New Homepage for Taekwondo-4self-mastery.com

Taekwondo-4self-mastery.com will keep you updated on but is not limited too......the many aspects of self mastery that include: developing martial arts skills, as well as physical, emotional, spiritual and life skills.

PHYSICAL MASTERY: including your physical structure, nutrition, strength, endurance and flexibility as well as martial arts ability.

EMOTIONAL MASTERY: being able to transmute negative emotions into the super force that will energize and empower you toward your life’s mission. "Ki" if you will.

SPIRITUAL MASTERY: is not related to any religion not does taekwondo-4self-mastery.com promote any specific religion. By spiritual we mean skills to better understand our place in the world as well as develop the indomitable spirit that martial artists are known for.

SELF MASTERY: also includes mastery of your relationships and communication skills, and mastery of your life, or time management.

These and many other topics pertaining to the mastery of the mind, body and spirit will be encompassed in this website and in the self-mastery-blog

Though Taekwondo-4self-mastery.COM is based upon the teachings of the wisdom school of Taekwondo, the principles and technologies discussed here are for any student of human nature with the desire to improve themselves physically, spiritually and mentally.

Yours in the Spirit of Wisdom

Childan Sam Naples
Grandmaster Chun Taekwondo Jidokwan
www.taekwondo-4self-mastery.com

Totejitsu becomes Karatedo and how it effects the name Taekwondo

The first part of this discussion on totejitsu_becomes_karatedo is contributed by fellow Taekwondo Jidokwan member, Master Al Cole.

The story of how totejitsu becomes karatedo begins with a book published in 1906 titled "Karate Soshu Hen" by Okinawan master Hanashiro Chomo (1869-1945), another student of, the Legondary Okinawan Master Anko Itosu, was the first person to replace the Chinese character Okinawan's pronounced as "TO" with the Chinese character that Okinawans pronounced as "KU"

"Karate Soshu Hen" appears to have been the "Textbook" of teachers of Tode in the Okinawan school system. It is almost exactly at that time that Tode was introduced into the school system. This makes sense as Itosu was the person that developed the Tote program for the Okinawan school system and Chomo was his student.

The book “Karate Soshu Hen” appears to have had some economic success because a year later the book came out to the general public

Click here to read the entire article on how totejitsu becomes karatedo.

Yours in the Spirt of Wisdom

Childan Sam Naples
Grandmaster Chun Taekwondo Jidokwan
www.taekwondo-4self-mastery. com

Taekwondo Invents Full Contact Sparring with the Invention of the Hogu . . .

. . . or did they? Many people believe that that Hogu (chest protector) was developed by the World Taekwondo Federation, and it part of what distinguishes Taekwondo sparring from Tangsoodo, Karate, Kungfu and other striking arts. It definitely is the chest guard that allows the Taekwondo kicking specialist to throw full contact kicks without deadly results. But when and how did Taekwondo develop the chest guard?

Surprise. . . the history of the Taekwondo chest protector goes back to Japan, Toyama Kanken the Zen Nihon Karatedo Renmei and three Koreans. The three Korean grandmasters: Yun Kwai-byung, who became the leader of Jidokwan after the death of Chun Sung-sup; Yun Byung-in who was the founder of YMCA Kwanbup Bu who’s students developed Kangdukkwan and Changmookwan and Grandmaster Kim Ki-whang who did not start his own kwan.

Click here to read the entire article about how the Japanese Bogu, Kendo body protector becomes part of Karatedo and makes its way to Korea.

Yours in the Sprit of Wisdom

Childan Sam Naples
Grandmaster Chun Taekwondo Jidokwan
www.taekwondo-4self-mastey.com

The Birth of a Sport.....Sport_Taekwondo

When we look at the Birth of Sport_Taekwondo we need to begin by looking at the history of taekwondo that began with the unification of the 9 Kwan’s into The Korean Taesoodo Association in 1961.

The Korean Taesoodo Association's first President was Choi Myung-shin and his successor Park Jong-tae who became the second President. Then On August 5th 1965 The Korean Taesoodo Association officially becomes The Korean Taekwondo Association , with General Choi Hong-hi as it’s president for about 6 months until he was removed from office.

Other presidents of the Korea Taekwondo Association were Ro Byung-jik, who was the fourth president, followed by Kim Young-chae who was the fifth.

Lightening Strikes and a Leader Takes Charge

"When your put in charge, take charge!"

