Tang Soo Do facts for kids

A black belt Tang Soo Do uniform, called a Dobok.

Tang Soo Do (Hangul: 당수도, Hanja: 唐手道) is a Korean martial art. It is based on karate and includes fighting ideas from taekkyeon, subak, and northern Chinese martial arts. From its start in 1944, Tang Soo Do has been a way for some martial arts schools, called Kwans, to keep traditional Korean styles alive. In the mid-1950s, Tang Soo Do became the foundation for Taekwondo when many Korean Kwans joined together.

Today, many Korean martial arts groups still use the name Tang Soo Do. They do this to protect the original Korean martial arts that came from the first nine Kwans' karate roots. These parts were sometimes lost when Taekwondo became popular. Tang Soo Do techniques mix parts of Shōtōkan karate, Subak, Taekkyon, and Kung Fu.

What Does Tang Soo Do Mean?

"Tang Soo Do" (당수도) is a Korean phrase. It comes from the Chinese characters 唐手道. These characters mean "The Way of the Tang Hand." The Tang Dynasty was a powerful time in Chinese history.

In Japanese, the same characters can be said as "karate-dō." In the 1930s, a martial artist named Gichin Funakoshi changed the first character. He changed 唐 (Tang) to 空 (empty). Both characters can be pronounced "kara" in Japanese. Funakoshi wanted to avoid confusion with Chinese martial arts. He also felt that Okinawan Karate was now a Japanese art. He thought the Chinese reference was "inappropriate."

Outside of Asia, "Tang Soo Do" mostly refers to the Korean martial art. It was made popular by Grandmaster Hwang Kee.

The History of Tang Soo Do

A Bong is a long staff weapon used in Tang Soo Do.

Between 1944 and 1945, the first Tang Soo Do schools, or kwans, were started in Korea. These schools were founded by people who had studied Okinawan karate. They also knew some kung-fu. At first, there were five main kwans. Only the Chung Do Kwan (founded by Won-kuk Lee) and Moo Duk Kwan (founded by Hwang Kee) called their style Tang Soo Do.

After the Korean War in 1953, four more schools were formed. Some of these new schools, like Oh Do Kwan and Jung Do Kwan, came from the Chung Do Kwan style of Tang Soo Do. In the 1960s, there was an effort to combine all Korean martial arts into one style called Taekwondo. Some schools chose to keep their original Tang Soo Do style and name. These schools still exist today, and new branches have developed.

Chung Do Kwan: A Major Style

The Chung Do Kwan still operates in Korea. It is now a social club for Kukkiwon Taekwondo practitioners. The current "Taekwondo Chung Do Kwan" follows the Kukkiwon training plan. It is no longer a separate Tang Soo Do style. Some older Chung Do Kwan schools still practice the original Pyong-Ahn forms. These forms were brought in by Lee Won-Kuk from Shotokan karate.

The Chung Do Kwan-style of Tang Soo Do came to the United States through Jhoon Rhee. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Rhee taught what he called Korean Karate in Texas. Later, he started using the name "Taekwondo."

Moo Duk Kwan: Another Important Style

The KTA tried to bring the Moo Duk Kwan into their group. At that time, Grandmaster Hwang Kee's organization was the largest martial arts system in Korea. Hwang Kee talked about joining, but he refused when he realized he would not lead the new organization. This made the Moo Duk Kwan weaker as Taekwondo grew. Many Moo Duk Kwan members joined Taekwondo.

Because of disagreements, some members left Moo Duk Kwan Tang Soo Do. However, the Moo Duk Kwan, started by Hwang Kee, still continues. Hwang Kee and many Moo Duk Kwan members kept developing Tang Soo Do. This led to what is now known as "Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan." This updated style includes more flowing, "soft" movements. These are similar to some traditional Chinese martial arts.

After Hwang Kee passed away, his son, Hwang Hyun-chul, now leads the Moo Duk Kwan. It continues to represent Soo Bahk Do around the world.

Tang Soo Do Today

The World Tang Soo Do Association and the International Tang Soo Do Federation teach Tang Soo Do styles. These styles existed before the Taekwondo "merger." They also existed before the modern Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan developed. These types of Tang Soo Do are strongly influenced by Korean culture. They are also related to Okinawan Karate, as taught by Gichin Funakoshi.

The Amateur Athletic Union Taekwondo group recognizes Tang Soo Do ranks. It allows Tang Soo Do hyeong (forms) in competitions. It also hosts sparring matches that are not like Olympic Taekwondo. This helps different traditional Korean styles compete.

American Tang Soo Do

American Tang Soo Do was created in 1966 by Chuck Norris. It combines Moo Duk Kwan-style Tang Soo Do with Judo and Karate (from Shito-Ryu and Shotokan). Over the years, Chuck Norris's former black belts and their students have further developed it.

The original group for American Tang Soo Do was the National Tang Soo Do Congress (NTC). Chuck Norris started it in 1973. He was president, and Pat E. Johnson was vice-president. In 1979, Norris created a new group, the United Fighting Arts Federation (UFAF). Johnson later left UFAF and restarted the NTC. Chuck Norris then used UFAF for his new martial arts system, Chun Kuk Do.

