Kwans

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This article is about martial arts. For the Finnish music band see Kwan

Kwan (관 hanja: 館) in Korean literally means building or hall, but when used in martial arts it can also refer to a school or clan of martial artists who follow the same style and/or leader. This article is about the different taekwondo kwans.

[edit] The 5 original Taekwondo kwans

Chung Do Kwan - founded in 1944 by Lee Won Kyuk, who had studied Shotokan karate with Gichin Funakoshi in Japan, and later called his art Tang Soo Do.
Moo Duk Kwan - founded after 1946 by Hwang Kee. Kee claims to have studied Tai Chi and some types of Kung Fu with Yang Kuk Jin in China. His first two attempts at running a school of Hwa Soo Do were unsuccessful. He then trained with Won Kyuk Lee at the Chung Do Kwan, gaining the equivalent of a green belt. Lee claims Kee was his student, but Kee disputes Lee's claim, and acknowledges only Yang Kuk Jin as his teacher. Kee says he learned the Shotokan forms from Gichin Funakoshi's books. When Kee started teaching the Shotokan forms, his school became successful. Kee was close friends with some noted Japanese karate people as well. Regardless of the source of his skills, what Kee taught was obviously highly influenced by Japanese karate. Kee originally called his art Hwa Soo Do, then Tang Soo Do, then, in the 1990s, Soo Bahk Do.
Song Moo Kwan - founded March 11, 1946 by Ro Byung Jick, who had studied Shotokan karate with Gichin Funakoshi in Japan, and later created his art Tang Soo Do.
Kwon Bop Bu/Chang Moo Kwan - founded in 1946 by Yoon Byung In, who had studied Chinese Kung Fu (ch'uan-fa) in Manchuria and Shudokan karate with Kanken Tōyama in Japan, and later called his art Kwon Bop Kong Soo Do. Yoon went missing during the Korean War. His teachings were carried on by his top student Lee Nam Suk, who changed the name of the school to Chang Moo Kwan.
Yun Moo Kwan/Jidokwan - founded March 3, 1946 by Chun Sang Sup, who had studied Shotokan karate with Gichin Funakoshi in Japan, and later called his art Kong Soo Do. The full name of this kwan was "Chosun Yun Moo Kwan Kong Soo Do Bu" (the Chosun Yun Moo Kwan had been the original Japanese Judo school in Korea for over 30 years previously). Chun went missing during the Korean War; subsequently, this kwan voted to change its name to Jidokwan.

[edit] Later important Taekwondo kwans (post Korean War)

Han Moo Kwan - founded in August 1954 by Lee Kyo Yoon as an offshoot of the Yun Moo Kwan/Jidokwan.
Oh Do Kwan - founded in 1955 by Choi Hong Hi, Nam Tae Hi and Han Cha Kyo as an offshoot of the Chung Do Kwan.
Kang Duk Won - founded in 1956 by Park Chul Hee and Hong Jong Pyo as an offshoot of the Kwon Bop Bu/Chang Moo Kwan.
Jung Do Kwan - founded in 1956 by Lee Yong Woo (died August, 2006) as an offshoot of the Chung Do Kwan.

Annex Kwans

The four later Kwans are considered annex kwans, since they all are direct lines from one of the 5 earlier kwans.