Then on January 29th 1971 Lightening Struck when Kim Un-yong, became president of the Korea Taekwondo Association. This was the beginning of real change for the sport.

Click here to read the whole article The Birth of the Sport . . . Sport-Taekwondo

Yours in the Spirit of Wisdom

Childan Sam Naples
Grandmaster Chun Taekwondo Jidokwan
www.taekwondo-4self-mastery.com

General Choi did it "MY WAY"

Ohdokwan was developed by Choi Hong-hi, who was a General in the Republic of Korea (ROK)’s 29th Infantry Division and Grandmaster Nam Tae-hee. Choi Hong-hi as a youth studied calligraphy from Han Il-dong who was a famous calligrapher and also a famous Taekyun expert.

Odokwan's founder claimed that he learned both arts from Mr. Han. In 1937 to further his education Choi Hong-hi went to Japan where he studied Shotokan from a Korean Shotokan instructor named Mr. Kim.

Choi Hong-hi like many of the early Korean masters was impressed into the Japanese army. While in the Japanese Army Choi Hong-hi was stationed in the northern part of Korean and was ultimately imprisoned by the Japanese for being part of the Korean Independence Movement.

NOTE: There are people that dispute that Choi Hong-hi ever studied Taekyun. Their argument is that Taekyun keeps very accurate records and there is no mention of Choi Hong-hi in these records. As they say, history is written by the victors.

Click here if you would like to read the whole article about Ohdokwan the branch of Taekwondo created by Grandmaster Nam Tae-hee and General Choi Hong-hi.

Yours in the Spirit of Wisdom

Childan Sam Naples
Grandmaster Chun Taekwondo Jidokwan
www.taekwondo-4self-mastery.com

Taekwondo Jungdokwan...Stepping the Right Way

"I am an honorable man without shame", is the motto of Jungdokwan’s founder Lee Yong-woo. It was with this spirit that Grandmaster Lee has trained, ran his school and lived his life.
Lee Yong-woo began his martial arts practice in the Chungdokwan style before the Korean War. It was recorded that Grandmaster Yun Byung-in who was the founder of YMCA Kwonbup Bu held a large demonstration at the YMCA in 1949. That the young Lee was chosen to demonstrate with Son Duk-sung, the 2nd president of and Uhm Woon-kyu the 3rd president of Chungdokwan.

In 1954 after the Korean War, Lee founded his Jungdokwan dojung. Many of the schools that were offshoots of the five main Kwan’s developed because of disagreements among the early senior students and instructors. Jungdokwan was not like this.

Click here to read the rest of the article about Jungdokwan one of the nine kwan's that were to become Taekwondo.

Yours in the Spirit of Wisdom

Childan Sam Naples
Grandmaster Chun Taekwondo Jidokwan
www.taekwondo-4self-mastery.com

Kangdukwon...a house of teaching generosity

Like so many styles of Taekwondo, the roots of Kangdukwon lie in the Chosen Yunmookwan Judo Dojung and Grandmaster Yun Byung-in who was teaching Chinese Kempo translated as Kwonbup in Korean. Yun Byung-in studied in Manchuria where he mastered Chuanfa and then in Japan where he attended Nihon University and attained the rank of 4th degree black belt in Shudokan Karate-do from Toyama Kanken .

At the same time that Yun Byung-in was teaching Kwon Bup at the Chosen Yunmookwan another another master, Chun Sung-sup was teaching Kongsoodo which became known as Jidokwan . They fast became friends and training partners and it is said that there are many similarities to Jidokwan and Kangdukkwon. Chun Sung-sup's brother Chun Il-sup often said that Yun Byung-in and his brother were more like brothers then just training partners.

Click here to read the entire article about the origin of Kangdukkwan one of the 9 original kwan's of taekwondo.

Yours in the spirit of Wisdom

Childan Sam Naples
Grandmaster Chun Taekwondo Jidokwan
www.taekwondo-4self-mastery.com

Hanmookwan: The Korean Martial Art

Hanmookwan is another another of the many Kwan's or schools of taekwondo that are rooted in the teaching of Grandmaster Chun Sung-sup at the fabled Chosen Yunmookwan dojung. The school was founded by Grandmaster Lee Kyo-yoon in August of 1956 and he is still its leader as of this writing. In the mid-1950’s many new Kwan’s began to pop up as offshoots of the 5 original schools and Master Lee's was said to have been one of the first to start this trend. Hanmookwan is considered one of the 9 original kwan's that formed taekwondo.

