Kind of strange that in post #8 the originator of this thread thanked someone for a history lesson. I would think that he did not feel that history stuff was pointless. And how can you say there are similarities? I have seen Hwarang-do and decided not to study it. But what I saw in Taijutsu has led me to be in my third decade studying it.
I asked you to clarify this and you have not answered. I really do not understand how you can see similarities with Hwarang-do and ninjutsu. The stuff I see like spinning back kicks and other stuff like that I do not see in ninjutsu. I consider them silly and not very usable on the street, unlike ninjutsu. Hwarang-do was created by Joo Bang Lee when he was young and now he leaves the more arobatic stuff to his sons. Ninjutsu actually was passed down from one generation to another and nothing I see in it really needs to be dropped as you get older. If Takamatsu- sensei could not do it at age 70, then it was not passed on to Soke. The weapons and such of Hwarang-do are flashy and pretty, but ninjutsu is plain and lethal. You see how many differences there are between the two arts? If you ask me, there are no similarities between the two arts anymore than there are similarities with TKD.
Sulsa Nobody has mentioned the sulsa. According to the Hwarangdo textbooks, specially-trained warriors called the sulsa functioned like the ninja of Japan. Any thoughts on this?
Well, we know that the Hwarang did not exist as a seperate military class. We know that Joo Bang Lee invented up the art of Hwarang-do to make money. So it stands to reason that anything that was a sub set of that mythical military class is just as mythical.
I thought we'd sorted out the Sulsa debate?? Didn't we agree they must be real...you can see them on the supermarket self next to the Doritos!!
Errr... I mean, I'm new in the Ninja section. Usually I hang around in the FMA and Silat sections. Ok, I guess I have to do the search myself.
Sorry just my daft sense of humour go here to see what I mean : http://www.britishcornershop.co.uk/britishfood.asp?id=CS0213
