Photo taken in China in 1986 L to R - Masters Annie Soo-Mott, Floyd Soo, Vince Soo

Master Floyd Soo and Master Annie Soo-Mott began their martial arts training in the mid-60s, when they began taking Judo lessons together. A year or so later, in 1967, both brother and sister started their training in Moo Duk Kwan -Tang Soo Do, when the Detroit Tang Soo Do Association opened up a club a few blocks from their home in Royal Oak, Michigan. Their first instructor was Dale Drouillard, a 3rd Dan Black Belt at the time. Master Drouillard is now a 9th Dan and is still actively teaching Moo Duk Kwan - Tang Soo Do in the Detroit area. Master Drouillard has the distinction of being the very first American to be awarded a 1st Dan Black Belt (Pin #757) by Kwan Jang Nim Hwang Kee (founder of our art), while Master Drouillard was stationed with American armed forces in South Korea in 1957. At the time Master Drouillard was teaching in Royal Oak, he was teaching for Master Sang Kyu Shim.

Master Sang Kyu Shim (Pin #180) was sponsored (to be relocated from South Korea to Detroit) by Master Drouillard in the early ‘60s for the purpose of organizing the Moo Duk Kwan here in the USA. With strict, traditional guidance from instructors like these, Masters Floyd and Annie learned the high standards of physical and mental training as well as the discipline that Tang Soo Do was known for.  Even though Floyd and Annie were in their mid-teens, Master Shim treated them (in training and testing) as adults.  In fact, the teens had to break 4 inches of wood (unspaced) with a jump (spinning back) kick, just like the adults in line next to them before they qualified for their 1st Dan Black Belt in 1969! Master Shim was an incredible influence and role model for Floyd and Annie (and eventually younger brother Vince too).

In 1973, Masters Floyd and Annie moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan to attend Western Michigan University (WMU). There, they met Master Mike March, a 3rd Dan Black Belt at the time. Once they watched a class or two taught by Master March (now a 6th Dan Black Belt), Masters Floyd and Annie knew they had found a new home.

The WMU Karate Club was affiliated with Karate Institute at the time and was very active in tournament competition in the Mid-West.  Master March was awarded his Master Instructors (4^th Dan) rating in 1976 by Kwan Jang Nim Hwang Kee himself!  Masters Floyd and Annie continued their commitment to excellence by training with the “best of the best” at a time when the “karate craze” was at its peak.  Even though there was a strong emphasis on competition in the WMU Karate Club, Master March always taught MDK-TSD with self-defense as the primary purpose of the Art.  With the highest of standards established by KJN Hwang Kee instilled in the WMU Karate Club through Master Mike March, this organization (eventually to become the United States Korean Karate Association) became a force to be reckoned with in the Mid-West when it came to great technique, discipline, honor, integrity, quality instructors, and skill in application.

Younger brother Vince joined his two older siblings in Kalamazoo several years later and also began training with Master March.  The three siblings trained hard together and never let up on each other.  Sometimes Masters Annie and Floyd would “pick on” their younger brother. Sometimes the boys would pick on their sister (imagine that)!  Sometimes the two younger siblings would pick on the eldest…and on it went for decades!

Because of this friendly rivalry AND the camaraderie between all three siblings, all three became very talented in all aspects of MDK-TSD.  They competed together, trained together, taught together and inspired each other.  Masters Floyd, Annie and Vince trained with Master March several times per week for many, many years.  Master Annie could hold her own with any of the guys in the club.  There are several stories of the guys (including Master March) “leaning on” her during free-sparring.  She would then “rise up to the occasion” and punish them for doing so!  (The bruises on their bodies and cracks in their ribs would remind them of the incident for weeks to come!)

On the 21^st of November 1987 all three siblings tested together in front of Master March. Floyd and Annie were awarded their 4^th Dans and Vince was awarded his 3^rd Dan that day.  A few years later, Vince was also awarded his 4^th Dan.

On that day, a bit of MDK-TSD history was made.  It was rare for there to be three Master Instructors in the same family, especially siblings! This was confirmed by Kwan Jang Nim Kang Uk Lee (Pin #70); he would introduce the three of them together during his classes/seminars and actually comment on the fact that this was a rare occurrence!  Notoriety notwithstanding, the three siblings are still active in MDK-TSD as of 2010.  In fact, Masters Floyd and Annie spent the day with Kwan Jang Nim Kang Uk Lee on the 15^th of May 2010.  They all have become friends, as well as fellow MDK-TSD Master Instructors.  All of them still strive for that excellence they grew to know and love since they all started their training in this Martial Art.

From the mid-70s to the present, Masters Floyd, Annie and Vince are still training with Master March. He demanded the highest standards in technique, speed, power, skill, courage and honor from his students, just like Masters Drouillard and Shim did. Not only do they still train with Master March, but they also train with KJN Kang Uk Lee as mentioned previously, as well as Kwan Jang Nim Chung Il Kim (Pin #475).  The United States Korean Karate Association was formed just a few short years after they (Master Vince too) all met in Kalamazoo. As anyone who has trained in the USKKA knows, these standards have not been compromised in any way, even more than 3 decades later! Master Floyd Soo now teaches and trains in the Clarkston, Waterford, Lake Orion, Pontiac (Michigan) area, while Masters March, Soo-Mott and Soo are still training and teaching in the Kalamazoo (Michigan) area.

Left to Right
Master Floyd Soo, Master Annie Soo-Mott, Grandmaster Chung Il Kim, Master Michael March, Master Vince Soo

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