Chung Do Kwon

[rayjag]

I have a black belt certificate in Chung Do Kwon Tae Kwon Do. One thing I have never been able to understand though is how does a Chung Do Kwon school or style differ from others? Apparently it is not the curriculum. I have browsed websites of other Chung Do Kwon schools and the curriculum varies from school to school. Is it certain traditional aspects of the school?

[The BB of C]

A basic rule of thumb with widespread styles of martial arts such as Muay Thai, Kyokushin, Shotokan, Tae Kwon Do, and Wing Chun, and other worldwide styles, is that every school is different. For example, in the Isshin-Ryu school I attend, we focus on very precice forms and hard contact fighting. There's another Isshin-Ryu school in a neighboring town that's a bit laid back on how precice your katas are and they use light contact sparring.

Similar differences between school and cirriculum (though in the same style) can be applied to just about every style. The more popular the style, the more it happens. It stinks but it's true. It's very possible the same thing could be going on with Chung Do Kwon.

[Zanshin]

Outside of the fact that there are good schools and bad schools in the same MA (which is a fact of life), often, different groups within the same style will operate their own unique syllabus.

I am afraid I have no knowledge of Chung Do Kwon Tae Kwon Do, but I am sure that if it has been recognised as a style in its own right, it has tangible tenets/principles that sets it apart from other styles. Groups and schools that operate under the umbrella of "Chung Do Kwon" almost certainly work to a syllabus that best engender these, how they do it though is probably entirely down to them.

In other words, it's down to your association to set your syllabus and not the style itself.

If your question is about what makes "Chung Do Kwon" tick, well that's probably down to you to fathom out and is all part of the journey I suppose.

[bushido_man96]

After most of the Kwans merged, much of their individuality was lost, and replaced by the Kukki requirements for testings and whatnot (those associated with the WTF, anyhow). Still, each school will have its individual flair, and some will delve into other areas of the MAs, depending on the instructor's experience.

[joesteph]

I have a black belt certificate in Chung Do Kwon Tae Kwon Do.

When I'd learned of Chung Do Kwan, rayjag, I found out that it referred to Grand Master Won Kuk Lee and, in a quote from him cited in Wikipedia, he said, "I was sitting on the beach in Korea watching the waves crash onto the shore. It then suddenly hit me that the name Blue Waves (Chung Do) would be a good name for the school, so I came up with the name Chung Do Kwan."

Were you ever yourself told that Chung Do meant Blue Waves? Kwon (instead of Kwan) must mean fist. Was the history of the art taught to you as you climbed the belt level to dan ranking?

Edited September 30, 2008 by joesteph

[IcemanSK]

Joesteph brings up good questions about history & kwan vs kwon. I'd be interested in what your instructor taught you on these subjects also. I'm not acussing, just curious.

Taekwondo Chung Do Kwan is very similar to other Shotokan-based styles of TKD. The main difference was/is the emphasis on the side kick & the back fist as sort of the "trademark" of Chung Do Kwan. Per Wikipedia, GM Uhm, Woon Kyu (current president of the Kukkiwon & World Chung Do Kwan. And direct student of CDK founder GM Lee, Won Kuk) was know as "the sliding side kick god" in his younger days.

The emphasis on the side kick is still found in Kukki-TKD today. GM Kang Shin Chul has been known to say, "one can judge your proficiency in TKD by your side kick."

[joesteph]

Joesteph brings up good questions about history & kwan vs kwon. I'd be interested in what your instructor taught you on these subjects also.

Hi Iceman,

It wasn't that my Soo Bahk Do instructor taught about these, but when her teacher visits, we get hit with things to think about regarding the martial arts, and that causes people like me to poke around the Internet.

Thanks for the info about the side kick and the backfist. Last night, I was helping my instructor with my children, to have my six-year-olds to a backfist, reverse punch, and then roundhouse.

It was a good session.

[IcemanSK]

Joesteph brings up good questions about history & kwan vs kwon. I'd be interested in what your instructor taught you on these subjects also.

Hi Iceman,

It wasn't that my Soo Bahk Do instructor taught about these, but when her teacher visits, we get hit with things to think about regarding the martial arts, and that causes people like me to poke around the Internet.

Thanks for the info about the side kick and the backfist. Last night, I was helping my instructor with my children, to have my six-year-olds to a backfist, reverse punch, and then roundhouse.

It was a good session.

I'm sorry I wasn't clear, Joesteph. I, like you, was curious as to why the opening poster hadn't learned the Kwon vs Kwan difference.

[tenshinka]

I have a black belt certificate in Chung Do Kwon Tae Kwon Do. One thing I have never been able to understand though is how does a Chung Do Kwon school or style differ from others? Apparently it is not the curriculum. I have browsed websites of other Chung Do Kwon schools and the curriculum varies from school to school. Is it certain traditional aspects of the school?

*Technically* The Chung Do Kwan* like all other Kwans (except Moo Duk Kwan), support the Kukkiwon, and promulgate Kukki Tae Kwon Do...It was not so in the day... Chung Do Kwan was known for being a very powerful school...I.E. Very strong kicking, punching, and blocking skills.

So *technically* all Chung Do Kwan schools should have the same, or a very similar curriculum to all others, being united through the Kukkiwon. Again, *technically* the Kwans are not even supposed to issue certification, but rather support Kukkiwon certification, and exist solely in the position of a "social club"...

*Note: I used the romanization Kwan versus Kwon. The hangul (Korean character) is the same (관), however it is generally accepted that KWON refers to FIST (拳) where as KWAN refers to a school or institute (館).

FWIW,

--josh

[joesteph]

*Technically* The Chung Do Kwan* . . .

*Note: I used the romanization Kwan versus Kwon. The hangul (Korean character) is the same (관), however it is generally accepted that KWON refers to FIST (拳) where as KWAN refers to a school or institute (館).

Thanks for including this note, Josh. It reminds me, in a "reverse" way, of how the Japanese say "kara" in karate for China and for empty, but use a different character, so "China-hand" (or Chinese-hand) became "empty-hand."