GM Duk Sung SON (1922-1911) was the second Kwan Jang (President) of the Chung Do Kwan. He remained Kwan Jang until 1959, when GM Woon Kyu UHM became Kwan Jang. GM UHM is still Kwan Jang to this day.

In the 60s, GM SON began teaching Chung Do Kwan in New York State. He wrote a book with a student of his in the 1960s. "Korean Karate: The Art of Tae Kwon Do." In that book, GM SON says that a specific form in the book has a time limit in which to perform it. In other words, it's done quickly.

From my understanding, many of GM SON's forms are to be performed quite quickly. Videos of these students of GM SON performing forms have become objects of ridicule online in recent years, due to their speed. Many have referred to their training as worthless, bad TKD, &, of course, McDojo-ish. I have a different theory on GM SON"S Chung Do Kwan that explains why it's different than other TKD, or even Chung Do Kwan found elsewhere.

GM SON left as Kwan Jang of the CDK on bad terms & moved to the US. He was held at arms length by the leadership of CDK at that point. He was very much on his own. My guess (and that's what it is), is that GM SON developed his particular style on his past experiences in CDK. His his 1968 book, the kicks were typical of the TKD kicks of that era. Unlike others in TKD, he no longer had peers to bounce ideas off of or try new ways of throwing techniques. So, "the old ways" remained how he taught. He probably also saw martial value in speed in performance of hyung, so that is how he taught them to his students. Evolution of technique, was solely his prerogative. So much stayed the way he thought best. While the rest of the Chung Do Kwan evolved with the collective larger student & teaching body, GM SON's CDK, remained largely the same.

Many of GM SON's students refer to their brand of CDK as the "real Chung Do Kwan" because he was the Kwan Jang at one time & they were told that "this is Chung Do Kwan." To my mind, it stands to reason that they would think that. His students may not not know the ongoing history of CDK.

GM SON did not have the collective thought of larger Chung Do Kwan or other Kwan that other early pioneers had post 1959. If someone was doing something new, GM SON was, most likely, not in the loop. Sparring rules, new sparring gear, new ways of throwing familiar kicks, etc. were probably not something he was privy to due to his lack of connection.

My Chung Do Kwan lineage is from GM UHM, the current Kwan Jang of Chung Do Kwan. I see GM SON's students as family, even though I don't subscribe to their thinking. I'm hurt when I hear bad things about the way they train. My grandmaster taught us to perform Yun Bi (Karate kata, Empi), with a 45 second time limit. Some in our organization, have felt that performing it as quickly as possible. Technique seems to suffer at the expense of speed. We help them to perform it closer to the 45 second time limit to strengthen good technique.

Perhaps it is an offshoot of GM SON's group who are doing them so quickly. I don't know. I see value in training what has been passed down to us. Every master changes something that was past down, either intentionally or unintentionally. I don't see this as necessarily a bad thing.

I'm interested in the thoughts of others here on this subject.

The film is “At the End of Labor, There Is No Poverty” (Japanese title: 稼に追付く貧乏なくて), a Japanese colonial-era state-sponsored educational film that encouraged labor, savings, and “modern” lifestyle values under occupation rule.

What makes this film important is that, out of roughly 8 minutes of total runtime, nearly 1 full minute is dedicated to hand-to-hand fighting.

That is not a small detail.

This was not an action movie. It was propaganda/educational cinema produced with official support during the Japanese occupation period. In that context, it is difficult to assume the fight scene was improvised “street brawling” with no technical direction or cultural basis.

The director was Lee Gyu-seol (이규설), who had also appeared in Arirang with Na Woon-gyu, one of the most important figures in early Korean cinema.

Na Woon-gyu himself had connections to Korean independence activities and was imprisoned in relation to the “Cheonghoe Line Tunnel Bombing Attempt” case before later joining the film world in Busan.

After liberation, Lee Gyu-seol went to North Korea.

Who was Kim Won-bo?

The larger fighter appearing in the film is identified as Kim Won-bo (김원보).

However, unlike co-actor Park Sun-bong — who remained active in the Korean film industry until the 1970s — almost no later film records of Kim Won-bo can be found.

Because of this, I began considering another possibility:

What if Kim Won-bo was not primarily a film actor, but someone recruited specifically to perform realistic fighting sequences?

This idea becomes more interesting after examining independence movement records.

In 2022, a man named Kim Won-bo received a Presidential Commendation related to Korea’s independence movement.

The archival record states:

Name: Kim Won-bo (金元甫)

Age at the time: 22

Birthplace/Home region: Songhwa-ri, Seohung County, Hwanghae Province

Charge: Violation of the Security Law

Year: 1919

Summary: Participated in the March 1st Independence Movement and shouted “Manse” with demonstrators after reading the Declaration of Independence.

When comparing this document to the physical appearance of Kim Won-bo in the film, the estimated age range appears to match surprisingly well.

The fighter in the film looks approximately late 20s to early 30s — consistent with someone who was 22 years old in 1919.

At this stage, this remains a hypothesis, not a finalized conclusion.

But the connections are interesting enough to investigate further.

Connection to Subak and Northern Korean Fighting Traditions

Recently published testimony from first- and second-generation displaced people from Pyongan Province described “Subak” practitioners during the Japanese occupation era.

According to these testimonies:

This is significant because Kim Won-bo’s documented hometown was Hwanghae Province.

And the movements shown in the film strongly resemble those descriptions.

The fighting shown includes:

Stable stance and posture

Weight distribution and balance control

Footwork and directional movement

Distinction between lead hand and rear hand

Body evasion

Blocking with hands and arms

Grabbing while striking

Straight punches, alternating left/right punches, body punches, downward strikes

Cross-arm downward defensive motions linked into attacks

Neck clinch takedowns

Counterattacks while grounded and grabbing the opponent’s collar

The fighter also demonstrates tactical distancing, pressure, angle control, and redirecting incoming force.

This does not look like random uncontrolled brawling.

