Hwaighting! Pt. 1: South Korean Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

There is a famous exclamation in Korea, it goes: “HWAIGHTING!” It sounds like "Fighting!" but Koreans find the "F" sound difficult to pronounce. It is used to reanimate a person on the verge of quitting.  Whether it's a medical student exhausted from studying or an athlete feeling the effects of fatigue, Koreans say this to motivate each other to keep pushing past obstacles and hardships. Perhaps it is this mindset that drives the top South Korean fighters in the world. Despite it’s short history, Korean MMA is already on the global stage. For example Chan Sung Jung, better known as “The Korean Zombie," fights for a UFC world title on August 3^rd. Though he will be the first of his countrymen to compete for a world championship, he is not the only Korean athlete to fight in the world's most prestigious MMA organization, the UFC. Dong Hyun Kim for example, recently dominated  Siyar Bahadurzada, and on the same night, fellow Korean fighters Kyung Ho Kang and Hyun Gyu Lim made their octogon debut. It may come as a surprise to some that Koreans were only introduced to BJJ and MMA a little more than a decade ago. But the rapid rise of Korean MMA should be of no surprise when one considers the history of the country.Only 60 years ago, South Korea was a war torn nation with a poor economy and a destroyed infrastructure. Yet today it shines as a global influence economically (Samsung and LG are powerful international corporations), culturally (I still hear Gangnam  Style play until 2am outside my hotel room), and in education (consistently one of the top countries in reading, math, and science). Clearly, moving from marginal obscurity to a global powerhouse is not new for Korean people.

Unfortunately, even though Korean nationals fight for the UFC, the average South Korean generally doesn't know about or understand the sport of MMA. And Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, while more widely practiced, is still relatively unknown to the public. However, little by little, BJJ continues to expand across the nation, and with it usually comes an introduction to Mixed Martial Arts since any fighter looking to have success in MMA, must first be competent on the ground. And while BJJ has helped produce Korean MMA fighters, the introduction of MMA to a cable TV audience also helped bring BJJ into the homes of fight fans. Thus, the simultaneous growth of BJJ and the exposure of MMA through cable TV continue to build recognition and acceptance of both Jiu Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts. The short but rich history of Jiu Jitsu and MMA in South Korea forces me to split this article in two. First I’ll focus on BJJ in South Korea: how it came about, what obstacles did the sport have to get over, and where it stands today. In the next section, I will focus on the potential of Korean MMA as a mainstream sport with ample practitioners and fans.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu was introduced to South Korea about 13 years ago by American black belt John Frankl. Frankl hoped to develop training partners to grapple with, but soon sparked an interest in the Korean community that would not settle down. Once the seed was planted, Korean Jiu Jitsu took off and never looked back. When I first got to Korea I found a gym about 45 minutes away from my apartment. It belonged to Hyeonkap Park, a purple belt under John Frankl.  That day there were about 8 guys training at the gym, 2 of them were blue belts, one was a purple belt, and another was a professional MMA fighter. I wasn't sure what to expect as far as level. My expectations weren't too high since I didn't know of any big name Korean grapplers. Any doubts in my mind of Korean grappling being on par with the U.S. were soon lost. I got my ass thoroughly kicked that night, and I couldn't have been happier. I was worried about having good training in Korea, but after that night I knew those worries were unfounded. Later I joined a gym closer to where I lived, I felt myself improve drastically under the tutelage of Frankl black belt Ji-hyeong Kim. In only 13 years Korea went from barren land to producing more than 15 home grown black belts. But how did BJJ establish itself so quickly given the cultural stronghold of Tae Kwon Do?

Ji Young Kim, a home grown black belt himself, explains, “BJJ was revolutionary martial art that totally changed [the] traditional Korean martial art system, which was [a] little outdated. It was [a] kind of martial art that lots of Koreans desired, one that has effectiveness in real-life combat situation and self-defense.” Though Tae Kwon Do offers great physical, mental, and even spiritual training, it lacks (on its own) real life practicality, something Korean martial artists were looking for. And by the year 2000, Royce Gracie had already proved Jiu Jitsu’s effectiveness in a real fight. Thus giving Jiu Jitsu credibility in the eyes of aspiring martial artists in Korea.

Today, the vast majority of Tae Kwon Do practitioners in South Korea are children. Most adults dismiss TKD as a hobby for kids.This is not to say that only children practice TKD. For example in the 2012 Olympics, Korea won two Medals. Proving that TKD continues to be taken very seriously by some Korean adults. But unlike BJJ, most adult TKD practitioners are groomed since middle school to be potential instructors and Olympians. Children must choose am educational path to follow at a young age. once a path is chosen, the child's education is geared around that path. Students can graduate with a Tae Kwon Do degree from University, but they are only accepted into a program after the student shows promise through years of training and competing. After graduation, some go on to compete for a spot on the national team, others become coaches for schools and universities, and others open their own TKD academy geared at training kids after school. Unlike TKD practitioners, BJJ fighters aren't groomed to be the best BJJ fighters possible. There is no social institution building the next generation of Jiu Jitsu fighters; instead, Jiu Jitsu in Korea grew from nothing more than word of mouth passed along from one interested party to another. Little by little, word got out about a new style of martial art, that allowed small and weak fighters to beat up the big brutes.

