Song Moo Kwan
| Also known as | Songmookwan |
|---|---|
| Date founded | March 20, 1944 |
| Country of origin |
 Kaesŏng, North Hwanghae Province, North Korea
|
| Founder | Byung Jik Ro |
| Arts taught | Taekwondo |
| Ancestor arts | Kong Soo Do, Shaolin Kung Fu, Hapkido |
| Ancestor schools | Korean Kongsoodo Association |
| Official website | www.songmookwan.com |
| Song Moo Kwan | |
| Hangul | 송무관 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 松武館 |
| Revised Romanization | Song Mu Gwan |
| McCune–Reischauer | Song Mu Kwan |
Song Moo Kwan, also named "Song Moo Kwan Kong Soo Do ", is one of the Five original kwans (martial art schools) of taekwondo in Korea. Its founder, from 1944, Byung Jick Ro, is one of the highest ranking taekwondo practitioners in the world.
Byung Jick Ro was born July 3, 1919, in Kaesung City, Korea. Frail health forced him to enter school a year later than normal. At the age of 12, his interest in the martial arts intensified as he watched the techniques practiced in local temples. He was inspired to train with intense dedication, which subsequently strengthened him and improved his health.
As a young man, Ro traveled to Japan to study law at Japan University. He sought out Shotokan founder, Gichin Funakoshi. Beginning in 1936, Ro studied Shotokan under Funakoshi, along with Chung Do Kwan founder, Won Kuk Lee. Ro subsequently earned his 4th Degree black belt in 1943. During college vacations, he returned home and taught friends and neighbors the techniques he had learned.In February 1944, he returned to Korea, where he continued to create additional hand and foot techniques of his own.
Honoring numerous training requests, he opened the Kaesung dojang on March 20, 1944 in the Kwan Duck Jung archery school, establishing the first of the "original founding kwans". Unfortunately, due to the situation in Korea during this time, the dojang was forced to close within three to four months after opening. It was the end of World War II, and Korea was under Japanese occupation. Survival was the first priority for the people of Korea, and training in the martial arts was far from their minds. On May 2, 1946, Ro re-established his art at Dong Hung Dong City. For the next few years, martial arts swept through the Korean general population and began to thrive as additional Kwans sprang up. However, war would again cause Ro and the rest of the founders to abandon their dreams, as the Korean War forced them to close their doors.
Early Song Moo Kwan practice sessions started with an hour of warm-up exercises consisting of lifting weights and then practicing on the Kwon Go (makiwara). Byung Jick Ro was known as a powerful puncher and kicker from his students. He always let his students punch the Kwon Go at least 100 times and then started the real practice. If students received the 4th Guep or higher, he let them spar. He was known to have his students practice in cold weather during winter and in the hot weather during summer.
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