Legacy of Moo Duk Kwan Fist - US Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan ...

LEGACY OF THE MOO DIJK KWAN FISTBY FLOYD BURKThe late Hwang Kee hasinfluenced the modernKorean martial arts moreprofoundly than any other person.He established the Moo Dukwan, or InstItute of MartialVirtue, on November 9,1945,shortly after the end of theJapanese occupation. inspiredby his nation's independence,he crafted a practical inertialsystem founded on Soundscientific principles and a strongphilosophical base, in 1.949 hepublished his first book on thesubject, titled Hwa Soo Do 1

seemed Impossible to fathom,especially since Korea was finallyemerging as an independent nationwith a culture that was truly Korean.Being stripped 01 his martial artsidentity was tantamount o beingonce again under foreign rule.He was under political andsocial pressure to go along withThe new organization's aim, whichwas to ultimat&y reniold the Koreanmartial arts Into combat sports. Rewondered about the fate of the MooDuk Kwan schools around the world:Were they destined to suffer if he fellIn ocR step with the new regime?All the while, the st4es fistemblem shone brightly In Rwang'smind. He'd often thought of theImage while growing up-a timewhen he could only dream of whathe would one day accomplIsh,Ultimately, Hwang felt comp&led topreserve his system and its identity.Fn June 1966, he won a legal baffleIn the Korean Supreme Court thatallowed him to ma$ntan his rights tothe Moo Duk Kwan, It was a greatvictory-not only for the masterand his organization, but also forother Koreans who wanted to beindependent martial arts instructors.Today, the Moo Duk Kwan fist Isone of the most revered srboIsin the Korean martia arts. it'sseen by itseLf, on flags and aspart of the Moo Duk Kwan crest.In 1987 Hwangtrademarked theemblem and the kwan's name toprevent them from being used byunauthorized Instructors-manyof whom art unaware of the richhistory and meaning behind them.Hwang passed away In 2002. leavingmillions of practltoners around theworld temporarily without a leaderbut with a name and a symbol thatwill endure forever. flAbout the author: Floyd Burkis a freelance writer and martialarts instructor with 35.years ofexperience. For more informationabout him 0' the Moo Otik Kwan visithttp/wwwbiackbeitn,ag.com andclick on Community, then Black BeltAuthors.50 BLACK Sal wvywhockbwItmaoom / AUGUST 2006