Korea's ancient warriors had to master many forms of empty handed combat, wrestling, disarming and defending as well as attacking with the hands, feet, head, elbows etc. From Korea's large scale military campaigns to interpersonal conflict, these rules of survival, strategies and philosophy, which the Soo Bak Do's one step sparring and combat methods are based, have consistently lead to victory, to ignore them would invite defeat.  In order to practice safely they designed pre-arranged forms of combat, which have evolved into today's modern one-step sparring techniques.

One step sparring was designed to learn the what, where, when, how and why of combat.   Both modern one steps and ancient two person sparring sets are practiced by the advance students practitioners today. The one step sparring method of training was designed by Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan (Tang Soo Do) founder Hwang Kee not to teach a number of techniques but to teach an adaptable system of responses.  In this way the practitioner learns to deal with both inner and outer conflict correctly through conditioned repetition. Technically, the one steps are modular meaning if you are performing one way and the opponent changes you then would respond with another, adapting to your opponent. Soo Bahk Do (Tang Soo Do) practitioners must practice on both the inside and outside positions as well as both right and left sides naturally. The variety of techniques are also unique, the standard nine (9) one steps contain not just punches and kicks but sweeps, various unique hand and foot strikes, close and long distance fighting also.

Pure Martial Arts Fitness Academy students learn much more than just combinations when practicing the Moo Duk Kwan's method of one step sparring, Soo Bahk Do's one step sparring is a demonstration of strategic, philosophical and physical skill combined. The first action performed in all one steps is a bow, demonstrating proper respect toward your training partner. Distance is gauged, Ready positions are then taken. The attacker will step back with a Kihap (Shout) to help train his/her partner to keep a calm spirit and not to be startled by an aggressive attack. The defender then vocally signals they are ready by returning the Kihap, showing courage in the face of a challenge, and the one step commences.

The first principle in one step sparring is to remove the body from danger, so the student learns to move the body on the 4 cardinal points of the compass (North, South, East, and West ), forward, backward, left and right, learning to avoid the physical conflict by removing their body from the danger. As the student progresses, he or she learns to use the image of a clock to formulate defensive and offensive movements.

All one steps are done full speed and power, stopping the attacks fractions of an inch away from their targets. This requires and develops a high degree of concentration, accuracy and skill. After the one step is performed the participants then reverse roles the defender now attacking and the attacker now defending, this is not just to take turns in fairness but to also see and think from the attackers point of view, so when you are defending you know what your opponents options are and can be prepared to defend against them. After a basic mastery of the required one step is achieved then the student must apply it into free-sparring, If it cannot be used in a free-style manner then it has little usefulness for self defense. Using movements from each one step against an uncooperative partner successfully in sparring is the goal of the practitioner. Many of the techniques in One-Step Sparring must be modified for free-sparring because they are to dangerous. Most of the one steps attack vital points on the body some of which are also used in acupressure and acupuncture.

One must remember when practicing one step sparring to avoid simply memorizing numerous one steps with out trying to properly understand and perform each one. Accumulation of useless knowledge may boost the ego but won't help you defend yourself.

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