NOTE: I no longer train, practice or research Tang Soo Do. However, I will be keeping this page up, so that others may learn about the true history of Tang Soo Do.
NOTE #2 There are some individuals claiming that Hwang Kee train under Gogen Yamaguchi, the former head of Goju Ryu Karate Do on the Japanese mainland. This is not true! There is absolutely no Goju Ryu within Tang Soo Do, as developed by Kee Hwang! Also, Yamaguchi Sensei never trained with Mabuni Kenwa. Yamaguchi Gogen Sensei was a student of Miyagi Chojun.
Ever since I was a Teenager when I bought a Shotokan
book I have noticed a striking simialarity between the
Kata of Shotokan , and the Tang Soo Do Hyung . That book
has lead me into much confusion at first , but has lead
me to the research of this article .
The True Founder of Tang Soo Do :
The name Tang Soo Do was first used in Korea by Chung Do
Kwan founder Won Kuk Lee , who studied with Shotokan
founder Gichin Funakoshi . Hwang Kee didnt use the name till
a few years later .
Star Boy:
Grandmaster Hwang Kee was born
on Nov.9 , 1914 , and was given the birth name of Tae Nam ,
which means Star Boy . We have heard that he mastered Tae Kyon
& Subahk at an early age , but has never trained in either
one of these arts under any instructor . As a young boy
Kee seen several thugs trying to jump a man , who used
Tae Kyon to defend himself , he later approached this man ,
requesting to train with him , and was turned away , because
of his young age . So Hwang spied on him , to learn his
tae Kyon methods , and there is no record of him training in
Subahk , which was a form of wrestling taught to the Hwa Rang .
I have never seen any type of wrestling in Tang Soo Do .
So where did he get those forms from ?
He did train with Chung Do Kwan founder Lee Won kuk for a
short time , but no one really knows for how long or if any
rank was ever awarded to him , but there is a rumor that he
recieved a 6th gup from Lee Won Kuk ; But , he also states that
he learned Okinawan Karate from books , while working at the
railroad in Manchuria . But he had to of learned from somewhere . The majority of the forms in Tang Soo Do follow the same pattern as the Shotokan Kata , & there is no Rohai within the Shotokan system . Also , I cannot find any books w/ Rohai , nor Gojushiho ( Known as Oh Ship Sa Bo in Korean ) in it , that were published during the time , Hwang created the Moo Duk Kwan . I have recentlly found a connection to a Koichi Kondo Sensei , a Kanbukan Karateka , but there is very limited doccumentation as to what Hwang may have learned from Kondo . The Kanbukan was founded in Tokyo in 1940 , by a Korean named Geka Yung , who was a school teacher , it was known to of been the place where Koreans train ; Also , people of many styles of Karate , predominately Shotokan , & Kendoka even came there to meet , & exchange Knowledge with eachother .Yung ran the Kanbukan till 1949 , when Yung returned to Korea after WWII ; It was then taken over by Tamae Hiroyasu , an Okinawan , who was a student of Gusukuma Shimpan , who studied with Itosu . In 1950 The Kanbukan was renamed The Rembukai . The Kanbukan is known as The Han Moo Kwan in Korea , which was an off shoot of The Ji Do Kwan , which was founded by Chan Sang Sup . A Judo Practicioner named Lee Kyung Suk formed the Chosun Yun Moo Kwan in 1931 in Seoul , Korea . Lee had asked Chan to teach at his school after WWII , so Chan brought Byung In Lee to teach Kwon Bup . Lee had trained with Shudokan founder Kanken Toyama , & recieved his 4th Dan from him , in Okinawa . Lee had also trained in a Manchurian form of Kwon Bup , & is rumor that Lee & Toyama would share techniques with eachother . Lee later opened his own school , which he calld the Chang Moo Kwan . The head instructor in Seoul was Lee Chong woo , who had trained in Shotokan , & then took over The Ji Do Kwan , after Chan retired .
The Tang Method :
So what is it ? Where did he learn it , and from whom ?
Hwang Kee's only real training took place when he went to
Manchuria in 1936 for a period of a year , where he studied
Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan under Yang Kuk Jin , he then returned
to korea in 1937 . He did return for a short visit in 1941
for a short time , less then a year .
The Moo Duk kwan :
In 1945 Kee founded the Moo Duk Kwan ( Meaning : Institute of
Martial Virtue ) originally calling the art he taught Hwa Soo Do ,
meaning flowering hand way , but he had to close his Dojang twice ,
due to the fact that he could not get any student's to train ,
because no one knew what Hwa Soo Do was .
It wasnt till he met with Won Kuk Lee
& Chan Sang Sup ( Ji Do Kwan ) , in 1947 , when they suggested
that he should use the term Tang Soo Do , and at that point
it was then that he would begin to have a following ; and
in September 1953 Hwang Kee formed the Korea Tang Soo Do
Association . Then in December 1953 , tried to join the
Korean Athletic Association , but was unsuccessful .
Then in June 1960 The Korea Tang Soo Do association was
renamed The Korea Soo Bahk Do Association .
The Split :
In March 1965 , The korea Soo Bahk Do Association attempted
to join The Korea Tae Kwon Do Association , but was unsuccessful .
After this happened a large majority had left Hwang kee's
leadership , and joined the Korea Tae Kwon Do Association.
In April of 1965 the Moo Duk Kwan was finally accepted ,
and Kang Ik Lee became the President of The Tae Kwon Do
Moo Duk Kwan .Then Chong Soo Hong became president , followed
by In Seok Kim , then Nam Do Choi . The Tae Kwon Do Moo Duk
Kwan was further divided when Chong Soo Hong broke off ,
and created the Moo Duk Hae , and Chun Jae Kyu became it's
second president .
The new forms :
It wasnt untill 1957 , that Kee found a copy of the
classical Military text , The Moo Yea Dobo Tongji ,
and began translating it , then in the 1970's he began
creating the Chil Sung Hyung's , Hwa Sun , and later
the Yuk Ro's with what he learned in this book , and
the Yang style Tai Chi Chuan that he had learned from
Yang Kuk Jin years earlier .
The formation of Soo Bahk Do :
Due to the fact that several of Hwang Kee's senior students
broke off , and created their own associations , The United
States Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan Federation officially changed
their name to The United States Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan
Federation on the date of August 3 , 1996 to seperate itself
from other Tang Soo Do organizations .
The Star Boy Falls :
On Sat July 13th , 2002 Grandmaster Hwang Kee passed away ,
leaving his system to his son Master H.C.Hwang . He has influenced
thousands , if not millions of people in the martial arts .
It was a tragic day in to the followers of his art , and a loss
felt by many people the world over , but his art will be
passed on by many of his followers as a reminder of his mark on
this world .
