Joonbee

I work out at  Warren's Martial Art Center.  The style of karate is Tang Soo Do.  It means 'Way of the China hand'.

5 Codes of Tang Soo Do

1. Loyalty to Country
2. Obedience to Parents
3. Honor to Friendship
4. No Retreat in Battle
5. In Fighting, Choose with Strength and Honor

Tenets of Tang Soo Do

• Integrity
• Concentration
• Perseverance
• Respect and Obedience
• Self Control
• Humility
• Indomitable Spirit

Hand movements (in order)

1. down block
2. middle punch
3. high block
4. high punch
5. inside block
6. outside block
7. reinforced block
8. elbow strike

Hand movements (Kima stance)

1. punch
2. back fist
3. chop
4. ridge hand
5. spear hand
6. palm strike
7. double fist strike
8. eye strike

The Genesis of TKA

Reprinted from the American Tang Soo Do Student Learning Guide, 3rd Edition
Written By:  Master Sean Thomas (4th Dan)
Technical Director of the Tang Soo Do Karate Association

   From out of the midst of chaos and years of suppression of a people, the martial art known as Tang Soo Do was a catalyst the served to provide a nation in turmoil with a cultural identity as well as manifesting a newfound sense of national pride.  During the many years of Japanese domination, the the Korean citizenry was expressly forbidden to engage in the practice of martial arts.  As a result, many practitioners went "underground" with their training.  Even with the promise of execution at the hands of the Japanese should they be caught, dedicated martial artists continued their practice, thus insuring their art would not die.  Some ventured into China and Okinawa to escape capture and to continue practice of the arts unfettered.  One such person was the founder of Tang Soo Do -- Hwang Kee.

    Although the Japanese forbade the practice of martial arts, Hwang Kee continued to practice and teach in his native homeland.  As a result he was arrested and sentenced to death.  Kee managed to escape and sought refuge in northern China.  While there, he studied the northern Chinese style of Gung Fu.  Eventually, he migrated to the southern region if China and studied the martial arts indigenous to that area as well.  It has been documented that Hwang Kee was a martial arts prodigy which facilitated his mastery of the Chinese martial arts.  After the United States liberated the Koreans from Japanese occupation, Kee returned to his native homeland to pick up where he had left off before his dramatic escape years earlier.

    In time, G.M. Hwang Kee established a successful martial arts program incorporating knowledge gained from studying abroad and was well regarded throughout Korea. In the mid 1950's, shortly after the Korean conflict which separated North Korea from South Korea, the United States and South Korea sought to strengthen their relationship. In a gesture of goodwill the Koreans permitted United States servicemen to train in their martial arts on a full time basis. The primary styles that were offered to US servicemen were Tae Kwon Do and Tang Soo Do. A US soldier who was part of the 8th Army and who has been credited with providing the inspiration that resulted in the creation of the Tang Soo Do Karate Association took advantage of the offer to learn Tang Soo Do. That person was James Cummings. Because of the opportunity presented, Master Cummings was able to earn his Black Belt in 13 months. This was unprecedented and caused some resentment among the native Korean practitioners. Most Koreans begin trained in the martial arts at a very young age and continue throughout their life times. A Black Belt is not awarded in Korea until one has reached the age of 18 - regardless of the number of years of practice. Still, Master Cummings was able to earn his Black Belt in record time because the Army permitted him, along with other servicemen, to train full time. Master Cummings was trained by Master Chun Cha Kyu during the week and on Saturdays he would be trained by Grand Master Hwang Kee himself. Although Cummings trained primarily under the instruction of Master Chun, his Black Belt number was assigned personally by Grand Master Kee (this is G. M. Kee's practice even to the present day). His belt number is 4493. That means that he was the 4492nd person to be promoted to Chodan (1st degree) by Hwang Kee. Cummings' belt number is a relatively low number in the Tang Soo Do numbering system when you consider that there are now Tang Soo Do Black Belts who have a belt number that is in the 20,000s.

