A History of Hapkido and Our Lineage:

A History of Hapkido edited by Victor M. Cushing

*Some material from Grand Master Michael Wollmershauser

*Some material from Master Michael Rowe

*Specific information on the early history of Grandmaster Choi was reproduced with the permission of Dr. Scott Shaw.

*Significant portions of History so marked are reprinted with the permission of Gordon Nore of the East York Hapkido- Karate Club and a fuller version of his contribution can be viewed at http://www.eyhkc.com/hapkido.html

Editor's Note: Much of early Hapkido history is s difficult, if not impossible to establish accurately and is often based on oral recitations that cannot now be substantiated.

We leave it to the informed reader to draw their conclusions as the validity of claims made.

A careful reader will note that there are contradictions contained in various contributor's versions of the same events.

It is clear that both Ji Han Jae and Choi, Young Sool were major contributors to this art and that Choi, Young Sool's style was probably closer to the source that is may be shared with Aikido while Ji Han Jae's style clearly added more kicks. Now without further ado, here is A History of Hapkido.

Hapkido is a martial art of Korean origin. Its name means literally "The way of coordination and internal power." Hapkido is a complete martial art in that it consists of: dynamic striking and kicking techniques, very similar to Tae Kwon Do, both hard and soft style deflection techniques, throws, takedowns, ground-fighting, and extensive joint locking techniques. Hapkido is the combination of two Korean Martial Arts - Yool Sool which comes from the Japanese art known as Daito-Ryu Aiki-Jutsu and Tae Kyon which is an ancient Korean Kicking Skill that was widespread during the time of the Three Kingdoms.

The origin of Daito-Ryu starts with Soemon Takeda (1758-1853). Soemon Takeda taught a system called aiki-in-ho-yo, "the aiki system of yin and yang," which he passed on to Tanomo Saigo. Saigo also had training in Misoguchi-Ryu swordsmanship and Koshu-ryu military science.

*The sections that follow are reprinted with the permission of Gordon Nore of the East York Hapkido- Karate Club and a fuller version of his contribution can be viewed at http://www.ekhkc.com/hapkido.html

Some Hapkidoists regard Grandmaster Ji, Han Jae (1936- ) as the true founder of Hapkido. Certainly Hapkido would not be what is today without him; however, Master Ji, Han Jae himself gives much of the credit to Grandmaster Choi, Young Sool (1904-1986) for the creation of Hapkido.

There are many questions surrounding the early life of Master Choi. Following is the account Choi himself gave throughout his later years: Master Choi was born Chung Buk province of Korea in 1904 and was orphaned at the age of eight or nine. He was then brought to Japan by a candy maker who later abandoned him. Left to wander begging for food, he was adopted by a Japanese man who gave him the name Tatujutu Yoshida.

Life in Japan had been difficult for Choi. On the streets, he was regularly beaten by other children, no doubt because he was a foreigner. After his adoption, his time in school was equally unhappy. Yoshida (Choi) spoke little Japanese, and thus found his studies frustrating, and was getting into fights with classmates. Reportedly, his father offered him a choice: attend school or study martial arts. Yoshida (Choi) opted to learn to fight and was enrolled in Daito-Ryu Aiki-Jutsu (pronounced Dae-Dong-Ryu Hap-Ki-Sool in Korean.) His sensei was Sokaku Takeda (1860-1943) (3-See notes), with whom Yoshida claimed to have trained for nearly thirty years. With the end of World War Two and Japanese occupation of Korea at hand, Yoshida returned to Korea in the winter of 1945 and changed his name back to Choi, Young Sool.

On the way home Chung-Buk province, however, Choi had lost his suitcase containing all of his money and his certificates from Takeda Sensei, leaving him stranded in Tae Gu province. Again Choi was forced to earn a living on the streets, but now he had a family to support. After a year of selling rice cakes, he earned enough money to buy some hogs, which he fed with free leftover grain he acquired each morning from the Suh Brewery Company. On February 21st, 1948, during one of Choi's early-morning visits to the brewery, a group of men tried to steal his place in line for grain after he had volunteered to help draw water from the brewery's underground spring. A fight ensued, and Choi dispatched his attackers with the techniques he had learned in Japan.

Suh, Bok Sup (circa 1924- ), the manager of his family-owned brewery witnessed the battle and sent his servant to summon Choi to his office. Suh, a black belt in Judo taught by Choi, Yong Ho (193? - ), hoped to learn about the strange martial arts style he had witnessed. Fearing he would lose his allotment of grain, Choi refused, until Suh, Bok

Sup assured Choi that he would get it. Suh asked Choi to take him on as his student and invited him into his dojang in the brewery offices:

"I said to him that since I had no objection to money, please teach me whatever you know. I was able to judge his financial situation just by looking at him. I stood up and I took him to the room next to my office. I opened up the door and it was a big place with Tabor min mats, Japanese throwing mats. That's where I asked him to please show me the techniques. Since Choi, Yong Sool knew I was a first degree Judo, he told me to throw him. I didn't really feel like throwing him because he was much older than me [GM Choi was about 42 years of age]. I was somewhat hesitant to throw him yet I lightly grabbed him and he immediately used a pain technique on me. It happened all of a sudden, without explaining anything, he just did it. I got angry. Here I was, very gentle with Choi and I felt he wasn't too nice to me so I got mad. I wanted to take time but Choi, Yong Sool gave me no chance so I decided to fight back. I decided to throw Choi, Yong Sool and grabbed him on the shoulder. I found myself in trouble. In Judo, usually one person has touched the other person's body in order to throw him, but this time there was no touching involved. So, I was deeply impressed. So that's how the two of us got started. (American Hapkido Association Home page, 1997.)"

