What is Dang or Tang Soo Do mostly? I heard it's Mostly Chops and stuff but like i need a better Detail than that
Tang Soo Do is basically Korean Karate, it translates the same as Karate Do(Okinawan version). There is usually about a 50/50 mix of kicking and hand techniques with joint locks, take downs, standing grappling, vital points and sometimes weapons. There are chops in the syllabus but many other hand techs also(mostly punches). Hyung/Kata/Forms used are usually the classical Japanese veriety ie Hiean/Pyung Ahn, Bassia, Naihanchi etc. Homer That is the official history but it is considered by many to be wrong. Tang Soo Do is very heavily influenced by Japanese Karate But the Koreans tend to ignore this(due to the Japanese occupation of Korea) and have made up there own history. Soo Bahk Do is not an ancient Korean art, it was developed By GM Hwang in the late twentieth century. Soo Bahk however is an old Korean style supposedly practiced by the Hwarrang warriors back in the day. This art and nearly all pre occupation Korean styles have been lost(except Teakyon) due to the Japanese banning Korean styles. After the occupation Koreans developed thier styles from scratch using Japanese styles and making them "Korean" Karate- Tang Soo Do/Tae Kwon Do/ Kong Soo Do Aiki Jutsu- Hapkido/Kuk Sool Won/Hwarrang Do Judo- Yudo Kendo- Gumdo Tang Soo Do has no more Chinese influence than Karate. It is a Korean take on a Japanese style which is a Japanese take on an Okinawan style which is an Okinawan take on a Chinese style.
There are many views on the history of Tang Soo Do, just like all Korean martial arts. No one can say they have solid evidance. But i still believe the version i posted. From my experiance, Tang Soo Do is alot more soft/internal (Chinese) that Karate so to says its just Karate isn't really correct. GM Hawang Kee did begin to develope Tang Soo Do in China based on the Chinese arts he learnt while out there. P.S. Care to explaine the diffrence between 'Soo Bakh Do' and 'Soo Bakh'? Hwang Kee, (who was considered a master in Soo Bahk at the time the Japanese occupation started), used Soo Bahk Do as the base for Tang Soo Do, which was offically reconised in 1946 (late 20th centry???). The Japanese only banned those arts for a short time, during which martial artists trained in secret, or emigrated. The ban was not long enough for them to be 'lost'. In the end though, ALL martial arts are from the same lineage. They've all been pick up from many countries.
Hi Have to agree there, TSD IS more internal/soft than most styles of Karate eg Shotokan but not much more than some eg Goju. Its not just Karate, its Korean Karate, a unique style in its own. Having dabbled in other styles some Chinese(Taiji, Bagua) and some Japanese(Shotokan, Aikido) I have noticed similarities from all of them in Tang Soo Do but Karate was remarkably similar. Same basics, same forms, still a lot of differences but you can see the connection. Soo Bahk Do is what the Moo Duk Kwan teaches now. During the 90's GM Hwang Kee changed the MDK TSD curriculum by adding new forms and basics. These were based on what he learned in China and from an ancient Korean martial arts text. He then changed the name to Soo Bahk Do. This new version is a lot more Chinese than the older version (TSD). Soo Bahk comes from the old text and I believe it hasnt been practiced in hundreds of years. I have read that the GM had some informal training in Taekyon, never heard of him training in Soo Bahk. One thing I have noticed adout Tang Soo Do is the differences between different lineages/orgs. My own org practices a lot of internal/soft techs but I have seen others that are very hard/external and move like Shotokan. Ps I wasnt badmouthing Tang Soo Do, its my main art and I love it. I just dont believe our Korean masters have been truthfull about the origins of the art.
My experience of Tang Soo Do is that it has many basic Karate Kata, with some elements of Tae Kwon Do kicking techniques. I was told by my teacher that there is an internal element, with forms similar to Tai Chi, but these are much later. Dispite that I never saw him do any of these forms so I don't know. Also credit to the guy who animated that and posted it on http://www.newgrounds.com
It depends on the “flavor” of Tang Soo Do is being taught. I trained in and teach an “Americanized” form. It is heavily based on the older Chuck Norris style. It has kickboxing and boxing blended in. I blended in JuJutsu as I teach that also. So it is not like tae kwon do.
The style I have done is based on Soo Bakh Do i think. The founder od the style apparently learnt Karate and Tai Chi on his travels and blended the foundation art of Soo Bakh Do with other techniques he had learnt.
