Choi Kwang Do
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Choi Kwang Do is a
martial art Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the pres ...
developed by Choi Kwang-jo. The style relies on flexibility and fluidity of movement as opposed to the more rigid lines of some other martial arts. To achieve this it employs
yoga Yoga (UK: , US: ; 'yoga' ; ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines that originated with its own philosophy in ancient India, aimed at controlling body and mind to attain various salvation goals, as pra ...
-based stretching to develop the flexibility of practitioners. Furthermore, it focuses on a strong mind as well as a strong body. It is made to be accessible to everyone.


History

Choi Kwang Do was founded by Choi Kwang-jo on March 2, 1987. Choi Kwang-jo was born in
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
before emigrating to
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
in the early 1970s. Choi was a successful ITF
Tae Kwon Do Taekwondo (; ; ) is a Korean martial art and combat sport involving primarily kicking techniques and punching. "Taekwondo" can be translated as ''tae'' ("strike with foot"), ''kwon'' ("strike with hand"), and ''do'' ("the art or way"). In a ...
practitioner and trainer (serving as a chief instructor) before establishing his own style. While teaching and demonstrating ITF Tae Kwon Do in
South East Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...
, Choi Kwang-jo became injured through his training and demonstrations to the point where he was unable to continue with the discipline. So he left
Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
(where he was demonstrating at the time) for
North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
, in the hope of finding
orthopedic Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics ( alternative spelling orthopaedics) is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system. Orthopedic surgeons use both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal ...
surgeons who would be able to help with his injuries. Determining that the injuries were caused by the way he was performing martial arts, Choi undertook rehabilitative exercises, attended various seminars and studied techniques for rehabilitation. Choi incorporated these techniques into his own fighting style, and from that he developed Choi Kwang Do. Today, Choi Kwang Do is headquartered in
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
,
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
by one organization and Temperance,
Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
by another organization. It is taught in numerous countries including the United Kingdom with schools in England, Scotland and Wales, and Puerto Rico with schools in Guaynabo, Las Piedras, Caguas and San Lorenzo, Malaysia and Argentina, among others.


Style and training

Choi Kwang Do emphasizes the use of biomechanics, and to employ a number of modern disciplines, such as
kinesiology Kinesiology () is the scientific study of human body movement. Kinesiology addresses physiological, anatomical, Biomechanics, biomechanical, Pathology, pathological, neuropsychological principles and mechanisms of movement. Applications of kines ...
and
psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Its subject matter includes the behavior of humans and nonhumans, both consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, and mental processes such as thoughts, feel ...
, in its design. The result is a tendency towards the use of natural bilateral movement and fluid sequential motion to develop optimum force on impact to place less pressure on the joints. The style also incorporates breathing and stretching exercises from yoga. Choi Kwang Do is a non-competitive martial art (participants are instead encouraged to measure their success against their own past milestones), but for a natural and effective response to everyday stimuli and training is a mix of contact drills using pads and shields, non-contact drills and "in-fighting" close-quarter drills. Therefore, the pacifist can also practice Choi Kwang Do, as the ideals focus on self development, be it physical health goals, self confidence or preparation for self defence situation. It does not rely on mass to create strength, making it accessible to women and children as well as men.


Health considerations

A 2018 injury survey found that the annual rate of injury is 11.73 for every 100 Choi Kwang Do practitioners meaning it is a "safe martial art that adults of all ages can participate in", with no correlation between the length of training experience and injury. The most common causes of injury were cited as improper technique and overexertion.


Practitioners

Notable practitioners of the Choi Kwang Do style include: * Choi Kwang-jo (founder) – inducted into the Taekwondo Times Magazine Hall of Fame, 2006. * Lynne Russell
Deputy Sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland, the , which is commonly ...
,
Private Investigator A private investigator (often abbreviated to PI; also known as a private detective, an inquiry agent or informally a wikt:private eye, private eye) is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. ...
and author of ''How to Win Friends, Kick Ass and Influence People''. *
Catriona Gray Catriona Elisa Magnayon Gray ( ; ; born January 6, 1994) is a Filipino beauty queen and media personality best known for winning the title of Miss Universe 2018. The fourth Filipina to win Miss Universe, Gray was previously crowned Miss Worl ...
Miss Universe Miss Universe is an annual international major beauty pageant that is run by a Thailand and Mexican-based Miss Universe Organization.Natalie Tadena (July 2, 2015"Donald Trump's Miss USA Pageant Lands on Reelz Cable Channel". ''The Wall Stree ...
2018, and Filipino television host, singer, model, and stage actress.


Promise

*To always do my best and never give up *To obey my parents and teachers *To always be polite *To tell the truth and honour my word *To never misuse what I learn in class


Pledge

*To set positive goals and strive to achieve them *To apply self discipline to further my personal development *To stand for justice and honour my word *To promote friendly relationships among all people *To use what I learn in class in a constructive manner


Principles

*Humility *Integrity *Gentleness *Perseverance *Self-Control *Unbreakable Spirit


Commands


Grading system

Choi Kwang Do uses a system of colored belts for ranking. Each color rank also has a corresponding "Senior" rank which is differentiated with a horizontal black stripe through the middle of the belt. For black belt ranks, a dan system is used from 1st through 9th dan. The rank of 9th dan is only held by Choi Kwang-jo.


Criticism

Choi Kwang Do has been criticised for claiming it is "proven" to be the most effective martial arts system in the world (as claimed on the CKD official website). Choi Kwang Do has never been able to substantiate this claim. Other criticisms focus on Choi Kwang Do promoting very young children to black belt grades.


References


External links


Choi Kwang Do International Organisation
{{Korean martial arts South Korean martial arts