Dear Friends,
We would like to welcome you and your family to the Tiger-Dragon Karate Club. We�re confident that you will discover the many benefits of martial arts training as you progress to black belt and beyond.
The martial arts system you will be learning at your new dojo (training hall) is Lung-Fu-Do Karate. The words are Chinese; Lung means �dragon,� Fu means �tiger,� and Do means �path� or �way.� The tiger symbolizes strength, while the dragon symbolizes wisdom. Therefore �Lung-Fu-Do� can be translated as �The Way of Strength and Wisdom.�
Lung-Fu-Do was developed by Grandmaster Charles Conley, who passed away in 1997. One of Grandmaster Conley�s first students was Mr. Ray Stapleton, judan (tenth degree black belt) who now holds the title of Grandmaster. One of Grandmaster Stapleton�s senior black belts is rokudan (sixth degree black belt) Mark Hurshman. Mr. Hurshman, addressed as Sensei Hurshman (sensei means �teacher�), is the owner and Chief Instructor of the Tiger-Dragon Karate Club. Mrs. Loretta Ledford, one of Sensei Hurshman�s senior black belts, is Assistant Instructor and Program Director.
We are very glad you chose to train with us! If at any time you have questions, don�t hesitate to contact Sensei Hurshman or Mrs. Ledford. Feel free to talk to us at the school, or we can be reached at (816) 630-4464. You can e-mail Sensei Hurshman at lung-fu-do@mchsi.com.
We look forward to traveling together on your road to black belt!
Sensei Mark Hurshman
TDKC
The martial arts system you will be learning at your new dojo (training hall) is Lung-Fu-Do Karate. The words are Chinese; Lung means �dragon,� Fu means �tiger,� and Do means �path� or �way.� The tiger symbolizes strength, while the dragon symbolizes wisdom. Therefore �Lung-Fu-Do� can be translated as �The Way of Strength and Wisdom.�
Lung-Fu-Do was developed by Grandmaster Charles Conley, who passed away in 1997. One of Grandmaster Conley�s first students was Mr. Ray Stapleton, judan (tenth degree black belt) who now holds the title of Grandmaster. One of Grandmaster Stapleton�s senior black belts is rokudan (sixth degree black belt) Mark Hurshman. Mr. Hurshman, addressed as Sensei Hurshman (sensei means �teacher�), is the owner and Chief Instructor of the Tiger-Dragon Karate Club.
Our system is based on several different martial arts from Korea, China, and Japan. The Korean martial art of Tang-Soo Do Moo Duk Kwon is known for its kicking techniques and is closely related to Tae Kwon Do. Grandmaster Conley trained with Tang-Soo Do stylist Chuck Condey, and this Korean system became a primary influence in the development of Lung-Fu-Do. Many of our striking techniques, kicking as well as hand skills, come from Tang-Soo Do.
A Chinese grappling system called Chi Na, which means �to seize and control,� also became a major influence in Lung-Fu-Do. Many of our self-defense techniques come directly from Chi Na. You will also find many Chi Na techniques in our katas and one-steps.
Other Chinese systems, including White Crane, were influential in the development of our system. While the Korean and Japanese influences are sometimes classified as �hard-style,� the Chinese systems that Grandmaster Conley introduced into Lung-Fu-Do are often called �soft-style.�
The Japanese aspects of our system come from Ju-jitsu and Judo. Ju-jitsu translates to �gentle art,� and Judo means �gentle way.� Both of these martial arts teach grappling skills. As they relate to our system, many joint manipulations in our curriculum come from Ju-jitsu, and we get many of our throws and ground fighting techniques from Judo.