Moo Duk Kwan is a martial arts organization founded by Hwang Kee in South Korea in 1945. The licensed schools teach Soo Bahk Do, which was previously known as Tang Soo Do. The history of Moo Duk Kwan begins with Hwang Kee witnessing a man using Taekyon to defend himself, leading him to develop his own martial art. He later appealed to Chinese martial arts teacher Yang Kuk Jin for training and fused together Chinese and Korean martial arts into a form he initially called Hwa Soo Do, then changed to Tang Soo Do. In 1957, he was introduced to the Muye Dobo Tongji, which led to the name of his martial art system being changed to Soo Bahk Do in 1960. By 1960, Tang Soo Do was being practiced by almost 75% of all martial artists in Korea and eventually spread worldwide, with close to 300,000 practitioners.
After Hwang Kee died in 2002, his son Hwang Hyun-chul (Jin Mun) was named his successor. This appointment was unanimously approved by the Board of Directors of the United States Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan Federation, Inc. and other chapters worldwide.
The name "Moo Duk Kwan" translates to "School of Martial Virtue" and "Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan" translates to “the brotherhood and school of stopping inner and outer conflict and developing virtue according to the way of the worthy hand”. Moo Duk Kwan faced challenges in expanding beyond Korea, including attempts at mergers into Taekwondo, but eventually managed to spread worldwide.
The history of Moo Duk Kwan is rooted in the experiences of Hwang Kee witnessing a man using Taekyon to defend himself and his subsequent development of his own martial art. His focus on developing virtue and the brotherhood aspects of the art are reflected in the names, translations, and values of Moo Duk Kwan. After Hwang Kee's death, his son was named as his successor, leading to continued leadership and expansion of the organization worldwide.
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