Odo Kwan Tang Soo Do

The author has been training in martial arts since he joined his first Tae Kwon Do class after graduating from college the first time and began publishing magazine articles around 1990. Len believes that the value in his writing is his unique interpretation of the many classical oral traditions that Korean martial arts is defined by using his his scientific, psychological and philosophical background. Len began teaching martial arts after earning a Cho Dan (1st/lesser level) Black Belt in the highly contentious styles of Moo Duk Kwan Tae Kwon Do and Moo Duk Kwan Tang Soo Do. As a Journalist, in 1984, Len began writing and publishing martial arts related articles, editorials and books extensively on Korean martial arts, Confucius, Lao Tzu, Eastern thought and meditation including the World of Martial Arts, Tae Kwon Do Times, Black Belt and Mudo Dojang and others. Len’s martial arts related articles illustrated the lost history of Korean martial arts and so Len’s articles and books have been translated and republished in countries around the world because of the small amount of historical information that had been previously unavailable prior to his publications. Len has published more than 40 books on Korean martial arts. Len’s books are not how-to punch and kick but are about the more academic aspects of the traditional Korean-based styles of Tang Soo Do, Soo Bahk, Tae Kwon Do and Kong Soo Do and the many Kwans and the Kwan founders that resurrected Korean martial arts after the Japanese occupation ended in 1945 that were responsible for the Post war Korean martial arts community that became popular for Western countries after the Korean war and how Tang Soo Do was transformed into Taekwondo as Korea’s national martial arts and Olympic sport. One of Len’s books for helping parents choose an optimum style for their child based on the child’s physical and psychological factors received the Good Housekeeping magazine’s Seal of Approval when it was published over 20 years ago. Len currently has more than 25 years of martial arts experience as a student and Instructor, training and teaching in three different styles. Len has also studied Shotokan Karate and the Chinese Wing Chun fighting style extensively. Academically, Len has earned degrees in Physics and Mathematics simultaneously, and graduate degrees and a Ph.D in Electrical Engineering and a graduate degree in Education.