The Legacy of Michael Echanis
Honoring Our Military, Veterans and Peace Officers
50% Discount on Hwa Rang Do® Classes for Active/Ex Military, Veterans and Law Enforcement Personnel (See Below)
"I had finally found a martial art that combined everything
necessary to make a man a modern-day warrior"
-- The Late Michael Echanis |
 On this Veterans Day, we wish to honor one of the most influential and legendary soldiers our country has ever seen...
Michael Echanis was born on November 16, 1950 and grew up in Ontario, Oregon.
He was a United States Army Special Forces and 75th Ranger Battalion enlisted soldier. As an enlisted soldier, he served in the LRRP (Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol).
The LRRP were special small four to six man teams used in the Vietname War on highly dangerous special op missions deep in enemy terriorty.
During Echanis' tour in Vietnam he was badly wounded in the leg and was forced to return home and live as a civilian. He was awarded the Purple Heart for his sacrifice and the Bronze Star for his bravery in combat. In Vietnam, he had at least 26 confirmed kills while on active duty.
Echanis had previous training in Tae Kwon Do and Judo, and wanted to continue his study in military combatives and the martial arts. He actively sought out martial arts systems, which would help him in this pursuit but was still unsatisfied with what he had found.
Through a referral by another martial artists, Michael found Hwa Rang Do® and Dr. Joo Bang Lee, who's headquarters was located in Downey, Ca. Echanis requested instruction from Dr. Joo Bang Lee, but was initially turned away.
Dr. Lee could see the lasting effect combat had on Michael, and was unsure about taking on the responsibility of mentoring someone who had suffered the external and mental scars of war. But Michael was persistant and Dr. Lee finally agreed to take him in.
Dr. Joo Bang Lee agreed to train Echanis, and as a Doctor of Eastern Medicine also helped heal the wounds Echanis sustained during Vietnam. During his training with Dr. Lee, he also was instructed on Hwa Rang Do's 'Sulsa' tactics, (or guerilla & stealth tactics).
After training under Dr. Lee, he took charge of a Hwa Rang Do® school in La Habra, Ca. as the head instructor. Unfortunately, Echanis was far too tough on his students in the La Habra school. He was unable to shed the intensity of a combatant.
For the civilian world, he was far too intense, but for the military he was perfect. Dr. Joo Bang Lee encouraged Echanis to return to the US military and to bring what he had learned from Hwa Rang Do® with him.
He became a hand-to-hand combat instructor for the US Special Forces responsible for training Green Berets, Navy Seals and other elite military groups.
While working as a contract employee for the CIA, Echanis began working for the Nicaraguan president, Anastacio Somoza during the 1970's. He trained the Nicaraguan military and was very close to Somoza.
At some point, his relationship with Somoza soured and it is believed that Somoza was responsible for the assassination of Michael Echanis.
In September of 1978, Michael Echanis was killed while riding on a Navajo Twin Engine airplane over Nicaragua along with his colleague and Hwa Rang Do Black Sash Charles Sanders and other members of the Nicaraguan armed forces. The plane was brought down by a Soviet SAM-7, according to witnesses.
Before his death, Echanis with the help of Dr. Joo Bang Lee, authored three military hand-to-hand combat books based on Hwa Rang Do®. During a time in the 80's, these books were actually outlawed by the US government and deemed too dangerous for the general public.
Michael Echanis is buried at St. John's Catholic Cemetery in Ontario, Oregon.
The legacy of Michael Echanis is one of reverance and appreciation for his service to country, martial art and mankind. We wish to say THANK YOU to all service members and veterans for your sacrifice and selfless loyalty to our great nation
Special Pricing on Hwa Rang Do® Classes for Active US Military, Veterans and Law Enforcement Personnel
The World Hwa Rang Do Association would like to offer ALL US active duty service members, former military personnel, veterans and law enforcement personnel a special 50% discount on tuition for our introductory programs in participating branches in the US.
