Tang Soo Do means "the art of the knife hand" or "the way of the Chinese hand." It contains characteristics of Chinese internal methods and Japanese striking styles. Tang Soo Do is a modern martial art and it's purpose is to develop every aspect of the 'self' in order to produce a mature person who can totally integrate his intellect, emotions, body and spirit.

Tang Soo Do, is not a sport and its primary goal is not a competitive one. However, it does lend itself well to combative situations. Being a well-balanced style, Tang Soo Do offers a wide array of kicks, hand strikes, and stances representative of hard styles as well as softer stances and more fluid motions that are indicative of the softer styles. It derives it's hardness from Soo Bahk Do and its soft flowing movements from the Northern Chinese systems. Its kicking techniques , for which Tang Soo Do is unsurpassed, are based on Soo Bahk Do. Both of which can easily be recognized in the forms that are practiced within the style.

Free sparring is an extremely important part of Tang Soo Do training. There are two major types suitable for Tang Soo Do schools: Dojang sparring and competition; or sport, sparring. Although the techniques used in these types of sparring could be potentially dangerous and could result in a knockout or serious injury if not properly controlled, full contact sparring (kick boxing), traditionally is not included in the Tang Soo Do venue.

Tang Soo Do competitions do not allow contact to face or groin, or the back while allowing light moderate contact to the sides and front of the body. When one looks at injuries occurring in other contact sports it becomes clear that sport Tang Soo Do is actually a very safe activity. Qualities like sportsmanship, mutual respect for each other and personal discipline insures that practitioners compete in the healthiest environment possible. After all, the purpose of Tang Soo Do training is not for fighting, but to perfect techniques that will enhance one's total self. If the occasion arises when one must defend oneself, of equal importance is the development of the proper spirit to supplement the physical skills that are attained.

Belt Progress & Advancement

Tang Soo Do offers a systematic method of student development and progress measured by colored belts. World Black Belts Center instructors will guide the willing student through the intense training required to achieve the rank of "black belt."

• Gold Belt
• Yellow Belt
• Orange Belt
• Purple Belt
• 8th Gup Blue Belt
• 7th Gup Blue Belt
• 6th Gup Green Belt
• 5th Gup Green Belt
• 4th Gup Green Belt
• 3rd Gup Red Belt
• 2nd Gup Red Belt
• 1st Gup Red Belt
• 1st Dan Black Belt
• One-Step Punching Requirements
  

HAPKIDO

Grandmaster Choi, Yong-Sul

In 1904 Grandmaster Choi, Yong Sul was born in the Korean province Chung Buk. There he lived in a village named Yong Dong. During this time the Japanese occupied Korea. At the age of eight Grandmaster Choi met a Japanese candy merchant named Morimoto. Mr. Morimoto had no son and when he returned to Japan he kidnapped GM Choi, taking him away as his adoptive son. But GM Choi resisted vehemently against this adoption and turned out to be so difficult that Morimoto left him to his fate only a short time after their arrival in the village of Moji, Japan. GM Choi went alone to Osaka and earned his living by begging. After being picked up by the police, he came to into a buddhistic temple to a monk named Kintaro

Wadanabi. There he lived for 2 years. Life in Japan was not easy for GM Choi. He spoke poor Japanese and therefore he had big problems at school. Furthermore he was a foreigner and therefore was often flogged by other children. So Kintaro Wadanabi decided to send GM Choi to his friend Sokaku Takeda (1859-1943). Sokaku Takeda was the head of Daito-Ryu Aikijujutsu. Daito-Ryu Aikijujutsu (Dai = big, to = sword, Ryu = school, Aiki = combined senses, Jujutsu = soft material art) is one style of the old Japanese Ju-jutsu, which first of all uses hand, elbow and shoulder joint locks to defend against various armed and unarmed attacks. Many movements can be compared to motions of the Japanese art of fencing with the long sword. Daito Ryu Aiki-Jujutsu was founded in the 11th century by Minamoto, Yoshimitsu. Tradition of the time dictated that in the beginning only the highest-ranking samurai of the Takeda family were taught in this art. Over centuries Aikijujutsu was passed on only within certain samurai clans. After the end of the feudalism in the Meiji era Saigo,

