AMERICAN TANG SOO DO, often thought of as a sport, is more accurately described as a “physical art” and is designed for combat. It is only practiced in “sport” when practitioners participate in competitions such as tournaments. The main emphasis remains as personal character development through physical training. TANG SOO DO is classified as a “martial art,” martial meaning warlike or militaristic, due to its concentration on preparing the individual for combat.

TANG SOO DO is a combination of systems from the Asian continent. The native Korean art of SOO BAHK DO, Okinawan forms, and Northern Chinese KUNG FU form the basis for the system. Tang Soo Do (Korean Hangul: 당수도) is the Korean pronunciation of the Chinese characters 唐手道. The literal translation of the name breaks down as follows: TANG referring to the Tang Dynasty of China, where many of the art’s techniques were borrowed; SOO meaning “hand” in Korean; DO which means “the way” or “art of”; more literally, CHINESE HAND WAY. The Korean characters for TANG SOO DO, when read in Japanese translate as KARATE. This complicated and often undocumented translation or meaning has sometimes made it difficult to know the true translation of TANG SOO DO; the above explanation is the most commonly accepted version.

Various influences can be recognized by the advanced student of the art. The Tang Soo Do forms are Okinawan “katas” adapted to the Korean style of basics. Chinese influence can be found in many of the Black Belt forms such as Jion, Wang Shu, Rohai, and Chipsu with their sweeping circular hand techniques and one legged stances. The major influence is the native Korean Soo Bahk Do, with the dynamic kicking techniques, emphasis on devastating power, and the arrogance of posture in the basic stances.

The founder of the art is Grandmaster Hwang Kee. As a young martial artist in Korea during the Japanese occupation prior to World War II, Hwang Kee was not allowed to practice his art openly. He was forced to secretly train wherever and whenever possible. He subsequently fled to Manchuria and into Northern China to train openly and learn from the Chinese masters. His return to Korea after the war was hardly triumphant. The Korean government began a movement to nationalize all Korean karate under one banner.......Tae Kwon Do. After constant pressure to align with Tae Kwon Do, Grandmaster Kee opted to move his headquarters to a place where he could see his art grow and flourish without outside scrutiny. That place was New Jersey, in the United States of America.

Fate brought a young Air Force man named Chuck Norris to Osan Air Force Base in Korea for a tour of duty. Norris had been a Judo practitioner when a shoulder injury temporarily sidelined him. Being a fitness buff, he began searching for an alternate means of exercise. He came upon a class of fellow airmen practicing Tang Soo Do. He joined the class, and before returning home from is stay in Korea with the Air Force, he earned his Black Belt.

After being discharged from the Air Force, Mr. Norris began competing in tournaments. He learned that, although he had very good kicking techniques, he was lacking in superior hand skills. Always wanting to improve, he began to train in different styles incorporating their hand techniques into his Tang Soo Do and eventually developing “American Tang Soo Do”. He then became one of the most decorated tournament fighters in history. He passed these championship techniques down to his students, who also won at an unprecedented rate.

In November of 1973, Chuck Norris decided that he no longer desired to maintain affiliation with his Korean superiors, and formally broke ties with Grandmaster Kee. On this day, a young red belt named Dennis Ichikawa earned his Black Belt under Chuck Norris in Mr. Norris’ new organization, the National Tang Soo Do Congress. The Chuck Norris Corporation eventually ceased being studio operators; this allowed Mr. Ichikawa and partner, International Champion Harold Gross, to open the Tarzana Karate Studio in January of 1974. Mr. Ichikawa continued to operate the Tarzana studio after the partnership with Mr. Gross was ended in 1976 and in 1984 created his own organization. He then opened the Thousand Oaks Karate Studio in 1987, which subsequently became the T.O./Westlake Karate Studio in 1990. In 1987 Mr. Ichikawa formally named his organization the American Tang Soo Do Alliance (ATSDA) to join together all the studios of his Black Belt students as a formal organization.

After the partnership ended between Mr. Ichikawa and Mr. Gross, Mr. Gross pursued his martial arts career in locations at Lake Tahoe, Nevada and Reno, Nevada. It was in Reno that a former Tae Kwon Do student named Mikeal Smith began his American Tang Soo Do studies with Mr. Gross. In 1997 Mr. Smith attained the rank of 2nd Dan, and in 1998 Mr. Gross made the decision to retire from the martial arts as an instructor. At that time Mr. Smith was Mr. Gross’ Chief Instructor for what was called Reno Karate Studio. Having lost his instructor in Reno and still wanting to pursue his studies in American Tang Soo Do, Mr. Smith, contacted Mr. Gross’ old partner, Mr. Ichikawa, in hopes of securing a new instructor and continuing along the path of learning in American Tang Soo Do.

Mr. Ichikawa received the former student of Mr. Gross with a warm and true heart bringing him into the American Tang Soo Do Alliance (ATSDA). After training with Grand Master Ichikawa in Southern California, Mr. Smith returned to Reno, Nevada as the Chief Instructor for the American Tang Soo Do Alliance (ATSDA) for the State of Nevada, under the direct instruction of Grand Master Ichikawa.

Master Mikeal 'Bear' Smith continues to pass on his knowledge as Chief Instructor of Body Mind & Spirit Academy of Martial Arts; teaching various programs and American Tang Soo Do combined with JuJitsu, NinJitsu, Philippine Stick Fighting, and Close Quarters Combat.