History of hapkido

Hapkido has its roots in Korean martial traditions and Japanese influences such as Daito-ryu Aiki Jujitsu, transmitted by Sokaku Takeda and learned by Choi Yong-Sool.

Origins and Founder

Hapkido was founded by Choi Yong-Sool in the 1940s, after his return to Korea from living in Japan. Choi was a student of Sokaku Takeda, a master of Daito-ryu Aiki-jujitsu, and adapted the techniques he learned, combining them with elements of traditional Korean martial arts such as taekkyeon. This martial syncretism not only enriched Hapkido technically but also contributed to restoring the cultural pride of the Korean people after the Japanese occupation (1910-1945).

Remember that the disciples of the "Last Samurai," Sogaku Takeda, Choi Yong Sul, Peter Seo Lim, and Morihei Ueshiba, created (along with their students) the martial arts of Hapkido, Kempo Kei Do, and Aikido. In ancient times, martial arts were well-known, and thanks to films starring Jet Li, Bruce Lee, David Carrandine, Steven Seagal, and Jackie Chan, we nostalgically and romantically believe that there was a time when people cultivated their body, soul, and spirit, using martial arts not only for self-defense but also for self-knowledge.

They sought to elevate the level of human capabilities, drawing on their ancestral intelligence and wisdom, guided by principles such as pure spirit, righteousness, health, and balance with the environment.

Grand Master Choi Yong Sul (1904-1986) was born in Chungbuk, Korea. In 1912, at the age of eight, during the Japanese occupation of Korea, Choi was taken to Japan by a Japanese confectioner, Ogichi Yamada, who was returning to his homeland. Choi Yong Sul was an orphan, and the (apparently informal) adoption attempt by Yamada and his wife was unsuccessful. After living with them for three years, and due to Choi's difficult temperament, the Yamadas sadly abandoned him at a Zen Buddhist temple.

Young Choi spent two years at the temple under the care of the monk Kintaro Wadanabi, but his restless nature was not well-suited to a peaceful religious life. The monk asked him what he wanted to do with his life. Thirteen-year-old Choi pointed to the images of warriors that covered the temple walls. At that time, many samurai warriors, following ancient traditions, made annual pilgrimages throughout Japan to give thanks and hone their skills. During these journeys, they visited local temples to offer prayers and donations.

On one of these occasions, the monk introduced Choi as a servant of a feudal lord and samurai he knew: Master Sōkaku Takeda, leader of the Takeda feudal clan. Master Sōkaku Takeda resided at Daitō Castle and was the last master (soke) of the Daitō-ryū aiki-jūjutsu martial tradition, the sole heir of the thirty-seventh generation (37) of this art, and also a master of classical Japanese swordsmanship, or kenjutsu, of the Ona-ha Itto-ryū Kenjutsu style.

It was 1917, and Master Sōkaku Takeda, realizing that he could not raise an exiled Korean boy among the elite kuge nobility or among the samurai warriors of his clan, had Choi adopt the name "Asao Yoshida," which his first adoptive father in Japan had given him. He was forbidden from using Korean customs and language to avoid discrimination from his classmates.

Over time, through obedience, great effort, and immense sacrifice, Asao Yoshida earned the respect of the Takeda family and his master, whom he accompanied to numerous exhibitions and matches as they traveled throughout the country, witnessing many of the challenges posed by various mercenaries, masterless samurai (ronin), and other samurai warriors. During World War II (1939-1945), Master Sōkaku Takeda and Asao Yoshida were employed by the Imperial Japanese Army to capture numerous deserters and bandits hiding in the mountains of Japan. Choi came to regard Master Sōkaku Takeda as his adoptive father (referring to him as such in several interviews), even years after the death of the famous Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu master.

After the death of Soke (head master) Takeda in 1943 (according to Choi, Master Sokaku Takeda died of starvation due to the shame he felt over Japan's defeat in the war) and after the end of World War II in 1945, Asao Yoshida returned to his native Korea, specifically to the city of Daegu (North Gyeongsang Province), resuming his Korean name, "Choi Yong Sul." In Korea, he began a new life raising pigs and working the land.

In his region, there was a brewery that used leftover peat to feed its pigs. When the animal feed was distributed, since the brewery used water from a nearby well and there were no aqueducts at the time, arguments often broke out among the farmers, as some volunteered to fetch water from the well, thus losing their place in line. One day, this led to a fight at the brewery, during which the manager observed how easily Choi defeated his opponents.

After requesting to see him in his office, the manager asked Choi to teach his techniques to his son, who was the manager in charge and was named Seo Bok-Seob (who at that time practiced judo and even held a first dan). Seo Bok-Seob became one of Choi's first disciples and, later, one of the first hapkido masters.

From then on, Choi and Seo began developing a self-defense method based on a combination of the classical Japanese martial art Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu, the traditional martial art of Judo of the time, and techniques from the Korean martial dance or Taekkyon (the basis of modern Taekwondo), which is distinguished by its numerous kicking, foot grappling, and sweeping techniques. They initially called this new system Aito Ryo-Yu Kwon Sul. Later, Ji Han Llae joined their classes, and with contributions from him and Seo, Bok Seob registered the International Hapki Yuk Won Sool Association as the organization teaching Choi Yong Sool's art in 1953. Aito Ryo-Yu Kwon Sul was taught in the early 1960s to masters such as Hwang In-shik, Ji Han Llae, and Le Dong Koo. Myung, Deuk Suh; Kim, Sung Kiong; Seo, Bok Seob; Suh Bok Seob; Kim, Myung Yong; Bong Soo, Han Kim, Tae Ho;... among Choi's most important disciples.

Grandmaster Seo, Bok Seob

Seo Bok-seob was the first to learn the teachings of Grandmaster Choi Yong Sul, with whom he founded the first dojang of this martial art in 1951, called Daehan Yong Sool Kwan (대한합기유권술도장), in Daegu, South Korea. This occurred after he witnessed Grandmaster Choi successfully defending himself near the Seo Brewery. Following the incident, Seo and other factory workers prepared a training room, or dojang, in a warehouse, where they began training.

Since Grandmaster Seo came from a wealthy and politically active family in his region, he received an excellent education, even graduating from a prestigious university in Japan as an exchange student. This was a privilege few enjoyed at that time. During the Japanese occupation (1910-1935), he studied judo, the Japanese martial art of the era, and even earned his first-degree black belt under the Korean master Yong Ho Choi at a very young age. Grandmaster Seo, from a prominent family, held positions of authority from a young age and became the founder and director of a rice wine distillery. Grandmaster Seo's father was a congressman in postwar Korea and employed Grandmaster Choi and other hapkido pioneers as bodyguards, including Ji Han Jae.