Though some people consider Hanmookwan to be a branch of Jidokwan . But Grandmaster Lee claims that after the war, with Chun Sung-sup missing or dead, Lee Chong-woo one of the senior students opened the Jidokwan, and he himself opened the Hanmookwan. Grandmaster Lee says his root is not Jidokwan, but rather the Chosen Yunmookwan.

On the contrary many Jidokwan seniors claim that Master Lee did train at the Jidokwan, but due to a disagreement with Lee Chong-woo left to open the Hanmookwan. We will probably never know the real story.

Click here to read the entire article about Hanmookwan and the other 9 original schools of taekwondo.

Yours in the Spirit of Wisdom

Childan Sam Naples
Grandmaster Chun Taekwondo Jidokwan
www.taekwondo-4self-mastery.com

Changmookwan: The Korean art based upon Chinese Kempo and the Teachings of Toyama Kanken

Changmookwan was founded by the famous taekwondo master Yun Byung-in. As a child Yun traveled with his parents and liven in Manchuria for some time where he studied Chuanfa which he mastered. Later when Yun was in Japan attending Nihon University, he impressed Toyama Kanken with his Kwanbup (Chuanfa) skills. Yun Byung-in became a student of as well as training and exchanged techniques with Toymana Kanken ultimately attaining the rank of 4th degree black belt.

The second most important man in the Changmookwan story was Lee Nam-suk was to become Yun's top student and the first person given permission to teach Yun's style. While Yun Byung-in was in Japan training, the Lee Nam-suk was secretly studying and learning the skills of the martial arts from a copy of “Tote-Jitsu”, the legendary first book on written by Shotokan-ryu's founder Gishin Funakoshi 's

Upon Yun's return to Korea, he begins to teach his art a large gym in Seoul, Korea called Chosen Yunmookwan Judo DoJung, the same place that Jidokwan began. The President of the Yunmookwan gym at that time was Mister Lee Kyuk-sung who was very open minded and allowed other martial artists to teach at the Chosen Yunmookwan.

At the Chosen Yunmookwan, Yun Byung-in was teaching Kwanbup (Kempo or Chuanfa) while at the same time Chun Sung-sup the founder of Jidokwan was teaching Kongsoodo (Karatedo). Chun Il-sup, the real brother of Chun Sung-sup often said that his brother and Yun Byung-in cross-trained so much together that they were often called brothers.

Click here to read the rest of the article about one of the founding kwan's of Taekwondo, Changmookwan and to learn more about the taekwondo-4self-mastery website.

Yours in the Spirit of Wisdom

Childan Sam Naples
Grandmaster Chun Taekwondo Jidokwan
www.taekwondo-4self-mastery.com

Songmookwan the Pine Tree School: Korea's Shotokan

The history of Songmookwan begins with the history of Ro Byung-jik trained who trained in Japan in the traditional Okinawan martial art of Tote-Jitsu under the tutelage of Master Gishin Funakoshi and was a classmate of Lee Won-kuk the founder of Chungdokwan .

Master Funakoshi's "pen name" was Shoto which means pine tree. His students in Japan started to call his teachings Shotokan-ryu. As a loyal student of Master Funakoshi, Master Ro founded the Songmookwan which is the Korean translation of Shotokan out of his respect for his Master, Gishin Funakoshi. The school was founded in Kae Song, Korea in 1946.

Like Funakoshi, Grandmaster Ro put an important emphasis of weight training and talyuntae (the traditional forging post unique to Okinawa-Te and Karate, a.k.a. the makiwara board). Master Ro required that each Songmookwan student punch the talyuntae at least one hundred times before class started. He did not allow students to spar until 4th gup (this means 4th grade, it means there are only 4 more grades until black belt). Kyukpa, board breaking was reserved for only for black belt and higher.

Click here to read the entire article about Grandmaster Ro Byung-jik and the pine tree style, Songmookwan or to learn more about Taekwondo-4self-mastery.com

Yours in the Spirit of Wisdom

Childan Sam Naples
Grandmaster Chun Taekwondo Jidokwan
http://www.taekwondo-4self-mastery.com

Moodukkwan: The gym of Martial Virtu`

Hwang Kee the Founder of Moodukkwan he was sent to China 1936 while working on the Southern Manchuria Railroad. While in China he trained and studied Kempo at every opportunity. It is believed that this is how he gained most of his martial arts experience.