Ironically, many elements are not fundamentally different from modern MMA concepts.

Why the Scene Matters

Modern films consult experts when portraying boxing, judo, or other martial arts.

The same logic likely applied here.

Film production in the 1920s was expensive and difficult. Film stock was valuable. Directors did not simply tell actors:

“Do whatever you want and we’ll film it.”

Especially not in a government-supported production.

Every movement in the scene would likely have been directed intentionally.

For that reason, the fight scene may reflect contemporary Korean understanding of fighting systems at the time — particularly traditions remembered in Seoul, Kaesong, Hwanghae Province, and Hamgyeong Province.

Several later testimonies also connect these regions with traditions known as:

Subak (수박)

Jumeokchigi / “fist-fighting” (주먹치기)

Nalparam (날파람)

North Korean folklorist Hong Gi-mu also described Subak primarily as fist-based fighting in 1963.

Another Interesting Detail

An elderly Korean martial arts researcher once described older men near Dongdaemun after liberation demonstrating a movement where both arms crossed downward from above.

That exact motion appears near the end of Kim Won-bo’s fight scene.

This does not “prove” anything by itself.

But the overlap between oral testimony and the film movements is difficult to ignore.

Historical Importance

The Korean Film Archive rediscovered the film in a Russian archive and restored it in 2021.

Because of the production period and surviving staff records, this may be among the oldest surviving Korean films in existence.

If the fighting scene truly reflects contemporary Korean combat traditions rather than generic cinematic improvisation, then this footage could become historically important for the study of Korean martial culture during the Japanese occupation period.

I plan to continue tracing records related to Kim Won-bo and to include further analysis of the footage in future research and publications.

Original fight scene:
6:43 ~ 7:45

YouTube:
https://youtu.be/RD0CJrfLypg

Original restored film:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgxi3m-8jjM

I knew him in the late 90's, early 00's, when I trained at his stepson's club. He had a big impact in my area and internationally. Perhaps he was most widely known for appearing in Game of Death.

Just the other day in class I found myself breaking down the flying side kick we do in our version of Choong Moo hyung, and it's enough material to be considered a class all on it's own as well.  So I thought I'd share an article in the same vein here.  I referenced the process I used in that class in a post in The Martial Artists' Training Log, but I've refined it much more here.  Enjoy, and I look forward to KF feedback!

The Choong Moo Flying Side Kick Breakdown Class

Here is a step-by-step breakdown to help students better understand the nuances of the flying side kick in our version of Choong Moo hyung.  Where noted, a Wavemaster standing bag will be used to give the student feedback on the alignment and power direction of the kick.  The student starts in a left foot forward back stance, double knife hand block, just like in the hyung.  The only difference is I'll have them switch and do both sides.  The kick is only done with the right leg in the hyung.  This teaching progression is also good for the 3rd dan and higher ranks that have to the flying side kick over obstacles for their testing.

The flying side kick is done after taking two steps, then jumping by throwing the back leg up and using it as the momentum to get up, turn sideways, and kick.  It's not done like the traditional ITF version of Choong Moo; this version is easier.  This version is basically a back leg side kick just done in the air, and I like to break things down all the way to the most basic movement.  The big focus in a good back leg side kick is getting the knee chambered up tight and around so the body is side-on to the target and then finishing by pivoting the base leg foot and turning the hips to get power.

The two steps done prior to the flying side kick shouldn’t be great big, bounding steps.  Instead, they should be more controlled steps that help build a little bit of momentum and then allow the student to spring up as high as possible to kick.  The goal of this kick is not to travel a huge amount of distance, but to jump high while advancing about another stance length while kicking and then recovering with a controlled landing and double knife hand blocks in back stance.

Constantly remind the students that they have to keep the knee tight and get it around so they don’t end up kicking with the toes or the ball of the foot.  If the pivot isn’t tight, the toes or ball of the foot tend to lead the kick instead of the heel.  The pivot is just as important when done in the air as it is when done on the ground.

1. Back leg (#2) side kick.  Floor drill, no bag or shield.

2. Back Leg (#2) side kick, this time on Wavemaster bag, both sides.  Many reps.  Partners could also hold kicking shields for each other, backing up for each new rep.

3. Add the two steps for the flying side kick, done at my count; 1st step, then 2nd step, then chamber position, focusing on getting the chamber around and tight by pivoting the base foot.  Three counts, no kick, no bag, no jump.  Do as floor drill, starting and finishing with double knife hand blocks (remember hand/foot timing!).

4. Same as step 3, at my count, but adding a fourth count, which is to back leg (#2) side kick.  So four counts at this point in the progression.  Floor drill, no bag or shield, no jump.  Finish with the double knife hand blocks in back stance.

5. Same as step 4, but now done with a partner holding a kicking shield, backing up for each rep.  Partners then switch roles once they get to the end of the floor.  Or use Wavemaster.

6. Same drill as step 5, but now the student has to put it all together and at his own pace and count.  Here is where you start to see them cheating on the chamber and have to correct it.  Slow and smooth, smooth is faster.

7. From the back stance and double knife hand blocks, bring the back leg up to that chamber position, getting the chamber around while jumping into the air (not taking the two steps, and not kicking).  The goal is to "throw" the back leg up while "pivoting" in the air to get the body turned side-on, keeping the knee tight.  The knee is thrown up to gain momentum in the jump, much the way we do with our jump front snap kicks in basics; we just add the turn here.  The student finishes by landing and setting down into the double knife hand block in back stance with the other leg forward.  Floor drill advancing about one stance length with each jump, no kick. 

8. The next progression is adding the "cannonball" aspect (that's how Master Biskie referred to it).  When running and jumping, you want to pull the knees up as high as possible.  The student takes two quick steps, bursts off the ground by throwing that back knee up high and turning, “pivoting” while in the air, and pulling up and tucking the knees as high and tight as they can (the “cannonball”).  I shall affectionately refer to this drill as “The Cannonball Run.”

