The Martial Art of Tang Soo Do

The martial art of Tang Soo Do is relatively modern. However, its basis, the Korean martial art of Soo Bahk Do, dates back many centuries. Tang Soo Do is a composite style, being 60% Soo Bahk Do, 30% northern Chinese and 10% southern Chinese. Our kicking techniques, for which Tang Soo Do is unsurpassed, are based on Soo Bahk. Soo Bahk was first developed during the Silla Dynasty (618-935 A.D.), but enjoyed its flowering during the Koryo Dynasty (935-1392 A.D.).

Tang Soo Do is both a hard and soft style, deriving its hardness in part from Soo Bahk and its soft, flowing movements from the northern Chinese systems.

The man who developed Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan, Hwang Kee, was a martial arts prodigy. From 1936 to 1945 he combined Soo Bahk Do with the Tang method and in 1945 developed what was to be known as Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan.

Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan (a brotherhood and school of stopping inner and outer conflict and developing virtue according to the way of the worthy hand) is not a sport. Though it is not essentially competitive, it has great combat applications.  It is a classical martial art, and its purpose is to develop every aspect of the self, in order to create a mature personality who totally integrates his intellect, body, emotions, and spirit. This total integration helps to create a person who is free from inner conflict and who can deal with the outside world in a mature, intelligent, forthright, and virtuous manner.

There are major Tang Soo Do organizations on the six major continents, with more than 100,000 black belts worldwide.