Hwang Kee claimed that as a youth he studied Kuksul but there is on evidence to this and may historians discount it.

Because he worked for the Railroad, most of Hwang Kee’s early martial arts schools were in railroad stations and most of his early students were railroad personnel. In the early days when someone thought of Moodukkwan, they though about the railroad.

The Art of the Flowering Hand...

...Hwasoodo was the original name that Hwang Kee used was for his art. He continued to expand his school. In 1945 Hwang Kee began classes at the ministry of Transportation.

Hwang Kee Learns The Pyong Ahn's & Other Japanese Forms

Hwang Kee, while having no formal Dojung experience in Japan like most of the other Kwan founders still managed to incorporate the Japanese Pyong Ahn forms into his Moodukkwan system. Hwang Kee stated in a interview that he picked up the forms from a book on Japanese Martial Arts that was in a library at railroad station.

Note: The late Grandmaster Kim Ki-whang of Washington D.C. who studied with Toyama Kanken in Japan told me that he had a copy of "Tote-Jitsu", Gishin Funakoshi's first book that he donated to a library that was part of the Rail Road system. It is the authors belief that Hwang Kee studied this book to learn the Pyong Ahn and other Japanese Kata.

Getting Out of Town

Moodukkwan like most of the other Kwan’s moves to Pusan during the war. During the Korean War the Korean Kongsoodo Association was founded. Within one month of the founding of the Korean Kongsoodo Association, Moodukkwan's founder Hwang Kee quit the Association because he was not on the testing committee. He was shortly followed by Chongdokwan’s Son Duk-sung for the same reason.

Click here to read the rest of the Article about Moodukkwan or to learn more about Taekwondo-4self-mastery.com

Yours in the Spirit of Wisdom

Childan Sam Naples
Grandmaster Chun Taekwondo Jidokwan
www.taekwondo-4self-mastery.com

History of Gishin Funakoshi 1868-1957

Many of the fathers of Taekwondo studied in Japan with Gishin Funakoshi, the founder of Shotokan. In order to better understand the roots of Taekwondo, it is important to get some perspective upon the teacher of it's founders.

Gishin Funakoshi who was born in 1868, was a sickly and weak child. Luckily for him his best friend was the son of the Tote-jitsu master, Anko Yasutsune Azato. Azato took on the young Gishin as a student in order to build up his health, strength and confidence.

Gishin learned from Azato Tote (karate) and also presumably sword fighting because Anko Azato who was also a master of Jigen-Ryu Kenjitsu. Anko was not mentioned in my article on Tote-jitsu because it appears that he only had one student, Gishin Funakoshi. This from Funakoshi's book Karate-do Nyumon.

He also studied with the well known Anko Itosu but claimed that the greatest part of what he learned about Tote was from Master Azato, not Itosu. Gishin’s study with Azato had to take place in secret because the ruling government of the time forbade all Okinawans from practicing the martial arts in public.

Azato gave the world the famous saying: “Think of the hands and feet of anyone who has trained in Tote as swords. They can cut or kill with a touch” and “Know the enemy and know yourself, this is the secret key to strategy.”

Click here learn more about Gishin Funakoshi and the Taekwondo-4self-mastery.com website.

Yours in the Spirit of Wisdom

Childan Sam Naples
Grandmaster Chun Taekwondo Jidokwan
www.taekwondo-4self-mastery.com

Chungdokwan....the Gym of the Blue Waves.....

The Chungdokwan system was named after the un-ending energy that is the spirit of youth, the waves continue to return to the shore just as there is a child never gives up or runs out of energy, this is the spirit of Chungdokwan.

In 1926 Gishin Funakoshi Gishin Funakoshi, the Tote-Jitsu master and was introduced to young 19 year old Korean boy, and future founder of Chungdokwan, Lee Won-kuk who as in Japan to attend Law school. Lee wanted to train in Tote-jitsu. This was before Funakoshi changed the name to Karate-do. One of his training partners was a young Ro Byung-jik who was to become the founder of Sungmookwan.

Master Lee Won-kuk was a perfectionist and stickler for detail which made him a very capable martial artist and strict disciplinarian which would make his students some of the best and most respected in Korea. Master Lee was very strong and had the demeanor of a martial artist/athlete.