9. Now the students do the flying side kick, all together at their own count.  Start in the back stance/double knife hand blocks and finish in the back stance/double knife hand blocks.  The trick here is to land on the base leg foot with the kicking foot rechambered, then reach back and set down into the blocks.  Again, hand/foot timing!

10. For the students preparing for flying side kicks over obstacles (which is usually two or three people) for testing, the next progression is to set up some kicking shields or other obstacles on the ground in front of the Wavemaster.  I set the shields on their sides and about 6 inches apart from each other to represent the obstacles.  This version of the kick is usually done with more distance and taking more steps and has more of a forward trajectory than the kick in Choon Moo hyung.

To start, one should understand there are different variations as with most martial arts. They tend to branch of and look different. In Tae Kwon Do there can be very large differences between WTF/ITF (as an example) styles. Forms will be completely different and main principles of kicking speed vs power, or how power or speed is generated. Usually Tang Soo Do is more similar, using the same forms although different organizations will perform them very differebtly, yet following the same patterns or concepts.

As another example I primarily practice Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan, and often known as SOO BAHK DO. It follows the same concept principles of lets say, "World Tang Soo Do Association " but my style will take on a less rigid looking style, and more fluid.

Tang Soo Do is basically a sister art to Shotokan, but there are differences. The main one being that Tang Soo Do follows the common Korean style kicking philosophy. Korean style kicking is a prominent part of most Korean martial arts, and the use of things like hip in kicjs are usually more prominent as well compared to Shotokan. It's essentially a Korean Shotokan varient.

I teach Integrated Tang Soo Do, which is a foundation of TSD while incorporating other arts for a wider base and knowlage.

Tang Soo Do is a very well rounded martial art. I don't add other arts because I feel personally TSD is lacking something. I Integrate other systems because I prefer to share the good of all my experiences. Tang Soo Do is the base I chose because I enjoyed the training and the concepts of Tang Soo Do, which has a very strong foundation in focusing on the person, and not just technuiqes themselves.

I hope this becomes a place that TSD practitioners and people looking for more information can find useful. Thanks.

This begs the question, is Tang Soo Do a hybrid style of China/Japan and Korea?

I mention china becomes Tang dynasty had Kung Fu styles that influenced Tang Soo Do. I really wish there was a documentary about Tang Soo Do.

The Chosun Yun Moo Kwan (or just Yun Moo Kwan, or possibly Yun Mu Kwan, more on this later), was founded as a Judo school in 1931 by Kyung Suk Lee, but things changed after the Korean War and the school was later re-established as the Ji Do Kwan. The Jidokwan became renowned for it’s excellence in sparring.

Martial Heritage

As mentioned above, the school was originally founded very early, in 1931, as a Judo school, by Kyung Suk Lee. The history of this school intrigues me deeply. Unfortunately, there just isn’t much to find on Kyung Suk Lee. What most sources seem to point to is that Sang Sap Chun (Chun, Sang-sap), who learned Karate and Judo while going to school in Japan, came home to Korea and joined the Yun Moo Kwan. Taekwondo Wiki states on Sang Sap Chun’s page that, "before the end of World War II Chun was approached by the head of the Yun Moo Kwan judo school and asked to teach karate there. He agreed, and also taught judo there." Taekwondo Wiki has a timeline on their site of the nine kwans, and on that timeline it stated that Sang Sap Chun "took over" the Yun Moo Kwan in 1946 (May 3, 1946 is noted in A Modern History of Taekwondo). His page on the same site denotes that he opened in another location, establishing the Yun Moo Kwan Kong So Do Bu, essentially a new branch of the Judo school. He apparently trained with his brother, Il Sup Chun, who later opened a branch of the school in 1947. This is very interesting to me; it appears that the early roots of this Kwan had both Karate and Judo to draw from, forming a very rich and well-rounded art for that time. If only it could have perpetuated that way… Unfortunately, Sang Sap Chun went missing after the Korean War, and not much more is established about him. The Wikipedia page stated that Sang learned Shotokan Karate while in Japan, but I saw on the Traditional Taekwondo Ramblings webpage that it is entirely possible that Sang could have learned Shudokan Karate from Toyama Kanken.

Byung In Yoon and the Yun Moo Kwan

According to the Yun Mu Kwan Wikipedia page, a man by the name of Byung In Yoon (Yoon Byung-In) shared teaching duties with Sang Sap Chun at the Yun Moo Kwan. Wikipedia has a page on Yoon Byung-In with lots of interesting stuff on it. It stated he was born in Manchuria, due to his father moving the family to China after his distillery started to falter during the Japanese occupation. His grandfather was a Korean noble. As a youth in Manchuria, Byung In Yoon studied Quan Fa under a Mongolian instructor "for an unspecified period of time." The page also states that it is believed that Yoon is one of the first Koreans to study Quan Fa and return to Korea to propagate it to others. He went to Tokyo, Japan, in late 1938 to university, and he took up Shudokan Karate under Toyama Kanken. The Wikipedia page goes on to state that eventually Yoon and Toyama exchanged training with each other; Yoon teaching Toyama the Quan Fa that he’d learned, while Toyama taught him Shudokan (although it was stated that Toyama had previously spent 7 years training Quan Fa in Taiwan). Yoon was eventually awarded a Master’s certificate and the rank of 4th dan by Toyama. In 1946, Byung In Yoon left the Yun Moo Kwan and founded his own school, the YMCA Kwon Bop Bu (or Kwon Bup Kong Soo Do). Unfortunately, Byung also went missing after the Korean War, leaving his Kwan up in the air. I delve into much more detail about Byung In Yoon in my article on the YMCA Kwon Bop Bu.

This is even more interesting to me, in that it appears this early Kwan had instructors teaching that were influenced by Karate, Judo, and Quan Fa, forming a very rich Martial experience. In particular, I noted that there was no mention of a Taekkyon influence on any of these early instructors.

