A Brief History of Karate
History of the Korean Martial Arts
History of Tae Kwon Do
History of Hapkido
History of the Academy of Fighting Arts

A primitive method of self-defense, which developed in Korea, was called Soo Bak-Gi, which taught mainly hand techniques such as punches and blocks. About 625 AD, an elite warrior corps was developed to defend their kingdom against the invasions of their more powerful northern neighbors. Known as the Hwa Rang, membership in this corps was restricted to young men of noble birth.

A martial art system called Hwa Rang Do (Way of Flowering Manhood) was later developed from this warrior class. They practiced strict mental and physical discipline, as well as following a moral code of conduct: Be loyal to your king, obedient to your parents, honorable to your friends, never retreat in battle, never kill without a just reason.

To harden their bodies, Hwa Rang warriors would climb rugged mountains and swim turbulent rivers in all months of the year. It has been said that the Korean Hwa Rang warriors were forerunners of the famed Japanese Samurai. The Hwa Rang were taught dance, literature, arts and sciences, archery, and a military art known as Taek Kyon (foot fighting). The hand techniques of Soo Bak-Gi were incorporated into Taek Kyon to form the basis of what would become modern day Tae Kwon Do.

Over time, many different styles evolved from Taek Kyon. Various names, which emphasized a certain part of Taek Kyon, became common: Kwon Bop, Bang Soo Do, Kong Soo Do, and Tae Soo Do. The teachings differed in each of them, and some of their founders who had trained in China or Japan taught a synthesis of Karate, Kung Fu, and earlier Korean self-defense. Thus, the Kwans (schools) of Korean martial arts began to evolve.

The Korean Kwan’s are officially named and recognized
During the Japanese occupation of Korea in WWII, Koreans were forbidden to practice their native martial arts and had to practice them in secret. These arts include Tae Kyon, Kong Soo, Hwa Soo, and Soo Bak-Gi. During the latter part of the occupation, some Koreans studied Shotokan and other Japanese arts from the invaders. Nevertheless, Tae Kyon and the indigenous Korean martial arts were still practiced and passed on in secret by great masters such as Han Il Dong and Duk Ki Song.

One student of these forbidden martial arts was Grandmaster (GM) Hwang Kee. By the age of 22, he had mastered Soo Bak Do and Tae Kyon. In 1936 GM Kee traveled to Northern China to learn the T'ang style, and worked until 1945 blending the Korean and Chinese styles to form Tang Soo Do - one of the five Korean Kwans that merged in 1955 to form Tae Kwon Do.

The following is a list of nine major Korean Kwans, which formed after WW2:

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