this is embodied as pro-active motions (subject partner) and pro-hibitive motions (object partner) performed harmoniously and simultaneously. It is a well-known scientific fact that nature flows through cycles. The human body moves based on circles and spheres. Reciprocal relationships are formed when give and receive action is harmonized. Through harmonious give and receive action mind-body unity is achieved. The circle is the configuration in nature that uses least energy and is natural, self-sustaining and eternal.

The core of WONHWADO motions are applied in rotations of 360 degrees thus giving rise to spherical motion. Within circular forms all movements can be incorporated naturally and with ease. Nature supports the movement of circular energy. Through WONHWADO one can become a more natural being.

Kamsahamnida!

Sincerely, James - RED DRAGON WONHWADO

You can find RED DRAGON WONHWADO on youtube. Thank you!