Style: Hapkido

Han-Jae Ji was born in 1936 in Angong, Korea, and began training in Yoo Sool with Yong Sool Choi in 1949.
When Ji was eighteen, he began to train with a man who he refers to as Taoist Lee. Taoist Lee, trained him
primarily in methods of meditation, and in the use of the Jang-Bong (6' staff), the Dan-Bong (short stick), and
in Korean Taek-Kyun kicking. As well as this, a lady monk known to him only as "grandma" taught him
spiritual power for nearly five years.
Han-Jae Ji opened his first Dojang in Andong, calling it An Moo Kwan and began to teach Yoo Kwon Sool.
After nine months in Andong, he decided to relocate to Seoul in September of 1957.
Ji opened a small Dojang at a neck-tie factory where he had a few students. These were mainly from Han
Yang University. His skills and teaching became better so he decided to move to a more suitable location. He
rented a room from a local boxing instructor, and had access to a regular mat where he could conduct his
classes for the first time.
Ji moved his school to Joong Boo Shi Jang in 1958 where he continued teaching until 1960. It was now that
he began to piece together the Yoo Sool teachings of Grandmaster Choi, the methods of meditation, the TaekKyun kicking techniques, the weapons techniques learned from Taoist Lee, and the spiritual training he
received from "grandma," to formulate his own style of martial art. He called this martial art "Hapkido."
Hapkido 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.
The actual hapkido curriculum was not finalized until the early 1960's, when Moo-Woong Kim, a fellow
student of Grandmaster Choi's, moved to Seoul to visit Han-Jae Ji.
He stayed for about eight months, practicing with Ji, and giving his input and advice about which kicking
techniques should be used.
In 1962, Ji was given permission to instruct the Military Supreme Council in Hapkido techniques. Ji then
received a government job teaching Hapkido to the Presidential Security. He then moved his school to Suh
Dae Moon (West Gate section), to give him greater exposure to the public.
In the early 1960's, Ji came across a book on Japanese Aikido and noticed that the Japanese characters for
Aikido were the same as for Hapkido. He didnt like the fact that a Japanese art had the "same name" as
Hapkido, so he decided to drop the "Hap" from it's name, calling his art simply, "Kido."
On September 2, 1963, the Korean government granted a Charter to the Korea Kido Association. They were
able to supervise the standards of teaching as well as promotion requirements of Black Belts in thirty-one
different Korean martial arts. The first chairman of the Korea Kido Association was Yong-Sool Choi
Han-Jae Ji left the Korea Kido Association in 1965 and established the Korea Hapkido Association. The
reasons for this were two fold.

First, the Korea Kido Association appointed Jung-Yoon Kim as Secretary-general. Kim dominated the policies
of the Association and Ji did not like this situation.
Second, the students that were trained in Hapkido, did not like the new term, "Kido." They still called their
martial art Hapkido, and continued to teach it as they learned it. They did not feel that it mattered that a
Japanese art had the same name.
And finally, Han-Jae Ji was appointed Chief Hapkido Instructor for the President's Security Forces and had
become a powerful person, which allowed him to operate his own organization without help from.
Three dominant Hapkido organizations began to immerge. These included

The Korea Hapkido Association (founded in 1965 by Han-Jae Ji),

The Korea Hapki Association (founded in 1969 by Jae-Nam Myung), and
The Korean Hapkido Association (founded in 1971 by Moo-Woong Kim).

In 1973, the leaders of these organizations met and agreed to unify their associations into one.
The new association was named Dae Han Min Kuk Hapkido Hyub Hwe (Republic of Korea Hapkido
Association).
Grandmaster Han-Jae Ji moved to the United States in 1984 and founded Sin Moo Hapkido, and Grandmaster
Moo-Woong Kim resigned from the Republic of Korea Hapkido Association, and founded the International
Hapki Federation.
Grandmaster Se-Lim Oh became the president of the Republic of Korea Hapkido Association, renaming it the
Korea Hapkido Association (the name Ji had used in the 60's).
There are now still three main Hapkido organizations in Korea. These include,
The Korea Kido Association (In-Sun Seo, Pres.),
The Korea Hapkido Association (Se-Lim Oh, Pres.), and
The International Hapki Federation (Moo-Woong Kim, Pres.).