LOL - ok I will have a crack at it. 27 years of Tang Soo Do gives me a little perspective. I have an extensive library and have discussed Tang Soo Do, Tae Kwan Do, Soo Bahk Do, Hwa Wrang Do, etc with many grandmasters from all over teh world. This does not make what I say gospel, but it is an educated view, adn an informed perspective. First, Tang Soo Do is an empty hand art - no weapons. Read Hwang Kee's book, adn you will see it stated this very way. Tang Soo Do is the predesessor to Tae Kwon Do. The early Tae Kwon Do was Moo Duk Kwan (Hwang Kee's style). I have a 4th dan in Tae Kwon Do Moo Duk Kwan. Tae Kwon Do was the state version of Moo Duk Kwan, adn it grew from there. Tang Soo Do has a heavy Chinese influence at the higher levels. The forms become very very soft and represent classical Chinese style. Hwang Kee did not change the name of Tang Soo Do to Soo Bahk Do in the 90's. Hwang Kee's Volume One book is entitled Tang Soo Do (Soo Bahk Do), and was first issued in 1961. It was later reprinted in 1978 in an English version, and then again in 1995. I have copies of all 3. Although I cannot read the Korean version, I have had much of it translated and found the translation to be pretty good. The influences of Tang Soo Do are obviously Japanese and Chinese. When someone says it is an ancient Korean martial art, I believe they are using some license there. The codes and morales are based on Hwa Wrang Dan and the pride of teh art goes back to the "Flowering Knighthood". It is also safe to say that a Korean martial artist can state that they reflect their forfathers, even if they are adapting an art from another country. The Koreans truly took the Japanese movements and made them their own. The movements are very different these days. So, what is the difference between Tang Soo Do and Tae Kwon Do? Depending on the school, nothing and a lot. Tae Kwon Do has many faces these days. It can be sport or it can be art. There are several Kwans wrapped into Tae Kwon Do, whereas Tang Soo Do has always been one Kwan - Moo Duk Kwan. Tang Soo Do first and foremost is a martial art and should never be taught as a sport. Tang Soo Do focuses on technique and form. Tang Soo Do, up until '96 or so, had a standard forms system no matter where you went. Pyung Ahn, Bassai, Naihanchi, Ship Soo, etc. You could go anywhere in the world and know what a fellow Tang Soo Do practitioner was doing within 5 moves. As I said, this is based on my own experience and research. If you want to dispute, I ask you don't attack, but rather describe what and why you believe what you do.
Official Geneology of some Korean Arts Moo-Duk-Kwan >Mr.Hwang.Kee>Seoul>Korean Soo Bahk Do Association [Korea]>30th June 1960> Registered with the Korean Government>Ji Do Kwan joined the Soo-Bahk-Do Association. Moo-Duk-Kwan>Mr.Lee.Kang.Eek>Seoul>[Tae Kwon Do Association]>Mr.Hong.Song.Soo>in 1964 joined Korean Amateur Sports Asssociation and changed its name to Tae Soo Do Association>Mr.Choi.Nam.Do.>in 1965 Tae Soo Do Association changed its name to Tae Kwon Do. There were 10 other Kwans at this time and only 5 registered clubs with the Korean Government. in 1964 there was the World Moo Duk Kwan TSD Association [USA]>Mr. Kim. Jae.Jun. and World TSD Federation [USA]>Mr.Shin.Jea.Chul. I hope this may shed some light on the constant wrangles over who started what, when and where. "Peace and Harmony" Briton
I don't know if Tang Sou Doa is the same as Tang Soo Do but when I went to view the class that is local to me all I could see were Shotokan kata's tweaked a little for the sake of it. I was seeking a new martial art and had hoped that it would be different. The stances/blocks/strikes/some kicks and Kata were all very very very similar to what I would have been training in a Shotokan class. Cheers, Fiz
Indeed. That is because Tang Soo Do does incorporate many forms of Japanese and Chinese influence. It is also very similar to Shotokan. If you're seeking a new martial art, why not try something other than a hard style. Perhaps Tai Chi or Kung Fu.
They're different for every school. However, it's pretty universal that it's just standing. Sometimes they'll allow throws and takedowns, but it's mostly strikes. A wide variety of hand techniques and kicks are allowed, usually to the front of body and head. As far as scoring goes, it's different for every organization and school. Also the sparring is usually "stop-break" style, meaning that unlike the TKD WTF, we break and have the judge's call after seeing a possible point. Other schools, have different versions of this or might allow different techniques to be used, but that's it in a nutshell.
