tang soo do

[KNOCKuOUT]

Can anyone explain to me what tang soo do is? How is it distinguishable from other martial arts?

[Elky]

It's Korean karate ("tang soo do" is literally the Okinawan lettering of "kara te do" pronounced in Korean). It's not especially distinguishable from other martial arts. It's a typical striking art. It looks a bit like Wado Ryu performed a bit wrong.

[KNOCKuOUT]

Got it.

[bushido_man96]

I think that Tang Soo Do, much like Taekwondo, had some Shotokan influences, as well. However, over the years, it has evolved to differentiate itself more and more from those roots.

[Hwa Rang Warrior]

Tang Soo Do is a Korean martial art that like many of the korean arts is known for its kicks. It was created by Hwang Kee and is really an amalgum of many styles such as okinawan karate, shaolin boxing and shotokan and I'm sure there are other influences as it stands today. It's history gives links to the Hwang Rang, who were the aristocrats who brought the martial arts from main land china. Unfortunately due to japanese occupation many of the pure korean roots were never mixed in as the style was being developed.

[karatekid1975]

I always say it's Korean karate or a Korean version of Shotokan (just because I'm bad at explaining things). But it's kind of true, in a way. The forms are the same as Shotokan (just some techniques are slightly different).

I'm not much help. Like I said, I'm bad at explaining things.

[YoungMan]

Tang Soo Do is the martial art founded by Ki Hwang, who trained in Japanese karate and Chinese kung fu. He says he studied Tae Kyon, although this highly doubtful. He did, though, study under Won Kuk Lee up to green belt, from whom he received permission to use the name Tang Soo Do. Originally, Hwang's Tang Soo Do was pretty much Japanese karate with some kung fu thrown in. Over time, much like Tae Kwon Do, it evolved into its own identity. Unlike Tae Kwon Do, it never received the recognition from Korean society and the government that Tae Kwon Do did.

[bushido_man96]

Over time, much like Tae Kwon Do, it evolved into its own identity. Unlike Tae Kwon Do, it never received the recognition from Korean society and the government that Tae Kwon Do did.

If I recall correctly, when the Koreans were trying to combine all of the Kwans into one nationally recoginized style, Hwang Kee declined to join them, and TSD remained seperate from TKD.

What is confusing to me, though, is that there is a Moo Duk Kwon TKD and Moo Duk Kwon TSD. I still haven't quite got this figured out.

[YoungMan]

Good question. Ki Hwang did indeed decide not to ally Tang Soo Do with the Tae Kwon Do unification movement. However, a group of his senior students, led by Chong Soo Hong, broke off from Hwang's TSD and allied themselves with Tae Kwon Do and the KTA/Kukkiwon.

Therefore, you have TSD Moo Duk Kwan under Ki Hwang, and TKD Moo Duk Kwan under Chong Soo Hong (Hwang's senior student). Chong Soo Hong would therefore be considered the Kwan Jang of TKD Moo Duk Kwan.

I hope that helps.

[bushido_man96]

That does clarify things a little bit. Thanks, YoungMan.