Get to know Korean martial art Tang Soo Do or ‘The Way of The Empty Hands’

A Tang Soo Do training session at the centre at Hui Sing Commercial Centr in Kuching.

By Wilfred Pilo

KUCHING, Aug 12: When it comes to martial arts, most people are familiar with more well-known ones such as Taekwondo, Karate, Muay Thai, and Judo.

But do you know Tang Soo Do?

A 58-year-old martial arts practitioner, Master Kiu Chiong Inn, learned the ancient Korean martial art of Tang Soo Do, or ‘The Way of The Empty Hands’, to stay physically fit and protect himself and his loved ones.

Kiu, a 5th Dan Black Belt, has been practising this form of self-defence for 39 years and has brought his son and daughter on the same journey as he believed it is a path to building self-confidence and strong moral values.

He shared with DayakDaily that these days, his journey in practising martial arts has been with his children.

“My son and daughter have joined me since they were young, making us a true martial arts family,” he said.

Kiu also encouraged young people to join Tang Soo Do, as the art involves a lot of discipline and philosophies in the training that can be put into good practice.

“Starting at a young age would be a good idea because it is not just self-defence but inculcates in our young mind self-control and discipline, thus gaining confidence and self-respect. In fact, that is the aim of the teaching, and Tang Soo Do itself,” he explained.

Two junior Tang Soo Do practitioners during a training session.

Kiu shared that when he was 15 years old, he was bullied at school, which motivated him to learn self-defence.

“One afternoon after school, I was confronted by three bullies who picked on me because I was slim and short.

“That experience motivated me to learn self-defence and join Tang Soo Do in Bintulu. I trained diligently and earned my 1st Dan black belt in 1987,” he said.

Kiu said that due to work commitments in Kuching, he paused his martial arts journey. However, in 2006, he resumed his training with renewed passion.

He shared that over the years, he had the privilege of representing Sarawak in various Tang Soo Do national championships held in Kelantan, Perak, Selangor, and Miri.

“I am proud to have achieved excellent results in both formation and free fighting in the lightweight categories,” he said.

In 2016, Kiu took a significant step forward by organising the Tang Soo Do Samarahan at the Hui Sing Commercial Centre.

“The journey was challenging, starting with just two students, but now the ‘jang’ (studio) had grown to over 200 students, covering the areas of Kuching, Samarahan, and Serian from primary school children to veteran practitioners,” he said.

Kiu’s persistence saw him teaching at several schools, including SJK Chung Hua Batu 10, SJK Chung Hua No. 2, SMK DPHA Gapor Stampin, and at the main gym at the Hui Sing Commercial Centre on Saturday and Sunday from 3pm to 5pm.

As a teenager, 56-year-old Master Thum Mu Lanng loved watching Hong Kong kung fu movies.

At that time, Thum, a 5th Dan black belt Tang Soo Do practitioner, accidentally came across a movie that starred Jean-Claude Van Damme.

“Van Damme’s movies were full of martial arts action and when I found out that he practised Tang Soo Do, I wanted to be like him. So, the movie star influenced me to take up Tang Soo Do, and that is how I got involved in martial arts,” he said.

Kiu demonstrates how to block using his hands during a training session.

Thum said he could not find a Tang Soo Do centre where he lived, so he joined Taekwondo and trained for a few years.

“It was in 1995 when I finally found a Tang Soo Do centre and joined. I had been practising for 29 years,” he said.

As for 38-year-old Master Robin Tsen, a 4th Dan black belt practitioner of 20 years, he started Tang Soo Do for health and self-defence reasons.

Explaining the meaning of the three syllables ‘Tang Soo Do’, he said that it originated from Chinese words and ‘Tang’ came from China’s Tang Dynasty, which was the era where martial arts flourished, ‘Soo’ meaning ‘hand’, and ‘Do’ meaning ‘the way’.

“Together, the three syllables mean ‘The way of the Empty Hands’, and basically, Tang Soo Do is a martial art trained in attacking and defending with our bare hands and feet.

“But these days, we learn to use weapons such as staffs, knives, swords, and canes. We also learn simple and complex formations that require concentration, coordination of balance power, and movement control,” he said.

(Left to right) Kiu, Tsen, and Thum during a Tang Soo Do demonstration.

Kiu, Thum, and Tsen are among the active Tang Soo Do master practitioners and members in Kuching who continue the Korean martial art founded by a South Korean grandmaster, Hwang Kee.

The grandmaster established the school called Moo Duk Kwan, which translates to the ‘Moral Martial Art Association’ in 1945.

Here in Sarawak, Tang Soo Do was first established in Miri in 1964, and after six decades, it has spread to Kuching, Sibu, Bintulu, Kapit, Limbang, and other districts in Sarawak.

Tang Soo Do is practised in many countries around the globe, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and the Philippines.

For more information, call 013-816 9138. — DayakDaily

Thum (in black) conducting a training session with Kiu at their studio at the Hui Sing Commercial Centre in Kuching.