Doju Ji Han Jae

Ji Han Jae began his training in 1949 with Choi Yong Sul. He trained with Choi Yong Sul until 1956, when he moved to Seoul in order to open a school of self-defence. His earliest students were Kwon Tae-Man, Yu Yong-Wu and Oh Se-Lim.

There he founded the Sung Moo Kwan, which would become the school of Hapkido.

In 1959 Ji Han Jae combined all of his martial arts knowledge and began to teach Hapkido. His first student was Hwang Duk-Kyu, followed shortly after by Myung Kwang-Sik, Kim Yong-Jin, Jung Won Sun and others. It was around this time that Ji Han Jae began to use the name 'Hapkido' to promote the art, shortened from the original name 'Hapki Yu Kwon Sool' used at the first school run by Choi Yong Sul and Suh Bok Sub in Taegu in 1951.

Ji Han Jae trained in the ancient Korean martial arts methods of Sam Rang Do Tek Gi with a man known as Taoist Lee. This man is also believed to have trained Ji Han Jae in meditation, the Korean long staff (Jang Bong), the short staff (Dan Bong), and the kicks of Sam Rang Do Tek Gi.

In 1984 Ji Han Jae moved to the United States and founded Sin Moo Hapkido. After moving to the United States he soon gathered a large number of students interested in learning Hapkido, and especially Sin Moo Hapkido.

Before he left Korea a former student, Myung Jae Nam, head of the International H.K.D. Federation, awarded Ji Han Jae a 10th Dan. His proper title is now Doju Ji Han Jae — Doju implies founder, as Ji Han Jae is the founder of Sin Moo Hapkido and of Hapkido itself.

On his first trip to the United States, Ji Han Jae appeared in the film Game of Death with Bruce Lee. Before that he had already appeared in a movie called Hapkido, otherwise known as Lady Kung Fu, with Angela Mao.

Sin Moo Hapkido is a self-defence martial art of non-violence, self-improvement, adaptability, and physical, emotional and spiritual balance, built upon basic Hapkido training. In addition, Sin Moo Hapkido forms a series of techniques, although at advanced levels students are expected to expand their own work, building on the principles of circular motion, energy flow and the water principle to execute techniques suited to their style, size and ability level.

Once advanced, training can also include weapons training and the study of acupressure for both defensive and healing techniques. The core principles of Sin Moo Hapkido are circular motion, the water principle, and adaptability — also referred to as harmony.

Sin Moo Hapkido uses various holds, joint locks, throws, redirection, kicks, punches, blocks, pressure points, weapons and energy flow techniques.

The holds and joint locks are used to gain control of an aggressor depending on the situation. They are more defensive, but in more life-threatening situations they can be used as attacks. At 4th Dan Black Belt there are a further 30 special attacking techniques using different variations and combinations of basic locks.

There are many different throws and many ways of redirecting an aggressor's energy, using the attacker's momentum to continue their own motion through the circular motion principle of Hapkido. These techniques depend on the incoming energy of the attack: a soft or weak attack requires a small or soft redirection, while a large or powerful attack results in a redirection or throw involving much more energy, leading to a more serious outcome for the aggressor. The blocks used in Sin Moo Hapkido are usually also redirection blocks, though some blocks are intended to stop an aggressor's attack. Legs are also used for blocking.

Sin Moo Hapkido also uses a wide variety of strikes. It has 25 defensive kicks that are useful in "street style" defensive situations to counter incoming attacks — two of the 25 are used only to block kicks, though some of the other kicks can be used the same way. Many of the kicks are designed for use in restricted spaces such as hallways or crowds. Once the basic 25 kicks are learned, the student then learns 29 special kicks. The special kicks are harder to master and need more room; they include double kicks, flying kicks, kicks from and on the ground, jumping kicks and combination kicks. Sin Moo Hapkido also has 17 different kinds of punches.

Pressure points are used to control the physical body and to manipulate the body's Ki in order to stop, disarm and disable an attacker, or to heal a patient. Sin Moo Hapkido uses many pressure points out of the body's more than 600 pressure points. The pressure points are also referred to as vital points.

Weapon training in Sin Moo Hapkido consists of the use of short sticks, walking sticks, long sticks, swords, ropes, knives, thrown weapons, and adapting everyday objects for use as weapons. Weapon training is learned in the black belt stages, but knife techniques and defences against them are learned just before black belt.

Sin Moo Hapkido has many meditation techniques. The Korean word for meditation is Mun Yum. Sin Moo Hapkido also has breathing techniques, referred to as Tanjum. The Korean term for formalised breathing techniques is Ki Gung. Sin Moo Hapkido lessons usually start with Tanjum and end with meditation.

This is how my teacher Doju Ji Han Jae learned Hapkido in Korea from 1949, when he first began training with Choi Yong Sul, until 1984, when he moved to the United States and founded Sin Moo Hapkido after the head of the International H.K.D. Federation awarded him a 10th Dan. This meant his new title was now Doju Ji Han Jae — Doju meaning founder, as Ji Han Jae is the founder of Sin Moo Hapkido.