It is important to note that Grandmaster Ji Han Jae was a student of both Grandmaster Choi and Grandmaster Seo Bok (Seob), who held a higher rank and was his superior at the dojang. In 1956, Ji Han Jae finished his studies and returned to An Dong, his hometown. There he decided to continue his training and was accepted as a disciple of the Taoist monk Lee Do-Sa in the art of San-Taekyon. He also received instruction from a nun skilled in Son Do Sul. It was then that he decided to open a Yuk Kwan Sool school in his hometown, which he named An Moo Kwan. He was a great practitioner of all kinds of kicking techniques and even developed the 360° roundhouse kick, which he called Dora Chagui. Among his first students were Kwon Tae-Man, Yu Yong-Wu, and Oh Se-Lim.

First Enagram of the Choi Aiki Yuk Sool Kwan School

The International Hapkido Association Yuk Won Sool (the first organization recognized by the Korean government for the dissemination of the art of Choi Yong Sool). The fact that the association created by Ji Han Llae received no compensation for his leadership led him to become independent. He founded his own school, which he called Sung Moo Kwan.

Grandmaster Seo designed the organization's first symbol, which consisted of two arrowheads joined within a circle. The circle represents the universe, within which humanity exists. The arrowheads symbolize union, the meeting of opposites, of hard and soft, of yin and yang, all within a cycle of constant change and balance, or harmony.

This emblem, shown two paragraphs above, is still used by the International Kido Association of the USA, the Korean World Kido Association, and the World Hapkido Federation. Likewise, Grandmaster Seo, who had incorporated numerous throwing techniques (nage-waza), ground fighting techniques (ne-waza), joint lock techniques (kansetsu-waza), and various strangulation techniques (shime-waza) into the art of Choi—all derived from the then-Japanese martial art of Judo, which he had practiced in his youth—seeing that he was not being rewarded for creating a common structure for the newly formed association's final program, decided to leave the organization and create the Korean Yuk Sool Woon Association. Grandmaster Seo Bok Seob devoted himself entirely to traditional Eastern medicine, becoming a university professor in Seoul specializing in sports massage and osteopathy (manual therapy). He led the Korean Yuk Woon Sool International Association. Grandmaster Ho, Kim Tae, assumed leadership of the organization from that day until 2015. Grandmaster Kim Sung, Kiong, is its current president.

Grandmaster Suh Bok Seob

Grandmaster Suh Bok Seob (brother of Seo Bok Seob) trained from a young age at the dojang of Kim Sung Kiong, a master of Chinese boxing. Along with Kim Sung Kiong, he joined the dojang of Le Dong Koo, where Kim Soon (Claudino Covela's teacher) and Bae Jeoung Young (my Hapkido teacher) were students. Years later, Le Dong Koo decided to go to Spain to promote Hapkido through the Korean Association Yuk Sool Woon, led by his brother Seo Bok Seob. Suh Bok Seob and Kim Sung Kiong accompanied him via Japan. A brief stay in Japan led to a meeting with Myung-Deuk, Suh (a student of Master Seo Weok Limg; Seo Weok Limg, Morihei Uesiba, and Choi Yong Sool were students of Grandmaster Samurai Sogaku Takeda).

Myung-Deuk, Suh, of Korean origin, befriended Suh, Bok Seob, Kim Sung, Kiong, and Le Dong Koo, and together they traveled to Spain. They settled in Villagarcía de Arosa, in Pontevedra, where they opened a dojang. Shortly after, they opened another dojang in Cangas del Morrazo (opposite Vigo).

Around that time, Suh Bok Seob opened a gym in Cangas del Morrazo with Myung-Deuk, Suh, and Le Dong Koo. Master Kim Soon opened a gym in O Carballiño (Ourense) in 1983. Masters Kim Sung, Kiong, and Le Dong Koo traveled to Ontario, Canada, in early 1984.

Myung-Deuk, Suh continued teaching Hapkido and Kempo Karate-do at the Cangas del Morrazo dojang.

Master Suh, Bok Seob, began to gain considerable influence among Spanish Taekwondo instructors, who enthusiastically requested that he conduct Hapkido seminars. After the death of Le, Dong Koo, the International HoShin Hapkido Association, and especially after the struggle to secure leadership of the IHF following Myung's passing, Llae Nam generated great hope. Many instructors who had emigrated from Korea met and established generational succession agreements within the various Hapkido schools that were heirs to the original school of Choi Yong Sool (defined in the International Yuk Won Sool Hapkido Association, currently presided over by Ho, Kim Tae).

In 2005, after a period in Canada, he decided to leave. He went to Korea. There, he observed how the generational succession was unfolding. In all the major hapkido schools, he decided to take the reins of his brother Seo Bok Seob's association (Yuk Sool Won International Association), while Kim Tae Ho presided over the Korean International Hapkido Association, based in Seoul, Korea. Meanwhile, Le Chan Soo decided to create the Jin Jung Kwan International Association, based in France.

Grandmaster Lee Chang Soo

He began practicing Jin Jung Kwan Hapkido in 1964, at the age of 14, at the Wangshimri Gymnasium in Seoul, under the tutelage of Master Kim Myung Yong (current head of the Jin Jung Kwan school and 9th dan in Hapkido). In June 1976, he became the middleweight champion at the first Korean Hapkido Championship. In October of that same year, he joined the Korean Hapkido Federation's demonstration team. In 1975, Lee Chang Soo emigrated to the United States.

Thanks to the kindness of his teacher at that time, Grandmaster Kim Myung-Yong, president of Jin Jung Kwan, he received a 4th dan certificate signed by the founder, Choi Young-sul. After Choi's passing in 1986, Grandmaster Lee studied with the founder Choi's most outstanding students at Ji Han Llae's Sung Moo Kwan dojang.

He says that some of these Grandmasters, students of Ji Han Llae, taught him everything that defines his Jin Mu Kwan school. They were Grandmaster Jun Jeong-pil (kicks), Grandmaster Lee Jae-young (advanced wrist technique), Grandmaster Lee Young-hee (defense against clothing grabs), Grandmaster Chae Hung-jun (special offensive techniques for joint locks and throws), and Grandmaster Kim Yeong-jae (special self-defense techniques).

