History of American Kang Duk Won

AMERICAN KANG DUK WON is a style of Martial Art formed by Master Kum Chun Kim and Grandmaster Raymond P. Arndt. The idea of forming a style of Martial Art that did not conform strictly to the rigid guidelines of any federation and would meet the practical needs of North Americans was formulated in the early 1970s.

Grandmaster Arndt, a Korean stylist, who also holds Black Belts in Japanese and Okinawan styles, incorporated techniques from those styles in to the Kang Duk Won Style, of which he was East Coast Representative. Together with Master Kim, he experimented to find the best way to apply these techniques. Through their efforts, the American Kang Duk Won Style was to become a reality. The style adheres to the strict discipline and mental conditioning that is inherent in most all Korean Martial Arts.

After Master Kim's untimely death in 1983, Grandmaster Arndt continued to build the American Kang Duk Won Association. With his love of the Martial Arts and vast knowledge, he diligently pursued Master Kim's dream of producing a large group of highly trained and dedicated Black Belts.

American Kang Duk Won is not a sport. It is an art. It is the art of self-defense, self-discipline, and self-respect. It teaches the basic tenets of the Martial Arts: respect, loyalty, responsibility, courtesy, inner strength, and moral justification in all things.

The katas, or formal exercises, of American Kang Duk Won are the Korean Palgays along with Okinawan, Chinese, and Japanese forms for advanced belts. The self-defense techniques were developed for practical street self-defense, women's self-defense, law enforcement defensive tactics, and a S.A.F.E. (Self Awareness For Everyone) program for children and adults which focuses on anti-abduction techniques.

The style emphasizes the mental aspects of the Martial Arts above all. In the words of Grandmaster Raymond P. Arndt, "American Kang Duk Won is 90% mental."