Today, American Tang Soo Do still exists with several schools across the USA.

Mi Guk Kwan

Mi Guk Kwan means "American Brotherhood of the Empty Hand Defense." It is an organization with 35 schools. Grandmaster Charles J. Ferraro founded it. The Tang Soo Do Mi Guk Kwan system is a classic martial art. It focuses on scientific and martial ideas, forms, and beauty. This style combines influences from Northern Chinese arts, Southern Chinese arts, and Okinawan Karate.

Moo Yea Tang Soo Do

Moo Yea Tang Soo Do (MYTSD) is a national group of over 35 martial arts schools. It helps its members while letting each school keep its unique style. They do not control how individual schools practice. Instead, they offer a Tang Soo Do community for learning, business success, and rank progress. Grandmaster David Sgro formed Moo Yea to create a national network. This network helps with training, testing, and organizing tournaments.

How Ranks Work in Tang Soo Do

Tang Soo Do belts show a student's rank, from white (beginner) to black (advanced).

Tang Soo Do uses a colored belt system. This system was first used in Judo by Jigoro Kano. It became popular in Karate-do through Gichin Funakoshi. However, different schools and groups might have small differences in their belt colors.

One special thing about the Moo Duk Kwan style is the black belt. For students who reach this high level, the belt is often midnight blue. Some Chung Do Kwan schools also do this. In Korean culture, black means perfection. Since no one is perfect, the belt for a high rank is midnight blue. Hwang Kee, the founder of Moo Duk Kwan, also believed that black means nothing more can be added. Blue, however, shows that a high-ranking student is still learning.

The white belt means a new beginning. It shows a person's desire to learn karate skills. White belt symbolizes winter. The yellow belt represents the bright sunlight of spring. The orange belt shows the strength of the rising sun. (Both yellow and orange belts symbolize spring.) The green belt shows plants growing and reaching for sunlight. Green belt symbolizes summer. The red belt means the seed has grown into a flowering plant. It shows the student's improvement and progress. It also symbolizes summer.

Many schools still use a black belt. In the Moo Duk Kwan and some Chung Do Kwan schools, a red stripe on the midnight blue (or black) belt means a person has reached the rank of Sa Beom (master), or 4th dan.

The first belt colors Hwang Kee set up were white, green, and red. In the 1970s, an orange belt was added after white. Stripes were also added to the orange, green, and red belts. This created ten student levels, called geup. This system is still used in the Moo Duk Kwan. Many other ranking systems exist, using colors like yellow, brown, purple, and blue. These are mostly influences from Western countries.

The black belts (or midnight blue belts) are called dans. Each dan rank has its own name. Dan ranks go from 1st to 9th degree. In the Moo Duk Kwan, dan levels are known by their Korean numbers. For example, cho dan (1st), ee dan (2nd), and sam dan (3rd). In many groups, titles like kyosa (instructor) and sa bom (master) are given separately. This happens after a student shows their skill, knowledge, and character in a test called a dan simsa. You can usually test for kyosa at 2nd dan and for sabom at 4th dan or higher. Dan levels from 4th dan and up are called kodanja.

In the U.S., a simple time rule was made for dan ranks. If you train constantly, it's easy to know when to test for the next rank. The next dan number is the minimum number of years you must train to reach that dan. For example, a first dan would train for two years before they could test for second dan.

Techniques and Forms

Hyeong (Forms)

Forms, called hyeong, are a series of moves. They show defensive or aggressive actions. Most Tang Soo Do forms come from Japanese shotokan karate kata. They are based on reacting to an attacker. Students usually memorize these forms and perform them for rank tests or tournaments.

Most Tang Soo Do schools traditionally include nine forms. You need to learn these to earn the midnight blue belt. These hyeong are:

• Kee Cho forms: Kee Cho Il Bu, Kee Cho E bu, Kee Cho Sam Bu.

* These are basic patterns. Gichin Funakoshi created them. In Shotokan karate, they are called Taikyoku.

• Pyung Ahn forms: Pyung Ahn Cho Dan, Pyung Ahn E Dan, Pyung Ahn Sam Dan, Pyung Ahn Sa Dan, Pyung Ahn Oh Dan.

* The Pyung Ahn forms came from Okinawan and Japanese karate. There, they are called Pinan/Heian. Yasutsune Itosu, one of Funakoshi's teachers, created them.

• Bassai (also known as Pal Che).

* The Bassai form also comes from karate. It is called Passai/Bassai Dai/Hyung there. Okinawan Bushi Sokon Matsumura created it.

• Naihanchi

* Some Tang Soo Do schools include Naihanchi forms, like Naihanchi Ee Dan and Naihanchi Sam Dan.

• Chil Sung or "Seven Star" Forms.

* Hwang Kee developed these in 1952. They add a mix of soft and hard movements to the style. They also include practical techniques like elbows, knees, and shin-blocks. Students usually learn these from middle-level belts up to black belts.

