Ilchi Lee

Its moves require stability and speed, motion and stillness, strength and softness and yin and yang. Its power lies in the fact that its moves are based on the natural laws of the universe. Its beauty lies in mastering the infinite use of life energy. Its goal lies in training the body and mind to become one. It is called DahnMuDo—a path to enlightenment that dates back 5,000 years in its native Korea. DahnMuDo (formal name: HSP DahnMuDo) is the latest program to be introduced in the United States that is based on Dahn principles. In an exclusive interview with body & brain , the vice president of the World DahnMuDo Association, master Owoon, reveals how this martial art is different.

b&b: How would you define DahnMuDo?

Owoon: DahnMuDo is a healing martial art. It involves watching yourself, watching your mind and then changing your body (and through this process changing the mind, thoughts and habits) so that it returns to its natural, original state. It includes the art of defense and attack like other martial arts forms, but its purpose is in healing the body so that it may function in accordance with the natural laws and cycle of the universe.

b&b: It has also been defined as an energy art. Could you explain this further?

Owoon: In DahnMuDo each and every move has a wriggling, a squirming to it. Those who have done any kind of energy training will know what I mean. Normally, in other martial arts traditions, movements are very smooth, but in DahnMuDo, there is something there that is very subtle, slow, sticky and dynamic that is part of the move.

any martial arts lack this sensation because they are very external and focused on training the muscles only. To go really deep inside energy is very important.

b&b: What is the advantage of working with energy?

Owoon: Mastering and harnessing energy is one of the fastest ways to change our bodies. It is one of the natural laws of the universe that energy goes where the mind goes to change matter. The moves in DahnMuDo are designed to move energy to the right places, to enable energy to flow through its proper channels in the body. When energy enters your body, the power of your mind can bring the energy inside your bones, changing your skeletal structure, “righting” it to its original state. The hips are realigned; the spine is straightened, so that all the nerves connecting to the brain are put in their proper place again.

b&b: Who would be ideally suited to this art?

Owoon: Because DahnMuDo is a healing martial art, anyone can do it; it is not limited only to those who are young and strong. The speed, strength, intensity and height of the moves might be different for each person, but anyone from the age of eight to 88 can practice this art.

Many martial arts are prejudiced against a certain group. For example, TaeKwonDo attracts a lot of youngsters, but the elderly population does not even consider joining TaeKwonDo because of the emphasis on high-flying powerful kicks. On the other hand, you see a lot of adults taking Qi Gong, but it is something children do not have the patience for.

b&b: What would you say to someone who might be intimidated to start a martial arts program?

Owoon: There is no reason to be intimidated because the program is adjusted to each individual’s physical condition. For people who have joint problems or are overweight and not used to moving their body, instead of holding a pose for one full minute, I instruct them to hold it for just one second and move on to the next one. It almost becomes a dance, but this to them is a full work out. They will start to sweat. It is much more than they are used to. However, if you give this same assignment to a young person, and tell them to keep repeating this, they will think it is a joke. So with them, I start off with one full minute.

ith the younger students, I make them do a lot of energy accumulation training because their energy is so light. They are very active and moving all the time, so a lot of their energy stays up in their heads, leading to many distracting thoughts.

With the older adults, I focus on making the muscles stronger, but training them to make their energy lighter, so that they become lighter in thought and movement. I make them do a lot of kicks, so the energy climbs up to the chest, stimulates the heart chakra and moves them into action. It is hard to keep energy tucked away heavy and stuck in the Dahn-jon when you do kicks.

b&b: How does one become enlightened through the art of DahnMuDo?

Owoon: The human body is so precious. There is no part of it that we can neglect or throw away. The human body was made as a system to achieve enlightenment, but many of us cannot even feel our body. This is a sin against our body. Only through the human body can we become enlightened. DahnMuDo training makes your body ready for enlightenment.

have emphasized that the movements are very simple, but that does not mean they are without meaning. Each and every move was made so that they do not go against the natural course of the universe. The power of DahnMuDo is contained within natural laws. There are different kinds of energies that make up everything in the universe: strong, light, flexible, heavy, fresh and bright. The four seasons are made up of these energies, just as people’s personalities and constitutions are. All these energies in the body should be in a state of harmony. I teach the practitioner according to what season they embody—spring, summer, fall or winter.

he universe also has yin and yang energies—that which can be seen and that which cannot. It is the same with the human body. In the beginning of training everything is centered on what can be seen, such as the bones, muscles and blood. First you awaken to the fact that you have skin to stretch, joints to rotate and muscles to build. Then we go beyond what we can see, to the system that is invisible to the eye, using the system we can see to access the system we cannot. If you keep using it, the energy system that is invisible to the eye starts to be “seen,” in particular the three internal Dahn-jons and the four external Dahn-jons. Soon, you can just think about the Dahn-jon and connect a line to it with your consciousness, and energy will travel as you imagine it to without the physical body’s movement. The energy expenditure is minor but the effect is great. This is how the practice of DahnMuDo reaches a spiritual level and leads to enlightenment.

For information about DahnMuDo programs, contact Younga Cho at 928-300-6119.

Ilchi Lee

Dr. Ilchi Lee is founder of Dhan Yoga (known as Dahn Hak or Dahnhak) state it to be a Korean yoga style. To know more about him please visit Dr. Ilchi Lee’s official website.