Chief Instructor: Master Michael White Location: the mountains of central Pennsylvania, Philipsburg, PA, USA Phone: 814-342-6740 Date Openned: 1969

Our History: Appalachia Tang Soo Do is a studio in the mountains of central Pennsylvania, USA. The studio has been recognized since September 1969. Appalachia’s history is entwined with the history of World Tang Soo Do. I am going to relate the history of our association since this is our Association’s 20th year celebration. As a student, I had been training at Burlington Karate Club, a dojang in New Jersey. By October 1968, I was a green belt and our instructor stated that his master was visiting from Korea. We prepared a demonstration for then, Master Shin. We demonstrated for him and spent the next few weeks training under him. At this point, the studio instructor moved away leaving Master Shin with the studio. When this happened, Master Shin needed someone to help with daily chores. Being new to the country, Master Shin did not drive and lived at the studio. My relationship with Master Shin started at this point. I drove and completed duties for Master Shin that was more of a brotherly connection than a green belt student. I then learned about Master Shin’s mission to organize the returning soldiers, who trained and became Black Belts. Many of the returning soldiers had their own studios and wanted to further their own training.

This required Master Shin to travel, evaluate the need and continue advancement for these Black Belts. Grandmaster Shin and I began traveling to these studios to enhance Tang Soo Do. Also, many students came to the Burlington school to train. With all the traveling and connection, I became close to Grandmaster. On many occasions, we talked about an American association that gave all a place to call home. Discussion continued and Grandmaster started to form a close-knit association of Black Belts in America. During this time, my training was done at studios and in living rooms. Ultimately, I became a red belt. By now, Grandmaster and I were like brothers. Grandmaster was at home at my house, having many meals and living with my mother and myself. Master Shin called her his American mother.

In August of 1969, I moved to Philipsburg, Pennsylvania and began Appalachia Tang Soo Do. By having a distant studio, I now became one of the people who needed guidance. The studio started at a roller rink during off hours of the rink. At that time, students cleaned the rink for use of the wooden floor. This included maintenance of the large coal fired furnace. Appalachia TSD has a history of strict traditions and is bet known for mountain training, outdoors, in all weather conditions.

I wanted to become a Black Belt to continue my training and studio affiliation. Discussions between Grandmaster Shin and myself, at this point, were to bring the Black Belts to a meeting at the Burlington Studio. The early 70’s were a time of struggle for both the World Tang Soo Do Association and Appalachia Tang Soo Do. Locally, Appalachia moved to the Cold Stream Dam area. The studio was outdoors on a grass/beach area. Classes were taught throughout the year, in all weather conditions. At this point, the studio had some off/on students. The lone survivor throughout the long succession of students was a student named Charles Vaughn. Training maintained through the next three years at this outside location with students coming and going. Charles became Appalachia’s first Black Belt and later on, a Master Instructor himself. In the WTSDA, many instructors left to go to other associations and those who remained were confined to sporadic classes. A meeting was held at Burlington and the instructors wanted Master Shin to establish an American Tang Soo Do. At this point, we were under Moo Duk Kwan and Grandmaster Hwang Kee came to Burlington to evaluate the need in America. At this time the US Tang Soo Do Federation was formed with Master Shin as liaison and leader.

During this early 70’s period, Master Shin eagerly organized and led the Black Belts. As the new Federation evolved, many masters from other organizations and those who were independent, laid claim to being in charge and managed to lure some Black Belts to leave Master Shin’s teachings. It was a time of upheaval in the fledgling organization with black belts leaving and some remaining with Master Shin. We were teaching and training while waiting for some guidance in our new affiliation. Being close to Master Shin, I continued to request training time and the need for him to come to my dojang occasionally to teach. This was a dark period for me as I felt Master Shin may return to Korea and I would lose a brother and mentor. In 1973, the town of Philipsburg was starting a YMCA and Appalachia was asked to become their first program. A child/adult self-defense class was held in the spring of 1973. As a result of this class, a children’s program was developed. The adult program was offered the use of a building, in the forest, to hold their classes. This building was a haven for area training. It had only a fireplace and an excellent wooden floor. At this point, all wood for the fireplace had to be broken into fire-sized pieces by kyuck pa. Also, the students had to learn how to start a fire. Students, in turn, were given responsibility to start the fire with only three matches. If they didn’t get a fire going, then they had no heat. Many classes were held without heat. One of the great moments of Appalachia history was one winter day when the temperature was zero degrees Fahrenheit. Grandmaster Shin taught class, allowing only the initial wood in the fireplace to be burned, which only lasted 20 minutes. When class ended, all were warmed only by our Ki energy from the training sessions. It was a lesson for all – in Ki Gong.

From this mountain lair training area, Appalachia moved again. Indoors, at that time, was confining. So class was held at Master White’s home, in his yard. All classes were now outdoors. At this point, Appalachia had 20 – 30 black belts who were training twice weekly outdoors. A log across the stream was Naihanchi training. If footwork was wrong, you fell in the water.

