History of Tang Soo Do

Tang Soo Do is a Korean-based martial art which means “Art of the Knife Hand” or “China Hand Way.” It is not a sport, but rather a way for one to train in self-improvement, based on a strong philosophy of discipline. Soo Bahk, the Tang Method, and Tae Kyun are the three arts that make up Tang Soo Do. Soo Bahk, the hard, linear art form known to be the oldest martial art in Korea makes up about 60% of Tang Soo Do. The Tang Method from north Manchuria is a softer, more fluid discipline stressing coordinated breathing and redirection. This art is named after the Tang Dynasty of China and is responsible for about 40% of Tang Soo Do. Tae Kyun contributes a relatively small influence with some leg wrestling and kicking techniques.

Tang Soo Do was founded by Hwang Kee. As a young boy he trained in and mastered Soo Bahk before traveling extensively throughout the Orient studying other various art forms. He wound up in the northern area of Manchuria where he discovered what was known as the Tang Method. He began studying and found that Tang was a good compliment to his Soo Bahk training. After years of refinement and blending of the two martial arts with the Tae Kyun foot techniques, Hwang Kee created the martial art know as Tang Soo Do. Young Hwang Kee also created Moo Duk Kwan (Spirit of Martial Virtue) which is the organization in which Tang Soo Do was studied. Thus Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan interprets as “The art of stopping inner and outer violence within oneself and in the universe.” This means that Tang Soo Do is purely defensive in nature, and should never be misused. One should work on self-improvement while training for self-defense.

It took some time for Tang Soo Do to become a legitimate art form in the eyes of the Korean government. Tae Kwon Do’s popularity created strong resistance to Tang Soo Do. Fortunately, Hwang Kee was influential and obtained official recognition. Tang Soo Do was officially recognized and declared a separate martial art on November 9, 1945. Even though the official title is fairly recent, the roots of Tang Soo Do go back many hundreds of years and the art is now one of the three largest martial arts studied in the world.