American Tang Soo Do is a hybrid martial art brought to the US by Shin Jae Chul who was sent to Springfield, NJ by Hwang Kee in the mid-60’s.
[citation needed] American Tang Soo Do's original governing body was the National Tang Soo Do Congress (NTC) founded in 1973 by Chuck Norris as its president and Pat E. Johnson as its vice-president and Chief of Instruction after breaking ties with the Moo Duk Kwan.
In 1979, Norris dissolved the NTC and formed his current organization the United Fighting Arts Federation (UFAF) and named Johnson as executive vice president.
At that time due to a philosophical difference of opinion with Norris, Johnson would leave the UFAF and reform the NTC as the governing body for American Tang Soo Do while Norris kept UFAF as the parent organization for his new martial arts system of Chun Kuk Do.
These are forms originating on Okinawa created by Anko Itosu and known as the Pinan in most Japanese and Okinawan systems and Heian in Shotokan.
While most of the advanced forms do resemble their Japanese/Korean counterparts, others are unique due to Ki Whang Kim’s Shudokan Karate influence on Norris, most notably Chin Te and Jion.
Practiced in pairs; one partner attacks, often with a single punch or kick, and the other person will perform a series of prearranged techniques, often in a block-strike-sweep sequence.
Though often billed as "light" or "no-contact," the typical level of contact is moderate, being controlled to both the body and head (in dan divisions).
Most Tang Soo Do practitioners feel that contact in sparring is essential to understanding proper technique and necessary for developing mental preparedness and a level of relaxation critical to focus performance in stressful situations.
Serious injuries are counterproductive because they inhibit a level of physical training that is needed to foster emotional and intellectual growth.
Though Tang Soo Do sparring is competitive, traditional matches are more of an exercise, or a way of developing oneself not only physically, but mentally and emotionally as well.
This not only includes a myriad of life-saving techniques based on Karate, Judo, Boxing, and Kickboxing, but training to have a self-defense and self-preservation mindset.
[8] UFAF has also eliminated all but two of the original black belt forms (Kong Sang Koon and Jion) from the syllabus.