Tae Kwon Do / Chung Do Kwan


Tae Kwon Do (태권도) is a Korean marital art combat sport, the national sport of South Korea, and an official Olympic sporting event. In Korea, hanja, tae (태; 跆) means to trample with the foot; kwon (권; 拳) means fist; and do (도; 道) means way. Tae Kwon Do is loosely translated as to the foot and hand way. Tae Kwon Do's popularity combines combat techniques, self-defense, sport, and exercise.There are two main systems of Tae Kwon do: Kukkiwon system, whose sparring system named "Shihap Kyorugi" is an event at the summer Olympics and is governed by the World Tae Kwon Do Federation (WTF); and International Tae Kwon Do Federation (ITF), which was founded by General Choi Hong Hi; the father of Tae Kwon Do. Though there are differences among the two Tae Kwon Do styles and organizations, the art in general emphasizes kicks and the leg's greater reach and power. Circular motions that generate power are of also of importance. Tae Kwon Do training generally includes a system of blocks, punches, and open-handed strikes. It may also include various take-downs or sweeps, throws, and joint locks.

Chung Do Kwan, founded in 1944, is the first of nine schools or kwan, teaching what came to be known as TaeKwonDo. The Chung Do Kwan was founded by Lee Won Kuk (이원국). GM Lee trained in Shotokan Karate under Gichin Funakoshi at Chuo University in Japan. GM Lee also traveled to China and Okinawa studying martial arts technique, history, and philosophy, before he returned to Korea. He then opened the Chung Do Kwan in September 1944 after being refused permission by the Japanese government twice. His original name for what he taught was Tang Soo Do, but GM Lee explained how he came up with the name Chung Do Kwan: "I was sitting on the beach in Korea watching the waves crash onto the shore. It then suddenly hit me that the name Blue Waves (Chung Do) would be a good name for the school, so I came up with the name Chung Do Kwan. I didn't want to call my school the Song Do Kwan because a child should have a different name than the father. "Tae Kwon Do Although the name "Taekwondo" was proposed in 1955 by Chung Do Kwan students, it was slow to catch on among other Kwan Heads (Kwan Jang). Two of the other Kwan Jang preferred the name "Kong Soo Do" (Way of the Empty Hand). Some felt that "Kong Soo Do" would be more easily understood by potential students, in the same way that many people are familiar with the term "Karate" (Japanese versions of Chinese martial arts). This idea was quickly voted down in meetings with various Kwan Heads. As a result, a compromise name -- "Tae Soo Do" -- began to be used. A few years later, the name "Tae Kwon Do" was adopted by all Kwans, because it was similar in sound to the ancient Korean kicking game of Taekkyon.

 

Combat Hapkido / Chon Tu Kwan

 

In 1990, Grandmaster John Pellegrini officially named his style of Hapkido, “Combat Hapkido” (Chon-Tu Kwan Hapkido in Korean).  The name clearly identifies it and sets it apart from other so called “traditional” styles of Hapkido. It is also referred to as the “Science of Self-Defense”. 

 

Combat Hapkido is an extremely realistic and versatile discipline of self protection that includes and extensive variety of joint locks, kicks, strikes, take downs, pressure points, ground survival, disarming techniques, and the use of selected weapons.  The result is a comprehensive Self Defense system enjoyable to learn, safe to practice and most of all, totally effective.

 

Combat Hapkido’s dynamic concepts are based on scientific principles of anatomy and biomechanics as well as psychology and strategy.  It is well suited for men and women of all ages and sizes because physical strength and athletic abilities are not essential. The emphasis is on redirecting the assailant’s aggression and power back toward them with little effort and minimum force on your part.

 

Creating the new system did not mean “inventing” the techniques.  It was a matter of selecting, from a vast body of knowledge, the most realistic, effective, and practical ones, modifying others and then combining and arranging those techniques in a structured method of instruction designed for individuals of all physical abilities living in a modern society.  Grandmaster Pellegrini continues to research, study and learn and, as a result, the Combat Hapkido system will be further refined and will continue to evolve and adapt to changing conditions.

Combat Hapkido is ideal for those individuals who do not have the time, desire, or ability to commit themselves to the demanding study of a traditional Martial Art and are not interested in the “sport” aspect required by many systems.  The essence of Combat Hapkido is pure Self Defense.  It is the synthesis of scientific principles, realistic applications and plain common sense.

 

WHAT COMBAT HAPKIDO IS NOT:

  • A new Martial Art
  • Traditional Hapkido with a different name
  • A “Free Style” type of Martial Art
  • A Martial Sport
  • An amateurish mix of random techniques from different Martial Arts

                         
WHAT COMBAT HAPKIDO IS:
                      

  • A modern, eclectic style of Hapkido
  • A totally scientific approach to Self Defense
  • A realistic and effective discipline of personal protection
  • A dynamic and flexible program of learning and teaching the science of Self Defense
  • The result of over 40 years of Martial Arts research, application, and synthesis.