Our School

For the past 20 years the Lincoln Park Soo Bahk Do studio has been operated through the City of Lincoln Park’s Recreation Department. As a result, the registration for each session is handled through the City’s Community Center. Our studio is officially certified and recognized by the United States Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan Federation, Inc. The studio certification number is SE-471. The class information is as follows:

Session Length

2 Months (Session are held all year long)

Class Days

Tuesday and Thursday (Classes are held at the Lincoln Park Bandshell)

Children’s Class

Ages: 5-11

Time: 5:00pm – 5:45pm

Cost: $40.00 Residents, $45.00 Non-Residents

Adult Class

Ages: 12 & Up

Time: 5:45pm – 6:45pm

Cost: $45.00 Residents, $50.00 Non-Residents

Note: Uniforms are available for $30.00 (not required for the first session of training. Federation Membership is $59.00/year (not required for the first session, but needed for rank advancement).

Studio History

The Lincoln Park Soo Bahk Do studio can trace its history back to the very first introduction of Tang Soo Do (Soo Bahk Do) to the downriver area. In 1959, Dale Drouillard returned from the U.S. Army after being stationed in Korea. He was the first American to receive the level of Dan (Black Belt) ranking in Tang Soo Do (in Korea) and established a school at the Wyandotte, Mi YMCA. In 1960, a young man entered the YMCA to sign up for Judo lessons. While he was there he saw a Martial Arts class being taught in which the instructor was totally frustrating two, much larger, opponents than himself. The young man decided then and there, that he wanted to learn what he saw and signed up for Tang Soo Do lessons. A short time later he took over as instructor of the Wyandotte school and is now known as Sa Bom Nim Russ Hanke (8^th Dan, Dan #: 4137). In the 1960’s and 1970’s Sa Bom Nim Hanke started several studios in the downriver area, one of which was the program at the Lincoln Park Bandshell.

The program went along for a few years and faded into dormancy until approximately 1985. At that time one of Sa Bom Nim Hanke’s students Sa Bom Nim David Broughton (5^th Dan, Dan #: 26226) was sent to revive the program. Sa Bom Nim Broughton enjoyed many years of teaching at the Bandshell facility until moving to Oak Ridge, Tennessee for a new job. At this time the studio was handed over to Kyo Sa Nim Raymond Savoie (3^rd Dan, Dan #: 29480) from 1991 to 1996. After graduation from college Kyo Sa Nim Savoie moved to Arizona and handed the school over to Mr. Michael Hurst (2^nd Dan, Dan #: 31545). Mr. Hurst taught at the studio from 1996 until August of 2000. In September of 2000, Sa Bom Nim Joshua Lockwood took over as Owner and Head Instructor.

The Lincoln Park Soo Bahk Do studio has hosted numerous events over the years. These events have included the Region 5 Dan Shim Sa (Dan Testing), the Region 5 Championships (Tournament) and many studio and invitational tournaments throughout our history. The most historic event occurred in September of 1975. The Founder of our art, Kwan Jang Nim Hwang Kee, came to Michigan and conducted a two-day seminar in Memorial Park in front of the Bandshell. That seminar was one of the first of its kind that was conducted in the early years of our art in the United States.

1975 - Lincoln Park Clinic conducted by Kwan Jang Nim Hwang Kee