James Dunn

Tang Soo Do is a much older form of martial arts, having its roots deep in Korea as the traditional martial art form for the country. Therefore, it's lineage and creation is not as easily traceable as one of the more well known and recent forms of martial arts. Some say that the "founder" of the martial art form Tang Soo Do is a man by the name of Won Kuk Lee (also known as the founder of Chung Do Kwan, a similar martial art form), however, others argue that Won Kuk Lee only coined the name Tang Soo Do and did not create the martial art form himself.

It seems the history of Tai Chi can be traced back to Buddhist and Taoist temples. Though the history is mostly told from a modern perspective of legend, it would appear that many Buddhist and Taoist theories and practices are apparent in the teachings. Some believe that the martial art form was founded by Zhang Sanfeng in the 12th century. Others purport that it was founded by the Chen family in 1820 who then taught it to the Yang family.

Fortunately, the history of Taekwondo is more easily traced than many other forms of martial arts. Since it is a newer and more recent martial art, the origins are fairly well documented and allow for thorough study of its origins and history. Taekwondo is primarily a Korean martial art, having been created during the early years after the end of the Korean War.

Self defense is such a broad term that the history of it cannot be pinned down in the least. It is safe to say, however, that the broad spectrum of self defense can be considered as having come from the dawn of time even the earliest forms of human had to learn how to protect themselves and teach their strategies to others. From there self defense evolved into less primitive forms and into delineated and disciplined forms, such as with martial arts.

It is certainly no surprise that Ninjutsu does not have a clear lineage or history, especially given its dealings with extreme amounts of secrecy, stealth and escapism. More than likely, the early founders of Ninjutsu did not necessarily want many people knowing where this art came from, considering they were trying to remain concealed and as unobtrusive as possible.