Thanks to his physical abilities, technical contributions, promotional efforts, and political connections as chief Hapkido instructor of the presidential guard during the presidency of Park Chung-hee, after Ji Han Llae emigrated to the USA. During that time, Hapkido became popular, first in Korea and then internationally, especially in the USA, Canada, and Australia.

In 1984, this team undertook a major demonstration tour of East Asia (Singapore, Hong Kong, and Indonesia). In 1985, Grandmaster Lee Chang Soo was appointed captain of the national demonstration team and conducted a Hapkido demonstration tour of the 50 largest cities in Korea (Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Incheon, etc.). In 1986, he conducted a seminar for the Korean Air Lines bailiffs. In 1987, he conducted a seminar for the Seoul police in preparation for the Olympic Games.

In 1990, Grandmaster Lee Chang Soo was appointed examiner for the Police Academy for Hapkido rank evaluations. The Jin Jung Kwan style is characterized by its extremely dynamic, hard, and energetic techniques.

His presence at numerous demonstrations, providing training to Korean SWAT teams, the Korean army, and special forces units from other countries, was a constant throughout his career. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of Grandmaster Lee Chang Soo, there are currently Jin Jung Kwan schools in South Korea, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Portugal, Canada, Switzerland, Brazil, Hungary, Tahiti, and Morocco. That same year, the Korean Hapkido Federation appointed him president of the jury for the 1st to 7th dan examinations.

In 1993, he was appointed Grandmaster of Public Institutions by the government. On July 27, 1993, the Korean Hapkido Federation awarded him the rank of 8th dan.

Grandmaster Ji Han Llae.

Ji was one of Choi's first students (14th number). He details that, before opening his martial arts school in Seoul, the Sung Moo Kwan (성무관), he also studied with a man known as "Taoist Lee" and with an elderly woman he called "Grandma."

As a hapkido master, Ji incorporated traditional Korean kicking techniques (from Taoist Lee and the Sam Rang Do Tek Gi art) and punching techniques into the system, and in 1957 he gave the resulting synthesis the name hapkido.

Although he was a founding member of the Korean Kido Association (대한기도회) in 1963, with Choi Yong-sool as the titular president and Kim Jeong-yoon as the association's secretary-general and chief instructor, Ji was unable to exert as much control over the organization as he would have liked. To this end, and with the support of the Chief of the Security Forces, Park Jong-kyu, Ji founded the successful Korean Hapkido Association (대한 합기도 협회) in 1965. This association brought hapkido to worldwide recognition. This led to some of its most important masters appearing in films.

Ji appears in the films Lady Kung Fu and Game of Death, where he participates in a lengthy fight scene against Bruce Lee.

Later, when this organization merged with those founded by Myung Jae-nam (Korean Hapkido Association) and Kim Moo-Hong (Korean Hapkido Association) in 1973, they became the extensive and influential organization known as the Republic of Korea Hapkido Association.

In 1984, after being released from prison for fraud stemming from a negligence case involving the defense of the Korean royal family (it is said that envy led to him being blamed instead of the real culprit), he went to the USA.

Before leaving South Korea, Myung Jae Nam, then president of the International Hapkido Association, awarded Ji Han Jae his 10th Dan. Ji left Korea in April 1984 and traveled to Germany before emigrating to the United States. In Germany, he established the national school of Daito Ryu Aiki ju-juit (his Korean name), which was the name he was able to register for his art in that country, as the name Hapkido already existed as a translation in the German transcription of Japanese Aikido. After a little over a year, he went to the USA. There, he settled in Monterey, California, where he founded the World Hapkido Federation. In the mid-1990s, he expanded the techniques that defined his school to re-establish his style under the International Sin Moo Hapkido Association. Currently, the Doju-Nim Ji Han Jae is under the jurisdiction of the World Sin Moo Hapkido Association, headquartered in Switzerland, where he currently resides.

It is said that Ji Han Jae registered the name Hapkido in Korea after the creation of the aforementioned association as the Korean Hapkido Association (대한합기도 협회) in 1965.

The Korean Kido Association, which at the time—in its early days—registered all the dojangs of each of Choi's students. The fact that Ji Han Jae was not recognized as a member of its leadership led him to conceive of creating his own association; from this arose the aforementioned Korean Hapkido Association in 1965. Both associations fought to have the art registered as Hapkido.

His friend Seo and teacher Choi dutifully told him that the name Hapkido had been registered since the Korean Kido Association—which at the time registered all the dojangs of each of Choi's students—was named the school Daito Ryo Aiki Yuk Won Sool Kwan do, which means the same as the Japanese ideogram "aikido," with the caveat that it records the origin of the martial art and also indicates that the abbreviated ideogram implies the same as the ideogram "hapkido."

Grandmaster Kwang Sik Myung

Grandmaster Kwang Sik Myung began his Hapkido training with Ji Han Jae in Seoul in 1957, where he practiced with other renowned masters and instructors such as Lee, Tae Joon, Kang, Jong Soo, Kim, Yong Jin, Kim, Yong Whan, and Hwang Duk Kyu, who would later become president of the Korean Hapkido Association.

He graduated from Sung Kyon Kwon University with a Bachelor of Commerce degree, during which time he received instruction from Grandmaster Choi Yong-Sul.

After graduation, Kwang Sik Myung was appointed director of the Northern Branch of the Hapkido Dochang. Following his involvement with the Korean Hapkido Association, then led by Ji Han Llae, he sent a 15-member demonstration team to Vietnam, where he taught Korean, American, and Vietnamese troops, as well as Special Forces.

Upon returning to Seoul, he continued his training with Ji Han Llae. There was Myung, Llae Nam. Kwang Sik Myung opened a school in the Sansunkyo district and founded the Korean Yon Moo Kwan Hapkido Association in April 1968, dedicated to promoting Hapkido as a high-profile martial art.

In 1968, at the age of 27, he published a 254-page book in Korean, "Hapkido." Later, he published the first major book on Hapkido in English, "Hapkido: The Ancient Art of the Masters" (October 1976).

He then moved to Detroit, where he opened his first Hapkido school and founded the World Hapkido Association with Ji Han Llae, having settled there after his time in Germany.

Shortly thereafter, in 1976, he published one of the first and most comprehensive books on Hapkido technique in English available to date, expanding on the material from his earlier book published in Korea. Later, Myung moved the headquarters to Los Angeles and founded the World Hapkido Federation. During his time in Los Angeles, Myung produced and published numerous Hapkido videos and books.