All martial arts rely on the principle that through technique, discipline, and hard work, the smaller and weaker fighter can beat a larger and stronger fighter. In no other art is this principle more exemplified than in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Unlike striking arts that rely on timing, speed, and power, Jiu Jitsu relies on leverage and body positioning. Thus, a gifted grappler is able to minimize an opponent's strength and size advantage through proper technique. Therefore, Jiu Jitsu especially benefits women in a way no other martial art can. To tackle the experience of a woman training BJJ in Korea is a task too tall to be wedged into this post alone, that will have to wait for it’s own future post. But, it is possible to understand why Korean women are drawn to BJJ, and how far along female Jiu Jitsu fighters have come since the art was introduced to Korea. 

The highest ranking female practitioner in Korea is a brown belt (the next stop is black by the way) named Heejin Lee. She epitomizes the spirit of Jiu Jitsu. Without the advantage of size or strength, I've seen her lock in chokes and joint-locks while transitioning around her opponent with grace. “I think I have to show that in Jiu Jitsu smaller people and women can fight with bigger guys,” says Lee. Lee plans to open her own school in the future, and as a pioneer of woman's Jiu Jitsu in Korea, she hopes to continue growing woman's interest in BJJ.

Ji Yeon Kim is an aspiring Mixed Martial Artist who started her martial arts training through boxing and kickboxing, but recently added Jiu Jitsu to her regular training regimen. Kim understands the benefits Jiu Jitsu gives women, she explains, “In my opinion, women need Jiu Jitsu. You can get flexibility, strength, and confidence with this, and [as a woman you can] submit guys who are stronger than you with the techniques.” Kim won the inaugural “King of Grappling” tournament in Korea. With only 4 women enrolled in the tournament, the organizers created an “Absolute” class for the ladies. An “Absolute” division means that all competitors will face each other regardless of size. Jiu Jitsu tournaments generally have low turnout rates for women, and because of that low turnout female BJJ fighters struggle to fill brackets in their respective weight classes. If for example there is only one woman in the 50kg division and there are two women in the 65kg division, the promoters will throw all three women into a single bracket,  and in extreme cases, competitors may be pitted against women who are not at their level of experience. A competitor with only 6 months experience may be put up against a 3 year veteran. This hurts both fighters because neither will not get a chance to gauge her progress against a woman with similar experience. The problem is even worse for high level female fighters, who at times are made to fight lower level competition because of a lack of competitors. Though there are more and more blue belt women competing, there are no purple belts and only one brown belt in the country.

To this point, Heejin Lee describes her situation as a high level female fighter looking to compete, “I have not been able to compete a lot in Korea. There are no competitors in my category.” However, Heejin and other badass lady fighters are not alone in this dilemma. Other than a handful of top level guys, Korean brown and black belts are hard to come by at competitions. 10^th Planet instructor Leonard Kim once told me of the difficulties he has competing in Korea. As he explained it, Korean Jiu Jitsu instructors rarely compete. He claims that a loss would hurt the reputation of the gym in the eyes of the BJJ community. Personally, as a purple belt in Jiu Jitsu, I too found it difficult to find competitors at my level. I competed in three BJJ tournaments in South Korea, and my brackets were usually made up of only 2 or 3 rounds. In one tournament, I only had one other fighter in my weight class, and needed to sign up for the absolute division just to get two extra matches.  It is my guess that as the sport grows and black/brown/purple belts become more common, there will be more high level competitors. As it stands, having a purple belt already puts you in a position of authority. It is possible that with more and more black and brown belts developing, some of these experienced fighters will be able to continue on as students rather than teachers. Thereby relieving the pressure that comes with being an instructor, and allowing the competitor to focus more on him/herself rather than on teaching and running a team.

The lack of competitors may also be due to the fact that Korean culture emphasizes social pressure to guide behavior. In some cases this works to the benefit of society as a whole; for example theft in Korea is virtually nonexistent because of the public shame that would come with committing such an act. But this same social pressure may persuade high level fighters to not compete as a way to avoid humiliation.

Another reason may be the fact that most of the top level guys train with each other and therefore don’t want to compete against other teammates. The John Frankl network, made up of Frankl's students who branched off, extends across most of the Gyeonggi province. As a result, most of the top level guys from John Frankl’s team may have trained together at some point in their careers. And after opening their own schools, they choose not to compete against their former teammates. But even this explanation cannot account for the fact that the John Frankl Network is no longer the only team in Korea. Korea is home to Gracie Barra, Team M.A.D., 10th planet, and Korean Top Team to simply name a few gyms. To be fair though, things are changing and more and more high level guys are getting out there to compete. 

