Taekwon-Do and Tang Soo Do.. what's the difference?

Vampireskiss

Tang soo doo is what chuck norris did, am I right, I think its quite similar to taekwondo, how do they differ?

pma-ire

Vampireskiss wrote: »

Tang soo doo is what chuck norris did, am I right, I think its quite similar to taekwondo, how do they differ?

tang soo do is korean karate, which is based on shotokan with some small changes which make it look a little more okinawan than japanese. this is because the early korean instructors learnt karate pre the formation of the JKA.

tae kwon do was created to be different from japanese karate. but is still based on karate, with their own patterns based on shotokan kata mixed around and a few original bits.

FruitLover

Originally, Tang Soo Do literally was karate. The original symbols for 'karate' were '唐手', as opposed to the modern '空手' ("empty hand"). '唐' represented the Chinese dynasty at the time (the T'ang dynasty), and consequently meant China/Chinese. "Tang soo" is the Korean pronunciation of the characters '唐手' (pronounced 'karate' in Japanese).

Of course, as with any martial art, Tang Soo Do gradually evolved over the decades, and is not exactly the same as original karate.

yomchi

To add my little bit, Tang soo Do was orginally Kong Soo which means empty hand, then Tang Soo, and the Do was added, meaning the method of empty hand.

pma-ire

yomchi wrote: »

To add my little bit, Tang soo Do was orginally Kong Soo which means empty hand, then Tang Soo, and the Do was added, meaning the method of empty hand.

i was gonna post about kong soo! fecker :P

yomchi