General Funding for All Programs and Causes

While martial arts organizations today focus increasingly on combat sports and commercial endeavours, the WHRDA has chosen to move in a different direction. The World Hwa Rang Do Association, headquartered in Tustin, CA, has reformed its tax status to further aid those in need.

In the fall of 2011, the World Hwa Rang Do Association applied for 501c3 not-for-profit tax status. “Our desire to expand our humanitarian work around the globe led to the change,” said Grandmaster Taejoon Lee, President of the World Hwa Rang Do Association.

Hwa Rang Do differentiates itself from other martial arts by developing leaders with a strong sense of social justice. “We want our members to live in a way that their actions meet their intentions. Too many people live a life with good intentions, but don’t have the discipline to take action to see things through,” said Grandmaster Lee.

Hwa Rang Do’s charitable efforts to date include fundraising for organizations including Saint Jude Children’s Hospital, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and the Juvenile Diabetes Association, plus an international humanitarian trip. In August of 2009, a team from Hwa Rang Do’s Italian Branch went to Angola to work with the children of Lixeira, a city built entirely on top of a garbage dump. The poorest of the poor in the world live there. The trash surrounding them serves as their source for supplies, tools, food, and regrettably even water. This operation marked the beginning of a broader mission by the World Hwa Rang Do Association to bring the gift of self-empowerment to those with the greatest needs – both domestically and globally.

The WHRDA has set in motion a 24 month plan which will

1. develop its internal organization and infrastructure
2. engage in community-based & humanitarian efforts and
3. develop a professional instructor program to help & support committed individuals have successful careers in the martial arts

Already under way are fundraising efforts to establish 50 martial arts training scholarships for individuals & children whom cannot afford enrolling in a quality martial arts training program.

Specifically, these scholarship would be for at-risk inner city youth, low income individuals and returning military veterans whom may want to train as a form of personal therapy or possibly enroll in our instructor program leading towards a career in the martial arts.