Thirty years ago, Dr. Joo Bang Lee gave Michael Echanis an opportunity to maximize his human potential through the study of Hwa Rang Do and we wish to offer the same opportunity to those who have sacrificed so much in service to our nation.
If you qualify, you may call us to schedule a FREE trial class and choose the introductory martial arts program which is right for you.
There's no obligation to join after your trial class. It is available to you, to help you gain a better understanding of what our academy has to offer.
If you know of any other service members in your area, please feel free and share this page with them, so they make take advantage of this deep discount.
Choose from one of the following participating branches:
Hwa Rang Do World Headquarters Academy, Tustin, CA. |
Contact: Supreme Grandmaster Dr. Joo Bang Lee
714-731-5425
whrda@hwarangdo.com
Website:
Hwa Rang Do World Headquarters - Tustin, CA. |
Los Angeles, CA. Academy |
Norwalk, CA. Academy |
Arcata, CA. Academy |
Contact: Grandmaster Taejoon Lee
310-473-6233
info@hwarangdo.net
Website:
West Coast Hwa Rang Do |
Contact: Instr. Jesus Hernandez
562-466-0111
jesus@hwarangdonorwalk.com
Website:
Hwa Rang Do Norwalk
|
Contact: Instr. Daniel Perez
707-822-4958
nchrda2@pacbell.net
Website:
Hwa Rang Do Arcata |
Minneapolis, MN. Academy |
East Madison, WI. Academy |
West Madison, WI. Academy |
Contact: Instr. Dylan Sirny
612-824-5425
jungdo@hwarangdomn.com
Website:
Hwa Rang Do Minneapolis |
Contact: Instr. Billie Buss
608-249-4606
bbuss@hwarangdowi.com
Website:
Hwa Rang Do Madison Wisconsin |
Contact: Instr. Charles Dean
608-831-5425
madisonwest@hwarangdowi.com
Website:
Hwa Rang Do Madison Wisconsin |
Jacksonville, Fl. Academy |
Appleton, WI. Academy |
Champaign, IL. Academy |
Contact: Instrs. Diane Spoehr &
Instr. Bret Spoehr
904-230-7294
hrdjax@bellsouth.net
Website:
Hwa Rang Do Jacksonville |
Contact: Instr. Jason Adler
920-205-8754
jungshin@hwarangdoappleton.com
Website:
Hwa Rang Do Appleton (Fox Cities) |
Contact: Instr. Steve Lavigne
217-344-6272
admin@hwarangdocu.com
Website:
Hwa Rang Do Champaign |
|
The Complete Michael D. Echanis Collection:
The Special Forces/Hand-to-Hand Combat/Special Tactics Series
 The Complete Michael D. Echanis Collection: The Special Forces/Hand-to-Hand Combat/Special Tactics Series is a comprehensive compilation of the highly popular three-volume Special Tactics series from legendary soldier Michael D. Echanis. Since the series first hit the martial arts scene in 1977, Echanis' unique approach to hand-to-hand combat has revolutionized reality-based fighting.
Based on the ancient tactics of Hwa Rang Do and the Hwarang warriors, The Complete Michael D. Echanis Collection combines close-quarters combat with lethal strategies, creating a necessary read for the modern-day fighter. Tactics and techniques include how to develop ki power, why proper grip is essential when fighting with a weapon—knives, sticks or canes—as well as what techniques will disarm and control a potential attacker. The Complete Michael D. Echanis Collection is fully illustrated and also delves into the art of moving stealthily, which is known as un ship bop, the Korean counterpart to Japanese ninjutsu, otherwise known as sentry stalking in modern military vernacular.
Michael D. Echanis was a senior instructor for the Special Forces/Ranger Hand-to-Hand Combat/Special Weapons School and was privately tutored by the founder of the World Hwa Rang Do Association, Dr. Joo Bang Lee. Echanis was the first American ranked as a sulsa in the history of hwa rang do. He is also well-known for the practical approach to close-quarters combat that he brought to the U.S. military. In 1978, Michael D. Echanis died in an unexplained helicopter crash in Nicaragua.