By no means is that to say all high level grapplers in Korea are timid when it comes to competing. Koreans coming over from the worlds of wrestling and judo are used to competing, and they are slowly transitioning to Jiu Jitsu. At my first gym, Ratel Yellow, I competed in a BJJ tournament joined by only one other teammate. However, at my second school, Kim Dae Hwan Boxing and MMA, the wrestling  coach, Hyungsu Kim and his brother, competed in a cage grappling only months after being introduced to Jiu Jitsu. Competition was normal for Kim and his brother, so jumping into a submission grappling match was a no-brainer. Hyungsu will also compete at the next K.O.G. tournament along with fellow coach: Tae Min Kwak. In my experience, many of the opponents I went up against came from a judo or wrestling background. Thus, as wrestlers and judo fighters continue to compliment their grappling skills with BJJ, competition will only grow in South Korea.

Tournament organizers also play a crucial role in promoting the sport. The promoters of K.O.G set up superfights (extra non-tournament bouts between two big name competitors) pitting some of the best Jiu Jitsu fighters against top Korean MMA fighters. It was meant as a way to promote Jiu Jitsu and MMA at the same time. The event was a big success and the matches proved entertaining to all those in attendance. The promoters of the tournament have made it their mission to promote the sport, and hopefully through them top Jiu Jitsu players around the country will have the chance to showcase their skill set.

Korean Jiu Jitsu fighters are finding MMA as a tool to not only test their art but to showcase their progress as grapplers. A good example is the fact that the only twister in UFC history was hit by The Korean Zombie himself. Another example is how Dong Hyun Kim dominated two Jiu Jitsu black belts in Nate Diaz and Paulo Thiago, and continues to showcase Korean grappling at the highest level. Indeed, Korea is becoming a hot bed for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. In the two years I lived in Korea I personally know of at least five gyms that opened in the Seoul Metropolitan area. Interest in BJJ is growing in Korea, and grappling is being happily accepted by Korean fighters. In just a few weeks Chan Sung Jung will enter the Octagon against Brazilian superstar Jose Aldo. Aldo is known for his powerful striking game, and most observers believe Jung’s best shot is to utilize his grappling. It is a testament to how far Korean Jiu Jitsu has come that one of Korea’s home grown fighters will be looking to submit a Brazilian, who is a black belt in Jiu Jitsu himself, in Brazil; on short term notice no less. However, if Korean history has taught us anything, it’s that Koreans can rise to the occasion quickly. "Chan Sung Jung: HWAIGHTING!"

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Language Fight

As a collective society, we like sports. We appreciate athletic achievement at the highest level. Some people are drawn to American football and some prefer table tennis. But at the very core of all athletic competition is fighting. Stripped to its most raw form, competition is a fight, and we like fights. The president of The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Dana White, once said, “I don’t care what country you come from or what language you speak, fighting is in our DNA. We get it and we like it.” Certainly, the president of the world’s premier fight promotion knows a thing or two about the draw power of combat sports.

It is difficult to argue otherwise. Across the globe, martial arts are practiced regularly by men and women of all races, ages, ethnic backgrounds,  and in different languages. Some are drawn to it for self defense, some seek an exciting way to exercise, and still others appreciate the technique involved in mastering a martial art.  Almost every country in the world has it’s own cultural appeal to fighting. Tae Kwon Do is as much part of Korean identity as kimchi, hanboks, and Hangul. Legendary boxers like Julio Cesar Chavez, Marco Antonio Barrera, and Eric Morales all attributed to the national spirit of Mexico during their time. Alexander Karelin was the pride of Russia for his twelve year reign as the baddest wrestler on the planet. Muhammad Ali was the Sports illustrated “Sportsman of the Century,” beating Wayne Gretzky, Pele, and other great athletes of the 1900’s. Bruce Lee continues to captivate film fans around the world even forty years after his death.

Today, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is regarded as the fastest growing sport on Earth. The UFC sells out stadiums and venues regularly across Brazil, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. MMA icons like Anderson Silva, Fedor Emilienanko, Georges St. Pierre, and Kazuhiro Sakuraba are revered by fans around the world, transcending national and language barriers. Across the globe, MMA continues reaching new markets and gaining support among sport fans. Yet, there are still places where the sport is far from main stream; places where most people still dismiss it as a violent sideshow.

This blog aims to document the state of MMA around the world. I also hope to document the rise of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) as a global sport, because Jiu Jitsu continues to play a critical role in the introduction of MMA around the world. As interest in BJJ grows, interest in MMA tends to follow. This was the case in the early 1990’s in the United States, and the trend continues to happen in countries like South Korea, Vietnam, and the Philippines. By immersing myself into the local gyms, I want to present MMA and BJJ through the eyes of the people practicing it. It is their journeys that will determine the acceptance of MMA by their countrymen and women. Thus, I want to share their struggles and their triumphs with the rest of the world. These are the people living in the cultural frontier between ignorance and acceptance. What obstacles does a South Korean woman have to overcome when training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu? What is the national thought on MMA in Vietnam, where the government only recently legalized boxing? How can MMA and Jiu Jitsu gain interest in countries with deeply embedded cultural ties to another martial art; like mauy thai in Thailand or boxing in Mexico? How are Jiu Jitsu practitioners in Cambodia similar to those in New Zealand? And finally, just how far can MMA go to unite people of different backgrounds, races, languages, and cultures under a common interest in fighting?