Kong Su Do

Dan Anderson

Master of Arts
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Anybody out there train in Kong Su Do? From my research it was a Korean offshoot of Shotokan karate originally brought to Korea by college students back around 1955 or so. I trained in it from 1966 to 1969. My lineage in Kong Su Do was Loren Christensen and Bruce Terrill. Bruce learned it from Moon Yo Woo, who was a medical student in Portland, Oregon back in 1958. After reading Gichin Funakoshi's book, Karate Do Kyohan, I was surprised how close the kata in that book were to what I learned. Anyone out there with more data?

Yours,
Dan Anderson
 
D

dosandojang

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Dang Soo Do, Kong Soo Do...One of my Grand Masters (Yong M. So), practiced this back in Korea (he is a 10th Dan in Hap Ki Do) when he was young. He has taught me it, but to me, it is nothing more than the TSD I already do (5th Dan)...
 

rmclain

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Hello Mr. Anderson,

Kong Su Do is another name used my early days Korean martial artists following WWII to describe their arts (which were mostly karate curriculums brought from abroad following WWII). Others names included Tang Soo So, Kwon Bup, etc.

So it is no surprise that what you learned resembled the techniques from karate. The forms should be the same: ex. Pyung Ahn (Heian, Pinan) forms, Bassai Tae & So, Sypsoo (Jut-te), Chulki (Tekki, Naihanchi, Kima), etc. Also, the manner these techniques practiced may have changed a bit, depending on the teacher. But, it is really from karate roots.

A good way to reasearch your lineage would be to contact your teacher or teacher's teacher and find out the name of the school they learned from. If Mr. Moon Yo Woo was teaching back in 1958, he was probably from one of the original 5 dojangs in Korea: Chang Moo Kwan, Ji Do Kwan, Moo Do Kwan, Song Moo Kwan, or Chung Do Kwan. This could give you a good lead on the lineage of the Kong Soo Do you studied.

My teacher's line is from the Chang Moo Kwan from Byung In Yoon and Lee Nam Sok. This was originally a karate and chuan-fa dojang.

Sincerely,

R. McLain
 

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