Grandmaster Biography
Ji, Han Jae was born in 1936 in Andong, Korea. He began his martial arts training in Yoo Sool with Choi in 1949 at the age of 13. He trained full time with Choi until 1956 when he moved back to his home city of Andong from Seoul. When Ji was eighteen, he began to train with a man he refers to as Taoist Lee. Taoist Lee, trained Han-Jae Ji primarily in various methods of mediation, and in the use of the Jang-Bong (6' staff), the Dan-Bong (short stick), and in Korean Taek-Kyun kicking. During the same period, a lady monk known to Ji only as "grandma" taught him spiritual power for almost five years.
In Andong, Ji, Han Jae, then a 3rd dan, opened his first dojang, which he called a Moo Kwan and began to teach Yoo Kwan Sool. After approximately nine months in Andong, Ji decided to relocate to Seoul in September of 1957. He stayed in a boarding house in Wang Shim Ri. The son of the owner of the boarding house, Duk-Kyu Hawing, became his first deciple at his new dojang, called Sung Moo Kwan.
Ji was also able to open an additional small dojang at a necktie factory where he had only a few students. These students were mainly from Han Yang University.Eventually Ji's skills and teaching became even better and he decided to move to a more suitable location. He rented a room from a man named Bong-Ah Ko, a local boxing instructor, and for the first time had access to a regular mat where he could conduct his classes.
In 1958, Ji moved his school to Joong Boo Shi Jang where he continued teaching until April of 1960. It was during this period that Ji began to piece together the Yoo Sool (Yoo kwan Sool) teachings of Grandmaster Choi, with the methods of meditation, the Taek -Kyun 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 though of calling it "Hapki-Yoo -Kwan-Sool," but decided against that, feeling it was to long. He thought of other martial arts he had heard of, such as Tae-Kwon -Do, Kong-Soo-Do, Soo-Bak-Do, etc, in which the word 'do' means a path to follow, or a way of life, rather than simply 'techniques' as 'sool' implies. The name Hapkido was chosen in 1959, and has been in use ever since. The word itself can be translated as the "way of coordinated power." When "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.
In May of 1961, General Park, Chung-Hee(1917-1979) overthrew the Korean goverment, an action which ultimately resulted in his being elected President. In 1962, Ji moved to Kwan Chul Dong, in a space in back of the Hwa Shin Department Store. By this time, he had built his Sung Moo Kwan school up, and it was financially strong. With assistance from Major Lee, Dong-Nam, Ji was given permission to instruct the military Supreme Council in Hapkido techniques. Ji then received a government post teaching Hapkido to the President Security forces (a position he would hold until Park's death in 1979). During this time, he moved his school to Suh Dae Mon (West Gate section), which he felt would give him greater exposure to the public. In the early 1960's Park, Chung-Hee lifted important restrictions banning Japanese goods from Korea, and JI, came across a book on Japanese Aikido. Ji saw that the Japanese characters for Aikido were the same as for Hapkido. Discouraged that a Japanese art had the "same name" as Hapkido, he decided to drop the "Hap" from its name, calling his art simply, "Kido." In 1965, Ji, Han-Jae left the Korea Kido Association and established the Korea Hapkido Association. There were several reasons. First, the Korea Kido Association appointed Kim, Jung Yoon as secretary -general Kim, who was a university graduate, dominated the policies of the association, and Ji did not like the situation. Second, the students were trained in Sung Moo Kwan under the name Hapkido, and Ji did not like the new term "Kido." They continued to call their martial art hapkido, and continued to teach it the way they learned it. And lastly, Ji, Han-Jae was appointed Chief Hapkido Instructor for the president's Security forces and had become a powerful person. This power translated into the ability to successfully operate his own organization without help from others who were being less then ethical in their lives as martial artists. Three dominate Hapkido organizations began to immerge during the next five years. These included the Korea Hapkido Association (founded in 1965 by Han-Jae Ji), the Korea Hapkido Association (founded in 1969 by Jae-Nam Myung), and the Korean Hapkido Association (founded in 1971 by Kim, Moo Woong). Eventually, in 1973, the leaders of these organizations met and agreed to unify their association one. The new association was named Dae Han Min Kuk Hapkido Hyub Hwe (republic of Korea Hapkido Association). In 1984, Grandmaster Ji moved to the United States and founded Sin Moo Hapkido. That same year, Grandmaster Kim, Moo-Woong resigned from the Republic of Korea Hapkido association, and founded the International Hapki Federation. Grandmaster Oh, Se-Lim became the president of the Republic of Korea Hapkido Association, and late in 1984, he renamed it the Korea Hapkido Association (the name Ji had used in the 60's).Today here are still several dominant Hapkido organizations in Korea. These include, the Korea Kido Association (In-Sun Seo, Pres.), the Korea Hapkido Association (Oh, Se-Lim, Pres.), the International Hapkido Federation (Myung, Jae Nam, Pres.). The Korea Hapkido Association is still the most prominent Hapkido organization
in Korea, and e graduates of the Sung Moo Kwan make up the majority of its instructors.
Information taken from http://www.sinmoohapkido.be/
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