"Michael Echanis is our Hwarang brethren, whom we shall never forget and who will serve as an example of sakun-e-chung—loyalty to king, to country. His name will be entered into the Hwarang segi, which is a book of the 100 most famed Hwarang warriors of ancient times." —Grandmaster Taejoon Lee, World Hwa Rang Do Association
"Although his life was cut tragically short, Michael Echanis had a profound impact on the martial arts world and the direction of modern military combative training. He combined his personal quest for a comprehensive warrior art with an uncompromising commitment to combative function." —Michael Janich, Developer of Martial Blade Concepts |
Knife
Fighting, Knife Throwing for Combat
 |
***NOW
BACK IN PRINT!!!***
The
long sought after, and formally banned and out of print Knife
Fighting for Combat Book authored by the late Michael Echanis
is once again available to the public. Finally after the many
years you can now learn the advanced knife movements that can
be found in Hwa Rang Do®. Michael Echanis is the author of
"The Black Book", and was a former senior instructor
for the UDT-21, Seal-2, Hand-to-Hand Combat Special Forces school
for instructors demonstrates and describes the intricacies of
the knife and its use for combat. Mr. Echanis was also a former
Special Forces Ranger who was privately tutored by Supreme Grandmaster
Dr. Joo Bang Lee. This book is fully illustrated with how-to instructional
techniques.
Preview on Google |
Knife
Self Defense for Combat
 |
This
is another book written by Michael Echanis the former senior instructor
for the UDT-21, Seal-2, Hand-to-hand Combat Special Weapons School
for instructors.
During
his training with Supreme Grandmaster Dr. Joo Bang Lee, Mr. Echanis
learned all types of hand-to-hand combat techniques, and in this
book he demonstrates more than 30 techniques designed for disarming
and controlling a knife attacker. This book is also fully illustrated
with how-to instructional techniques.
Preview on Google |
Stick
Fighting for Combat
 |
The
use of the stick, long or short, as a weapon of survival is demonstrated
by Michael Echanis, former senior instructor for the UDT-21, Seal-2,
Hand-to-Hand Combat Special Forces school for instructors. Ki
power, proper grip, visualization and breath control, based on
Hwa Rang Do®, are explained as important elements in surviving
attacks. Mr. Echanis was a former Special Forces Ranger who was
privately tutored by Supreme Grandmaster Dr. Joo Bang Lee. This
book is fully illustrated with how-to instructional techniques.
Preview on Google |
 Warriors of the Night
by Nick O'Prancter (Black Belt Magazine)
"Specialist Echanis has been given permission by our very pragmatic military to instruct a portion of our vital fighting forces in the ancient ways of hwa rang do. More exactly, he shows them the secrets of the sul sa, the "magical" technicians of hwa rang do®, whose prime counterparts in the Oriental world of long ago were the famed ninja of Japan."
Click here to read article...
Cheney's 'Spoon-Benders' Pushing Nuclear Armageddon
by Jeffrey Steinberg
"Not all the instructors of the "Jedi Warriors" were counterculture psychologists. Michael Echanis, a Green Beret who was badly wounded in Vietnam, but later developed advanced martial art skills, was brought in to train the "Jedi" in Hwa Rang Do®, a combat technique that emphasized "invisibility." Echanis would be killed in 1978 in Nicaragua, while working as a mercenary for the regime of Anastasio Somoza. He had been the martial arts editor of Soldier of Fortune magazine, a well-known hiring hall for ex-soldiers and wanna-be's, seeking their fortunes as mercenaries."
Click here to read the entire 'Spoon Benders' article
 America's Special Forces Learn Ancient Guerilla Tactics
by Peter Koenig (Black Belt Magazine)
"Mike Echanis, hwarangdo expert, teaches the age-old arts utilized by guerrilla fighters the world over, and particularly the Orient. Though hwarangdo is of Korean origin, its roots and ties are shared by other Asian nations such as China and Japan.
