Cherry Hill Health and Racquet Club
1820 Old Cuthbert Road - Cherry Hill, NJ
(856) 429-1388 ext. 194
History of . . .
Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan
Soo Bahk Do in its present form is relatively modern. Its basis, the Korean art of Soo Bahk Ki, dates back many centuries. Soo Bahk was first developed during the Silla Dynasty (618-935 A.D.) but enjoyed its flowering during the Koryo Dynasty (935-1392 A.D.)
Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan was developed by Grandmaster Hwang Kee (1914-2002), who, at a young age became interested in martial arts watching one man defend himself against a group of attackers. Thus began a lifetime of study of martial arts, which led him through Korea and Northern China.
In 1945, at the close of World War II, Grandmaster Hwang Kee founded the Moo Duk Kwan® (Martial Virtue School), which became the name of our style or organization. The Moo Duk Kwan grew to the largest Martial Art organization in Korea by 1960. Many American servicemen, including Chuck Norris, trained in the Moo Duk Kwan and earned theirDan (Midnight Blue Belt) in Korea. Then the name of the martial art we practiced was known as Tang Soo Do (China Hand Way).
Grandmaster changed the name to Soo Bahk Do in Korea in 1960 although it was not officially changed in the US until a few years ago. Now, only the schools that use the trademarked name ofSoo Bahk Do® are still operating under the Moo Duk Kwan and the founder's successor and son, Grandmaster H. C. Hwang.
Ginyard Achievement Center
On June 15, 1981 Ginyard Karate Achievement Center opened its doors a full time Martial Arts Center as The Tang Soo Karate Academy, located in the Centrum Shopping Center in Cherry Hill New Jersey. For the next 10 years the Center grew rapidly and moved to a larger facility in Mt. Ephraim New Jersey. In 1993 the Center changed its name to Ginyard Karate Achievement Center and in 1995 moved back to Cherry Hill into the Cherry Hill Health and Racquet Club. This move enabled the Center to reach a wider range of members. The Center has established itself as one of the top martial schools in the area.
For over 40 years of its history, 3000 students have been a part of the student roster and nearly 400 have achieved the rank of Dan, Midnight Blue Belt (Black Belt level). All of the Instructors at the Center are internationally certified with an average of 22 years of experience.