Tanomo (1829-1905) passed this system of fighting on to Sokaku Takeda. Takeda broke the rules and, for the first time, coached outsiders. For about 30 years GM Choi lived in Sokaku Takedas household. However, there are different variations of which social status he had. In an interview GM Choi himself declared that he had been adopted by Sokaku Takeda. According to other sources, he began as a “house boy” and later became Sokaku Takeka’s personal servant. Last but not least, some say that he just attended some seminars at Sokaku Takeda. During his stay in the house of Sokaku Takedas GM Choi called himself Yoshida Asao (GM Choi, statement in an interview) or Yoshida Tatujutu (statement of Master Suh, Bok-Sup in an interview). According to his own statements GM Choi was the only one to learn all 3808 Daito-Ryu Aikijujutsu techniques. Another famous student of Sokaku Takeda was Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969), the founder of Aikido. As it seems to be clear that Japan was going to loose World War II, Sokaku Takeka committed suicide by starving himself to death. Before he died he ordered GM Choi to return to Korea. On his way back to Korea GM Choi´s whole luggage was stolen at the Station of Younson: including all his money and the certificates he had obtained from Sokaku Takeda. GM Choi settled in Korea in the village of Taegu, situated in the Kyung Buk province, and changed his name back to Choi, Yong Sul. Here, he and his family survived by selling rice cookies for several years.

However, February 21st 1948 changed the tide of history. After a few years GM Choi had saved a small amount of money and had bought some pigs. To fatten them he needed grain, which he earned in a Korean brewery producing Korean wine. In this brewery the employees were paid with grain for helping to pump water from a subterranean source. That day, February 21st some people tried to take up Choi’s position in the queue in front of the grain counter. GM Choi not only defended himself successfully against the attackers, but he did it with the greatest of ease. Suh, Bok Sup, manager and son of the brewery’s owner watched the fight from his office. He was impressed by the techniques with which GM Choi could defend himself. Suh, Bok-Sup owned the first Dan in judo, and, therefore, recognized that GM Choi was a master in a very effective material art. He called GM Choi in his office and asked him to teach him. GM Choi agreed, and Suh, Bok-Sup paid for his training lessons with money and grain. The fact, that GM Choi’s first student held the first Dan in judo had an effect on the development of Hapkido. All Defense techniques against holds at the wrist, sleeve, collar and against judo throws go back to these roots. Of course, in the beginning Suh, Bok-Sup was mainly interested in how to defend himself against judo attacks. GM Choi named the material art, he had learned, Yawara. GM Choi changed the name of his material art several times. Among others he called it: Yu Sul (Soft Art), Yu Kwon Sul (Soft Hand Art), Hapki Yu Kwon Sul (In Unit with Ki Soft Hand Art) A few years later GM Choi became a bodyguard and head of the security department of Suh, father to Bok-Sup, and also a congressman. On February, 12th 1951 GM Choi and Suh, Bok-Sup together opened up a Dojang named Korean Yu Kwan Sool Hap Ki Dojang. In 1958 GM Choi, Suh and Bok-Sup decided to change the name of the material art taught by them into HapKiDo. (Statement of Master Suh, Bok-Sup in an interview) There are different statements on who used the name HapKiDo first. Another variation is, that Ji, Han-Jae created the name and then passed it to GM Choi, in order to honor him. Sometime 1958 after GM Choi opened up his own Dojang. In Suh, Bok-Sups Dojang also taught Kim, Moo-Hyun, who, accord- ing to Suh, Bok-Sup, created the HapKiDo kicks. Kim, Moo-Hyun had learned these kicks in various Korean temples. Kim, Moo-Hyun had a very close contact to GM Ji, Han-Jae and stayed some time in GM Ji, Han-Jae‘s Dojang in Seoul. It is very likely, that during this time a number of HapKiDo kicks were developed. Sometimes Suh, Bok-Sup went to Seoul and taught there at the university. In 1963 GM Choi became chairman of the newly founded Korean Kido Association, an umbrella organization of all Korean material arts, acknowledged by the Korean government. In 1982 GM Choi traveled into the USA, trying to combine HapKiDo. He appointed Chang, Chin-Il his successor and hoped, that he would be able to unite the

HapKiDo masters living in the USA. But GM Chois wish was not fulfilled. GM Choi died 1986 at the age of 82 and was buried in Taegu.