Lee Tae Joon, Kang Jong Soo, and Kim Yong Jin are currently members of the World Hapkido Federation's board of directors. Along with American James S. Benko, they lead the organization, which since 2015 has been dominated by Le Chan Soo's Jin Jung Kwan Hapkido school. Previously, the school followed the Ji Han Jae (Sim Moo Kwan) style.

Currently, the president of the Korean Hapkido Federation is Grandmaster In Seo Lim.

It is important to note that Grandmaster Ji Han Jae was a student of both Grandmaster Choi and Grandmaster Seo Bok Seob, who held a higher rank and was his superior at the dojang. In 1956, Ji Han Jae completed his studies and returned to Andong, his hometown.There, he decided to continue his training and was accepted as a disciple of the Taoist monk Lee Do-Sa in the art of Taekkyon. He also received instruction from a nun skilled in Son Do Sul. It was then that he decided to open a Yuk Kwan Sool school in his hometown, which he named An Moo Kwan. 

He was a great practitioner of all kinds of kicking techniques and even developed the 360° roundhouse kick, which he called Dora Chagui. Among his first students were Kwon Tae-Man, Yu Yong-Wu, and Suh Seo Lim.

After registering the International Hapki Yuk Won Sool Association as the International Korea Kido Association, Master Ji Han Llae suggested to his teacher, Choi, that he lead the organization. The International Hapki Yuk Won Sool Association was the first organization recognized by the Korean government for the dissemination of Choi Yong Sool's art. The fact that the association created by Ji Han Llae offered no compensation for his leadership led him to become independent. He founded his own school and named it Sung Moo Kwan.

Grandmaster Seo designed the organization's first symbol, which consisted of two arrowheads joined within a circle. The circle represents the universe, within which humanity exists. The arrowheads symbolize union, the meeting of opposites, of hard and soft, of yin and yang, all in a cycle of constant change and balance or harmony. This emblem remains in use by the International Kido Association of Korea, the World Kido Association, and the World Hapkido Federation, whose presidency was held until 2015 by Kwang-Sik Myung, following the Sung Moo Kwan school of his teacher and friend, Ji Han Llae.

Furthermore, Grandmaster Seo, who had incorporated numerous throwing techniques (nage-waza), ground fighting techniques (ne-waza), joint lock techniques (kansetsu-waza), and various strangulation techniques (shime-waza) into the art of Choi, derived from the then-Japanese martial art of Judo, which he had practiced in his youth, upon realizing he was not being rewarded for creating a common structure for the final program of the newly formed association, decided to separate from the organization and create the International Korean Yuk Sool Woon Association, which he led until 2005. As mentioned in previous paragraphs, this association was led by Kim Tae Ho after 2005.

Grandmaster Bong Soo Han

Bong Soo Han (August 25, 1933 – January 8, 2007) is known as the father of hapkido in the United States. A martial arts instructor, writer, and founder of the International Hapkido Federation, Han was born in Incheon, South Korea. He began studying hapkido with Grandmaster Choi in his teens. During the Japanese occupation of Korea (1910–1945), all school-age children were required to read, write, and speak Japanese; they were also taught martial arts such as judo and kendo. Han studied these disciplines intensively between 1943 and 1945.

From 1948 to 1950, Han studied Korean kempo, or kwon bup, a fusion of Chinese boxing methods and kung fu/chuan fa. Later, he studied Shudokan karate, earning his first-degree black belt from the Korean Master Byung In Yoon. The teachings of Master Yoon and his students fostered the development of one of the first schools of "Kong Soo Do," which, along with Chang Moo Kwan, Jido Kwan, and others, helped shape the style now known as WTF Taekwondo.

After witnessing a demonstration by Grandmaster Choi Yong Sul, Han began his Hapkido training. However, in the 1950s, Han met with other martial arts instructors to train and exchange ideas. He even traveled to Hwa Chun in Kangwon Province, where he trained in the classical Korean art of Taekkyon with Grandmaster Yong Lee, Bok.

As a native of Seoul and one of Grandmaster Choi's oldest students, Han helped him establish the first Hapkido school in the nation's capital. Later, in 1959, Han opened his own dojang in Samgangji, Seoul. He became one of the lead instructors of the newly formed Korean Hapkido Association, teaching numerous high-ranking officers in the Korean military and the Presidential Guard. Later, he was selected to teach martial arts to U.S. military personnel at Osan Air Base, where he taught for six years.

In 1967, during the final years of the Vietnam War (1955-1975), he taught Korean self-defense (Hoo Sin Sool) to hundreds of Korean service members and was part of the Korean Hapkido Association's demonstration team, known as the "Korean Tigers," under the direction of Ji Han Jae. At that time, Choi appointed Ji his first assistant and awarded him a black belt in the Yu Kwon Sul Hapkido system, structured by Choi and masters Kim Tae, Ho, Bong Soo, Han, and Grandmaster Seo Bok, Seob.

At the end of 1967, Han emigrated to the United States. He initially stayed with a friend, teaching Hapkido at Choi's Hapkido School in California. In 1968, he opened his own school in Los Angeles. His early years were very difficult; he worked in a factory during the day and taught at night.

On July 4, 1969, Grandmaster Bong Soo Han was giving a Hapkido demonstration in a park in Pacific Palisades, California. Actor Tom Laughlin, who was in the audience, approached the Grandmaster to convince him to participate in his film project, the movie "Billy Jack." Thanks to scenes from this film, Grandmaster Han achieved worldwide fame by popularizing Hapkido.

Grandmaster Han continued choreographing and directing fight scenes in action films throughout the 1970s and 1980s, leaving his California dojang in the hands of his senior student, Kim Sung King. Grandmaster Han has appeared on the covers of numerous magazines and in newspaper articles.

Since 1978, after his registration, Master Seo, along with Choi and students of Kempo Thai Do (a martial art created by Grandmaster Peter Seo Lim—as were Choi and Morihei Ueshiba—and some of his students, such as In Seo Lim), arrived from Naples. Among them, the Grandmaster founded the International Korea Kido Association. For several years, the association was presided over by In Seo Lim. Later,

After Ji Han Llae created his International Sin Moo Hapkido Association and established its headquarters in Switzerland, In Seo Lim became president of the Korean Hapkido Federation. The World Hapkido Federation, presided over by Master Kwang Sik Myung, a student and friend of Ji Han Llae, came under the direction of the Le Chang Soo school, based in France. At the same time, this school manages the International Korea Hapkido Association, whose first president, it should be noted, was Ji Han Llae.

