If you’ve ever seen a () display then no doubt you too have been amazed at the athleticism involved as the athletes perform a dazzling array of spinning jumping kicks. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why its popularity has skyrocketed. However, perhaps, like me, you may be surprised to know that isn’t the only to come out of .
Do also came in being at around the same time as and in this article we look at some of the similarities and differences between .
History of Do and
Martial arts developed in what is now modern day during the (from 57BC). This era saw an explosion in the development of fighting styles and scenes of combat are depicted on ruins, tombs and mural paintings from this time.
This period saw the development of the Hwarang Dan – a military group made up of young aristocrats which are credited with being the founding fathers of ’s martial arts heritage. One particular fighting was Soo Bahk Do which became highly popular amongst the military society and general public over the following centuries.
This development of their own martial arts styles came to an abrupt end in 1910 when the occupied the . The quickly banned the practice of Korean martial arts and instead imposed their own , namely Karate.
The left in 1945 following the Second World War. Shortly afterwards, nine martial arts schools or kwans were established in . Each was practicing its own particular fighting . This included Master Hwang Kee’s school – Moo Duk .
Master Hwang Kee had spent time outside of in China where he had worked on the railway and whilst there had practiced . When he eventually returned to in 1937, he studied books on karate at his local library.
To help restore national identity after the , the Korean government ordered that the nine kwans merge to create a single united organization in an effort to rekindle .. However, Hwang Kee’s Moo Duk school did not unify and stayed independent. Later in 1960, Hwang Kee registered the Korean Soo Bahk Do ( Do) Association. From these roots Do went on to spread around the world.
On September 16, 1961, the remaining kwans agreed to unite and were called collectively the “ Tae Soo Do Association”. In 1956 the name was changed to the “ Association” under the presidency of General Choi of the Oh Do .
General Choi wanted all the kwans in the Associate to adopt his own Chan Hon- of fighting. When the other kwans refused, General Choi emigrated to Canada to establish his independent organisation – the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF).
Back in , under the influence of the Korean Government, the World Federation was established in 1973 to promote the sporting side of and in 2000 it became an official medal event at the Olympic games in Sydney.
Both Do and originate in at similar times but they stem from different the schools or kwans of martial arts that were established at the end of in 1945. , as taught by General Choi, stems from the Oh Do , whereas Do was taught at the Moo Duk by .
Styles of Fighting
Both and Do have a similar love of high kicks and jumping .
This is somewhat surprising. Such kicks are limited in traditional , which because of the , had a significant impact on both these martial arts.
Where did the emphasis on high kicks and jumping kicks come from?
The answer lies in the of Taekkyeon which influenced both and Do. This art has a large repertoire of dynamic and is very athletic in nature.
Whilst both Do and include high and jumping kicks in their repertoire, both arts do have a key difference.
is very much considered a “hard” : hard attacks are countered with equally hard blocks and counters. It’s very much a case of force meets force.
In contrast, Do incorporates many softer, more fluid movements that are reminiscent of certain traditional martial arts. Strong attacks may be met by a more yielding block designed to absorb much of the impact of the strike. This reflects the range of martial arts that Master Hwang Kee’s was exposed to, both in his home county of and also from when he lived in China. His in would have enabled him to incorporate element of this into Do.
Both and Do feature an impressive array of including jumping and high kicks. However, one of the factors that differentiates them is Do’s inclusion of the ‘softer’ movements that are reminiscent of some of the techniques in .
Use of Weapons
One key difference between these two styles is in the in the use of weapons as part of their syllabus, has no weapons whatsoever. In contrast, a studying Do will learn how to use the Bo – a long wooden pole used in a weapon in Karate. There’s even a Bo kata in Do.
Use of Katas/Forms
Do contains a number of forms (called ). These are set patterns of techniques that include punching and . When performing the form, the idea is that the fights against an imaginary opponent.
Many of Do’s hyungs are based on . To see the influence Karate has had on Do’s forms, you only need to look at Karate’s Kanku Dai and compare it to Kong Sang Kun.
also incorporate katas (called forms) into their . Like Do, they involve punching, kicking and blocking techniques.
Both Do and teach patterns (hyungs or forms) – set sequences of movements involving punches, kicks and blocks.
Focus
Perhaps the main difference between Do and is the focus of these two martial arts.
is very much focussed on competition and competing in tournaments. This is perhaps unsurprising as it’s a Olympic event.
This is fine if you like and competing in a sporting event. However, having watched at the Olympics, many of the fights look more like games of tag played with the feet rather than the hands. I wonder how effective some of these techniques would be in a scenario.
Do is a much more , focussing on the development of the whole person both physically and spiritually, particularly around the concept of .. It also retains the focus on the self defensive perspective of a . There are competitions involved in Do but there’s perhaps less emphasis than in .
Summary:
There are a number of key differences between and Do:
- They stem from different the schools or kwans of martial arts that were established at the end of in 1945. , as taught by General Choi, stems from the Oh Do , whereas Do was taught at the Moo Duk by Master Kwang Kee.
- Do’s includes the ‘softer’ movements that are reminiscent of some of the techniques in .
- has no weapons whatsoever. In contrast, Do students learn how to use the Bo – a long wooden pole used in a weapon in Karate.
- is very much focussed on competition and competing in tournaments. Do is a much more , focussing on the development of the whole person both physically and spiritually.
There are some similarities:
- Both and Do feature an impressive array of including jumping and high kicks.
- Both are influenced by a number of different martial arts
- Both Do and teach patterns (hyungs or forms) – set sequences of movements involving punches, kicks and blocks.
FAQ
What does Do mean?
Do literally means “China Hand Way”.
What does mean?
The literal translation for tae kwon do is “kicking,” “punching,” and “the art or way of.”
Is Do a good ?
Do is an excellent to learn. It’s rooted in the techniques of Karate but incorporates jumping and high kicks of traditional Korean martial arts. It maintains its focus on techniques but also has tournaments for those looking to compete.
Did come from Do?
No, they come from different martial arts schools in .
In 1945, after the , nine schools (kwans) emerged in , all teaching their own type of . The Korean government ordered that the nine kwans merge to create a single united organization. However, Hwang Kee’s Moo Duk school did not unify and stayed independent. From these roots Do went on to spread around the world.
The remaining schools did merge and went on to be called collectively the “ Tae Soo Do Association”. In 1956 the name was changed to the “ Association” under the presidency of General Choi of the Oh Do .
Sometimes, Do is referred to as ‘‘ but this is incorrect. It is a seperate in it’s own right.
Is Do same as Karate?
I’ve written an entire article on this which can be seen here.