When Master Lee returned to Korea he began to teach Tangsoodo ( Whang Kee’s Tangsoodo) in a school auditorium and because he had attended law school in Japan he developed a friendship with Governor Abe who was Japanese and was in charge of Korea during the Japanese occupation.

If you would like to read more of this article or learn more about Taekwondo-4self-mastey click here.

Yours in the Spirit of Wisdom

Childan Sam Naples
Grandmaster Chun Taekwondo Jidokwan
www.taekwondo-4self-mastey.com

Toyama Kanken one of the Great Grandfathers of Modern Taekwondo

Most of Toyama Kanken’s martial arts training was under Anko Itosu of Shuri although he also trained in Tote-jitsu with Kanryo Higaonna and studied Okinawan weapons under Chosin Chibana. Toyama taught Karate at Nihon University and in 1946 formed that All Japan Karate-do Renmei (association).

Toyama was born on September 24th 1888 in Shuri, Okinawa, where he began his Tote training under Master Itarashiki at in 1897 at the tender age of 9 years old. Later he became a serious student Master Itosu Anko , and in 1907 Toyama became Itosu's assistant at the Shuri dojo. He studied with and taught for Itosu until his death in 1915. He also trained to a lesser degree with Master Higaonna Kanryo. Toyama rounded out his martial arts studied by learning traditional Okinawan weapons (Kobudo) under Masters Oshiro, Chibana, and Tani.

Like his master Itosu, and Gishin Funakoshi , Toyama Kanken also became an elementary school teacher. Toyama was one of only two students to be granted the title of Shihanshi (protege); Gichin Funakoshi was the other to receive this title from Itosu.

Click here to read the rest of the article and learn more about Toyama Kanken and his affect upon the future development of Taekwondo.

Yours in the Spirit of Wisdom

Childan Sam Naples
Grandmaster Chun Taekwondo Jidokwan
www.taekwondo-4self-mastery.com

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Taekwondo Is On Our Website or Will Be.

Many readers have asked me for an updated site index so that they could find pages quickly and easily, so here it is...

The Taekwondo-4self-mastey Site Index

You can go straight to the page you are looking for from here without searching around the site and wasting valuable time.

In the Spirit of Wisdom we hope you enjoy your visit to our site...

Site Map Taekwondo for physical, mental and spiritual growth. :This website is dedicated to the self-mastery that can be achieved through the Korean martial art of Taekwondo

Self-Mastery-Blog:The Self-Mastery-BLOG keeps you up-to-date with the latest changes in the personal development and taekwondo fields, as well as changes to the Taekwondo-4self-mastery.com website. Subscribe here.

Toyama Kanken 1888-1966:click here ot learn about toyama kanken, one of the fathers of karatedo who taught some of the fathers of taekwondo

tote-jitsu the okinawan roots of modern taekwondo:click here to learn more about tote-jitsu the okinawan roots of taekwondo

gishin funakoshi:click here to learn about the okinawan karate master gishin funakoshi that was to teach many of the fathers of taekwondo

power of journaling:Click here to learn what the power of journaling is and how to raise the quality of your daily life

reticular-activating-system:the reticular-activating-system is the search engine of your mind

i am a grandmaster and it depresses me:I am a grandmaster...And it really depresses the hell out of me.

thick face, black heart:"thick face, black heart is a book on strategy on the same level as sun tzu's art of war. it has been kept secret do to it's ruthlessness

mastering taekwondo:"Click here to learn more about the the 4 steps to mastering taekwondo skills or anything else.

taekwondo early history:the true taekwondo early history traces the roots of taekwondo to japanese karate and okinawan tote-jitsu.

taekyun:Taekyun: Korea's True Ancient martial art..... to learn more click here.

9 kwans:the 9 kwans were the nine original schools of taekwondo that became the kukkiwon and world taekwondo federation.

chungdokwan:chungdokwan: click here to learn the history and traditions of one of the five earliest systems of taekwondo.

jidokwan:Jidokwan is one of the original five kwan's of Taekwondo that can be traced back to it's chinese and japanese origins. Click here to learn more.

moodukkwan:moodukkwan: the gym of martial virtu`: one of the systems that was instrumental in the development of taekwondo.

songmookwan:Songmookwan the Pine Tree School (Shotokan), Founded by Ro-Byung Jik based upon his Shotokan training.