Grandmaster Kim Tae-ho

For many years, he was president of the International Hapkido Association Yuk Woon Sool (Hapkido Yu Woon Sool Kwan). It is worth noting that the school of Master In Seo Lim, and Masters Ho, Kim Tae; Le Dong, Koo; Kim, Yong Whan; Myung, Deuk Suh; Jong Baek, Won; Suh, Bok Seob; Kim, Sung Kiong; Kim, Myung Yong; and Bong Soo, Han, practiced under the tutelage of Choi, Joung Sool, Seo, Bok Seob, and students of Master Peter Seo-lim of Kempo Key Do in the years following the Jing Jum Kwan's assumption of leadership of the World Hapkido Federation in the United States, in addition to his presidency of the International Korean Hapkido Federation.

Grandmaster Kim Tae-ho was one of Choi Yong-soo's first students. Kim Tae-ho, along with other students of Choi, exchanged knowledge about Korean Hapkido and Kempo, as well as Taekkyon (the foundation of WHF commercial Taekwondo and the martial foundation of IHF Taekwondo), as mentioned in previous paragraphs, with Grandmaster Peter Seo-lim (and some of his students and some of Sogaku Takeda's students). Kim Tae-ho, surprised, told him that he knew the samurai school to which the martial arts school his grandfather had taught him belonged, and that this school originated from the Silla monks' school, from which the lineage of the Chinese dynasty of Grandmaster Wei Zou was said to descend.

In the 1990s, Choi's students, led by Master In Seo Lim and Masters Ho Kim Tae, Kim Yong Whan, Myung Deuk Suh, Jong Baek Won, and Suh Bok Seob, trained with students of Suh Seo Lim from North Korea and Master Peter Seo-lim. Peter Seo-lim agreed to adapt a more comprehensive program encompassing strikes, sweeps, ground control, short and medium weapon handling, and the use of the Korean sword.

Following this, Grandmaster In Seo Lim stepped down from leading the Korean Hapkido Federation, and along with other students of Master Seo Bok Seob, he assumed leadership of the Yuk Sool Won Hapkido International Association, with Grandmaster Kim Tae Ho as president.

Students who belonged to the International Korean Hapkido Association (the first association created by Ji, Han Llae) decided to move to the USA after its split with the Choi school, inherited by Grandmaster Seo and Suh, Seo Lim.

Due to the intrusion of MMA instructors claiming high-ranking belts based on falsified diplomas signed by Korean instructors representing the International Hapkido Federation of Myung, Llae Nam, using the American IHF (founded by Bong, Soo Han), Korean instructors there delved into the US-based International Hapkido Federation and investigated who was committing fraud against the Hapkido association in Korea, where some foreign instructors boasted of ranks they did not possess.

To prevent this, the World Hapkido Federation school of Myung, Kwan Sick and the school presided over by Grand Master Suh, Seo Lim, cleared the records in Korea of ​​those who misused the name of Korea and its flag by misusing the martial art of Hapkido.

Grandmaster Kim Jung-soo

Kim Jung-soo (김정수) was born and raised in the Taegu area of ​​Korea and began training in Hapkido directly with Choi Yong-sool (최용술) in 1957. He was one of the first Hapkido students, and one source places him as Choi Yong-sool's original eighth student. Kim Jung-soo trained sporadically with Choi Yong-sool, along with his main teachers and influencers, Kim Moo-hong and Won Kwang-wha, from 1957 to 1986. In 1961, Kim Moo-hong moved to Seoul to open a dojang, and Kim Jung-soo and Ji Han Llae accompanied him and became the main instructors at his dojang. Together, they developed the Shin Moo Kwan branch of Hapkido. In 1963, Kim Jung-soo decided to forge his own path and opened his own dojang in Taegu under the name Yun Bee Kwan.

Subsequently, his students began opening branch schools throughout the Taegu region, with different names, but always belonging to the Shin Moo Kwan family. These schools are characterized by their faithful adherence to the original teachings of Choi Yong-sool, while also incorporating most of the refinements made by Kim Moo-hong in kicking techniques, along with Grandmaster Ji, Han Llae. Kim Jung-soo (김정수) is primarily known as the founder and president of the Korea-based World General Hapkido Federation, also known as the World Hapkido Federation, which unites most schools of the Shin Moo Kwan (신무관) lineage into a single federation.

This organization has expanded globally. While it has a similar name, it should not be confused with the US-based World Hapkido Federation, originally founded by Ji Han Llae and currently presided over by Kwang Sik Myung (광시숭). Kim Jung-soo currently teaches at his dojang in Daegu, South Korea.

Grandmaster Lee Chong-min

Chong-min Lee was born and raised in Seoul, Korea. He began studying Hapkido in his teens and continued his studies throughout his life, though he was not a direct student of the late Grandmaster Yong-sool Choi, but rather a student of a direct student: Grandmaster Le Dong, koo. He is a self-proclaimed 9th dan black belt, head instructor at the Hapkido Center, and president of the World Hapkido Association.

GM Lee studied the Hapkido style of Founder Choi and, recognizing its high level, diligently trained throughout his life to become a skilled Hapkido practitioner.

Lee served as an instructor in the 1st Special Forces Group of the Korean Army and has taught martial arts classes to the police departments of Seoul and Plainfield, New Jersey. He has also conducted hapkido demonstrations for dignitaries such as Hubert H. Humphrey and the Chancellor of the Republic of China, Mr. Chang, during their visits to Seoul. Lee arrived in the United States in June 1980. He currently runs a Hapkido Center in Warren, New Jersey, and is a member of the New Jersey State Law Enforcement Association. He has been teaching hapkido for over 42 years.

Grandmaster Kim Myung-Yong

Kim Myung-yong was born in Korea in 1942. At the age of 17, he began training at the Seung Moo Kwan school under the tutelage of Grandmaster Ji Han-jae. He was a hapkido instructor at the Wang Shim Ri military camp. His hapkido style, Jin Jung Kwan, has branches all over the world and is one of the most widely practiced hapkido styles.

Grandmaster Lee Chan Soo is his most accomplished student and, through example and dedication, has the greatest and most detailed knowledge of his master, Kim Myung-yong.

Grandmaster Kim Yun-sik

Kim Yun-sik (김윤식) was born in Seoul in 1943. He began his martial arts training in 1954 under the tutelage of Choi Yong-sool, and received his black belt from Choi in 1957. That same year, he received his black belt in Tang Soo Do from Grandmaster Hwang Kee (the foremost exponent of this art).

