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Han Bong-soo
Han Bong-soo (Korean: 한봉수; August 25, 1933 – January 8, 2007) was a South Korean martial artist. He is often referred to as the "Father of Hapkido" in America, and founded the International Hapkido Federation. He was one of the foremost and internationally recognized practitioners of the art through his participation in books, magazine articles, and popular films featuring the martial art.
Han was born on August 25, 1933, in Jinsen (now known as Incheon), Korea. He began his study of hapkido as a teenager with Yongsul Choi in Seoul, Korea but the bulk of his training came from numerous other hapkido instructors where he received most of his black belt rankings. Han studied and refined this Korean martial art for more than 50 years. He held the rank of 9th dan black belt in hapkido. He was the founder of the International Hapkido Federation, and was its president until his death.
During the brutal occupation of Korea by Japan between 1910 and 1945, all Korean school-children were forced to read, write, and speak Japanese. In addition they were taught judo and kendo for discipline and physical education. Han studied these arts from 1943 to 1945.
From 1948 to 1950, Han studied kwon bup, which was a mixture of Chinese chuan fa methods and Shudokan karate, and earned a black belt in the art under Byung-in Yoon.[citation needed] Yoon's teachings later led to the development of one of the Korean schools of kong soo do and greatly influenced[citation needed] two of the early schools who helped to form modern taekwondo, the chang moo kwan and the jido kwan. At the outbreak of the Korean War, all martial arts schools in Korea were closed.
Han began his training in Hapkido after going to see a demonstration put on by the founder, Yong-sul Choi. From then on, he committed himself to hapkido training under Choi.
In the late 1950s, Han would meet with other instructors to train and exchange ideas. From time to time, between 1956 and 1959, he traveled to Hwa Chun, Kang Won Province, where he spent time training in the art of tae kyon, under Bok-yong Lee.
Han and his friend, Seo-oh Choi, were both employed by the Hankuk Shil Up Company which assisted other companies in bidding on army surplus goods.[citation needed] Both had prior training in striking-based martial arts, Choi in the Jidokwan taekwondo and Han in kwon bup and tae kyon. They became bodyguards to Korean Labour Party presidential candidate Jun Jin-han. When Jun withdrew his candidacy they both decided to continue their training in hapkido.
Han being a senior student of Yong-sul Choi, assisted in promoting the first hapkido school in the country's capital city. In 1959, Han opened his own hapkido school in the Samgangji section of Seoul. Han became an influential teacher and taught people in both the Korean military and the Korean presidential guard. Eventually, he secured a position teaching martial arts to U.S. security personnel at the Osan American air force base where he taught for 6 years.[citation needed]
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Han Bong-soo
Han Bong-soo (Korean: 한봉수; August 25, 1933 – January 8, 2007) was a South Korean martial artist. He is often referred to as the "Father of Hapkido" in America, and founded the International Hapkido Federation. He was one of the foremost and internationally recognized practitioners of the art through his participation in books, magazine articles, and popular films featuring the martial art.
Han was born on August 25, 1933, in Jinsen (now known as Incheon), Korea. He began his study of hapkido as a teenager with Yongsul Choi in Seoul, Korea but the bulk of his training came from numerous other hapkido instructors where he received most of his black belt rankings. Han studied and refined this Korean martial art for more than 50 years. He held the rank of 9th dan black belt in hapkido. He was the founder of the International Hapkido Federation, and was its president until his death.
During the brutal occupation of Korea by Japan between 1910 and 1945, all Korean school-children were forced to read, write, and speak Japanese. In addition they were taught judo and kendo for discipline and physical education. Han studied these arts from 1943 to 1945.
From 1948 to 1950, Han studied kwon bup, which was a mixture of Chinese chuan fa methods and Shudokan karate, and earned a black belt in the art under Byung-in Yoon.[citation needed] Yoon's teachings later led to the development of one of the Korean schools of kong soo do and greatly influenced[citation needed] two of the early schools who helped to form modern taekwondo, the chang moo kwan and the jido kwan. At the outbreak of the Korean War, all martial arts schools in Korea were closed.
Han began his training in Hapkido after going to see a demonstration put on by the founder, Yong-sul Choi. From then on, he committed himself to hapkido training under Choi.
In the late 1950s, Han would meet with other instructors to train and exchange ideas. From time to time, between 1956 and 1959, he traveled to Hwa Chun, Kang Won Province, where he spent time training in the art of tae kyon, under Bok-yong Lee.
Han and his friend, Seo-oh Choi, were both employed by the Hankuk Shil Up Company which assisted other companies in bidding on army surplus goods.[citation needed] Both had prior training in striking-based martial arts, Choi in the Jidokwan taekwondo and Han in kwon bup and tae kyon. They became bodyguards to Korean Labour Party presidential candidate Jun Jin-han. When Jun withdrew his candidacy they both decided to continue their training in hapkido.
Han being a senior student of Yong-sul Choi, assisted in promoting the first hapkido school in the country's capital city. In 1959, Han opened his own hapkido school in the Samgangji section of Seoul. Han became an influential teacher and taught people in both the Korean military and the Korean presidential guard. Eventually, he secured a position teaching martial arts to U.S. security personnel at the Osan American air force base where he taught for 6 years.[citation needed]