tiger's lair martial arts

History of Song Moo Kwan Tae Kwon Do & Its Founder - Byung Jik Ro

Supreme Grand Master Ro, the founder of the Song Moo Kwan system, was born July 3, 1919 in Kaesung City, Korea.  Growing up the youngest of four children and frail in health, Grand Master Ro was forced to enter elementary school a year later than the other children his age.  Due to his poor health at such an early age, the information young Ro heard from his neighborhood regarding the 1,200 year old ancient arts of Tae Kyon and Subak stirred an interest in the Martial Arts within him.  The defensive techniques that were taught at the local temples during Ro's youth attracted his attention at a very young age.

His strong attraction to the Martial Arts led him to search out Gichin Funakoshi, Shotokan Karate founder, during his college years.  Grand Master Ro traveled to Japan in March of 1936 to attend college and in May of 1936, Ro begain training in Shotokan under Funakoshi, earning his Black Belt in the Okinawan art.  Returning home to Kaesung City during his summer vacations from college, Grand Master Ro would teach his friends and neighbors the techniques he had learned.  In February of 1944, Supreme Grand Master Ro finished his university work and returned back home to Korea to live. 

Upon his return to Korea from Japan, many of the friends and neighbors he had been teaching during those summer vacations asked Grand Master Ro to continue to teach them what he had learned during his training.  Based upon these requests, Supreme Grand Master Ro opened the Kaesung dojang in the Kwan Duk Jung archery school on March 11, 1944.  Grand Master Ro had also served as Tae Kwon Do instructor for Seoul University, Dan Gook University, Seoul Oriental Acupuncture College and several other institutions.

While continuing to train and teach others what he had learned from his instructors, Supreme Grand Master Ro continued to develop additional hand and foot techniques of his own.  It is the combination of these techniques developed by Grand Master Ro along with the techniques he had learned during his early years in Martial Arts training that we today call Song Moo Kwan Tae Kwon Do - many refer to this art as "Korean Shotokan" as a result of the Korean/Okinawan mixture of arts.  The kicking techniques are still considered more important because they are more effective, more powerful and can reach further than the hands.  It is these beautiful and powerful foot techniques that set Tae Kwon Do apart from other arts and make it more spectacular.

Supreme Grand Master Ro's dedication and contributions to the development of Tae Kwon Do have continued throughout his life.  On May 25, 1953, Supreme Grand Master Ro, along with seven other people and one delegate from each Kwan, met together at a conference which concluded with the establishment of the Korean Kong Soo Do Association.  Grand Master Ro served as the Executive Director of the Association.  The Association also placed Supreme Grand Master Ro in the chairmanship rank promotion committee and as the Master Instructor for the Association.  Unfortunately, due to the Korean War and other various reasons, Supreme Grand Master Ro is the only one of these original visionaries still active in Tae Kwon Do today.

Tae Kwon Do - Song Moo Kwan literally means:  Tae - kicking, jumping, stepping or flying of the feet; Kwon - punching, striking of hand or fist; Do - art, technique or way of:  Song - pine tree (which symbolizes youth or health everlasting); Moo - Martial Art; and Kwan - gymnasium, house of study.  Ro chose 'Song' because of his birthplace "Song Do" City.  Song Do was the capital of Koryu, where he first learned about Tae Kyon from his neighbors.

On March 11th, 1944, Dang Soo Do - Song Moo Kwan was founded by Byung Jick Ro in Kae Sung, Korea.  Six months later in September of 1944, Dang Soo Do - Chung Do Kwan was founded by Won Kook Lee in Seoul, Korea.  Both closed their doors within 3-4 months after opening because they were not able to continue with the situation in Korea.  It was the end of World War II and Korea was under Japanese occupation during this time.  Japan took most Korean males under 60 years old wherever they needed them.  Specifically, the young adult men were drafted into war, therefore most of the men were uneasy and fearful and tried to hide themselves.  Learning sports was not their priority in life during this time.

After the Japanese occupation ended in the spring of 1946, Tae Kwon Do started to spread on a full scale to the general public in Korea.  Since that time, the name has changed from Dang Soo Do, Kong Soo Do, Soo Bak, Kwun Bup to Tae Soo Do and finally to today's Tae Kwon Do.

At Tiger's Lair Martial Arts, senior instructors Master Len Mennes, Master Willie Ranford and Master James Howard were all taught by Grand Master Il-Kwon Kim of Cincinnati, Ohio.   Grand Master Kim, a 9th degree black belt, is the President of the World Martial Arts Federation and an internationally-known authority on the martial arts.

Grand Master Kim was born in Korea and started training at the age of  7.  His love of the martial arts brought him to the United States where in 1967 he started the I. K. Kim Tae Kwon Do Centers.  Grand Master Kim studied under Grand Master Byung-Jik Ro who studied under Grand Master Gichin Funakoshi.  Ja Be Ryu is the style that has resulted from Grand Master Kim's over 50 years of experience.  Even today, Grand Master Kim circulates throughout the different branches of his organization, ensuring that the highest standards of instruction are still being maintained.

Master James Howard