In A Modern History of Taekwondo, the authors denote that between the mid 1950s and 1960s, many "Annex Kwans" sprang up in Korea, and the Yun Moo Kwan is one of these Annex Kwans listed. The Korean War happened from 1950-1953; Sang is missing after the Korean War, and the Kwan is renamed Jidokwan. So what is not really known is whether or not some former students of the original Yun Moo Kwan continued to perpetuate the style they learned from Sang prior to the Korean War and continued to carry the mantle of the original Yun Moo Kwan.

Jidokwan

A Modern History of Taekwondo states that Sang was kidnapped to North Korea during the Korean War, and thus the Yun Moo Kwan was abolished and it was renamed as the Jidokwan in 1953 by Kwe Byung Yoon and Chong Woo Lee (or Lee Chong Woo). Kwe Byung Yoon is said to have studied Shito-Ryu in 1940, first under Kenwa Mabuni, and later under Toyama Kanken. Kwe Byung Yoon had some interesting goings-on while he studied Karate in Japan. He was named president of the Kanbukan Dojo, which would pioneer bogutsuki karate and full contact karate (according to the Yun Kwe-Byung Wikipedia page). After the end of the World War II, various disciples of Shudokan tried to form a Karate school amidst the post-war martial arts ban enacted by GHQ. To get around restrictions, the students named the school Kanbukan ("Hall of Korean Martial Arts"), and named Yun Kwae-byung, who had special status as a third-country person in postwar Japan, as the head of the dojo. This allowed the members of dojo to practice Karate freely, as well as editorialize Karate booklets without unwanted attention from GHQ (taken from his Wikipedia page).

In A Modern History of Taekwondo, it is stated that these two (Kwe Byung Yoon and Chong Woo Lee) ran the Jidokwan until 1967, at which point conflicts between the two arose due to the efforts to unify the Kwans. Chong Woo Lee planned to unify Jidokwan, but Kwe Byung Yoon, along with Hwang Kee, declined to unify. From what I’ve been able to find, Kwe Byung Yoon was basically ostracized from the Korean Martial Arts circles after this dust-up, which I find to be a really sad loss to the rich Martial roots of Korea. Kwe Byung Yoon’s legacy can still be seen, however, in the sparring of TKD. He is considered an innovator of jiyu kumite and is also credited for "hogu daeryon" ("sparring with protective armor") practice in Taekwondo (from his Wikipedia page).

The Jidokwan went on to distinguish itself as a school that produced sparring excellence, and the school’s practitioners dominated the early tournament circuits as a result. Sihak Henry Cho, who penned the books Tae Kwon Do, Secrets of Korean Karate, and Korean Karate, Free Fighting Techniques, was a student of Kwe Byung Yoon’s, and from the Jidokwan. Interestingly enough, when I read the books, it appeared to me that the sparring style reflected in the books was that of the Karate style of sparring in which the goal is to score an ippon with one decisive technique, as opposed to the type of continuous TKD sparring we are used to seeing now in the Olympics.

The Jidokwan, under the leadership of Chong Woo Lee, went on to unify with the other Kwans to form Taekwondo. In 1977, the Jidokwan agreed to recognize the Kukkiwon and WTF as the promotional body of the Taekwondo, and agreed to the black belt certification process and certificates.

However, I did find a Jidokwan school website that went opposite the way of the unified Jidokwan. The rivervalleytkd.com/history-of-ji-do-kwan/ site page talks about their school’s founder, Choi Bong Young. Choi Bong Young came to the US in the 1960s, taught briefly in Ohio, and then moved out to the San Francisco Bay area. His instructor was Chong Woo Lee, and he has a dedication to his instructor in his book, The Way of Martial Art. The site goes on to say that Choi’s reluctance to adhere to the Kukkiwon methods seems at odds with his instructor’s views. The site mentioned that Choi may have been loyal to his teacher, but also spiritually adhered to the values of Kwe Byung Yoon. It also states that it’s possible that Choi didn’t know of Yoon’s values, and instead may have been following some other influences in deciding to keep the Jidokwan name. What I also found interesting on this website was mention of Choi’s three core values. One was that his brand of Jidokwan was not a competitive style. This seemed odd to me, considering how the Jidokwan established itself as a school of sparring excellence.

I also found a website for the American Jidokwan Association, americanjidokwan.com. On their curriculum page, they present the Pal Gwe and WTF (or I guess now called WT) black belt forms, along with Tang Soo Do forms, and a set of Tae Guek forms that they state are not the WT Tae Guek forms, but instead are Korean versions of the Taikyoku series of forms. The site also denotes that it teaches Taekwondo and Tang Soo Do, but they are two different branches under the same federation. The association also states that it has a heavy focus on bunhae eungyong, or the practical analysis and applications of forms (or bunkai). The site also states that it is a branch of the World Taekwondo Jidokwan Federation, located in Seoul. The creator of the Tang Soo Do branch, William Sirbaugh, studied under Robert Moore and Curtis Herrington. Moore was a direct student of Kwe Byung Yoon at the Jidokwan when stationed in Korea in the military. Herrington was one of Moore’s first black belts, according to the site. Sirbaugh went on to later study Moo Duk Kwan (I’m guessing the TSD derivative), and Hankido later on, which he stated was more like Aikido than Hapkido. This branch is interesting, and it sounds like it has evolved much. The section the site has on Jidokwan Taekwondo states that after joining the Kukkiwon, the Jidokwan retained it’s identity while endorsing the Kukkiwon and competition under the WTF. "When the Kukkiwon was established, it was intended to be the international governing body providing a standard for Dan (Black Belt) certification but the Kwans were still very much in control of the training. However, over the last several decades the Kukkiwon has tried (successfully for the most part) to suppress the influence of the Kwans to become the sole source of Taekwondo, leading many to believe in their extinction or that they only exist as fraternal organizations." In the other sources I searched, they basically alluded to the fact that the Jidokwan was one of these "fraternal orders" at this point. It appears that this organization is refuting that statement, and continues to teach Jidokwan with it’s own curriculum and control over it’s own testing.