Tang Soo Do is a traditional Korean martial art with a modern character, combining influences from Shotokan karate, Chinese kung fu, and ancient Korean arts such as taekkyon and subak.

Actor Chuck Norris began his martial arts career in Tang Soo Do and popularized it in the West.

He is the founder of Bum Moo Kwan Hapkido. In this style, practitioners are instructed to end combat quickly, using any available material as a weapon or any part of their body, targeting the opponent's pressure points or vital areas.

Kim, who has lived, taught and trained in Brazil since 1977, was the teacher of several Valetudo world champions, such as Norberto Serrano Jr., Rafael Tercarolli and Leandro Heck Gemeo.

Grandmaster Suh In-Hyuk.

He studied from a young age with his grandfather, the same man who taught Le Dong Koo and Grandmaster Suh Bok Seob. Together they entered the Hapki Yu Kwon Sool academy. Masters Le Dong Koo and Suh Bok Seob emigrated to Spain along with other masters, students of Choi and Grandmaster Peter Seo-lim, such as Grandmasters Myung Deuk Suh, Kim Sung Kiong, and Kim Myung Yong.

Later, in Canada, Myung Deuk Suh, along with Suh In-Hyuk and Le Dong Koo, embarked on the adventure of creating the International Hoshin Hapkido Federation. The death of Suh's grandfather, In-Hyuk, prompted him to return to Korea where, in the 1990s, Grandmaster Suh In-hyuk immersed himself in the knowledge of Korean martial arts, which are divided into three main branches:

• Tribal martial arts (사도무술; 師徒武術; Sah Doh Mu Sool).
• Buddhist temple martial arts (불교무술; 佛敎武術; Bul Kyo Mu Sool).

He also incorporated the knowledge gained from his various trips to the Shaolin temples (the birthplace of Wushu). He is currently the president of the World Kuk Sool Won Association (https://www.kuksoolwon.info/kuk-sool-won/grandmaster/).

Grandmaster Kim Tae Ho became president of the Spanish Kuk Sool-Hapkido Association. Grandmaster André Carbonell is the president of FEDAMCyDA.

Just as a master is known by his students, who are a reflection of him, I would like to share the following from a conversation between an interviewee and Grandmaster André Carbonell.

Except from the interview:

—You have included Choi Yong Sul and Kim Tae Ho in the opening pages of your book… Why did you choose them? Perhaps some won't like it entirely…

André responds: “Choi has always been recognized as the founder of Hapkido. His death led Ji Han Jae to proclaim himself Doju. If it was Ji who coined the name Hapkido, it must be acknowledged that it was a commercial success, since its pronunciation is similar to that of Japanese Aikido. For me, and based on the information I've been able to find, Choi is the founder of Hapkido, whether you like it or not. As for Mr. Kim Tae Ho, he was my teacher; he taught me everything I know, so his picture had to appear at the beginning of the book.”

—In your books, you advocate for the white dobok for all Hapkido practitioners, which is the one commonly used in Seoul and other cities, but there are other schools that use different colors in their uniforms… you don't entirely agree with that.

André responds: “The use of colored doboks is unstoppable; even in Korea, many private organizations use doboks of different colors such as black, red, blue, etc. The KHF (Korean Hapkido Federation), the first national organization, continues to use white, although with black lapels and sleeves, thus maintaining tradition.”

—You include a very interesting chapter on biomechanics in Hapkido (Hapkidoe Saengche Yeokhak)… you reveal a vital and not always well-known aspect.

André responds: “For the correct execution of Kokkis (locks), Donjiguis (throws)… the principles of biomechanics are used; to deny this is to fall into mediocrity.” It's about controlling natural instincts by following the correct breathing, which helps you feel the laws of physics when applying a specific technique with your training partner.

It's like a dance, as Grandmaster Myung Llae Nam tried to explain by comparing the visualization of a technique's execution with how it should be executed when the system formed with your partner is no longer one, but two. Hence the basic principles of Hapkido, which describe how to execute (hence the DO) a technique taking into account the opponent's weight, strength (hence the HAP), and energy (hence the KI).

—You also describe two "very special encounters" with Lee, Chang Su, and Ji, Han Jae… We won't ask you to reveal the surprising anecdotes you recount in your books, but aren't you concerned about explaining certain situations? Do you think it was beneficial for you and your martial development to have been under the instruction of these renowned masters? You didn't follow your own path and decided to explore other options…

André responds: “I’m not criticizing these teachers, I simply don’t share their opinions, nor do I accept being forced to train with them and no one else. Respect, yes; obedience, yes; dictatorship, no! Since Hapkido is so chaotic, it’s advisable to research and refine your skills with other teachers.” I don’t understand the idea that a certain height is ideal for a Hapkido practitioner. Inner strength isn’t directly proportional to height, but rather to the will one puts into personal development for inner growth. Brute strength isn’t relevant for learning a martial art, much less for trying to prove whether a technique is valid as self-defense in an aggressive situation, for example, in an isolated place.

A martial art, and Hapkido as I understand it, is like the phrase Master Millagi popularized in the "Karate Kid" series, where, after being tempted several times, Daniel Sam insists that the practice of karate (and I extend this to all martial arts, since its definition is the art of approaching the tasks one wishes to accomplish in life with a good attitude and aptitude to achieve one's dreams) is to avoid fighting. I insist, as I said before: respect yes, obedience yes, dictatorship no!

Practicing a martial art, and especially Hapkido as I know it, involves perceiving the opponent once both become part of the same system, with the caveat that they are two different wills. For example, when I explain a technique to my students, they see it from their own perspective. When they practice with their classmates, I see that they struggle to understand what the foundation of the martial art is trying to show them and make them feel. Often influenced by the street violence they sometimes find themselves involved in, and driven by anxiety, they feel the need to prove themselves in what I teach them, and this can have a negative impact on someone.

A colleague of mine from Galicia, Spain, tells his students, "If you get hit, it's bad, but if you fight back, it's worse." Learn to love yourself, and you will learn to love the system you and your partner create; you will understand how the law of relativity also applies to the practice of a martial art. When you see someone, from inside a train car, throw a ball up in the air, you see it land in their hand. But someone who sees the same thing from outside the train realizes that, although the ball lands in the thrower's hand, it moved not only vertically but also laterally. The same thing happens when, with confidence and pride, but without humility, you grab someone's hand once they have grabbed yours. The situation changes, and it's no longer just about you and the ball (that is, your opponent, friend and partner in your martial arts experience), because in this case, the ball can go its own way, different from what you expect.

