| Also known as | CKD |
|---|---|
| Focus | Striking |
| Country of origin | South Korea |
| Official website | www.choikwangdo.com |
Choi Kwang Do is a martial art developed by Kwang Jo Choi. The style relies more on flexibility and fluidity of movement as opposed to the more rigid lines of some other martial arts. To achieve this it employs yoga-based stretching to develop the flexibility of practitioners.[1]
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Choi Kwang Do was founded by Kwang Jo Choi on March 2nd 1987. Kwang Jo Choi was born in South Korea before emigrating to Canada in the early 1970s.[2] Choi was a successful ITF Tae Kwon Do practitioner and trainer (serving as a chief instructor) before establishing his own style.[3]
While teaching and demonstrating ITF Tae Kwon Do in South East Asia, Kwang Jo Choi became injured through his training and demonstrations to the point where he was unable to continue with the discipline.[4] So he left Malaysia (where he was demonstrating at the time) for North America, in the hope of finding orthopedic surgeons who would be able to help with his injuries.[5] Determining that the injuries were caused by the way he was performing martial arts, Choi undertook rehabilitative exercises, attended various seminars and studied techniques for rehabilitation. Choi incorporated these techniques into his own fighting style, and from that he developed Choi Kwang Do.[5]
Today, Choi Kwang-Do is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, and is taught in numerous countries including the United Kingdom with schools in England, Scotland and Wales.[3]
Choi Kwang Do emphasizes the use of biomechanics,[5] and to employ a number of modern disciplines, such as kinesiology and psychology, in its design.[3] The result is a tendency towards the use of natural bilateral movement and fluid sequential motion to develop optimum force on impact to place less pressure on the joints.[6] The style also incorporates breathing and stretching exercises from yoga.[7]
Choi Kwang Do is not designed for competition,[7] but for a natural and effective response to everyday stimuli and training is a mix of contact drills using pads and shields, non-contact drills and "in-fighting" close-quarter drills.[8]
Notable practitioners of the Choi Kwang Do style include:
| Word | Hangeul | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Charyeot | 차렷 | Attention |
| Gyeongnye | 경례 | Bow |
| Baro | 바로 | Return |
| Swieo | 쉬어 | At ease, relax |
| Kihap | 기합 | Spirit Yell |
| Chunbi | 준비 | Ready |
| Sijak | 시작 | Begin |
| Kallyeo | 갈려 | Break (separate) |
| Kaysok | 계속 | Continue |
| Kuman | 그만 | Finish (stop) |
| To Rah | 뒤로 돌아 | Turn around (about turn) |
| Haesan | 해산 | Dismiss |
Color Belts
Each colour belt has a senior level of that belt to indicate that a student has accomplished the required standard for that belt level. These are symbolised with a black stripe running through the senior belt e.g. White Belt Senior
Prior to 1999 CKD had 11 colored belts before introducing "senior" belts for each colored belt. The new curriculum increased the total number of colored belts to 18. Each senior belt retained the original pattern, while the solid colored belts were altered to a simplified one directional pattern.[12] There are no patterns past fourth degree black belt. The copyrighted CKD Student Guide states coloured belts are eligible to sit for belt exams each 2 months. A student therefore can receive their black belt after 3 to 3½ years depending on their schools closure times over christmas /New Year periods. However, becoming an Assistant Instructor gives the person entitlement to grade every month thus halving the period needed to acquire black belt. Anyone can become an Assistant Instructor after being recommended to the international headquarters by a school owner who has first received and then accepted the application based on their recommendation of the applicant and an essay they have submitted on why the applicant wishes to be an assistant instructor. The applicant must then pay an Assistant Instructor certification fee. There is a minimum rank required by Choi Kwang Do international regardless of previous experience and expertise of the applicant as stated here as gold belt which is the 5th rank (including white belt which all students start on) and only the second solid colored belt (not including white belt) in the system as shown on the rank table attached to this article.
In addition to this, the requirements for Assistant Instructor depends on the school owner, where as Gold Belt is a minimum requirement at HQ, some Instructors may not allow students to certify until Orange Belt (7th level) or even Green Belt (9th Level).
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