Grandmaster Ji, Han Jae

In 1936 Grandmaster Ji, Han-Jae was born in Andong, Korea. In 1949, at the age of 13, GM Ji began his training in the Korean Yu Kwan Sool Hap Ki Dojang under GM Choi. GM Ji was one of GM Choi’s best students. GM Ji studied at GM Choi until 1956. Afterwards he continued his studies with a master named “Taoist Lee”, and here learned the Tae Kyon kicks, Jang-Bong (long stick), Dan-Bong (short stick) and techniques of meditation. With a nun, (that he knew only as “Grandmother”), he learned spiritua tech-l niques. In 1958 GM Ji left Taegu and returned to Andong, where he opened up his own Dojang, named Sung Moo Kwan. At that time he held the 3. Dan in Yu Kwan Sool. Only nine moths later he moved to

Seoul. Here, two very famous Grand Masters, who later emigrated into the USA, began their HapKiDo carrier. GM Han, Bong-Soo (founder of the International Hapkido Federation) and GM Myung, Kwang-Sik (founder of the Wold Hapkido Federation). Later he awarded them both the 9. Dan. Han, Bong-Soo 1984 and Myung, Kwang-Sik 1986. In Seoul GM Ji began to develop his own style by combining the techniques learned at GM Choi with the Tae Kyon kicks, the weapon techniques, and the spiritual techniques. He called this new material art HapKiDo. (As already mentioned above, he passes this name to GM Choi as a sign of reference.) At that time there was a boxing school close to his Dojang. Until then only defense techniques against punches were used, based on the assumption that the arms remains stretched after the punch. In those days this was the technique taught by some material arts. Boxing means the arm retracts immediately after the punch. Therefore, GM Ji developed some defense techniques against these ”snapping” punches. Many HapKiDo techniques were product of the Korean circumstances, no matter if they were developed by GM Choi, GM Ji or other HapKiDo masters. Defense techniques against knives were of elementary importance as the underworld criminals were almost exclusively equipped with knives. Defense techniques against kicks were developed to defend oneself against Tang Soo Do, Kong Soo Do, Kwon Bupand and Taekwondo. The Dan Bong (short stick) techniques against sword attacks were developed, because Kendo is widespread in Korea. In 1961 the Korean government was overthrown by General Park, Chung-Hee who shortly after became president of Korea. In 1962 GM Ji opened up a Dojang in the Hwa Shin department store. Next he became trainer of the military crack troops and of the president’s security service. In addition, he became the president’s bodyguard. In the early sixties the import relations concerning Japanese goods loosened and a book about Aikido fell into GM Ji‘s hands. He noticed that the sign for Aikido was exactly the same as for HapKiDo and decided to change the name from HapKiDo to Kido. In 1963 GM Ji became member of the Korean Kido Association, but he left in 1965 after some differences of opinion and founded the Korea Hapkido Association. Within an information and exchange program between the Korean government and the Pentagon GM Ji arrived in USA in 1969. There, GM Ji coached some of president Nixon’s bodyguards, FBI agents, and various special task forces. During this stay he met Bruce Lee. Bruce Lee was very impressed by GM Ji and asked him to coach him. Between 1972 and 1974 GM Ji shot many films in Hong Kong. “Game of Death” with GM Ji as adversary of Bruce Lee. “Hapkido”, with Sammo Hung (known for his films with Jackie Chang) and Angela Mao Ying. Later this film was renamed as “Lady Kung Fu”. “The Dragon Tamers” , with Jackie Chang as action director. During his stay in Hong Kong coached GM Ji Bruce Lee. Together with Kim, Moo-Hong and Myong, Jae-Nam, GM Ji founded the Republic of Korea Hapkido Association in 1973. The name was changed into Korea Hapkido Association later. Until 1979 GM Ji was chairman of this organization. As his successor followed his student Oh, Se-Lim, who began his HapKiDo studies at GM Ji 1958 in Andong. In 1980 the Korea Hapkido Association was renamed as Korea Hapkido Federation. In 1979 the Korean president Park, Chung-Hee fell a victim to assassination. The assassin Kim, Chae-Kyu, was the head of the Korean CIA. GM Ji was imprisoned for about one year. The assassin had been a close student of GM Ji, and GM Ji had supported him in becoming the head of the Korean CIA. Therefore, he was accused of having been involved in the planning of the assassination attempt. In jail he developed his new system, which he called Sin Moo Hapkido. Sin Moo Hapkido aims even more at the spiritual side of the martial arts. Around 1981 GM Ji made a trip to Hong Kong and prepared his immigration into the USA. In Hong Kong he played minor roles in the film “Tower of Death” and in some other films. In 1984 GM Ji traveled via Germany, where he met his two students Kim, Sou-Bong and Song, Il-Hack, into the USA. There he opened up a Sin Moo Hapkido school in Daly near San Francisco.

