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An
Accredited Program Based on Tradition, Values and Science
Paik’s Traditional Martial Arts Centers teach students of all ages,
backgrounds, and levels of experience in a wide range of traditional
martial arts. Unlike most “American Style” Karate programs popular
today, careful attention is given to preserving the integrity of the
art. Traditional concepts, values, and virtues guide the program’s
progressive and scientific teaching methods to produce one of the only
programs in the area that is accredited by an international governing body. This approach fosters an environment
of excellence where students of all ages improve their esteem,
confidence, inner strength,
and self control.
Celebrating
37 Years in Madison
The year 2011 marks Paik’s 40th year serving the Madison community.
Originally started by Grandmaster Sang Kee Paik, the program is based
on the flowing, circular, and absorbing motions of Chuan Fa blended
with Taekwondo style kicking and the linear, direct style of Karate—all
of which Grandmaster Sang Kee Paik mastered in Korea. In 1996,
Grandmaster Sang Kee Paik’s son, Master Peter Paik assumed full time
operation of the program. Since then the program has produced over 30
national champions in Karate and Taekwondo.

History/Lineage
of Paik's Martial Arts System
In 1971, Sang Kee Paik, a pathologist who immigrated to the US from S.
Korea in 1969 began teaching the Chuan Fa system he had learned in
Korea during the 1940s. Dr Paik started his training in 1945 at the
Sung Kyun Kwan University under a Shudokan Karate master, Ki Whang Kim.
Having studied Shudokan Karate at the Nihon University in Tokyo, Japan
under Toyama Kanken, Kim had accomplished a 3rd degree blackbelt in the
Shudokan system.
As
an employee of the University, Master Kim had started the Karate club
but there were times due to scheduling that Master Kim could not teach
his karate classes. In such a case, he recommended that his students
attend the Chosun YunMukwan and train with his senior and close friend,
Byung In Yoon who had trained in the same hall with Master Kim and
received the 4th degree in Shudokan.
Master
Yoon, a skillful Shudokan blackbelt was first a Chuan Fa master having
been born and raised in the Northernmost province of Korea, he
frequented Manchuria and learned Chuan Fa from an original Chinese
master. Master Yoon had set up the Kwon Bup section of the Chosun
YunMuKwan. YunMukwan was a training center of martial arts in Seoul,
Korea, Kwon Bup is Korean for Chuan Fa. In training with (Grand)master
Yoon, Sang Kee Paik learned a flowing, waterlike martial art which was
considered SOFT system. (Grand)master Kim had already set a solid
Karate foundation.
In 1947, After several years of training, the young Dr. Paik became the
first of the Kim/Yoon pupils to receive the blackbelt.
Soon
thereafter, Korean War broke out and Grandmaster Yoon disappeared, and
after the war, Ki Whang Kim taught in the Seoul area where Dr. Paik
pursued his passion. When Grandmaster Kim left for the US, in 1959, Dr.
Paik sought out his friend and training mate at the old dojang,
Grandmaster Chull Hee Park, who had founded the "Kang Duk Won Kwon Bup
Bu" in 1956 and had been training many future grandmasters. Throughout
the 60s, the 2 friends trained.
In
1969, the Paik family moved to the US. The Paik family had grown to 4
with son Peter and daughter Myung.
Originally named "Paik's Oriental Martial Arts Institute", Dr. Paik
started to teach the system he learned and researched in Korea. The
system resembled the Chuan Fa he had learned from Yoon and the
movements were flowing, circular, and absorbing, much like water. Named
after the elements of life, Dr. Paik had a unique system he called
"Sa-Sang". Many of the concepts and techniques are based on the
philosophy of the 4 elements, air, earth, fire, and water. Added to
this his knowledge of Taekwondo style kicking, and the linear, direct
attack style of Karate he had mastered from his days in Korea training
under the Kim/Yoon tutelege, Dr. Paik had a unique, devastating system.
In
the mid 1970s, Dr. Paik had surgery on both his knees, which had been
bothering him for a while. To help instruct and manage his school, he
brought on a young, dynamic Taekwondo Champion from Korea, Il Sik Kim
to instruct for him. Master Kim introduced the Paik's school to the
competitive aspect of Taekwondo.
After
Master Kim moved on to open his own schools in Indiana and Illinois,
Paik's school, now named Paik's Academy of Martial Arts began to
dominate the tournament scene. Always open to new ideas and systems,
Dr. Paik instructed his son Peter and daughter Myung to attend all
different styles of competitions, to pit their skills against the best
other schools and systems had to offer.
Led
by the younger Paik's, particularly Peter, Paik's academy enjoyed much
success in the tournament arena. In the 1980s, the martial arts boom
separated the martial arts industry into either a traditional school
based on the philosophy and the traditions as passed on by the ancient
masters, or the more modern school which taught a more trendy,
"Americanized" version of martial arts.
Preferring
to stay with a more traditional version of the martial arts, Dr Paik
stayed closely with the Taekwondo movement and was instrumental in
helping Taekwondo become an Olympic sport. Also well aware of the
bounds that tradition can put on progress, he developed Taekwondo's
creative side as he introduced the creative form competition in the
1990 United States Taekwondo Union National Championships which he was
asked to host at the Dane County Coliseum in Madison, WI.
Mr.
Peter Paik, using the skills and the techniques he learned through his
father, made a name for himself as a competitor in the Taekwondo and
the Karate circuits through the late 70s and the early 80s. He took
advantage of his competitive experience to learned about Okinawan
weapons, Chinese KungFu, and even American Kickboxing as he competed
and trained with some of the best known martial artists of that time.
John Longstreet, Ray McCallum, Dan Anderson, Keith Vitali, Steve
Anderson, Freddie Letuli, Harold Burrage, Gerard Robbins, David Deaton,
Mike Genova, Joe Corley, Jeff Smith, John Worley, Kareem Ali Jabbar,
Greg Fears, Tony Blanchard, John Chung, George Chung, Ernie Reyes Sr,
and Jr, Arlene Limas, Linda Denley, John Sharkey, Cynthia Rothrock, and
Grandmaster Jhoon Rhee were all legendary in the American martial arts
scene and helped in Mr. Paik's development as a martial artist thus
helping to shape him as a competitor, a technician, and a champion.
In
the late 80s, Mr. Paik moved to Florida to pursue a Movie connection he
had made through his travels and settled in Orlando, FL. At the request
of his father, he opened a Taekwondo school and actively supported many
Taekwondo events all over Florida, Georgia, and Alabama and received
his 6th degree blackbelt. With a little guidance from another ex-Ki
Whang Kim blackbelt, Grandmaster Jang Yeol Park, Mr. Paik found a niche
in the Florida Taekwondo scene. He also befriended an established
Taekwondo and Ju jitsu master Angel Gonzalez, who inspired him to
improve his schools and reach new heights.
In 1996, his father, Grandmaster Sang Kee Paik was ailing in health and
summoned his son back to Madison, WI. 1997, he made a move back to
Madison and 1998, took over the operations full time. Since then, He
has received his 8th degree blackbelt and in 2007, produced more than
30 National Champions in Karate and Taekwondo. People drive from other
states to train with Master Paik.
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