• Yuk Ro or "Six-Fold Path" Forms.

* These are 6 forms created by Hwang Kee in 1947. They help develop advanced techniques. Some schools teach them, mainly to black belt students.

Hwang Kee said he learned these forms from Japanese books on Okinawan karate. Most experts agree he mainly used Gichin Funakoshi's Rentan Goshin Toudi-Jutsu, published in 1925. However, almost all original kwan instructors taught these same forms. This is because they were direct students of Japanese Karate masters. These masters included Gichin Funakoshi or his friend Kanren Toyama.

One-Step Sparring

One-step sparring (Il Su Sik Dae Ryun) techniques are like a planned defense. You practice moves against a single attack. Usually, two partners do this. They bow to show respect. One partner attacks, often with a simple punch. The other person performs a series of planned techniques. This often includes a block, an attack, and a takedown.

Other Self-Defense Techniques

Some Tang Soo Do styles teach ways to defend against grabs. For example, the World Tang Soo Do Association teaches 30 different grab defenses. This is called Ho Sin Sul.

Free Sparring

Tang Soo Do free sparring is similar to competitions in other traditional martial arts. It might include parts of American freestyle point karate. Tang Soo Do sparring involves point matches. The first person to score three points wins. Or, it might be a two-minute round, where points are counted. Kicks and hand techniques all score one point. However, jumping and spinning kicks might score more points in some competitions. Open-hand techniques (except for ridgehand) and leg sweeps are usually not allowed.

In Tang Soo Do, scoring techniques should be strong and clear. Kicks and hand techniques should be delivered with good balance and power. If they were not controlled, they would stop the opponent's movement. The pace of a Tang Soo Do match can be slower than other tournaments. But the techniques are meant to be powerful and from stable stances.

Variations in Tang Soo Do competitions are common. But they are usually standard within each association. Because Tang Soo Do and Taekwondo are historically close, many powerful kicks seen in International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) and World Taekwondo Federation Taekwondo matches are common. The main difference is that in Tang Soo Do, these kicks are not delivered with full contact to the head.

Tang Soo Do sparring is a contact event. It is often called "light" or "no-contact." But the contact level is usually moderate. It is controlled to the body and head (in black belt divisions). Most Tang Soo Do students believe contact in sparring is important. It helps them understand techniques and develop mental readiness. It also helps them stay calm in tough situations. Hurting an opponent on purpose is not allowed.

The main goals of Tang Soo Do are the health and long life of its students. Serious injuries are not helpful. They stop the physical training needed for emotional and mental growth. However, small injuries, like bumps and bruises, can be valuable learning experiences. Each match should start and end with respect and appreciation for the opponent. While Tang Soo Do sparring is competitive, traditional competitions are more about self-improvement. They are not just a game. Sparring helps with self-reflection and personal growth.

Korean Words in Tang Soo Do

In Tang Soo Do, Korean words are often used for commands and terms. This is similar to Taekwondo. However, Tang Soo Do commands came before Taekwondo's terms were changed. Many Tang Soo Do terms are based on Sino-Korean words.

Here are a few common terms:

• Junbi (준비): Ready
• Sijak (시작): Begin
• Geuman (그만): Stop
• Gyeongnye (경례): Bow
• Dobok (도복): Uniform
• Dojang (도장): Training studio
• Kihap (기합): Yell (a loud shout to focus energy)
• Ap chagi (앞 차기): Front kick
• Dollyeo chagi (돌려 차기): Round-house kick
• Yeop chagi (옆 차기): Side kick
• Charyeot (차렷): Attention!

Tang Soo Do in Movies and TV

Chuck Norris, a famous American action movie star, is one of the most well-known people who practice Tang Soo Do.

In The Karate Kid movies, Tang Soo Do is the basis for the fictional Karate style called Cobra Kai. This style is practiced by the bad guys from the Cobra Kai Dojo. Johnny Lawrence, a main character in the 1984 movie and the show Cobra Kai, is a famous fictional Tang Soo Do practitioner. William Zabka, who plays Johnny Lawrence, was trained by Pat E. Johnson for the 1984 movie.

Famous People Who Practice Tang Soo Do

Main Organizations for Tang Soo Do

• World Tang Soo Do Association [1]
• World Dang Soo Do Union [2]
• World Tang Soo Do General Federation [3]
• World Moo Duk Kwan [4]
• International Tang Soo Do Federation [5]
• Worldwide Tang Soo Do Family
• Asia-Pacific Tang Soo Do Federation [6]
• Tang Soo Do Mi Guk Kwan Assoc. - USA [7]
• All Martial Arts World Alliance
• Hwa Rang World Tang Soo Do Federation [8]
• International Martial Arts Association [9]
• Intercontinental Tang Soo Do Organization
• Cheezic Tang Soo Do Federation [10]
• Atlantic-Pacific Tang Soo Do Federation [11]
• Universal Tang Soo Do Alliance [12]
• United States Tang Soo Do Association [13]
• Moo Yea Tang Soo Do [14]

See also

In Spanish: Tangsudo para niños