MASTER KEVIN JAMES
TAE KWON-DO & TANG SOO DO
TAE KWON DO is popular Korean form of 'karate' or empty hand fighting. In its pure form, Taekwondo is a highly effective stand-up based martial art. The definition of Tae kwon Do is:
-
Tae - “To strike or kick with the foot”, it also means to “jump”
-
Kwon - “To strike or block with the hand”, It also means “fist”
-
Do - “The way of” or “art”.
All together, Tae Kwon Do means: “the way of the hand and foot”, or
“the art of foot and hand fighting”.
Master Kevin James began training in the Korean martial art of Tang Soo Do in 1984. Due to political situation inside of the Korean government, the art of Tang Soo Do eventually merged with sport Taekwondo, even though sharp differences between Taekwondo and Tang Soo Do forms (poomse; fixed patterns) and training objectives exist.
Master James studied under several notable Grandmasters and Master instructors earning the following certifications;
4th degree black belt in Chung Do Kwan as certified by the World Taekwondo Association on March 23, 1998. Certificate number #8031, signed by the hand of Grandmaster-Duk Sung Son a 9th-degree black belt and President of WTA.
Continued education and study under the following:
-
DUK SUNG SON, a 9th-degree black belt, successor of Won Kuk Lee (the creator of Tang Soo Do Chung Do Kwan), founder and President of the World Taekwondo Association, and leader of the Chung Do Kwan family of schools worldwide.
-
JUNG KIL KIM, a 9th degree black belt in all three of Korea's premier martial arts; Taekwondo, Tang Soo Do, and Hapkido. President of the Colorado State A.A.U. Taekwondo Olympic Committee, a Kukkiwon approved rank examiner, and President of the World TKD Moo Duk Gwon Association.
-
LARRY MAGILL, a 7th degree black belt, former U.S. Men's Taekwondo Team Manager and an Ambassador of Sport Taekwondo to the Seoul Olympics. The first man in America to teach Taekwondo as an elective for college credit at Metropolitan State College of Denver.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chronology of Dan Rank
-
1st DAN Black Belt certificate #2061. June 12th, 1983. – As certified by the hand of Grandmaster Duk Sung Son the founding President of the World Taekwondo Association.
-
2nd DAN Black Belt certificate #2282. Awarded on December 2, 1987: World Taekwondo Association.
-
3rd DAN Black Belt certificate #3713. Awarded on May 3rd, 1991. World Taekwondo Association.
-
4th DAN Black Belt certificate #4031. Awarded on March 23rd, 1998. World Taekwondo Association.
WHAT IS TANG SOO DO?
Tang Soo Do (Moo Duk Kwan) is a Korean method of empty-hand self-defense developed by its founder, Grandmaster-Hwang Kee in 1944. Chung Do Kwan is one of the first of nine schools or kwan teaching Tang Soo Do, later the school began to teach what came to be known as taekwondo. This style of Tang Soo Do is known for its overall power and non-sport emphasis on practical karate.
Translated into English, Tang Soo Do means, “The way of the Chinese hand.” Grandmaster Kee extracted concepts from Northern and Southern Chinese Kung Fu and the hard style of Japanese Shotokan Karate and created a distinct form of Korean Karate.
Tang Soo Do incorporates many fluid “soft” movements reminiscent of certain traditional Chinese martial arts and kicking techniques rooted in Korean taekkyeon. Other modern Tang Soo Do systems teach what is essentially Korean Karate in an early organized form. Tang Soo Do’s most famous practitioner is Chuck Norris who preferred it during his fighting career. Norris helped to pioneer this art and in the process became one of the world’s most famous martial artists.
The World Tang Soo Do Association and the International Tang Soo Do Federation, for instance, teach forms of Tang Soo Do that existed before the Korean government forced merger of Tang Soo Do clans into Taekwondo and before the development of modern Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan. These versions of Tang Soo Do are heavily influenced by Korean culture and are very closely related to Okinawan Karate.
The Moo Duk Kwan, being loyal to Kee, pulled out of the unification and remained independent, continuing to use the name ‘Tang Soo Do’. Some Moo Duk Kwan members followed Hwang’s senior student, Chong Soo Hong, to become members of a unified Taekwondo.
Tang Soo Do continues to expand and flourish under numerous federations and organizations. It can be argued that Tang Soo Do is one of the most widely practiced martial arts in the United States. Yet, due to political in-fighting and splintering, Tang Soo Do is not as unified as Tae Kwon Do.
The late Hwang Kee officially changed the name of the art of the Moo Duk Kwan style to Soo Bahk Do as early as 1957, shortly after his discovery of Korea’s indigenous open hand fighting style of Subak. This change was officially registered, and the Moo Duk Kwan refiled with the Korean Ministry of Education on June 30, 1960. The organization was officially reincorporated as the “Korean Soo Bahk Do Association, Moo Duk Kwan.”