Many high-ranking masters of HapKiDo emigrated from Korea to make HapKiDo known throughout the world. Many settled in the USA. Most of the GM in HapKiDo are former students of GM Ji, even if today many of them regard GM Choi as their teacher. There are different statements of why these students turned away from GM Ji. In an interview GM Ji had the following explanation: he had been successful when he had been far too young. Many of his students had been younger than him. After having also studied at CM Choi, they passed the much older and therefore more respected GM Choi as their teacher. Another Korean statement says, that many Korean masters consider GM Ji as jointly responsible for the assassination of president Park, and therefore still hate him. Furthermore many people regard it as a degradation of HapKiDo, that GM Ji was defeated so fast as a master of HapKiDo in the film “Game of Death” with Bruce Lee. Again and again there are discussion on who introduced which techniques in HapKiDo. Some say, that - in the true sense - GM Choi coached pure Daito-Ryu Aikijujutsu until his death. On the other hand, some argue that he united a number of Korean material arts. It is said that he showed a keen interest in Kumdo and Kendo, what would suggest that he contributed to the sword techniques. GM Ji claims the integration of the cane techniques, the long and short stick techniques, and a large part of the kicks into HapKiDo. Some Hapkido masters developed own styles and united traditional HapKiDo techniques with other martial arts and/or techniques of meditation, sciences of dance and health. Some styles tend more to strong techniques like fixed blocks and short techniques. Other became eve more soft and expansive within their movements, and approximate to Aikido. The environment of the school and the master always played an important role. As they usually lived off their students, they had to adapt to the material arts common in the regions, and offer techniques against them.

GRAND MASTER

The Man Behind Modern Arnis

A true lover of sports, Mr. Remy A. Presas is the man behind Modern Arnis today. From the cold tomb of oblivion, Mr. Presas gave new life and meaning to the true Filipino martial art called Arnis. Arnis died with the passage of time as the incontrovertible onslaught of modern living and foreign influences blotted out this gem of the Filipino culture to merely one of the things of the forgotten past. Truly Arnis died with the times. If there were any devout practitioners of the art, they were a very negligible few not even worthy of the slightest attention. People then were so overwhelmed by the appeal of other foreign martial arts like judo, jujitsu, and karate, as to give a passing look to their own arnis. Such then was the sad status of the martial art of Arnis.

But fate has it that "Arnis" will not forever stay dead because on December 19, 1936, in the fishing town of Hinigaran, Negros Occidental, a boy was born destined to one day reopen the eyes and hearts of the Filipino martial art lovers to their own true martial art, arnis, an art which has its roots sacredly marked since the beginning of Philippine history itself. This boy was Remy Amador Presas.

Scion of a middle class family, Remy was born to Jose B. Presas, a businessman and the former Lucia Amador. His father and mother wanted Remy to pursue a career other than sports like business where the family was then comfortably ensconced. But business was not for Remy. Exposed at an early age to sports through his grandfather who was also a lover of sports, Remy developed a special love for the physical art that will one day find him one of its stalwarts.

At the tender age of six, while learning his alphabet and prayers from his mother, Remy was already learning the fundamentals of "kali", as Arnis was then called, using finely carved wooden canes shaped like swords or daggers. This developed in Remy an immense love for sports which will become and indelible mark of his nature.

