Tang Soo Do=Way of the Chinese Fist
Those who continue to say that Tang Soo Do is modified Shotokan or other Japanese or Okinawan karate have obviously not gone farr enough.
The individual(Hwang Kee) Grandmaster who developed the Chil Sung (seven stars) form was a student of Yang Style tai Chi ChuanAnd studied it from the actual Yang Family grandmaster of the day (his name escapes me) and from what my Kwanjang has said, The Tae-Guk form of TSD is actually about 1/2 of the Yang Long Form.
How the individual trains
How the individual trains is why the ball is in a legit CMA guys corner. TSD just doesn't train the same. Kicky punchy, not a lot of know how. (and thats a quote from a TSD champion who went on to study CMA. He loved his youth in TSD, but he was thr first to admit it screwed him up more than it helped him. I loved it when he fought only using TSD - I always won, which is something that wouldn't normally happen.)
In fact, I have repeatedly invited TKD and TSD guys to enter the ring at San Shou events, but no reply... However, the SeidoKan guys and Kyokushin guys sometiomes show, bless thier hearts.
Or in the words of Chang Tung Sheng after observing some TSD "That is rudimentary Shaolin, fit only for children." ooohhh, was that mean? I won't argue with Master Chang though...
Another factor is the natural attributes of an untrained but really tough fighter. Martial arts improve your odds of survival, they do not make you superman. I encourage everyone to study KMA because I find the KMA guys less dangerous than the wiley streetpunk who loves to fight.