 Soo
Bahk Do translates literally as “hand
strike way” or “way of the
striking hand”. The history of Soo
Bahk Do can be traced back over 2000 years
to the Ko Ku Ryo Dynasty in ancient Korea.
In Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan, Soo
Bahk Do is the art (the technical side) and
Moo Duk Kwan is the style
The difference between Soo Bahk Do
and all other martial arts, and the thing
that makes Soo Bahk Do unique, are its
versatility and philosophy. Throughout the
centuries, Korea has been attacked and
invaded by its surrounding neighbours many
times, and as such Soo Bahk Do became
versatile out of necessity. This has
resulted in an art that demands mastery of
the whole body, not just kicking and
punching. The challenging techniques taught
range from fast, spontaneous movements to
slow, graceful flowing movements that not
only give variety but challenge students at
all levels.
As a classical martial art, the purpose
of Soo Bahk Do is “to develop every aspect
of the self in order to create a mature
human being who totally integrates
intellect, body, emotions and spirit”. Soo
Bahk Do is an art, not a sport and a great
emphasis is placed on the fact it is
non-competitive, however Soo Bahk Do does
have strong combat and self-defence
applications.
 Moo
Duk Kwan
School of Martial Virtue or "Style to
teach Moo (military) and Duk (virtue /
ethics / discipline) through training in the
martial arts"
On 9 November 1945, Kwan Jang Nim Hwang
Kee opened his first Do Jang in Seoul,
Republic of Korea. The martial art taught
was Hwa Soo Do (this name was later changed
to Soo Bahk Do) and the style was Moo Duk
Kwan. In other words, Soo Bahk Do is the
technical side and Moo Duk Kwan the
philosophical side of Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk
Kwan.
The Moo Duk Kwan is the scientific use of
the body in methods of self defence,
combined with a strict philosophy guiding
the student towards discovering their full
potential.
Learning fighting techniques without a
strong philosophy creates dangerous people
that become a burden on society. Learning
Soo Bahk Do with the Moo Duk Kwan philosophy
helps students emphasize "virtue in
action" by demonstrating courage,
confidence, humility, discipline and
respect. The Moo Duk Kwan is philosophy in
action; you won't just heard us talking
about it, you see it! The benefits and
secrets of training in Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk
Kwan cannot be bought at any price other
than serious and rigorous training.
In Korea the indigenous arts of self defense (Soo Bahk Ki and Tae Kyun) we combined with other fighting principles (Northern and Southern Chinese Kung Fu) and moral guidelines such as the philosophy of Do (Tao), No Ja (Lao Tzu) and Kong Ja (Confucius) by Founder Grandmaster Hwang Kee, into what is now known as Soo Bahk Do (Tang Soo Do) Moo Duk Kwan . This combination of techniques and philosophy resulted in the development of a form of self defense and mental conditioning unrivaled in the modern world.
Grandmaster Hwang Kee created the Moo Duk Kwan on November 9 1945. Grand Master Hwang Kee was first inspired to study the Martial arts in 1921 when he was about seven years old. At a traditional Festival called "Dan O" he was visiting a nearby village, where they had archery, wrestling and many other festivities. As Grand Master was enjoying the festival, a group of seven or eight men had a dispute with another man. Suddenly the group of men attacked the lone man, who began evading and counter attacking with his feet, eventually defeating the group of men. This ability to defend oneself against several attackers so impressed Grand Master Hwang Kee that at that moment he knew he wanted to learn the martial arts.
For several years Grand Master Hwang Kee studied and researched every available source, and at the age of 22 some claim he was recognized as a Master. In May of 1935 Grand Master Hwang Kee began working for the Korean railroad company which allowed him to travel. In May of 1936 he met a Chinese Kung Fu master named Yang, Kuk Jin. Grand Master trained with Master Yang until 1946, at that time China became a communist country. The training consisted of Seh Bop (postures), Bo Bop (steps), Ryun Bop (conditioning) and Hyung (Forms) with their applications. November 9th 1945 Grandmaster Hwang Kee founded the Moo Duk Kwan. The basic ideal of the Moo Duk Kwan is the development of its participants. Strong individuals in Spirit and Body make strong communities, strong communities make strong nations, Strong and peaceful nations make a strong and peaceful world. |