Han Moo Kwan

Apparently, there was some dissention among the students about the changes made in the curriculum during the transition from Yun Moo Kwan to Jidokwan. Losing a school owner/grandmaster like that could obviously cause some issues among a group of students scrambling for some leadership and direction. According to the Yun Mu Kwan Wikipedia page, Lee Kyo Yoon (Kyo Yoon Lee) was a practitioner who originally trained under Sang of the old Yun Mu Kwan. He initially began teaching Korean Karate under the Jidokwan banner at the end of the Korean War to fellow returning Chosun Yun Mu Kwan students. He subsequently left, and founded his own school, the Han Moo Kwan. In later years, Lee Kyo Yoon maintained that his school traced it’s roots back to the original Yun Mu Kwan, and not the Jidokwan. This is also corroborated in A Modern History of Taekwondo. I will be looking into the Han Moo Kwan more, and I’ll see if I can find enough information to put together a separate article on that Kwan.

Yun Moo Kwan later on?

According to the Wikipedia page, the names of Yun Moo Kwan or Yun Mu Kwan still linger on, especially in areas in Latin America. The Yun Mu Kwan Wikipedia page notes that in the 1950s, a man named Min Kyu Pai immigrated to New York City and settled near Chinatown. One of his students, Francisco Miranda, went on to popularize the art in his native country of El Salvador. If Min Kyu Pai came to the US and began teaching in the 1950s, then it’s possible that he trained in the Kwan when it was the Yun Moo Kwan, and either prior to or right up against the time it became the Jidokwan. Pai would seek out training from more senior Karate masters at the time, reportedly seeking out and training under Jhoon Rhee. Pai’s original school in New York City was called the Yun Mu Kwan Karate Institute (documented in an issue of Popular Science magazine in the late 1960s). Being established near the Chinatown district, Pai became deeply involved with a number of Chinese Martial Artists in the area. Thus, his teaching and practice began to absorb many of the Chinese concepts and techniques, and eventually began to change so much that by the 1970s, the style he was teaching became something entirely different than his original Yun Moo Kwan style. The evolution of a Martial Artist at work here. The most important influence on him at this time was Yang style t'ai chi ch'uan, and Pai had become a formal student of fourth generation Yang style T'ai Chi Ch'uan master Cheng Man-ch'ing. Apparently, some of his former students still practice and teach the original Yun Moo Kwan style Pai brought with him from Korea. It becomes difficult to determine if other schools using the name have an actual connection to the old Yun Moo Kwan, or if the old name was dug up and pinned on the side of a building for marketing reasons.

This was a fun bit of research to do. I enjoyed it, and it took me down a lot of rabbit holes along the way. I am interested in whether or not the old Jidokwan actually perpetuates through some of these other organizations. I’m also interested in whether or not the Yun Moo Kwan perpetuates in any way. Lots of rich martial heritage.

Indeed, it was 20 years ago I answered this question for myself, "Yes", but not in the same way. The things we do in life, like getting an education, become part of us, and with that, we move on with those skills and experience.

There's a Zen saying, "Once you cross the stream, you don't need to keep carrying the boat".

And so it is for me- I still practice the techniques, the principles I learned back then, and more. But it is became a basis for me to build on. I come to KF for a reminder of those roots, that the learning is still valid today, even if what I practice now looks different.

Fast forward to present day, I knew one of the instructors was still around, I've been looking for a place to train, and sure enough. I found his business card on a farmer's market bulletin board. We got in touch, and I'm excited to be back at it.

The Song Moo Kwan (originally called the Song Do Kwan from what I’ve read) was initially founded in 1944 by Byung Jik Ro in Kaesung, at the Kwan Duck Jung archery school. Song Moo Kwan was the first of the original Kwans to open. He was forced to close the school three to four months later, as the Japanese were still occupying Korea at the time. Byung reopened the school in Dong Hung Dong in 1946. It closed again during the Korean War and reopened in 1953. Byung referred to his art as Kong Soo Do, as well.

Martial Heritage

According to Taekwondo Wiki, Byung became interested in the Martial Arts at the age of 12, when he observed techniques being practiced in local temples. Byung traveled to Japan and attended Chuo University as a young man, as many Koreans did during the occupation. The website states that Byung sought out Funakoshi, and studied Shotokan Karate under Funakoshi, along with Chung Do Kwan founder Won Kyuk Lee, earning his black belt. It goes on to state that Byung returned home to Kaesung in February 1944, “where he continued to create additional hand and foot techniques of his own.” If he was studying Shotokan that entire time period, then that’s around 8 years of Karate training prior to opening his own Kwan back in Korea. He then opened his school, which closed, and reopened again in 1946.

Taekwondo Wiki mentioned on it’s timeline that Byung also studied Kung Fu of some form, but I have not seen any other information on this.

Several accounts I’ve read stated that Byung’s classes started early, with an hour of warm-ups consisting of weightlifting and makiwara striking. One of Byung’s original students, Young Sup Lee (or Lee Young Sup), gives an account of what his early gradings were like: "Every six months, there was testing for promotion. Mainly one step sparring, three step sparring, free sparring and forms were used to decide promotions. But free sparring was for 4th Guep and higher, and 1st Dan required breaking a board. If these rules were broken, the Kwan Jang was very upset." (quoted from Taekwondo Wiki).

In July 1946, Byung Jik Ro, met with Won Kuk Lee of the Chung Do Kwan, Sang Sup Chun of the Yun Moo Kwan, and Byung In Yoon of the Chang Moo Kwan to discuss possible unification of these Kwans, but nothing came of the meeting. Hwang Kee of the Moo Duk Kwan was not at the meeting. Unknown if he wasn’t invited, or if he was invited but did not show up.

