by Susan Szymusiak
In the world of martial arts, our state of the art in the present is based on history of the past. We cannot contemplate our eternal development without basing the present on the past.
- Grandmaster Hwang Kee
Grandmaster Hwang Kee started the school called Moo Duk Kwan (Institute of Martial Virtue) in 1945 in Seoul, Korea. He established the Institute of Martial Virtue to develop and promote the special art of Tang Soo Do. According to the Grandmaster, Tang Soo Do is not a new martial art that he designed but is, rather, a martial art deeply ingrained in the tradition of Korea with origins in the history of the martial arts. It is the instinctive martial art of the human, which is the ability to use the body like a weapon. By starting the Moo Duk Kwan, Grandmaster Hwang Kee sought to re-establish Tang Soo Do as a premier martial art of Korea after years of its suppression by Japanese occupation forces. He hoped that his school would lay the foundation for a modern, scientific study of the martial arts, one that could blend historical fact with present day practice.
Grandmaster Hwang Kee did extensive research into the origins of the martial arts. He explored its roots from Ancient Greece to China, investigating ancient texts, examining artifacts depicting martial practices, and studying with modern teachers. His own martial arts background included study in such arts as Tae Kyon, Soo Bahk Ki, Kwon Bup, and Chinese Kuk Sol. His studies convinced him that the martial arts had existed throughout human history, varying in expression from place-to-place and time-to-time depending on each countrys needs and abilities. They gained greatest expression in Korea, Japan, China and Okinawa where a rich tradition and extensive written history of the arts exist. Using this written history as a guide, the Grandmaster traced the roots of Tang Soo Do through both China and Korea, citing stories of Tang Soo Do warriors and practitioners through both cultures from as long as 2700 years ago. Especially important to Hwang Kees study was the Korean Martial Arts Manual, Moo Yei Do Bo Tong Ji, written during the Yi Dynasty. It describes martial arts techniques from various schools and establishes the existence of Tang Soo Do in Korea beyond any reasonable doubt.
From these ancient texts, the Grandmaster outlined basic principles of military combat. For instance, three basic principles which guide all military tactics include: 1) great leadership, 2) knowledge and understanding of geography, and 3) the necessity for possessing the will to follow the path of virtue and duty. In addition, he records the Five Doctrines of the Hwa Rang (the flowering youth corps) , an ancient Korean fighting society: 1) Be loyal to ones country, 2) Be obedient to parents and elders, 3) Honor friendship, 4) Kill only in justice and with honor, and 5) Never retreat in battle. These principles became the literary foundation of Tang Soo Do and led Hwang Kee to realize that martial artists should do their best to develop physical skills and techniques while at the same time developing their character. From the same materials, he also learned time-honored martial arts techniques which he analyzed and applied to develop the art of Tang Soo Do. These weaponless techniques could be applied with deadly effect by the trained martial artist. However, as the Grandmaster states, the word for military means to not want war or to prevent war. ... This is the primary mission of Tang Soo Do.
Based on his studies, the Grandmaster concluded that the indigenous Korean art of Tang Soo Do flourished through the end of the Yi Dynasty (1907) when the study of all Korean martial arts was halted by the Japanese occupation of Korea. During this time, many martial artists (including Grandmaster Hwang Kee) were forced to leave Korea in order to continue studying and practicing their arts. Hwang Kee studied in Manchuria during the occupation and returned to Korea in 1945, after the occupation ended. He quickly established the Moo Duk Kwan as a continuation of the native traditional martial arts. Together with such fellow artists as General Hung Hi Choi (Tae Kwon Do) and Yang Shul Choi (Hapkido) , the Grandmaster worked to re-establish the Korean martial arts as modern arts based on strong historical foundations. In 1960, Grandmaster Hwang Kee changed the name of his art from Tang Soo Do to Soo Bahk Do and registered it with the Korean government as the Korean traditional Martial Art. In 1996, the Grandmaster celebrated his eightieth birthday and enjoyed seeing his art practiced not only in Korea but also worldwide.
Note- All quotations are taken from Tang Soo Do (Soo Bahk Do) by Hwang Kee, 1992. Additional sources of information:
Tae Kwon Dos Continuing Evolution, by Scott Shaw, Inside Tae Kwon Do, Dec. 1993.
Milestones in the Korean Martial Arts by Richard de Lorenzo and Robert W. Young, Black Belt Yearbook, Fall 1996.
The Tang in Tang Soo Do by John Hancock, Inside Tae Kwon Do, August 1994.