Soo Bahk Do is a traditional martial art. As an art form it is concerned with theory, form and aesthetics.

From Karate Grading 4 Sep 2010 Soo Bahk Do

Soo Bahk Do is based on the traditional martial arts of Korea. During the occupation of Korea, all Korean martial arts training was forbidden by the Japanese, and practitioners who had been forced to go to Japan or Okinawa for school or work learned Japanese styles while they were there.
Others went to China where they practised Chinese martial arts. After the liberation of Korea many of these people returned to Korea to teach martial arts and brought these different styles with them. One of these was Grandmaster Hwang Kee who founded our art in 1945.