According to songmookwan.com, on May 25, 1953, Byung met with one delegate from each of the founding Kwans and seven representatives, held a conference, and established the Korean Kong Soo Do Association. Byung was elected is executive director, and interestingly, a Yudo (Judo) instructor, Young-Chu Cho, was elected as vice president. No president was elected. Songmookwan.com states that dissention set in, and the association dissolved.

I found this rather interesting: in the 1960’s, Byung’s son and future successor, Hee Sang Ro, began studying various Martial Arts. In 1963, Hee studied Hapkdio, and in 1967 he began studying Northern Shaolin Kung Fu. Taekwondo Wiki also mentions that he studied Karate and Kumdo. Hee moved to the US in 1976, and eventually became the second grandmaster of the Song Moo Kwan, which had been in the States since 1965. Hee included the study of all of the above arts in Song Moo Kwan, along with "Hosinsul," which I believe is just "self-defense" (at least, that is what we refer to it as in our school).

It appears that Byung was active throughout the history of the Kwans in unification efforts, first with the Korean Kong Soo Do Association, and later with the Korean Tae Soo Do Association on September 19, 1961. Byung eventually became the 4th president of the Korea Taekwondo Association. According to “A Modern History of Taekwondo,” written by Kang Won Sik (Song Moo Kwan) and Lee Kyong Myong, it states that Byung "…tried hard to promote Taekwondo such as creating the President’s Championships. He ran the Seoul Song Moo Kwan Central Dojang and taught Taekwondo to police officers. However, Ro Byung Jik still had a strong love of his own Kwan and he felt that Dan certification must not be issued by the KTA, but instead by the Kwans. The irony was that Ro Byung Jik was President of the KTA, but he loved his Song Moo Kwan more than the KTA." I’m guessing that Byung probably stayed with his own thoughts on teaching and promotion, and perhaps didn’t cobble onto the idea of standardization that the Kukkiwon and WTF would push. The same source states that Byung resigned his position as president a year later.

From that same source, it appears that on August 7, 1978, 10 Kwans finally compromised and closed the Kwan system, and Proclamation was signed that finalized "Kwan unification." For the Song Moo Kwan, this was signed by Chun Jung Woong. But by this time, Byung’s original Song Moo Kwan was living on in the US, amongst other areas. I haven’t been able to really find information in regards to a "split" like that which occurred with the Moo Duk Kwan.

It appears that the Song Moo Kwan has evolved quite a bit from Byung’s beginnings in Korea. It seemed like he didn’t shy away from his Karate origins, and his son really upped the ante by studying the other styles he did, and I’d be really interested in seeing what classes are like at the current Song Moo Kwan. I don’t know that I’d refer to it as “Korean Karate” like I do with Moo Duk Kwan/TSD, but it definitely appears to have gone beyond TKD. It seemed difficult to find as much information on the Song Moo Kwan, so I appreciate anything others can offer on this subject matter. I don’t know of any books authored by any Song Moo Kwan stylists, but if anyone else knows of some, I’ll add them to my collection.

What I mainly want to look into is what the founders of each Kwan studied themselves prior to opening their Kwan, and how it may have influenced what their style would have looked like, and speculate on what may have been lost by the unification of the Kwans after the Korean War.

Caveat Emptor here: I did my best in looking things up and trying to get good dates and a timeline for each Kwan. I MAY BE WRONG AT TIMES! If you think I am, please, please, PLEASE comment and let me know what I may have missed, what needs cleaned up, etc. And I thank you in advance!

With all that said, here's my first submission on the Moo Duk Kwan:

Moo Duk Kwan: "School of Martial Virtue" and also known as "The Railroad Dojang." The Moo Duk Kwan is one of the 5 Original Kwans founded after WWII but before the Korean War.

Founded November 9, 1945 by Hwang Kee in the Yong San Railway station in Seoul, Korea, hence it’s nickname as “The Railroad Dojang.” Moo Duk Kwan is known for it’s Taoist philosophy and the use of a midnight blue belt as opposed to a black belt.

Martial Heritage

From what I’ve been able to gather, Hwang Kee supposedly was exposed to Taekkyon at the age of 7 in 1921. Wikipedia stated he witnessed a man defend himself against a large group using the art, and it “inspired him to create his own art.” On the website moodukwanhistory.com, it stated he observed Sip Pal Ki doing Taekkyon at a festival. There is confusion as to whether this man actually taught Hwang Kee Taekkyon or not. On the tka.cc website of the Tang Soo Do Karate Association, it mentions that Hwang observed this Sip Pal Ki get into an altercation with 7 or 8 men, and he used the Taekkyon kicking techniques to subdue the individuals. The site stated Hwang was interested in this man, and followed him home at a distance. Apparently, he would wander back to this man’s house and watch him as he practiced Taekkyon with a partner, and eventually approached the man about learning it. The site states Sip Pal Ki stated Hwang was too young and refused to teach him, but Hwang would still go to watch the man train, and would then supposedly copy and mimic what the instructor did.

According to Taekwondo Wiki, Hwang Kee studied Taekkyon and Shotokan as a teenager. I have not found any other information as to his ties to Shotokan, or who he learned from. According to the tka.cc website, Hwang started work at the Cho Sun Railway Bureau in 1939, and reportedly had access to a library in which he discovered some books on Okinawan Karate. Supposedly, Hwang learned the Pyung Ahn Hyungs, Passai Hyungs, and Kong Sang Kun Hyungs from these Okinawan Karate texts, although he changed a few things here and there in his practice in regards to hip movement, and likely kicking. Perhaps Hwang Kee was a good visual learner, and was capable of attaining competent levels of skill in this manner?

In 1936, Hwang Kee traveled to China and met a Quan Fa master, Yang Kuk Jin, who he learned Quan Fa from. He apparently worked for a railway company and stayed in China until 1937, when he returned to Seoul. He returned to Manchuria in 1941 to train with Master Yang, but I have not found any information in regards to how long he stayed and trained. By 1946, China had become a Communist country, and Hwang could no longer travel to train with Master Yang. From what I have gathered on the internet, Master Yang was a master of Northern Kung Fu, particularly Tai Chi and Tan Tui. I’m not sure how substantiated this is. However, it does make for an interesting aspect of what TSD is.

