American Ji Do Kwan Karate is quite a mouthful. I would have liked something shorter perhaps more explosive or dynamic in sound. Some of my "friends" have nicknamed it "Fu-zi do", more as a tease than anything I suppose. I must admit we have been presented with worse. "Lorain-ryu" for example.

I was always proud that my base system was Ji Do Kwan Karate. I like the fact that it seemed to be more of a "maverick" Kwan before it's incorporation into Tae Kwon Do. Free thinking, courage to stand on their own. Now it’s been in America for almost forty years. As a tribute to Robert Moore and the original Kong Su Do Kwan, American Ji Do Kwan Karate. In the end, "A rose by any other name"...

The simplest description of what American Ji Do Kwan Karate is would be as follows:

American Ji Do Kwan Karate is a hybrid art comprised of a base art called Ji Do Kwan Kong Su Do combined with Ju-jitsu, Hapkido, Judo, Arnis, Eskrido, and Tai Chi Chuan. It’s technique are also influenced by Shorei Kempo, Shorin-ryu Karate, and Shotokan Karate.

Looking at the art in its totality. American Ji Do Kwan Karate is actually more of a Ju-jitsu than a Karate. It is not just a punching, kicking, striking art employing a few joint locks and takedowns. But rather a punching, kicking, striking, locking, twisting, and takedown art, employing a series of throws.

American Ji Do Kwan Karate is an intermediate art employing both hard and soft technique, and both straight line and circular motion. Balance between hand and foot techniques is placed 65 percent on hands and 35 percent on feet. High kicks are stressed for lower ranks, and low kicks are stressed for upper ranks.

It is geared for use in self-defense and the study of the Martial Arts by the public in general. It is not a sport, but can and has been employed at sporting events ranging through the entire spectrum from forms, and weapons forms, to fighting at touch contact, hard contact and submission events with success. I have left out full contact (Kickboxing) because the usual changes that must be made to compete in that arena change the art to something other than what it is.