So you’ve likely heard of taekwondo, but did you know that modern taekwondo is actually based on the styles of 9 older versions of taekwondo? It’s true! Now, there is a lot of complex details that differ between the schools, but here is a quick summary of a handful of the taekwondo schools of thought (or kwans).
the BackStory
Originally there were 9 different schools (or kwans) of martial arts in Korea. Each of them was a different school of thought founded by a grandmaster. Eventually, these 9 kwans merged together to create one universal martial art that was unique to modern Korea. That martial art was taekwondo. Or at least, that’s the gist of it. All 9 of these schools still exist today. They, for the most part, pracrtice the same types of techniques, poomse, etc., they just differ largely in teaching methods and philosophies of practice. In my experience, it typically doesn’t matter what type of school you train under, unless if you are a black belt that is trying to start at a new school. Otherwise, this is just some fun little trivia for anyone interested in taekwondo!Kind of like a rainbow! A colorful collection of martial arts!
Now, I should explain that this is just a simple summary of what (some of) the 9 Kwans are. There is so infinitely more information on the topic, and I recommend reading on it. It is a very complex history, and is certainly helpful in understanding the diversity of taekwondo. One of my favorite sources in this project was the book “A Modern History of Taekwondo” by Kang Won Sik and Lee Kyong Myong. I highly recommend it.
And before I get criticism, yes, I used wikipedia in learning on the topic, and no I did not cite in Chicago, MLA, or APA. This is for several reasons, not the least of which is that it is surprisingly challenging to find sources about the history of the Kwans, and the second is that this is an informal (i.e. not scholarly) article. So I didn’t really focus on being picky about my sources. If you’re interested in reading further though, I copy and pasted the links down at the bottom! Some of the books I read were quite informative!
Kang Duk Won
Kang Duk Won was founded in 1956 by Hong Jong-Pyo and Park Chul Hee. The name Kang Duk Won translates into English as the “Academy of Moral Teaching” or “Academy Teaching Virtue” or “House of Teaching Generosity” (I couldn’t find one solid translation, and I’m not fluent in Korean, myself.) Soon after it’s founding it began to spread outside of Korea. Interestingly, Kang Duk Won came to the US via Grandmaster Hwa Chong, who wanted to study economics at a university in Michigan! In fact, Master Chong taught the Beginning of Taekwondo and Advanced Taekwondo courses at the University until he retired. Master Chong still engages actively in the Taekwondo community today!
Moo Duk Kwan
This was actually the school that one of my instructors trained under before they switched to another instructor who was Jidokwan. In fact, learning that fact is what started my journey in learning about the different Kwans. Until then I was only vaguely familiar with the concept.
Now, there are two different schools with similar names There is Moo Duk Kwan and Moo Duk Kwan Taekwondo. While the difference in name is obviously quite minimal, it’s important to note that Moo Duk Kwan Taekwondo (started in April 1965) separated from it’s predecessor in order to join the movement that would later become the Kukkiwon.
Now, the original Moo Duk Kwan (translated as “The school of Moral Virture) started off in 1945. It specifically taught the ancestor to modern taekwondo, Tang Soo Do. Although, according to the article I read on the topic, they give credit to the founder of Moo Duk Kwan for inventing Tang Soo Do after he learned korean martial arts, like Subak and Taekkyeon, and fusing them with Kung Fu. Now Moo Duk Kwan reports as being one of the most popular kwans in the world. Pretty impressive claim, no?
Jidokwan
Jidokwan philosophy is varied and extremely detailed (link down below for general summary). There is one thing that it generally focuses on. Perfection and leadership. Jidokwan has many definitions of it’s philosophy. At first glance it’s rather daunting. In reality, it boils down to the concept of Jung Shin. Morality. More specifically, leading by example. Jidowkwan black belts are taught to be self-less, confident, and a role-model to their fellow students.
In my experience, schools vary in how they teach this. Some have students memorize a list of morals. Some decorate their dojangs with the terms (self-discipline, respect, perseverance, etc.). Others purely foster a community that lives the ethos. Regardless of their method, Jidokwan schools generally encourage students to pursue morality in their everyday lives.
This Kwan happens to be the Kwan under which I studied. This kwan has taught me a lot. In fact, all the different schools that I studied under were Jidokwan. Even though they shared in philosophy, they were actually quite diverse, both in their programs and their styles. Nonetheless, they still maintained similar community philosophy.
Chung Do Kwan
Chung Do Kwan, or the Blue Wave School was created by Won Kuk Lee in 1944. Much like the other schools, Grandmaster Lee studied other martial arts before creating his own school. Grandmaster Lee studied Tang Soo Do, Kung fu, and Karate. According to Grandmaster Lee, the main difference between these martial arts is the pressure points and how they are used in training. There are, of course, other differences between the martial arts as well.
Grandmaster Lee, in teaching his martial art, also implemented a ranking system similar to the modern taekwondo system. Much like how schools typically rank students using the gup and dan system in connection with their belt system, Grandmaster Lee did something similar, where students were split up into white, red, and black belts, but varied further through gups and dans.
Interestingly, Many of Grandmaster Lee’s students would later go on to play pivotal roles in the creation and execution of the Kukkiwon. The Chung Do Kwon, just like the other 9 kwans, recognizes and helped created the kukkiwon and now mostly serves as a philosophy and organization, more than it’s own martial art. Though Chung Do Kwon is still known for it’s founders’ exceptional side kicks!
Jung Do Kwan
Jung Do Kwan is at the bottom of the list because it was the last of the nine kwans to be founded before the creation of the Kukkiwon. Also, it happens to be founded by a former student of the Chung Do Kwan, so I thought it fitting to put it near it’s ancestor. Honestly, I had a surprisingly challenging time finding information on the Jung do Kwan. In fact, All the various articles I read claimed that Jung Do Kwan was really just a community philosophy now, more than it’s own martial art..
Jung Do Kwan was founded under Young Woo Lee in 1954. Master Lee said in an interview that he picked the name, in part, because it means “Stepping the right way” which, given the other school’s names, really fits the general theme of morality and progress over time. Other than that, I really wasn’t able to find much about Jung Do Kwan.*
So, that is the summary of only a handful of the schools! If you’re curious about the others, don’t worry! I’m writing a second post about those ones! If you liked this post leave a comment and share it with a friend! They might appreciate the learning opportunity!
*If anyone knows anything about Jung Do Kwan or has book recommendations, feel free to send them my way!
Books I Used
Traditional Taekwondo: Core Techniques, History, and Philosophy by Doug Cook
Taekwondo: Ancient Wisdom for the Modern Warrior by Dough Cook
A Modern History of Taekwondo by Kang Won Sik and Lee Kyong Myong. Translated by Glenn U and students.
Wikipedia Articles
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kang_Duk_Won
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moo_Duk_Kwan
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moo_Duk_Kwan_Taekwondo
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jidokwan
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chung_Do_Kwan
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jung_Do_Kwan
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