August 15, 1945, WWII ends. Korea is no longer under Japanese rule. Hwang founds his Moo Duk Kwan in the same year, November 9. It is one of the 5 original Kwans established prior to the Korean War.

In 1947, there was an attempt to unify the 5 major Kwans: Moo Duk Kwan, Chung Do Kwan, Yun Moo Kwan, Song Moo Kwan, and the YMCA Kwon Bop Bu.

Korean War began June 25, 1950, and suspended teaching for 17 months. In 1953, he returned to Seoul to re-establish the Moo Duk Kwan, after Korean War ends. In 1953, Hwang established the Korean Tang Soo Do Association. I guess this is the same KTA founded by the 9 Kwans in 1953? Hwang also applied for membership to the Korean Athletic Association, but I believe there were attempts to block this by General Choi, hence I believe Hwang’s lack of willingness to cooperate with Choi began.

In July of 1954, according to moodukkwanhistory.com, Hwang attempted to unify the Korean Tang Soo Do Association and the Korean Kong Soo Do Association (Chong Do Kwan, Jido Kwan, Chang Moo Kwan, Song Moo Kwan). In August of 1955, the Ministry of Education banned the teaching of Tang Soo Do in middle and high schools throughout Korea. Again, I believe Choi had a hand in this, and his strong desire for every art in Korea to be called TKD.

In 1955, the 9 Kwans agreed to combine the arts and rename the Korean Martial Art Tae Soo Do. In 1958, Hwang removes Moo Duk Kwan from the umbrella of TKD, and forms the Korean Martial Art Tang Soo Do. After this break, in March of 1965, Kim Young Taek and Hong Chong Soo stayed and ran a branch of the Moo Duk Kwan under the Taekwondo umbrella, hence the existence of MDK TKD and Hwang’s MDK TSD. In 1977, MDK TKD agreed to recognize the Kukkiwon and WTF as the promotional body of TKD, and agreed to the black belt certification process and black belt certificates from these organizations. I’m trying to find more information on who ran things where after the split. I have several TKD books by Richard Chun, and one of them is titled "Moo Duk Kwan Taekwondo," which I find interesting.

In June 1960, Hwang had discovered the Muye Dobo Tongji at a library, which inspired him to begin incorporating elements in it into his teachings. He renames his MA Soo Bahk Do, from the ancient style Soo Bahk he read about in the Muye Dobo Tongji. On June 30, 1960, Moo Duk Kwan and Ji Do Kwan were joined as the Korean Soo Bahk Do Association, with Hwang Kee as the head. I find this interesting in regards to the Ji Do Kwan. I’ll look into this history more, too.

Chuck Norris was one of the many US military service members that trained in one of Hwang’s TSD schools, and Norris opened his school in Torrance, CA, USA, in 1962.

Moo Duk Kwan TKD

So now, I branch into TKD branch of MDK, at least somewhat. In Rhin Moon "Richard" Chun’s 1975 book Moo Duk Kwan Tae Kwon Do, The Korean Art of Self-Defense, there is a preface written by Chong Soo Hong, who was the president of the TKD branch of MDK after Hwang Kee left. He speaks about "dwindling respect for authority and for recognized qualified teachers," and how "many must learn and some must re-learn to respect the teacher, especially the Master teacher and his teachings." When I read this again, knowing what I know now of the history of TKD, it sounded to me like a slight towards the direction Master Kee went with his original MDK.

In the "About the Author" section, it is stated that Richard Chun began studying TKD at "a very early age," under the instruction of Chong Soo Hong, as well as Ki Whang Kim. He graduated from the University of Yon Sei in 1957…but the MDK break happened in 1958. If he started "at an early age," then I’m guessing he had some time under Hwang Kee or his instructors.

In the TKD history section of the book, Chun mentions Taekkyon and it’s development early on, and actually says it’s "an ancient name for Tae Kwon Do." He then claims the origin of TKD in Korea is traced back to the Koguryo Dynasty, which was founded in 37 BC. He goes on to perpetuate what I’ve come to call the "typical" TKD origin story, through the Hwarang-Do of the Silla Dynasty, and Soo Bahk of the Koryo Dynasty, and some interesting information form the Yi Dynasty, in which a book was supposedly written to teach TKD as Martial Art as opposed to a game (I guess referencing Taekkyon?), which gave TKD to the public. Anywho, this forms the rhetoric of what has come to be the now-debunked "history" of TKD.

I found his "History of Moo Duk Kwan" section to be a bit more informative. He mentions the founding if the original Kwan by Hwang Kee on 11/6/1945; Kee formed the Korea Tang Soo Do Association in September of 1953, and Moo Duk Kwan became a member; unsuccessful attempt to join Korean Athletic Association in December 1953; formation of Korean Soo Bohk Do Association to replace Korea Tang Soo Do Association (which he says was then liquidated) in June 1960. Then it gets interesting to me. He says in March of 1965, the Soo Bahk Do Association attempted to unite with the Korea Tae Kwon Do Association, but the effort was unsuccessful. From what I can tell on moodukwanhistory.com, it was more like the KTA tried to dissolve the Moo Duk Kwan TSD and unify with TKD, led by then Lt. Gen. Choi, but those efforts didn’t pan out. According to Chun’s book, a "majority" of members left the Soo Bahk Do Association and joined the Korea TKD Association (KTA). Chun then writes that in April of 1965 MDK officially became a member of the KTA. On November 20, 1965, Master Kang Ik Lee was elected by the Board of Directors of the MDK as the president of MKD-KTA. On July 27, 1971, Master Chong Soo Hong was elected as the third president of MDK-KTA. Chun goes on to state that Hong tried to unify both branches of MDK, but was unsuccessful. I’m guessing that was because Hwang Kee wanted nothing to do with the KTA in any way, shape, or form.

