The art of Tang Soo Do is comprised of 69 percent Soo Bahk Do which is based on the hard style of kicking techniques. The remaining portion is 30 percent northern Chinese and 10 percent southern Chinese which consist of the soft style of hand techniques. Soo Bahk was developed round 618-935 A.D. during the Silla Dynasty.

The developer of Tang Soo Do, Grandmaster Hwang Kee, brought this technique to Korea after World War II. In 1936 he helped China set up a resistance group against Japan during the Japanese-Sino War. The Chinese were studying the Tang Method [hand technique] at that time. On November 9, 1945, he combined the styles to form Tang Soo Do-Moo Duk Kwan. Tang Soo Do means Art of the Knife Hand, and Moo Duk Kwan, Institute of Martial Virtue.

Tang Soo Do was introduced to Dayton, Ohio over thirty years ago by Master Robert A. Thompson. Master Thompson was taught many of Dayton's Tang Soo Do instructors.

On May 1, 1994 Grandmaster Roger Haines, a student of Master Robert A. Thompson, founded this organization, the National Tang Soo Do Federation. It is Grandmaster Haines belief that Tang Soo Do should be taught as a martial art of discipline, etiquette and respect as it was taught 2,000 years ago. Being sensitive to the fact that we are living in the United States of America and our culture is very different from that of South East Asia, it is obvious in a society where drugs, peer pressure and violence is a big problem there must be rules and regulations to govern the martial arts. Grandmaster Haines started the National Tang Soo Do Federation to preserve the traditional and original art of Tang Soo Do.

The art of Tang Soo Do is depicted as an Eternal Triangle in which the body, mind and spirit are interrelated. The concept of the eternal triangle is used to design classes that will simultaneously develop all aspects of the total person.

Literally translated the word “Tang Soo Do” means Tang Dynasty of China, which reflects the shared cultural background between China and Korea [617-907 AD]. “Soo” means hand, but implies defensive strike. “Do” means way of life or art. Thus “Tang Soo Do” means the Korean classical martial art which was influenced by the Tang method of martial art.

The exact origin of Tang Soo Do [as well as any of the martial arts in general] is obscure, though there are a number of historical theories. However, the most credible and traditional view is that martial arts originated not in any one country, but in almost all parts of the world as they were needed by primitive people.