A martial art helps you socialize, understand others, feel yourself, and understand your opponent. Furthermore, if you get used to not always having the same martial arts partner, you avoid differentiation, separatism, and fragmentation. Teaching a martial art in this way allows your students to understand the essence of Ki (Ghi in Chinese, Prana in Hinduism), which in the West we understand as the concept of the inner child.

It goes without saying that Grandmaster Ko Sehwan Baek has succeeded Grandmaster Kim Tae Ho as president of the Yuk Won Sool in Korea. Kim Tae Ho currently presides over the Spanish Federation of Korean Martial Arts and Associated Sports (FEAMCyDA).

Grandmaster Myung Jae-nam

Myung Jae-nam was born in Jeollanam-do Province, but lived most of his life in Incheon. He began his martial arts training in his teens. His teachers were his grandfather, Myung Jung-min, who taught him wrestling and stick fighting, and Bang Gi-hwa, who taught him self-defense. In 1957, Myung Jae-nam moved from Jeollanam-do to Seoul and joined the Hapkido movement. He trained Hapkido with Grandmaster Ji Han Jae in Seoul.

In late 1959, he moved with Ji Han Jae to the Joong Bu Si Jang. This was the third place Grandmaster Ji Han Jae had in Seoul. Grandmasters Bong Soo Han and Choi Sea Oh joined the Joong Bu Si Jang at the same time as Myung Jae-nam. Two years later, he returned home and opened his own gym at the local fire station in Jeollanam-do. In 1965, Grandmaster Myung shared martial arts techniques and information with the Japanese Aikido master, Sensei Hirata, for approximately four years.

In 1969, Grandmaster Myung broke with the Korean Hapkido Association (Dae Han Hapkido Hyup Hwe, coinciding with Ji Han llae's departure from the organization due to the selection of individuals for its governing bodies that were contrary to his interests) and formed his own group, which he called "Han Kuk Hapki Sool Hwe." Myung became associated with the Aikikai Foundation in Japan, to the point that the name of Aikido's founder, Morihei Ueshiba (a student of Grandmaster Sogaku Takeda, as was Choi Young Sool), even appeared at the top of the certificates awarded by the association at that time.

In 1972, Myung Jae Nam became one of the founding members of the Korean Hapkido Association (Dae Han Hapkido Hyup Hwe), a parallel organization to the renowned Korean Hapkido Federation, founded in 1965 at the request of then-President of South Korea, Park Chung Hee, whose first president was Ji Han Llae. Following Han Llae's resignation, Grandmaster Hwang Duk Kyu assumed leadership of the Korean Hapkido Association, which had been formed with the assistance of Mr. Park Jong Kyu, former head of the Presidential Protection Force and one of the most powerful men in Korea at the time. Regarding Myung Jae Nam's Dae Han Hapkido Hyup Hwe: in January 1972, he changed the name of his group to "Han Kuk Hapkido Hwe" and moved its headquarters from Incheon to Bukchang-dong, Chung-ku, Seoul, Korea.

In October 1973, while still maintaining his own organization, he collaborated in the creation of the "Dae Han Min Kuk Hapkido Hyop Hwe" (Republic of Korea Hapkido Association). In August 1974, he changed the name of his organization again, this time to "Kuk Jae Yong Meng Hapki Hwe," also known in English as the International Hapkido Federation. Around that time, he was appointed executive director, a position he held until 1980. That same year, 1973, he co-founded the Korean Hapkido Association along with Ji Han Llae and Kim Moo-hong. Also in 1973, Ji Han Llae emigrated, and Myung Llae Nam recognized his contributions by awarding him the rank of 10th Dan.

Currently, the International Korean Hapkido Association and the International Korean Kido Association are in talks to merge into a single organization, which will include the International Hapkido Federation of the late Grand Master Bong Soo Han, formerly headquartered in the USA.

Grand Master Myung was reportedly the oldest Korean representative of Aikikai in Japan and incorporated many Japanese Aikido techniques into his version of Hapkido. He produced numerous videos and wrote many books. Grand Master Myung held the title of Kuk Sa Nim in the IHF (International Hapkido Federation in Seoul) with your school chonmuggwan ("escuela de un public servant working for the people").

Grandmaster Ko Baek-yong

After the passing of Grandmaster Myung, his student, Master Ko Baek-yong, founded the World Hankimuye Federation (IHF), building upon the Chongmukwan school, co-created by Grandmaster Myung Llae Nam and some of his students, especially Grandmaster Ko Baek-yong. He incorporated modern teachings from arts such as Tai Chi and helped transform Hankimuye into a complete movement system, more than just a set of techniques.

With traditional roots, Hankimuye has evolved steadily, particularly after the death of Myung Llae Nam, which led to a schism between his students and friends and the followers of his son, who took over the IHF organization.

Its origins: Hankimuye has a deep connection to Hankido, developed by the late Grandmaster Myung Jae-nam, who was already a renowned Hapkido master when he was inspired by Japanese Aikido. He created 12 self-defense exercises and 24 visualization exercises, designed to help practitioners internalize these three fundamental principles, explained above.

• Won (원) – Circle
• Yu (류) – Fluidity
• Hwa (화) – Harmony

These principles are present in every Hankimuye technique and movement. Hankimuye is an intelligent way to move, defend yourself, and develop. Hankimuye (한기무예) literally means “Korean martial art,” but it is much more than that. It is a dynamic practice that combines traditional and modern methods to offer an effective, fluid, and adaptable discipline.

It is based on universal principles—not on endless memorization of techniques—making it practical, efficient, and accessible to all levels.

• Realistic Self-Defense
• Strikes, Grappling, and Movement Training
• Mind-Body Connection

Hankimuye is a modern martial art rooted in centuries-old traditions. Hankimuye literally means "Korean Martial Arts of Ki."

Ki is a concept from Asian philosophy that signifies universal energy. This means that Hankimuye techniques are based on universal principles. Hankimuye focuses on the correct application of these principles, not on learning countless techniques. It is better to practice one technique repeatedly than to practice many techniques only once.

True understanding of the fundamental principles is achieved through practice. The Hankimuye movement firmly believes in the power of repetition.

