Tang Soo Do is the soft style of the ancient Korean martial art Soo Bahk Ki and retains the history and ritual of the original martial art. The hard style of Soo Bahk Ki exemplified by Tae Kwon Do is less formal and sports oriented. Tang, honors the Chinese Tang Dynasty which introduced the soft, flowing movements to oriental martial art. Soo is the Korean word for hand, specifically, the knife hand, the posture of the empty hand seen in a classic karate chop. Do means a way of doing something - with the implication that this way is part of a larger way of life.
Jae Chul Shin organized the World Tang Soo Do Association, headquarter in Burlington, NC, USA.