Here is a question or two along the lines of the different types(kwans?)of TKD.

1. Do the different styles of tkd place different emphasis on certain techniques? or, are they all the kick, punch, block type school of thought?

2. We have a couple of different styles around here, but they don't advertise their kwon name, it's just Ro's TKD or other name. The only one I've heard of even name themselves is Grandmaster Edward B. Sell's Chung Do Kwon. It says on his webpage he is the highest ranked non-oriental in the world (and that he was awarded his rank in Korea). It also states that he achieved his Black belt (back in the 1960's) in about 1.5 or 2 years. I thought quality MA schools always take about 3-5 years. I know it varies from person to person, but I know very little about TKD or Chung Do Kwan, can anyone shed any light on this for me?

respectfully
Kel

Most schools around these days teach generic tkd either based on the WTF or ITF formats. While they might do differing poomse/hyung, most techniques are the same from a bio-mechanical view point.
The kwans(schools) are the early schools of martial arts from Korea set up post WWII, prior to the unification under the tkd banner. While many older instructors (H. Cho, J. Rhee etc)were part of the groups, most of the new generation are only part of one of the bigger federations. Some schools state that they teach the style of a kwan but may or may not.
Tan soo do is the best know of the kwans because it kept itself seperate and established it's own identity but the others have been lost in the formation of the federations.
Most of the kwans taught Japanese kata, but these have mostly been replaced by newer forms of Korean origin made up by the federations. Other similar changes to the curricullum to bring everyone into a rough standard of techniques has seen the erasure of the kwans only 20 or so years after they were founded.

This might upset a few out there still under the more traditional schools but I'm giving a gross generalisation here.

Hey kel,
I am a Chung Do Kwon guy. I'm not affiliated with Sell's Group. Butterfly put a nice link on the Kuk Sool Won thread that has some history. As always there are different spins on the history of that period (early TKD). My 2nd Dan certification is signed by the founder of Chung Do Kwan, Won Kuk Lee and Yong Taek Chung (Jung). It was a goal of mine to attain my rank prior to Lee's death. He passed away this year in April he was in his mid nineties. Styles do have different priorities. Among the CDK masters I have had the opportunity to train with or test before they share a very similar methodolegy and approach. Because Sabunim Chung still presides over us the training seems remarkably consistant with the early methods. It remains formal.It does not have Olympic competition as a goal. I believe Shonuff is a CDK guy but his training has had a more of an olympic approach, you could get his opinion.
As far as Sells first dan, It wasn't unusual for service men to recieve dan rank in that amount of time in those days. It was the same in other arts i.e. karate weither it be Okinawan japanese or korean.
I feel I have a pretty good, balanced understanding of TKD history. I feel it's important to understand where you came from,
how you got where you are and where you can go.

oldman

Thanks guys,
that's good information and now it gives me more names and items to use on my internet (and personal) search.
again, thanks
Kel

Forms are probably the biggest difference or at least the most noticable. The TKD style I practice does the ITF forms, however some of the movements are different from those I've seen in Hee Il Cho's tapes. Also, we include a Korean version of Bassai. Stances are another difference I,ve noticed; back stances in particular. We stand with feet a little more than shoulder width apart and both feet parallel. It's considered more Japanese to point lead foot towards direction of block and to have the legs bent more for a deeper stance. Tang Soo Do and WTF styles seem to use more crescent kicks and axe kicks than we do. We concentrate more on hook kicks. These are just a few of my observations between my style of TKD and other Korean styles. Now, Jhoon Rhee's TKD is a whole other ballgame that would require me to write all day long. That's not to say I think it good or bad, just completely in it,s own category.