In his youth, the fascination of sports in Remy grew so much as to develop in him the adventurer’s itch. Not content with the bucolic atmosphere in Hinigaran, at the age of 14 Remy went to the different cities like Cebu, Panay, Bohol, and Leyte, where he pursued his athletic career. In Cebu, he furthered his study of Arnis under Rodolfo Moncal, and then under Timoteo Marranga and Venancio Bacon. All were Cebuano experts in Arnis, and under them Remy mastered Arnis and the deadly "Balintawak" style of stick fencing. Remy’s association with Arnis experts and other renowned athletes in the different parts of the country sharpened his ability in sports.

By the time he came back to his hometown, Remy was already and expert in Arnis and in other sports like judo, jiu-jitsu, wrestling and karate. After his marriage to Rosemary Pascual, Remy, idealistic and enterprising that he is, then set up a gymnasium in Bacolod, Negros Occidental, and there started the wheels of his obsession to revive the dying martial art of Arnis. With the fervor and determination of a true dedicated sportsman, Remy labored and sacrificed to bring the youth in Bacolod closer to the wealth of their cultural history that they failed to appreciate because of indifference. Encouragingly, he succeeded. In that unpretentious gym he founded, Remy succeeded in drawing the interest of the youth of Bacolod. His followers in Arnis increased by the hundreds.

Remy was not only successful in that respect. His business in the city also went well and he was also teaching physical education (with emphasis on Arnis) at De La Salle College, then at the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos, being a holder of a bachelor’s degree in education major in physical education. Remy was then a very successful man, a success capped by the encouraging outcome of his crusade to revive the lost glory of Arnis.

Then in 1968 Remy was confronted with a decision that was to become a turning point in his life. In one of his summer sessions at the Rizal Memorial Sports Arena in Manila, the sports Mecca of the Philippines, Col. Arsenio de Borja, secretary treasurer of the Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation and director of the National College of Physical Education, Mr. Philip Moncerrat, former President of the PAAF, and Professor Jose Gregorio, took notice of Remy. Upon learning of Remy’s crusade, they asked him to further his crusade in Manila, the seat of National influence in any field of activity. In Manila, the interest of the whole country would be drawn, Remy was told.

The idea interested Remy, for indeed, Arnis is not only for a region, it is for the whole country and could even be before the whole world. The thought played in Remy’s mind like a precious diamond toyed by two cats.

The whole thought was crucial and difficult for him. Coming to Manila would mean leaving behind all he has founded in Bacolod. It would mean virtual abandonment of his well-entrenched businesses which could guarantee the future of his family. Besides, it would mean re-establishment of his family which was now well settled in Bacolod.

But Remy can not get himself out of the thought of the great opportunity for him to bring his crusade to a wider scope and area of audience. He was tickled with the thought that in Manila, he will not only be able to revive Arnis to national consciousness but he will also have the opportunity to present this lore of Philippine culture to the whole world. Remy believed that if the world accepted judo, wrestling, karate, and kung fu, there would be no reason why Arnis wouldn’t be accepted for Arnis is as effective, if not more effective than all of these other martial arts. It was a gem of an opportunity and Remy took the challenge.

In 1969, Remy brought his family to Manila. He then established a gymnasium in the heart of Manila’s commercial district and founded the National Amateur Karate Organization (NAKO) and Modern Arnis Federation of the Philippines (MAFP). With his gym as his springboard, Remy pursued his crusade to revive Arnis on the wider scale to the hilt. He taught (up the present) in various universities and colleges in Manila emphasizing the basic beauty of Arnis as a martial art. He was also teaching Arnis in his NAKO and MAFP club in Quiapo, Manila.

Remy also founded the Modern Arnis Federation of the Philippines. He gave countless exhibitions (for free) with his boys before different audiences and even before tourists. He has even performed before Pres. Ferdinand E. Marcos in Antipolo, Rizal, who, after seeing the exhibition, expressed profound interest in the art.

His untiring crusade brought Arnis to the knowledge of every martial art lover. Not only that, Remy’s magnificent achievement brought him honors and respect among the titans in Philippine sports. So enthusiastically was Arnis received that Remy was asked to train the different armed services and police agencies in the Philippines in the martial art of Arnis. Arnis has also become a popular sport engaged in friendly competition between clubs.

The popularity of Arnis even transcends Philippine shores that in 1970 Remy was asked to go to Japan and before Itago Police Academy he introduce Arnis. So intrigued and fascinated were the Japanese Police authorities of the art that they exclaimed in admiration of its effectively.