In return for private lessons, Suh provided Choi with grain, money, and the use of his private dojang to teach other students. Choi called his art Yoo Sool (Korean pronunciation for jujitsu), and began modify Takeda Sensei's style with some kicking and weapons techniques. Suh continued to train with Choi for many years. In 1951 Suh and Choi opened a school outside the brewery called Yu Kwon Sool Hap Ki Dojang. (4-See notes) In 1954, Suh's father, Suh, Dong Jin, ran successfully for the Korean National Assembly. Suh, Bok Sup prevailed in a physical confrontation with Chun, Se Daek, a brother-in-law of one of his father's political opponents:

"He is a big man for a Korean. My eyes would be at his chest level. He had a vicious reputation of killing two people, before 1945 and after 1945. One week before the election, Chun, Se Daek and I had a fight.... He had heard much about the reputation I had... He wanted to have some kind of fight with me. So, as I said, one week before the election we finally had a fight at a speech area where he was giving a public speech... That's when I ran into this man named Chun, Se Daek... That's when Chun, Se Daek grabbed me by the neck... I had thought about bending his wrist, but was afraid I would break it. He was such a strong man. I had considered throwing him using Judo, the man was way too tall for that. That's when I lowered my body and kicked him in the side and knocked him back away... He was a little scared.

The crowd came to break up the fight. Chun, Se Daek sent policemen to my home for reconciliation...He wanted me to come to his office to make peace... That's when a fist flew from Chun, Se Daek's brother. He had tried to trick me and I sprang up, stepped away and reposed getting ready to fight. We both stood up and I'd noticed that this man was taller than me. The man was about to use his boxing. Instead of fighting back, I just avoided the fists. Not one fist struck me. Now the man tried Judo, so I had decided to use his power. Each time the man grabbed me, I showed him another Hap Ki Do technique. That's when everyone in the office became in awe of my techniques. They knew it was definitely not Judo. That's the incident that made Hap Ki Do famous throughout the city of Daegue. (American Hapkido Association Home page, 1997)."

It was during this time that Assemblyman Suh engaged Choi as his personal bodyguard. Grandmaster Choi and Suh, Bok Sup continued train together and give demonstrations and Hapkido gained in popularity and respect.

Grandmaster Ji, Han Jae was born in Andong, Korea in 1936. When he was three, his family fled Japanese-occupied Korea for China. After the war, Ji, Han Jae's family returned to Korea In 1949, thirteen-year-old Ji began training full time Yu Kwon Sool with Grandmaster Choi, and remained with him until 1956. Training under a master known as "Taoist Lee," Master Ji learned Tae Kyon kicking, jang-bong (Korean for six-foot staff), the dan-bong (Korean for short stick), and meditation. Master Ji also studied spiritual power for five years under a woman monk known as "Grandma."

In 1958, Ji left Daegue city and returned to Andong where he opened his first two Yu Kwon Sool dojang which he named Sung Moo Kwan. (The second of these was located in a neck tie factory!) He kept the schools for nine months before relocating to Joong Boo Shi Jang, Seoul, in 1958, and remained there until April of 1960.

There began the martial arts careers of two of Ji's first and greatest students. In 1958 Bong Soo Han, who later founded the International Hapkido Association, began training under Master Ji, until he left for the United States eleven years later. Myung Kwan Sik, who began under Master Ji, would also move to the United States, where he founded the World Hapkido Association.

The following account identifies Ji as the first person to use the term Hapkido:

...Ji began to piece together the Yoo Sool (Yoo Kwon Sool) teachings of Grandmaster Choi, with the methods of meditation, the Tae Kyon kicking techniques, and the weapons techniques learned from Taoist Lee, along with the spiritual training he received from "grandma," to formulate his own style of martial art, for which he chose the name "Hapkido." He had originally thought of calling it "Hapki-Yoo-Kwon-Sool," but decided against that, feeling it was too long of a name. He thought of other martial arts he had heard of, such as Tae Kwon Do, Kong Soo Do, Soo Bakh Do, etc., where the word "do" was being used instead of "sool". He liked this idea because the word "do" means a path to follow or a way of life, rather than simply meaning "technique", as "sool" implies. The name Hapkido was chosen in 1959, and has been used ever since. The word itself can be translated as the "way of coordinated power." Where "Hap" means to unify or coordinate, "Ki" means mental and/or physical energy, and "do" means a way of life, or the "path" or "way" of coordinating your mental and physical energy into one entity.