"And, in fact, the most celebrated guerrilla fighters of history were the "invisible assassins," the ninja, who were employed as spies, kidnappers, killers and special surprise and shock attack forces during Japan's pre-Meiji Restoration period.
"Today, America is developing its own ninja-like army, the Special Forces, and Mike Echanis is one of its foremost instructors."
Click here to read the entire article...
 The Black Berets of Hwa Rang Do®
(Black Belt Magazine)
"Since the times of their earliest development, the various martial arts evolved primarily as a means of self-defense," said Michael D. Echanis, an unconventional warfare expert and black belt student of Hwa Rang Do Supreme Grandmaster Dr. Joo Bang Lee.
"But in Nicaragua, the powerful army of the president, General Anastasio Somoza Debalye, has a commando unit composed of men who receive instruction not only in how martial arts may be used for purposes of self-defense.
"Called the 'Black Berets,' this unit also learns how martial arts may be used for counteroffense."
Click here to read the entire Black Beret's of Hwa Rang Do article...
More Resources:
The Men Who Stare at Goats by Jon Ronson
Click Here for Info About Spoof Film
Remembering Michael Echanis Forum
http://www.e-budo.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-10481.html
Special Pricing on Hwa Rang Do® Classes for Active US Military, Veterans and Law Enforcement Personnel
The World Hwa Rang Do Association would like to offer ALL US active duty service members, former military personnel, veterans and law enforcement personnel a special 50% discount on tuition for our introductory programs in participating branches in the US.
Thirty years ago, Dr. Joo Bang Lee gave Michael Echanis an opportunity to maximize his human potential through the study of Hwa Rang Do and we wish to offer the same opportunity to those who have sacrificed so much in service to our nation.
If you qualify, you may call us to schedule a FREE trial class and choose the introductory martial arts program which is right for you.
There's no obligation to join after your trial class. It is available to you, to help you gain a better understanding of what our academy has to offer.
If you know of any other service members in your area, please feel free and share this page with them, so they make take advantage of this deep discount.
Choose from one of the following participating branches:
Hwa Rang Do World Headquarters Academy, Tustin, CA. |
Contact: Supreme Grandmaster Dr. Joo Bang Lee
714-731-5425
whrda@hwarangdo.com
Website:
Hwa Rang Do World Headquarters - Tustin, CA. |
Los Angeles, CA. Academy |
Norwalk, CA. Academy |
Arcata, CA. Academy |
Contact: Grandmaster Taejoon Lee
310-473-6233
info@hwarangdo.net
Website:
West Coast Hwa Rang Do |
Contact: Instr. Jesus Hernandez
562-466-0111
jesus@hwarangdonorwalk.com
Website:
Hwa Rang Do Norwalk
|
Contact: Instr. Daniel Perez
707-822-4958
nchrda2@pacbell.net
Website:
Hwa Rang Do Arcata |
Minneapolis, MN. Academy |
East Madison, WI. Academy |
West Madison, WI. Academy |
Contact: Instr. Dylan Sirny
612-824-5425
jungdo@hwarangdomn.com
Website:
Hwa Rang Do Minneapolis |
Contact: Instr. Billie Buss
608-249-4606
bbuss@hwarangdowi.com
Website:
Hwa Rang Do Madison Wisconsin |
Contact: Instr. Charles Dean
608-831-5425
madisonwest@hwarangdowi.com
Website:
Hwa Rang Do Madison Wisconsin |
Jacksonville, Fl. Academy |
Appleton, WI. Academy |
Champaign, IL. Academy |
Contact: Instrs. Diane Spoehr &
Instr. Bret Spoehr
904-230-7294
hrdjax@bellsouth.net
Website:
Hwa Rang Do Jacksonville |
Contact: Instr. Jason Adler
920-205-8754
jungshin@hwarangdoappleton.com
Website:
Hwa Rang Do Appleton (Fox Cities) |
Contact: Instr. Steve Lavigne
217-344-6272
admin@hwarangdocu.com
Website:
Hwa Rang Do Champaign |
|
