| Tracing the history of Korean martial arts can be a bit | | | | YMCA. At the time, there were many Korean |
| tricky. They have had so many influences from | | | | instructors opening and developing schools which |
| Okinawa, Japan and China that there doesn't seem to | | | | eventuated the original 8 Kwans of Korea: chung do |
| be any single, clear answer to the historicity of their | | | | kwan, song moo kwan, moo duk kwan, ji do kwan, yun |
| various martial arts. | | | | moo kwan, oh do kwan, han moo kwan and chang |
| For the efforts of this article, the focusing in on the | | | | moo kwan. These styles were all developed from |
| path of a single Korean Grandmaster has become the | | | | Chinese martial arts although many of the forms came |
| essence my format. | | | | via Japan rather than China. Keep in mind that the |
| Grandmaster Yoon, Pyong-in was born in Mu-son, | | | | Japanese styles were primarily comprised of Chinese |
| Manchuria, China around 1920. He studied under a | | | | forms which were handed down to them primarily |
| Mongolian master and began at a very young age. His | | | | from Okinawan masters. |
| first style was Ch'uan Fa which translates the "art of | | | | Master Yoon originally called his martial art Kwon Bup |
| the fist" or "fist art". This style in the Korean language | | | | (Bop), art of the fist, but soon he renamed it to Chang |
| is Kwon Bup (Bop) with the same meaning. The forms | | | | Moo Kwan which is often translated as House of |
| (fists) are comprised of Chinese military techniques (Pa | | | | Creating (developing) Martial Arts. It is occasionally |
| Chi Ch'uan) as well as ones commonly known to be of | | | | translated differently but this is one generally accepted |
| the Shaolin Temples. | | | | definition. He taught a mix of forms: many were |
| Master Yoon grew up in China and it wasn't until the | | | | directly from his training in China and others were ones |
| late 1930s that Master Yoon entered into Nihon | | | | he diligently learned from Master Toyama. The term |
| University in Tokyo, Japan. He became a student and | | | | Korean Kung Fu became a popular expression though, |
| friend of Master Kanken Toyama. It is well known that | | | | indeed, it was actually Chinese Kung Fu martial arts. |
| Yoon had received the high rank of 4th degree black | | | | While Master Yoon had ended up missing in the |
| belt from Master Toyama and that the two traded a | | | | Korean war, his style continued on. Lee, Nam-suk took |
| lot of their martial art ideas and experiences. Master | | | | over the Chang Moo Kwan and then by 1955, Master |
| Yoon taught Toyama his Ch'uan Fa Kung Fu while | | | | Hong and Master Park, Chul-hee splintered off and |
| Master Toayama taught Yoon Shudokan Karate. | | | | renamed the school Kang Duk Won. Soon, Master |
| Master Toyama loved the Chinese martial arts and | | | | Park was the official head of the school and continues |
| had studied them himself for approximately seven | | | | to teach today. |
| years while in Taiwan. The original characters of Kara | | | | Master Suh, Young-ik was the earliest master to bring |
| and Te meant China and Hand, respectively. It wasn't | | | | Kang Duk Won to the United States. He opened his |
| until the middle 1930s that there was a important | | | | first school in the middle 1960s. |
| Master's meeting and a new character was chosen | | | | The story goes on. Korean Kung Fu systems continue |
| for Japanese martial arts that means "Empty". Early | | | | to flourish world wide and millions of students have |
| Japanese Karate-Do meant: "the way of the China | | | | trained and continue to train the kung fu of these |
| Hand". For example, Tang Soo Do of Korea also | | | | various traditional Kwans. From Korea to America, the |
| means "the way of the China Hand" following the early | | | | Chinese Kung Fu of Korea proliferates throughout the |
| lead of Japan. | | | | world. And the ancient Chinese styles of the Kwans, in |
| After WWII, Master Yoon returned to Korea where he | | | | spite of the insurgence of sport, remain alive and well |
| opened his first Kwon Bup school at the Korean | | | | today. |