THE HISTORY OF TANG SOO DO

            The ancestral art of Korean Tang Soo Do can be traced back to the period of the three kingdoms. The Silla Dynasty was founded in 57 BC in the southeast peninsula.  Kogury was founded in 37 BC in northern Korea. Paekche was founded in 18 BC. After a long series of wars the Silla Dynasty united the three kingdoms in 668 AD. During this period of time, the primitive martial arts were very popular in warfare. Among the three kingdoms, the Silla Dynasty was the most famous for its development of martial arts. A corps formed by young aristocrats, called "Hwa Rang Dan", was the major group who developed those arts. These warriors were instrumental in unifying the peninsula as a new Silla Dynasty (668 935 AD) and furnished many early leaders of the dynasty. Most Korean martial arts trace their spiritual and technical heritage to this group.

            The unified Silla Kingdom was overthrown in 918 AD, and a new kingdom called "Kyoro" lasted for 475 years. In 1392 AD a new kingdom, the Yi Dynasty, succeeded and lasted for about 500 years. Various arts of Korea were practiced during the Yi Dynasty which ended in 1907.

            From 1910 1945, the study of these arts halted during the Japanese occupation of Korea. All dimensions of Korean traditional culture expression were prohibited during this time. Korea finally became an independent country as World War II ended on August 15, 1945.

At the end of the Japanese occupation, Grandmaster Hwang Kee established the first Moo Duk Kwan school at Yong San Ku, Seoul, Korea. By 1960, Moo Duk Kwan was registered with the Korean government as a Korean traditional martial art. The art was brought to the United States of America on November 11, 1975.