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History
The very first evidence of this ancient form of Korean martial arts appeared during the Three Kingdom era (57 BC-935 AD) as Hwa Rang Do. Since then 2,000 years have passed. The indigenous martial arts quietly developed through generations of the Korean people. During some eras it flourished and other times it diminished, according to the political, economic or cultural environment.
The art was known by various names throughout the eras as Hwa Rang Do, Moo Sul, Kyuck Too Ki, Soo Bahk Ki, Soo Byuck Ki, Taek Kyun etc. respectively. Following Korean independence in 1945, the Korean martial arts were again merged and flourished throughout the entire Korean Peninsula. Many organizations were founded with various names such as Soo Bahk Do, Tang Soo Do, Tae Soo Do and so on. At the beginning of the modern era of the Korean martial arts, Tang Soo Do was the most popular term for these arts.
Association
In 1968 Master Jae Chul Shin came to the United States of America as the U. S. representative for the Korean Tang Soo Do Association. He formed the U. S. Tang Soo Do Federation in Burlington, New Jersey in 1968. This traditional Korean Martial Art was quickly accepted and soon grew in popularity throughout the World. The organization reformed to fit new demands internationally, and on November 13 and 14th, 1982, a charter convention of the World Tang Soo Do Association was held in Philadelphia, PA., USA. With the advent of the World Tang Soo Do Association, Tang Soo Do began a new era of development as a traditional martial art.
In July of 2012, the WTSDA entered a new chapter with the Grand Opening of its new World Headquarters in Burlington, NC. This was the fulfillment of a dream for Grandmaster Shin, who had strived to make this happen for over twenty years. Grandmaster Shin had the opportunity to see and work in this building prior to his passing on July 9th, 2012. According to his son, Robert, Grandmaster Shin's feelings were expressed with one simple word: "Wow." Puget Sound TSD instructor Master Mark Taylor was the architect for the HQ building. He worked directly with Grandmaster Shin to develop the design to meet not only the requirements of HQ but also the desire for this building to represent the Korean heritage.
The organization has grown at an outstanding rate to reach over 200,000 members in 36 countries and thousands of students training worldwide.
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