    After his retirement from the Army, Master Cummings moved to San Angelo, Texas where he attended Angelo State University. While he attended college, he opened a dojang near Goodfellow Air Force Base. Cummings initially followed the bylaws of Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan as enumerated by Hwang Kee. For various reasons Master Cummings respectfully parted ways with the Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan establishment and set out to find his own Way. He was subsequently labeled a "maverick" by the Tang Soo Do establishment. The ensuing years proved to be successful for Master Cummings' dojang as a result of his pupils rigorous competition schedule throughout Texas and the Southwest. A number of his students were nationally ranked in fighting, weapons, and kata competition by Black Belt Magazine and Karate Illustrated. Among those who were nationally ranked was a young Air Force serviceman by the name of Johnny Thompson.

    Master Thompson began his martial arts training at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida in 1975 under the instruction of Master Yong Su Gilroy. He subsequently moved to San Antonio Texas and continued his instruction under 5th degree Black Belt Master Jimmy Dupree. Thompson joined the Air Force in 1977 and was subsequently stationed at Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, Texas. Master Thompson successfully tested for his 1st degree Black Belt in 1980. Shortly thereafter, the Air Force reassigned him to San Antonio where he established his own dojang, Thompson's Karate Academy. In 1985, he was once again transferred - this time to Europe, where he stayed and taught martial arts until late 1987. Upon his return from the overseas area, Master Thompson reunited with some of his former pupils whom he had promoted to Black Belt. He immediately noted numerous deficiencies that he attributed to his lengthy absence and the lack of a support structure. He felt that something had to be implemented to insure the integrity of his martial art.

    In early 1980 Master Thompson called his Black Belts together to discuss the creation of an association that would serve to provide guidance and support for our growing family of Black Belts. The association was well received by the attending members and was christened as the Tang Soo Do Karate Association. With little fanfare the members of the new association set to work to structure and unify the discipline of Tang Soo do as it had been taught by Master Cummings. Since 1988 the association has sponsored numerous workshops and team building events as well as creating an instruction manual for its students. To ensure that information is disseminated to its 40 plus Black Belts, a newsletter is periodically published. (A public version of the newsletter is presented on the web page.) In 1994, students and Black Belts alike were treated to a visit by Master Cummings (8th degree Black Belt as of this writing) for the associations' annual Black Belt promotion test. Since that first visit, the association sponsors Master Cummings' trip from Ohio for every Black Belt testing event. Our association has been truly blessed over the last decade. We expect even greater things in the future as we look for additional ways to improve and offer our students continued quality training.

Korean Terminology

Tang Soo Do is a Korean martial art, much of the terminology that is heard in class is of Korean origin.  Some of the basic terms used in class are listed below.
 

Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan

Tang Soo Do
(The Way of the Empty Hand or China Hand)

Modern Moo Duk Kwan as a style was founded on November 9, 1945 in Seoul, Korea by Hwang Kee, with "Tang Soo Do" ( Hwa Soo Do) as the art, and the school or style being "Moo Duk Kwan." Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan (As with almost all other styles) is a composite of many other disciplines: Tae Kyon (Kicking), Various Japanese styles (i.e.: Shotokan & Okinawan styles), and forms, hand techniques, and personal research by Hwang Kee, the systems founder.

Tang Soo Do has a varied and interested beginning starting out as Hwa Soo Do (Way of the Flowering Hand), then Tang Soo Do to gain acceptance in Japanese influenced Korea, and incorporated as Su Bahk Do.

As with many Korean arts, Tang Soo Do is said to have its roots in the Moo Yei Do bo Tong Ji, which is an ancient martial arts book found in Korea but written in Chinese. The book seems to be in three parts: the first general opening, Chinese Weapons , and the Kwon Bup.

Organizations

As with every other martial art, the organizations and governing bodies are numerous. I think this all begins when favoritism is shown to certain members of one organization and they break off to form their own organization, I know this happened in Tang Soo Do’s case. The martial arts operate on a military rank system and when this system in interrupted because of favoritism or nepotism or for any other reason people tend to become disgruntled when they are stepped over and end up leaving.