Karate Holly Michigan

Karate Holly Michigan

This is a quick overview of Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan, gathered from the abundant writings of the Grandmaster of Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan, Hwang Kee. The modern martial art of Tang Soo Do is over 55 years old. It started when Grandmaster Hwang Kee started teaching it in Seoul, Korea in the autumn of 1945. Hwang Kee conquered Soo Bahk Do and Tae Kyun by the age of 22. Because of the Japanese presence and ban of Korean Martial Arts at the time, Hwang Kee ventured to north China in 1936 where he saw Chinese versions of the martial art of Kung Fu. He used these with Soo Bahk Do to make what he would someday call Tang Soo Do.

The Moo Duk Kwan was one of the major schools of martial arts at the end of the Japanese presence of Korea in August of 1945. Hwang Kee was the founder. Other key Korean martial arts schools in 1945 were Choong Do Kwan and Song Moo Kwan. Member forms of these initial schools grew to many in Korea by 1950. They integrated Moo Duk Kwan, Ji Do Kwan, Choong Do Kwan, Cheong Moo Kwan, and Song Moo Kwan.

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Tang Soo Do (also known by the ancient name of Soo Bahk Do) is the name Hwang Kee used for the initial style of weaponless fighting. The Grandmaster wrote, The history of Tang Soo Do is perpetual. It is difficult to indicate where it was started or who was the first person who originally practiced it.

Tang Soo Do was used in the Kokuryo Dynasty (37-668 A.D.), the Silla Dynasty (668-935 A.D.), the Koryo Dynasty (935-1392 A.D.) and Yi Dynasty (1392-1907 A.D.) The Japanese controlled Korea from 1907-1945 and did not permit the public practice of Korean martial arts. Tang Soo Do was practiced in secret all through the Japanese presence. Hwang Kee started a modern style of ancient Tang Soo Do in 1945. Modern Tang Soo Do receives its hardness from Soo Bahk Do and its softness from Chinese Kung Fu.

Grandmaster Hwang said his art is 60% Korean (Soo Bahk Do), 30% Northern Chinese Kung Fu and 10% southern Chinese Kung Fu. Hwang Kee also added some of the foot techniques of Tae Kyun in todays Tang Soo Do. Tae Kyun was a variety of fighting that started near the end of the Yi Dynasty. It consisted of just foot techniques. Hwang Kee stated that Tae Kyun was a style of street fighting and was without mental discipline. Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan means a brotherhood and school of stopping inner and outer conflict and developing virtue according to the way of the worthy hand.

Some have simplified the definition to Art of the knife hand. Here is what Grandmaster Kee said about his art: It is not a sport. Though it is not essentially competitive, it has great combat applications. It is a classical martial art, and its purpose is to develop every aspect of self, in order to create a mature personality who totally integrates his intellect, body, emotions, and spirit. This total integration helps to create a person who is free from inner conflict and who can deal with the outside world in a mature, intelligent, forthright, and virtuous manner.

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