Grandmaster Jang Jing In (장진일),

A direct disciple of Choi, he inherited the title of Doju in Choi's personal and complete system of hapkido on January 15, 1985, becoming the second Grandmaster in the direct lineage.

On April 5, 1985, Choi personally bestowed upon Jang the title of Doju (Guardian of the Way). Jang also had the privilege and honor of being the first hapkido master to receive the 9th Dan certificate from Choi in 1980.

A grand opening ceremony was held on April 11, 1985. The historic event was covered and documented by Korea Sports News and the Korean television network MBC. Choi Young-sool, who took the opportunity to honor his son Chang, Young Lim—who died in the line of duty—and Choi Bok-yeol's other son, were present. Choi left the complete documentation and recordings of the system to Chang, who continued to research and document the history and development of hapkido.

                              Jang, Jing In in white

Furthermore, the future Grand Master, a personal disciple of Choi, received appointment certificates: the second, dated December 1, 1977, and the third, dated March 5, 1980. This granted Jang greater power and authority within Choi's Hapkido Association. These certificates, along with his 9th Dan in 1980 and his Doju title in 1985, clearly demonstrate that Choi was preparing Jang to be the future Grand Master of Hapkido.

Jang's intimate video interview (one of several over decades) with his teacher Doju Choi during his visit to New York City has been the subject of numerous misinterpretations and mistranslations. Some have even falsely claimed to have conducted the interview, further obscuring and distorting its inherent truth and gravity. These persistent distortions have been refuted in various local media outlets in Korea.

Doju Chang continues to teach in New York City after decades of running a business school, in addition to having taught hapkido at the United Nations. He currently teaches a small group in New York dedicated to the preservation of hapkido. Many detractors have spread countless conjectures about him. One lineage generated even more controversy by claiming that Choi passed the system on to his second son, Choe Bok-yeol, which is incorrect, misleading, and insulting to Choi's legacy and wishes. Black Belt magazine, respecting Jang Jing In as the second successor of the lineage, asked him to write a short obituary for Choi, which appeared in the April 1987 issue.

Jang Jing In's work is to collect all the Hapkido techniques that the masters who follow the dogu-nim from the original Takeda branch—Choi, his principal students, and successors—share periodically in a location chosen by the doju. Maintaining the art, its origins, and its moral convictions is a great honor.

Kim Moo-hong (김무홍; also spelled Kim Moo-woong or Kim Mu-hyun) was a student at Choi and Seo's Daehan Hapki Yukwonsool Dojang, and later taught at Seo's main dojang in Daegu. Seo, who promoted him to fourth dan, credits him with developing many kicks still used in hapkido. Apparently, Kim took the very basic kicking concepts he had learned from Choi and went to a temple to refine them. Later, in 1961, he traveled to Seoul and, during his time at Ji Han-jae's Sim Moo Kwan dojang, finalized the kicking program, with Ji giving prominence to the Sim Moo Kwan school.

Kim founded his dojang Shung Moo Kwan (신무관) in the Jongmyo section of Seoul, also in 1961. Won Kwang-hwa (원광화) and Kim Jung-soo (김정수) also served as instructors at this dojang. Kim's notable students included Lee Han-cheol, Kim Woo-tak (who founded the Kuk Sool Kwan Hapkido dojang), Huh Il-woong, Lee Joo-bang (who founded the modern Hwa Rang Do in the 1990s), Na In-dong, Shin Dong-ki, and Seo In-hyuk (who founded Kuk Sool Won years later).

Originally a member of the Korean Kido Association, Kim was sent to the United States in 1969 to teach hapkido. Upon returning to Korea in 1970, Kim was inspired by Ji Han-Jae to create his own organization and, with the support of his students, founded the Korean Hapkido Association in 1971. He later merged this organization with the groups led by Ji Han-Jae and Myung Jae-nam to form the Republic of Korea Hapkido Association.

Lim Hyun-soo

Lim Hyun-soo was born in Geochang County, South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, on September 7, 1944. In 1965, he visited the founder of hapkido, Choi Yong-soo, and experienced this martial art for the first time. That same year, Lim began his hapkido training with Kim Yeung-jae, the head instructor at Choi's studio. From 1978 onward, Lim attained all his ranks and received training directly from Choi.

During his training, Lim underwent rigorous and intensive instruction. With Choi's blessing, he founded Jung Ki Gwan on October 24, 1974. In 1976, Choi retired, closed his studio, and joined Jung Ki Gwan, though he ceased teaching public classes. Choi gave Lim private lessons during his visits and also spent time at the studio playing baduk (Go) with him. During these encounters, Lim asked Choi about Hapkido techniques.

Lim established Jung Ki Gwan in Daegu, and Choi awarded him the rank of 9th dan. Lim is an accomplished swordsman and created Chung Suk Kuhap Do after studying sword styles in Japan and Korea. Choi told Lim that learning swordsmanship would be an essential component of his Hapkido training. Lim attends his studio daily to teach national and international students. Since 1996, he has visited the United States on numerous occasions to conduct seminars. In addition, he has organized Hapkido and Chung Suk Kuhap do seminars in European countries such as Sweden and the Netherlands, where there is currently a significant community of Hapkido practitioners.

Grandmaster Lee Dong Koo

Grandmaster Lee Dong Koo is the founder of Jin Mu Kwan. Jin Mu Kwan (Jin: "authentic, true"; Mu: "martial"; Kwan: ​​"school or training hall") is a traditional martial art of Hapkido.

This school was founded by Grandmaster Lee in 1967, after many years of research and study of the Hapkido of its founder, Choi Young-sul. As a high school student, Lee Dong Koo began his Hapkido training with Grandmaster Kim Tae Ho when the latter taught as an instructor at Choi's dojang. Later, in Pontevedra, Spain, he taught Hapkido for several years (in the late 1970s) with Myung-Deuk Suh and Grandmaster Suh Bok Seob, who had settled in Spain about six years earlier.

Myung-Deuk Suh and Suh, Bok Seob shaped the combined efforts of Lee Dong Koo's school (Jin Mu Kwan), formalizing it as the Jin Mu Kwan Suh, Bok Seob school. This school adopted the concept of integrating Hapkido and Hankumiye (Hapkido-Hankumdo) as proposed by Grandmaster Ko, Baek Yong, founder of the International Hankumiye Federation. These masters, along with many others who had studied under them, some in Canada, the USA, and Spain, joined together to form the International Hoshin-Hapkido Association.

To learn more about Lee Dong Koo, see the link: Hoshin-Hapkido