AVAILABLE INSTRUCTION
The style of martial arts instruction selectively offered by SCMA is unique relative to most Tae Kwon Do schools in the United States. Our Tae Kwon Do training draws significantly from aspects of Karate and Hapkido and adds much greater emphasis than conventional Tae Kwon Do on:​
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More powerful and dynamic kicking techniques
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Upper body / hand techniques
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Self-defense and throwing techniques
TAE KWON DO
Our style of Tae Kwon Do was created by Grandmaster Jun Chong in 1972 who opened his flagship school in Los Angeles, California. Jun Chong Tae Kwon Do is a derivative of Song Moo Kwon, one of the five martial arts schools, or “kwans”, antecedent to conventional Tae Kwon Do broadly practiced today. Song Moo Kwan was the first of the original kwans, whose creator studied Shotokan Karate under its founder, Gichin Funakoshi, in Japan.
Tae Kwon Do is a martial art characterized by punching and kicking techniques, with emphasis on head-height kicks, jumping spinning kicks, and fast kicking techniques.
The five original kwans refer to the first five martial arts schools to open in Korea following the end of Japanese occupation at the end of World War II. Conventional Tae Kwon Do was established in 1959 when the leaders of the five original kwans formalized the creation of a unified Korean martial art, and the name, Tae Kwon Do. Conventional Tae Kwon Do incorporates elements of each of the five kwans and relies on a somewhat consistent curriculum.
Tae Kwon Do at our organization maintains a general compatibility with conventional Tae Kwon Do; however, the direct lineage from Shotokan Karate, Song Moo Kwon, Hapkido, and Grandmaster Jun Chong, create a meaningful distinction in technique, training, and quality.
KARATE
Karate evolved in East Asia over a period of centuries, becoming systematized in Okinawa in the 17th century. It was imported into Japan in the 1920s. Gichin Funakoshi was the founder of Shotokan Karate, perhaps the most widely known style of karate, and is known as a "father of modern karate". He taught karate at various Japanese universities and became honorary head of the Japan Karate Association upon its establishment in 1949.
Karate is predominantly a striking art using punching, kicking, knee strikes, elbow strikes and open-hand techniques. In Shotokan Karate techniques are characterized by deep, long stances that provide stability, enable powerful movements, and strengthen the legs. Shotokan is regarded as a dynamic martial art as it develops anaerobic, powerful techniques as well as developing speed.
HAPKIDO
Hapkido is a hybrid Korean-Japanese martial art. The art was adapted from Daito Ryu Aiki Jujutsu by Choi Yong-Sool when he returned to Korea after World War II after having lived in Japan for 30 years.
Hapkido is a form of self-defense that employs joint locks, grappling, throwing techniques, kicks, punches, other striking attacks, and weapons. Hapkido emphasizes circular motion, redirection of force, and control of the opponent. Practitioners seek to gain advantage over their opponents through footwork and body positioning to incorporate the use of leverage, avoiding the use of brute strength against brute strength.
RANKING SYSTEM