changmookwan:Changmookwan, Learn about one of the "Brother Kwan's" of Chosen Yunmookwan

hanmookwan:Hanmookwan is a style based upon the teachings of Chun-Sung Sup that developed after his death. Click here to learn more.

kangdukwon:kangdukwon: a prestigious style of taekwondo that is an offshoot of ymca kwanbup bu. Click here to learn more.

jungdokwan:Jungdokwan, one of the early school that developed while maintaining a good relarionship with its parent Kwan, Chongdokwan. To find out more click here.

ohdokwan:Ohdokwan the style of Taekwondo founded by General Choi-Hong Hi, known as the Army Style.

kongsoodo:kongsoodo

taesoodo:click here to learn about the korean taesoodo association, which would become the korean taekwondo association

taekwondo forms origin:taekwondo forms origin traces the modern taekwondo forms to their roots in okinawan and japanese kata

korean taekwondo association:learn about the evolution from taesoodo to what would become the korean taekwondo association

kukkiwon:kukkiwon...or more exactly kukki taekwondo is the world leadership of taekwondo

world taekwondo federation:World Taekwondo Federation the largest martial sports organization in the world. Click here to learn more.

international taekwondo federation:International Taekwondo Federation: The Organization founded by General Choi-Hong Hi who claimed to be the Father of Taekwondo. Click here to learn more.

usa taekwondo: the wtf affiliated governing body of taekwondo in the usa:usa taekwondo: click here to learn more about the wtf affiliated governing body of taekwondo in the usa

taekwondo Forms:taekwondo forms are the fundamental training tool of the student of the inner aspects of taekwondo. It is meditation in motion.

taekwondo uniform:A discussion of the History of the Taekwondo Uniform and it's relationship to the Karatedo-gi

dojung: a place of for practicing taekwondo:dojung: The place of self mastery through the art of taekwondo. Click here to learn more

dojung rules:Dojung rules to ensure maximum benefit and enable self-mastery. Click here now.

hoshinsul:hoshinsul..…grappling taekwondo style. Click here to learn more about taekwondo's self-defense techniques

breaking boards, bricks, cement, and stone to measure the power of taekwondo:

taekwondo belt system:Click here to learn about the taekwondo belt system.

count korean:All taekwondo students should understand the korean way of counting.P>

taekwondo-blackbelt:Click here to learn about the taekwondo-blackbelt, the first step in the process of masteing the art of taekwondo.P>

american taekwondo association: the fastest growing association in taekwondo:

master: :Master of Taekwondo, Sabamnim: click here to learn what it takes to be considered a master of taekwondo

grandmaster: :Learn the difference between a master and grandmaster of taekwondo

sabamnim :sabamnim, someone who teaches by the way he lives his life.

eight manners of solemnity :Click here to learn about the eight manners of solemnity the spiritual guidelines of the wisdom school of taekwondo.

contact-us at taekwondo-4self-mastery with all of your qustions and ideas:

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Yours in the Spirit of Wisdom

Childan Sam Naples
Grandmaster Chun Taekwondo Jidokwan
www.taekwondo-4self-mastery.com

The Nine Original Kwans or early schools of Taekwondo

The 9 Kwans: The Early Schools of TaekwondoThose 9 kwans, the dojungs, or studios, that began at or near the end of World War II in Korea mainly took these Japanese arts, particularly KaraTe and Okinawan Kempo (both originally known as Tote-jitsu) and made them their own. This, however in not to say that our present art is the same as Japanese Karate-do. In fact in Taekwondo History, this was the beginning of truly Korean martial arts. Taekwondo has developed and evolved considerably since then.

The original styles of Tote-Jitsu became known as Karate-do. Gishin Funakoshi ,and Okinawan went to Japan and eventually changed the name of the art to Karate-do. The other instructors soon followed. In addition to Sensei Funakoshi, Toyama Kanken , Choki Mutobu and others brought their arts to Japan. Funakoshi’s art consisted of a short high horse stance, high upright front stances and a great number of sweeping and tripping techniques, along with a series of arm-breaking and in-fighting techniques.

Taekwondo which is known for its high kicks is very different from the early Tote-jitsu systems. The only kicks that Sensei Funakoshi used were low and below the belt. In his first book Tote-Jitsu he does the Pyong Ahn Hyungs’ (Pinon in Okinawan and Heian in Japanese) with front kicks in all the places that we now sidekick. The sidekick is not in any of these forms. Taekwondo has evolved considerably and barely resembles Funakoshi's Karate-do.