By 1975, I had become a 2nd Dan and wanted to continue training and learning from Master Shin. Finally one night, Master Shin, Charles Vaughn (a Cho Dan student of mine), and myself again went over the need for Master Shin to maintain control of our training. This meeting was the actual agreement from Master Shin to take us out of our dark ages. Now was the new era for Appalachia and our Association. Many of the Black Belts from Appalachia Tang Soo Do wanted to teach by this time, so Appalachia spread throughout Central Pennsylvania. Schools were opened at every YMCA, military base and college within a 50 mile radius of Philipsburg. At this juncture, Appalachia was home to 20 separate studios, all of which were controlled by Appalachia. Appalachia held a Black Belt meeting each month where we discussed by rank the studio problems and accomplishments. When someone needed a demonstration, sometimes 100 to 200 students participated.

Master Shin came and gave a class stating his return to be our master teacher. My studio was deeply respectful of this man and we pledged our loyalty. I gave Master Shin a sword that stated my loyalty forever. The sword, to this day, is our master’s pledge of loyalty. Shin Karate moved to Philadelphia at our present location. I strongly urged Black Belts to come and train at the new Shin Karate Studio. Appalachia now had many studios and many students. Under the guidance of Master Shin, the new Shin Karate studio became stronger. We now were into the late 70’s; Black Belts were coming back, new ones were emerging and Shin Karate grew. Master Shin was trying to handle all correspondence himself. Every Black Belt was given his time in reading their essay and being added to the large index of numbered Black Belts under his guidance. To this day all new Black Belts have the individualized attention of Grandmaster Shin through their essay. Grandmaster still maintains this evaluation of each Black Belt. All this time, Appalachia was maintained as a branch of Shin Karate-mountain branch. That is why this history mingles Shin Karate and Appalachia.

In early 1982, Master Shin came to Appalachia’s main studio for a testing of students. At this testing, the World Tang Soo Do Association was started by Grandmaster. Former Appalachia studios become one quarter of the World Tang Soo Do Association,. Many of the studios produced Black Belts who were willing and wanting to teach. The students moved into other areas and propagated more studios with ties to Appalachia. I turned over all studios and students (approximately 300) to Grandmaster Shin. For a period of time, WTSDA was Shin Karate and Appalachia. The testing at Appalachia was, in fact, WTSDA’s first test cycle. John Beam, Charles Vaughn and I witnessed this test and presentation of the new Association.

We then became busy with organizing the formal WTSDA and forming the Association. Other Black Belts joined and Grandmaster Shin developed studio and rank certificates. Next was the formalization of WTSDA. Grandmaster Shin and I searched for a facility to hold the formal announcement of WTSDA. An emblem emerged by students sending Shin Karate their version of what our emblem should look like. Grandmaster Shin selected a site and on November 13, 1982, World Tang Soo Do Association became formal and Master Shin, by unanimous vote of Masters and Black Belts, was declared Grandmaster. All the WTSDA gup and Black Belt manuals have the original list of those Charter members present at this historic event. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, a brown belt, at the request of Kwan Chang Nim, formalized the gup student manual. This student was Michael Kaye of Appalachia Tang Soo Do-now Master Michael Kaye of Penn State Martial Arts Group. A few of the other names you may recognize from being involved in innovative publications, videos, website and materials presented to and for studios and students involved in the WTSDA are from the Appalachia/Penn State Martial Arts Group: Master Scott Homschek, Master Yen Touysinthiphonexay, Kelly Kemper, Scott Dible, Tim Schwartz, Patty Taverno, Dr. Susan Strohm, Dr. Patrick Parsons, Ken Peterman, Scott Merrill, Amandy Hagy, and Leslie Flaum.

Shin Karate and the World Tang Soo Do Association were now official. Help was needed with the control and correspondence to the studios that aligned with Master Shin. Master Shin stated he could handle all the correspondence but finally agreed to the need for help and he interviewed for an assistant. Finally, Master Shin stated that he had found one person with the same vision as himself. Our martial family grew with the addition of Maggie Gonski. Maggie was an organized take-charge person who was not afraid to speak her mind to Master Shin, respectfully of course. The relationship, meetings, planning, and hard work of Master Shin, Maggie, me, and numerous other Black Belts and gup students through these formulative years has helped our organization to evolve into the world-class professional organization which it is today.

In 1990, Appalachia moved to the new Moshannon Valley YMCA in Philipsburg. The YMCA had provided Appalachia with a large mirrored training hall. This was the first time in many years that we had formal indoor adult training. The children’s classes have always been held and still are held, in the YMCA. At the present time, Appalachia maintains a Black Belt class every Saturday from 10-11:30 am for any World Tang Soo Do Black Belt wishing to train. Sometimes two or three Black Belts come to train, sometimes 50 or more. The future is strong and Appalachia Black Belts have requested a return to outside training, in the forest, at Master White’s home. Black Belt class will probably be outdoors again, but still maintain a strong affiliation with the Moshannon Valley YMCA.

One of the main martial arts events for the WTSDA was the connection with Shaolin Temple, initiated by Appalachia’s Charles Vaughn and negotiated by Master Michael White and Master Charles Vaughn. At this juncture, the World Tang Soo Do Association gained worldwide recognition.

This is the story of our beginnings, which I have attempted to relate in an abridged version to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of our organization. I hope this history strengthens you to be as proud of your studio as I am of Appalachia Tang Soo Do. My studio beginnings are your beginnings. All studios have a beginning and a history. Your history adds to mine and we become the lineage of the WTSDA.

In Tang Soo Do Brotherhood,
Master Michael C. White
#14306