The word “Tang” comes from the T’ang Dynasty of China, “Soo” means hand and “Do” means “the way of.” Tang Soo Do, or “Way of the Chinese Hand”, is a fairly modern martial art combining 2 ancient martial arts.
In 1936 at the age of Twenty-one, Hwang Kee was already seen as an expert in the art of Soo Bak Do, a kicking style. During the same year, Master Kee fled the Japanese occupational force in Korea, which had outlawed the study of traditional Korean martial arts, and he traveled to China to study martial arts. In China, he studied the hand fighting style of the T’ang system. Kee combined the kicking style of Soo Bak Do with the hand techniques of the T’ang system and returned to Korea after the end of World War II. On November 9, 1945, Master Kee organized the “Korean Soo Bak Do Association.”
After the Korean War, the government tried to unify the various martial art styles in Korea and in 1965 the various arts were joined together to form the “Korean Tae Kwon Do Association.” Tae Kwon Do became a Korean national sport with international tournaments and world games. Many martial arts followers and schools joined and only a few Tang Soo Do schools maintain their separate identity. Hwang Kee is still the head of the Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan Federation with followers worldwide. In Grand Master Kee’s own words: “It is not a sport. Though it is not essentially competitive, it has great combat applications. It is a classical martial art, and its purpose is to develop every aspect of the self, in order to create a mature personality who totally integrates his intellect, body, emotions, and spirit. This total integration helps to create a person who is free from inner conflict and who can deal with the outside world in a mature, intelligent, forthright, and virtuous manner.”
In the United States, the most influential master in Tang Soo Do is Chuck Norris who has trained numerous black belts and has influenced the development of Tang Soo Do in the USA through his schools, films and public appearances.
Tang Soo Do is the core martial art taught at WTMA. We practice a modern version of this art which keeps its rich traditions and codes but adds influences of other arts such as Isshin-ryu, Tae Kwon Do, and Shotokan.
The curriculum that we teach is arranged in a logical layered method which ensures the success of every student young and old alike.