THE BIRTH OF THE NINE KWAN'S AND KOREA'S MARTIAL ARTS

In 1943 the ban on the practice of the martial arts in Korea was lifted and the arts began to flourish this was also the beginning of the History of the 9 Kwans. The five original Kwan's (schools) to surface were: Chungdokwan ; Chosen Yunmookwan (which became Jidokwan ); Moodukkwan; Songmookwan ; YMCA KwonBupBu which was later to be known as Changmookwan .

Click here to read the rest of the article and learn more about the other four styles of Taekwondo to follow.

Yours in the Spirt of Wisdom

Sam Naples
Grandmaster Chun Taekwondo Jidokwan

www.taekwondo-4self-mastery.com

Taekwondo's Early History: Before the Kwans

Taekwondo Early History begins with the country of Korea, such a tiny country surrounded by the powerful China and Japan. The proximity of these powerful neighbors helped to develop a fierce national spirit in Korea. The country’s very existence is a tribute to Korea's indomitable martial spirit.
Throughout the Taekwondo early history, Korea's neighbors attempted to conquer her; the fierce Japanese tried as did the raging Mongolian hordes. For a time the Mongols succeeded, and for a time in more modern history Japan succeeded, conquering and suppressing the Korean people from 1934 until the end of WW II, 1945.
As a result of being bullied by Japan there developed a deep rooted animosity among many older Koreans for the Japanese and things Japanese. One of the results of this animosity is Korean revisionist history wherein Korean martial artists find it difficult to admit the Japanese influence upon Taekwondo History.
In many different versions of Taekwondo early history, you will read about the ancient arts of Kwon-Bup, Kuk-Sool, Hwa-Rang, Tang-Soo, and Tae-Kyun, and their influence upon Korean martial arts. These arts were portrayed as the ancestors of modern Taekwondo, however the fathers of Taekwondo never studied them.

Click here to read the full article and learn more about early History of martial arts in Korea, which led to the foundation of the Kwan system.


Yours in the Spirit of Wisdom

Childan Sam Naples
Grandmaster Chun Taekwondo Jidokwan

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Tote-jitsu the Okinawan Roots of Japanese Karate and Taekwondo

Tote-jitsu is the parential art of both Taekwondo and Karate-do. Tote-jitsu is the original the martial art of Ryukyu Islands. The Ryukyu Islands are also known as Okinawa.

Most of the martial arts of Ryukyu’s developed around three of its main cities: Shuri, the Capitol of Okinawa; and the two seaport cities of Tomari and Naha.

The martial arts were called “Te,” or hand (as in the techniques of hand-to-hand combat). There were three distinctive variations of Okinawan martial arts broken down regionally. The styles were named Shuri-te, Tomari-te and Naha-te after their respective cities.

Currently Tomari-te no longer exists having been absorbed by Naha-te and Shuri-te. The two propriotory kata’s, Wahshu and Rohai are still practiced today and are an example of what Tomari-te must have been like.

The martial arts were also known as Chinese hand or Tote-Jitsu. “To” (pronounced toe as in big toe) is a Chinese character that ambiguously can mean both China and void. The term void is often translated as empty and is what created the confusion as to whether Tote meant China-hand, or Void-hand.

The term void is a Buddhist term that means: vast and boundless, spaciousness, unity, emptiness, absence of distinction, nothingness, oneness, etc…. The Japanese have another word, kara, which also expresses emptiness or void.

Gichin Funakoshi who strove toward for self-mastery, believed that the term “kara” or void better described the ultimate outcome of martial arts training which was oneness with the all mankind. So he changed the name of the martial art he taught and practiced from Tote-jitsu(the title of his first book) to Karate-do.

NOTE:
This explains why in Korea some styles were called Tangsoo, the translation of Tote (Chinese hand) while other styles were called Kongsoo or Karate (Void/Empty hand).

It all begins in China "As to the Origins of Tote, there are many theories, however I am inclined to believe that this art was taught by Chinese men since there were many contracts made between Ryukyu and China from ancient days."

Choki Mutobu 1871-1944 from his Book "Okinawan Kempo" Published 1926
Click here to read the entire article about Tote-jitsu, the Masters that carried it to Japan and their Korean students that were to become the Fathers of Taekwondo.

In the spirit of wisdom,

Childan Sam Naples
Grandmaster Chun Taekwondo Jidokwan
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