# The Kwans of Tang Soo, a new book by Len Losik is for sale at Amazon.com



## llosik (Apr 1, 2003)

The Kwans of Tang Soo Do answers many fundamental questions about Tang Soo Do including it's creation, evolution and history. This information is not similar to the bizarre stories currently appearing in martial arts magazines even today.

It includes descriptions of most of the early kwans, the founders, their style and the many Hyungs they taught. Also includes chapters on all the early Korean styles that were taught when the Korean martial arts community was resurrected immediately after World War II including Soo Bahk Do. Over 225 pages, printed digitally so many of the images are in color. perfect bound, 10" x 7", for sale at Amazon.com for $29.95.


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## arnisador (Apr 6, 2003)

I notice that there are numerous articles freely available at the author's site.

I still don't fully understand the difference between Tang Soo Do and Soo Bahk Do! I know people who practice the former but I thought it was supposed to have moved to the latter!


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## llosik (Apr 7, 2003)

Tang Soo Do Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan is the name of the style Grandmaster Hwang Kee decided to use in 1957 after finding a Korean military text titled the "Moo Yei Do Bo ong Ji". Prior to 1957, GrandMaster Hwang Kee used simply the name, Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan. There were many Korean Kwans at the time teaching Tang Soo Do, the Moo Duk Kwan was just one of many.

Grandmaster Hwang Kee's style was generic Tang Soo Do up to 1962. In 1962, Grandmaster Hwang Kee began creating and adding new Hyung to his style. Over the next 30 years he added several groups on new Hyung, some based on movements similar to those in the Hyung Tae Kuek Kwon others were inspired by what he translated from the Korean military text, the "Moo Yei Do Bo Tong Ji". Grandmaster Hwang Kee also incorporated a group of Hyung he taught only in Korea where he kived.

In 1995, Grandmaster Hwang Kee formally dropped the term Tang Soo Do from his styles name becoming simply Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan. 

Over the years, Grandmaster Hwang Kee minimized the importance of many of the traditional animal Hyung from Tang Soo Do he taught for decades, but a few are still taught. The primary Hyung of his style are the many he added beginning in 1962.

There are many different descriptions available of what I wrote here, that embelish different facets.This description is included in my book, "Soo Bahk Ancient Ways, Modern Art Volume I"

Best Regards.

Len Losik


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## arnisador (Apr 7, 2003)

Thanks! Tang Soo Do should be gone, then--I assume only people who split off still practice it?


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## llosik (Apr 8, 2003)

Yes, you're right. and people have been splintering off from the Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan for 50 years all and over the world. There are many thousands of splinter organizations that associate themselves with the name Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan and there will probably be more splinter organizations from these splinter organizations.

Since the name may be able to be used without fear from the official TSDMDK organization, it was a registered trademark of the TSD MDK Federation, there might be an increase in schools using the TSDMDK name.


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## Shinzu (May 2, 2003)

The founder of Moo Duk Kwan (school of martial virtue) Grandmaster Hwang Kee, had his first exposure to traditional Korean martial arts when he was about 7 years old. 

  Hwang Kee had a strong desire to learn traditional martial arts. However, during the time of the Japanese occupation of Korea (1909-1945), many aspects of Korean culture including the practice of martial arts such as Soo Bahk Ki was prohibited by the Japanese. Hwang Kee left Korea for Manchuria in 1935 to work for the railroad company. In 1936 he had the opportunity to meet A Chinese martial arts master Yang, Kuk Jin. Master Yang taught a few students out of his home, and eventually accepted Hwang Kee as a student. Hwang Kee trained in what he referred to as the T'ang method. 

  In 1936 Hwang Kee had to return to Korea where he continued his training in martial arts. The techniques and forms that he studied were similar to those taught by Master Humakoshy (Gichen Funakoshi) and Master Mabumi (Kenwa Mabuni). He combined these skills with his Korean Soo Bahk, and the T'ang method and he called his system Hwa Soo Do(way of the flower hand), named after the Hwa Rang warriors of ancient Korea. 

  After the end of World War II in 1945, Hwang Kee formally founded his Moo Duk Kwan school and began to teach Hwa Soo Do on November 9, 1945. Hwang Kee's initial attempts to teach Hwa Soo Do were largely unsuccessful, and in 1947, Hwang Kee changed the name of his art to Tang Soo Do. This term was more easily recognized and accepted by the Korean people who had been living under Japanese occupation for 36 years. This is because the Chinese characters for "Tang Soo Do" are identical to the older Japanese characters for "Kara- te Do".

Soo Bahk Do was the old name... Tang Soo Do is the "newer name" that hwang kee developed for his kwan.


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## arnisador (May 6, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Shinzu _
> *Soo Bahk Do was the old name... Tang Soo Do is the "newer name"  *



I thought it was exactly the opposite!


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## Shinzu (May 7, 2003)

i believe that many kwans are reverting back to it again rather that using TSD.  i will get the full facts this week and post again, but this was my understanding... i could be wrong.  there are so many speculations with hwang kee and what is correct.


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## Galvatron (May 7, 2003)

I believe the term "Soo Bahk Do" is trademarked now. In order to advertize that you teach "Soo Bahk Do" you have to be recognized by the U.S. Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan Federation.
Of course, I reserve the right to be wrong


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## Shinzu (May 8, 2003)

huh... pretty interesting galvatron.  ill have to check on that one also...

ps- like the name  ... transformers rock!!


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## llosik (May 9, 2003)

I've been doing research on Tang Soo Do for almost 30 years, I have not come across any reference to Grandmaster Hwang Kee learning from Master Funakoshi or Master Mabuni. I have Grandmaster Hwang Kee book the "History of the Moo Duk Kwan" in it he details his training history, and there is no mention of any training in Okinawa/Japanese martial arts only 2 years of Yang style Kung Fu and a fleeting exposure to Tae Kyun as a child.

The term "Su Bahk" is in the popular domain and it has been around for centuries, in 1957, Grandmaster Hwang kee added the term "Do" to Su Bahk to form Soo Bahk Do (then a new term).  Grandmaster Hwang Kee then in 1957 added Soo Bahk Do to his style name and it became Tang Soo Do Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan, it had been only Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan before.

In 1995, Grandmaster Hwang Kee dropped the Tang Soo Do term.

"Soo Bahk" was not used as the name of any recent styles. There is today an organization name Soo Bahk International.


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## arnisador (May 9, 2003)

Thanks, that's what I had heard (though I had heard it in less detail than that).


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