During a conversation I had with Grandmaster Ji, Han Jae...it was related to me that after he chose the name Hapkido to represent his art, he gave this name to his teacher, Yong-Sool Choi to use -- out of respect. Choi taught under the name Hapkido until his death in 1986, even though he did not teach the complete curriculum -- leaving out the majority of the kicking techniques, and a lot of the weapons techniques. (Sin Koo Hapkido Home page, 1997) (5 - See notes)

In May of 1961, the Korean government was overthrown by General Park, Chung-Hee (1917-1979), who would later become the president. In 1962, Ji opened another dojang, in the Hwa Shin department store. Soon he would be hired as an instructor to Military Supreme Council and the presidential security forces. He held the latter position until President Park's death in 1979.

From 1962 to 1979, Master Ji was a bodyguard to Korean President Park in the Blue House. In 1969, Master Ji was brought to the United States to teach Hapkido to FBI and Secret Service agents, and other officials. In 1984, Grandmaster Ji moved to the United States and founded Sin Moo Hapkido. He later promoted his early students to the rank of ninth degree black belt -- Bong Soo Han in 1984 and Myung Kwan Sik in 1986.

Grandmaster Bong Soo Han is credited with popularizing Hapkido in the West and bringing it the big screen. His first film appearance was in the 1971 feature "Billy Jack." Master Han doubled for star Tom Laughlin and choreographed the film's fight scenes. It is interesting to note, that Hapkido is not organized under the KTA, ITF or WTF, perhaps the only Korean art with this unique status. Hapkido in Korea is overseen by three organizations: The Korea Kido Association, The Korea Hapkido Association, and The International Hapki Federation.

1. Korean custom places the family name before the given names. Some Koreans mentioned in this piece have adopted the western custom of placing the family name second. To avoid confusion, I have listed the names of Koreans in the manner in which were historically known, or in the way in which they prefer to be known. Where the family name occurs first, I have inserted a comma, Smith, John for John Smith. For example Grandmaster Ji, Han Jae uses the traditional Korean name order and is therefore properly addressed as Grandmaster Ji. On the other hand Grandmaster Bong Soo Han uses the western order and is properly addressed as Grandmaster Han.

2. Chung Do Kwan was the original of this group. Founder Won Kuk Lee and his family fled to the extreme south of Korea after war broke out, at which time many of his students formed their own kwons.

3. There is much speculation about the accuracy of Grandmaster Choi's own account of this period of his life, in particular his true relationship with Takeda Sensei, who also instructed Morihei Usheba, the founder of Aikido. Grandmaster Suh, Bok Sup, Choi's first student, seems to agree with Choi's account; although provides no hard evidence of his belief. In an interview with Master Michael Wollmerhauser, Choi implies that Takeda Sensei had adopted Choi. One reason for skepticism is that Takeda Sensei was a prominent martial artist who only taught upper class students. Choi, an orphaned Korean living on the streets, would hardly have fit the bill.

4. Another account of this period suggests that Choi changed Yoo Sool to 'Yoo Kwon Sool at Choi's suggestion. Following his confrontations with Daek, Chun Se, he recommended adding the word kwon to reflect that the style also included kicking techniques. (Shin Koo Hapkido Home page, 1997).

5. More disagreement. Choi's account differs: "In 1958, Choi, Yong Sool and I agreed together to officially add the "Do" to "Hap Ki" to have the lasting name "Hap Ki Do" and no one else did this."

Ji Han-Jae claims to have given the name Hapkido to his teacher Choi Yong-Sool to use out of respect. However, Choi's student Suh Bok-Sub claims that Choi was already using the name by that time. Records in this regard are sketchy and no definite answers are to be found.

In the early 60's Park Chung-Hee lifted import restrictions that banned Japanese goods from Korea. It was at this time Ji found a book about Aikido. Ji found the Japanese Spelling of Aikido was the same as Hapkido. Discouraged that a Japanese art had the same name Ji dropped the Hap calling his art simply Kido.

On September 2, 1963 the Korean Government granted a Charter to the Korea Kido Association. This association was granted the right to regulate and supervise the standards of teaching as well as the promotion requirements of Black Belts in 31 different Korean martial arts. The first chairman of this association was Choi Yong-Sool. Later on due to many differences in politics and philosophies Ji Han Jae left the Kido Association and returned to calling his art Hapkido.

Today there are three Hapkido Organizations in Korea. They include: the Korea Kido Association (Pres. Seo In-Sun), the Korea Hapkido Association (Pres. Oh Se-Lim), and the International Hapki Federation (Pres. Kim Moo-Woong)

*The editor wishes to thank Gordon Nore for his permission to reprint major sections of the History of Hapkido presented above form the East York Hapkido-Karate website. A fuller version of his contribution can be viewed at http://www.eyhkc.com/hapkido.html