In this book, Chun covers three Kicho forms and three Pal-Gwe forms. He mentions the Tae-Guek forms, too. So by this time, any "Karate Connection" has been severed. In his later books, he covers the Pal-Gwe, Tae-Guek, and WTF black belt forms.

I also own a book written by Chun Sik Kim, titled Authentic Tang Soo Do. I found Chun Sik Kim listed on the moodukkwanhistory.com website. In the book there is a photo from 1971 of Chun Sik Kim posing with GM Hwang Kee, Kang Uk Lee, and others. In his history section, he gives the familiar "cultural links" of TSD to the old arts recorded to have been studied during Korea’s "Three Kingdoms" era. He does not mention Hwang Kee’s connection to Master Yang and Quan Fa, nor is Japanese Karate mentioned anywhere. CS Kim founded the International Tang Soo Do Federation in 1984. In the forms section of his book, he lists the three Kicho hyungs, but also a slurry of Pyong Ahn forms, which all bear a likeness to Pinan/Heian katas of Karate. Tang Soo Do truly is "Korean Karate."

I didn’t plan on doing the Moo Duk Kwan first in this series, but I kind of fell into it, mainly because I was intrigued by the existence of two separate MDK branches, and wanted to see if I could learn when, how, and why the divergence took place. I’m especially intrigued by the Japanese roots of MDK-TSD and the forms. I would like to know more about Hwang Kee’s experience with Quan Fa and Shotokan. I find it very interesting that Quan Fa has some connections to it, and I love how TSD has really stuck to it’s roots, and how Hwang Kee was opposed to getting pulled under the KTA-TKD umbrella of unification. Of all the Kwans, I think TSD probably did the best job of retaining it’s roots.

During my early years as a martial artist we would always warm up to the Jhoon Rhee Daily Dozen exercises on an audio tape (later, a burned CD). The order would be the Daily Dozen, then the command drills, then the stretching exercises, then the danjon breathing. I seem to also remember, on another track, an instrumental of the stretching music.

I'm aware of the video version on YouTube, but the one I'm searching for is audio-only, and has different music. For instance, in the video version, the song used for the Daily Dozen is a remix of Hungarian Dance no 5, and the song for the stretching exercises is Air on the G String. However, the one on the tape I'm searching for has generic-sounding music.

Does anyone know where I might be able to find this tape?

It's perhaps the cleanest, most lethal TKD kick I've ever seen.

I'm desperate to find out who his instructor is and what style of TKD he practices so I can follow in his footsteps and potentially acquire the same technique.

I’m 26 years old and only started stretching around 21 years old. I’ve made great progress since then! However, I’ve found a plateau in my kicking techniques, particularly the round kick and side kick. I can do them, sure. But I love thinking of that scene in a Bruce Lee movie - someone walks into a room where he’s working out. Bruce is holding his leg up in the air after doing a side kick, and just turns around to face the guy entering the room - leg still up in a flawless side kick position.

If not that, I’d like to have a great round kick (head level) that I can demonstrate for my students. The highest I can round kick with good looking form is probably belt/solar plexus level. The highest I can kick (Muay Thai style, not what I teach so not what I’ll be demonstrating for my students) is probably shoulder or neck level.

If that’s my ultimate goal, or at least heading in that direction, are there any stretching/mobility/kicking routines that have helped you? I’m looking for specific exercises if you can. I’ve tried kicking, kicking, and kicking some more, which I’ll continue to do, but I really think I need some accessory exercises to help me improve.

What worked for you?

And yes, I’ve googled and youtubed this topic quite a bit. I found a bunch of great ideas, but there’s so many out there, it’s hard to buckle down on what I can realistically add to my routine and continue to practice.

Thank you in advance!

This is the original style of Koreans as is subak. I assume people would love to learn other Korean martial arts aside from Taekwondo.

https://uproxx.com/viral/donald-trump-black-belt-taekwondo/

I am looking at remote home study courses for TKD and wanted to ask for some feedback or opinions regarding these programs that appeared in the search.

1.GMAU (global martial arts University)

2.Cyber Tae kwon do

Both look like solid programs and are run strict just has a physical dojang, ran can also be earned

Not in person but ITF TKD has been hosting regional patterns tournaments. Film your pattern and submit then on broadcast day the judges watch two competitors in "real time".

Why do so many TKD tournaments insist on running two people doing forms at the same time? As a judge, I'd much rather focus my full attention on one competitor's entire form, and judge accordingly, as opposed to having to watch one for a few techniques, and then the other for a few techniques, and have to make a decision. As a competitor, I'd much rather be the sole focus of all the judges that I'm performing in front of, rather than having to wonder about how much of my form they actually watched.

Does anyone have any idea why it's done this way?

Anywho, I'm looking forward to reading it, and am interested in anyone else's thoughts on the book, if they have read it themselves.

The books look like they are well laid out, and appear to be high quality. I'm interested in the contents, for sure. I practice most of the Chang Hon forms, but I don't use sine wave, which these books appear to spend quite a bit of time discussing. I'm not opposed to reading the discussions, though.

I'm curious if any other TKDers out there have seen or heard anything about these volumes, and what your thoughts are. It's been difficult to find good TKD books lately, and these seem like they'd be a nice add to my library.

Does anybody have creditable information on Yang Moon's training and advancement in tae kwon Do, especially in association with Jae-hwa Kwon?

Alternatively, what's your favorite?

I'll answer later; I'm interested in what others have to say.

https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/video/detail/watch-korean-stars-unite-olympic-museum-smashing-display-taekwondo-skill/?sf210918352=1

The two orgs have been working more closely together in recent years and this demo followed a visit by WT leaders in the week to ITF Headquarters in Vienna. The demo in Switzerland was also special as it took place on the 11th April, the anniversary of when the name "Taekwon-Do" was officially coined for this new Martial Art.

Great to see the two orgs working together and also the wider implications of further cooperation between North and South Korea.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aVpaKvC6xLY