Facts on TKD

[terryl965]

Please post all facts that you know about the Art aspect of TKD.

Like the originator, timeframe, poomsae and techniques.

Please explain when and how you where told what the true facts are and what source made those facts available to you.

I would really like to get a great piece put together for my family scapebook with fact about there Art and not just this person said this and this person sid it was like that.

Thanks
Terry

 

[zDom]

I would really like to get a great piece put together for my family scapebook with fact about their Art and not just this person said this and this person said it was like that.

Are you looking for first-hand anecdotes? The only two non-Asian people who were THERE at the time and are still active that I know of are:

GM Ed Sell of the U.S. Chung Do Kwan

and

Chuck Norris (no, not just another Chuck Norris joke)

Everybody else was Korean, neh?

 

[Fluffy]

Fact; we like to kick.....all else is up to whatever org you are a member of.

 

[terryl965]

Fact; we like to kick.....all else is up to whatever org you are a member of.

Come on fluffy and zDorm we have a lot of facts let see what can really be said about the Art we love and what we precieve to be the truth about it.
Terry

 

[Kacey]

Terry, I would have to go get my Encyclopledia and start quoting Gen. Choi... but 1) not everyone would agree and 2) the Benadryl is starting to kick in, and I'm afraid to walk down the stairs... sorry. Another evening, perhaps. But I do understand what Fluffy is saying: each organization has it's own interpretation and records of the development of TKD. I don't have a copy of Gen. Choi's autobiography, but (for one side of a multi-faceted story) that might be a good starting place; most libraries, if they don't own it, should be able to acquire a loan copy through inter-library loan.

 

[zDom]

In the beginning there was Lee, Won Kuk and the Chung Do Kwan ("School of the Great Blue Wave") ChungDoKwan was founded by GM Lee in 1944.

He received instruction directly from Funakoshi, founder of Shotokan.

Uhm Woon Kyu (current head of the Kukkiwon), Nam Tae Hee, Han Cha Kyo, Kim Bong Sik, Jhoon Rhee (inventor of foam sparring gear and, from what I hear, the fellow who taught Bruce Lee his kicks) and Choi, Hong Hi all came from the Chung Do Kwan.

The other four of the first five kwans were:

JiDoKwan ("Wisdom Way School"), originally named Chosun YunMooKwan KongSoo Do Bu, founded by Chun, Sang Sup who studied judo and Karate.

MooDukKwan ("Institute of Martial Virtue") was founded around 1947 by Lee, Hwang Kee. Lee studied Karate and some Chinese fighting systems and eventually received GM Lee Won Suk's permission to teach under the name TangSooDo.

ChangMooKwan, YMCA KwonBup Bu, was founded in 1946 by Yoon, Byung In who was adept in both Chinese systems and Karate. Eventually headed by Lee, Nam Suk who died in 2002. (Lee, Nam Suk watched my 1st degree test in March 1995, I am proud to say)

SongMooKwan ("School of the Martial Pine"), founded by Ro, Byung Jik, in 1946. GM Ro was a martial art adept who trained together with CDK founder GM Lee.

OhDoKwan ("My Way Gym") was founded by GM Choi, Hong Hi, as the military equivalent of ChungDoKwan.


How's that for starters?

 

[EmperorOfKentukki]

MooDukKwan ("Institute of Martial Virtue") was founded around 1947 by Lee, Hwang Kee. Lee studied Karate and some Chinese fighting systems and eventually received GM Lee Won Suk's permission to teach under the name TangSooDo.

Ninja, pleeassee!! The only thing you got right there was 'Moo Duk Kwan'.

The school was founded by HWANG KEE (no Lee in his name. Hwang is the family name). The school first began in 1945, however, it didn't successfully kick off until 1947 (the first two groups quit because the training was too different from what most Koreans were used to). Hwang Kee learned his martial arts in China from Yang Kuk Jin (Tai Chi Chuan, Tan Tui, Shaolin Long Fist). His knowledge of the 'Tang Soo Do' hyung came through studying Japanese texts on Okinawan Karate. Hwang Kee did work out with Lee Won Kuk (not Suk), but he wasn't a student of Lee Won Kuk and certainly didn't get or need his permission to start his own school. Hwang Kee originally called his art 'Hwa Soo Do' and taught predominantly the Chinese martial arts he had learned. The school wasn't being successful. After a chance meeting with Lee Won Kuk and Chun Sang Sup, they recommended to Hwang Kee to start calling his art 'Tang Soo Do' and teach the 'Karate' forms...as these were what Koreans were familiar with after 45 years of Japanese domination of their culture. He took their advice and the MDK took off and grew with such speed it once held the top numbers in membership back in the early 1960's. When the Tae Kwon Do movement began in 1966, Hwang Kee backed out of joining and formed his Dae Han Soo Bahk Do Hoi, thus seperating the MDK from the evolution that was to become Olympic Tae Kwon Do. The MDK suffered a major split when several of the senior students left and went with the newly formed Korean Taekwondo Association. For years they tried to say Hwang Kee resigned as President of the MDK...which was silly and ludicrous...as he was the MDK Kwan Jang right up to his death in 2002 when he willed the Kwan to his son, Hwang Hyun Chul. Hwangs contribution tot he martial arts include the development of hip extension in kicking, the application of physics to technique study and the first public publishing of the Mu Ye Dobo Tong Ji . The MDK was known for its midnight blue trim uniforms and its solid foundation in basic technique. Hwang was also often praised and emulated for his application of Do (Taoist philosophy) to the study of martial arts. In his later years, Hwang developed his own system based upon his background in Chinese martial arts and the study of the Kwon Bup sections of the Mu Ye Dobo Tong Ji. This art he name Soo Bahk Do paying homage to the ancient pugilistic contests know as Subahk. Hwang felt this was a more Korean name. Along the way he created 6 Chil Sung (seven star) forms, the Yuk Ro (Six Path) forms, and Hwa Sun (Pure Flower). Today, the MDK is phasing out its teaching of the older Karate based forms in favor of the new SBD hyung.

 

[exile]

SongMooKwan ("School of the Martial Pine"), founded by Ro, Byung Jik, in 1946. GM Ro was a martial art adept who trained together with CDK founder GM Lee...

How's that for starters?

Yes, Ro Byung Jik was a student of Funikoshi's and opened his dojang upon returning to Korea (though his dojang opened in sometime in 1943/44, but the horrible state of the Korean economy during that period forced it to close shortly afterwards, and it didn't reopen till a decade later). From what I can gather, he emphasized very strong punching technique and regarded his art as an extension and further development of Shotokan.

SMK is my TKD lineage...