Remy’s name became a name to reckon with in sports circle. Besides being the founder and president of the MAFP and NAKO, he was elected Vice-President of the Philippine Arnis Association whose president was former Senator Rene Espina, also an Arnis aficionado, He is also a coach in judo, karate, and wrestling. Remy is a sixth Dan Karate Blackbelter and a judo blackbelter.

His athletic prowess is known far and wide that several American martial art clubs invited him for a cultural demonstration and not a few American personages who are lovers of martial art asked him to propagate the art of Arnis in America and Canada. These invitations are testimonials of Remy’s fame as an athlete.

But Remy’s dream is more than all these. He wants to make an international sport out of Arnis. He wants the world to know that in the Philippines there is an indigenous martial art that can surpass the martial art they already know. "Few of us may know that a skillful knowledge of the art of Arnis can make one outplay a master of judo, or karate, " Remy would tell his students.

That the whole world may know of the art, led Remy to write this book on modern Arnis. Digging deep into his wealth of knowledge after 27 years of research and practice of the art, he decided to publish a book. Collating the early style and techniques of the art with the modern, he prepared a text devoid of primitive linguistics which might not be understood by enthusiasts. Thus this book.

Presented in it's modern form in line with modern demands and circumstances, this book will be easy for a learner to understand. Every style and technique is presented in modern form and the terminologies adopted to contemporary language.

This book is only the beginning of Remy’s magnificent dream. This book will merely serve as a springboard for the ultimate acceptance of the Filipino martial art of Arnis. The crowning glory of this dream, of this crusade, will be when Arnis becomes a commanding sport in every arena of sports competition the world over.

The Filipinos have now accepted this gem of their culture. Through the inspired efforts of Remy, the Bureau of Public and Private Schools has now included Arnis in the Physical education curriculum.

But this in not enough for Remy. He believes that a good art should be shared by the whole world. This is his ardent dream and when this dream shall have flowered, the world will have to thank not only Remy but also his wonderful wife Rosemary, whose inspiration, perseverance, and priceless assistance made this book possible. Also, their children Mary Jane, Mary Ann, Remy, Jr., Ma. Theresa and Demetrio Jose, whose innocent laughter have lightened the mental load in the awesome preparation of this book.

Modern Arnis will go a long way and Modern Arnis is incomplete without bringing into the picture the athlete and the crusader, Remy A. Presas, "The Father of Modern Arnis".

Gracie Jujitsu

"If you want to get your face beaten and well smashed, your ass kicked and your arms broken, contact Carlos Gracie at this address . . . "
-- Brazilian newspaper ad, circa 1920s

The Gracie style was created in Brazil in the early part of this century by Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu pioneer Carlos Gracie, who studied traditional Japanese Jujitsu as a teenager under the great Japanese champion, Mitsui Maeda Koma ("Count Koma").

Carlos Gracie, who was interested in streetfighting and was also a boxer, quickly modified the classical techniques he learned from Count Koma to meet the demands of real, "no rules" fighting in the streets of Brazil. The young Carlos Gracie then tested and refined his system through constant matches, open to all comers, constantly working to make it more effective. At one point, he even advertised in newspapers and on street corners for new opponents upon whom to practice and further refine his art. He fought anyone and everyone who was willing, regardless of size, weight or fighting style. Even though he was a mere 135 pounds, his style was so effective that Carlos Gracie was never defeated and became a legend in Brazil.

This tradition of open challenge is a part of the heritage of the Gracie style of Jujitsu. Carlos Gracie taught his style of Jujitsu to his four younger brothers (Oswaldo, Gastão, Jorge, and finally Helio) and to his older sons (including Carlson and Carley), and they in turn taught their brothers, sons, nephews and cousins. After Carlos retired from the ring, he managed the fight careers of his brothers and sons, continuing to challenge fighters of all styles throughout the world. This tradition of open challenge has been continued by his sons, grandsons, brothers, nephews, and students, who have consistently demonstrated the superiority of the Gracie style in real fights and minimum-rule matches in rings throughout the world.

Carlos Gracie had 21 children and his youngest brother Helio had 7 sons, creating a virtual dynasty of Gracie fighters and instructors who dominate the world of "no rules" fight contests today.