History of the Federation

Minamoto no Yoshimitsu, born in the year 1045 and belonging to the Minamoto Clan, was the first to use the name Takeda, and thus gave origin to Clan Takeda. The chronicles narrate that it was he who created the seeds of Daito Ryu Aiki Jutsu, the martial art that had the greatest and most important influence on traditional Japanese martial arts.

Almost a thousand years later, Sokaku Takeda is considered the last samurai of the Takeda Clan, master of Morihei Ueshiba — who stayed in Japan and later founded Aikido — and also master of Choi Yong Sul, who in 1945, two years after Sokaku Takeda passed away and after the end of the Second World War, returned to his native Korea to incorporate Hoshinsool and other traditional Korean techniques, creating the martial art that Doju Nim Ji Han Jae finally named Hapkido.

Doju Ji Han Jae later founded Sin Moo Hapkido and made Hapkido popular worldwide through his magnetic character, his holistic approach to martial arts, and by teaching and performing as co-star with the legendary Bruce Lee in the movie Game of Death — as well as through the consistent dedication and promotion of many senior students and assistants, including the late SGM Jurge Ziegler in Europe and the late SGM Inwan Kim in the USA, among a handful of others.

SGM Massan Ghorbani is responsible for the promotion and development of Sin Moo Hapkido in Ireland, the UK, Sweden, Romania, Iran, Egypt and Africa. He was initially appointed Headmaster Instructor Representative for Ireland by the late former European headmaster SGM Jurge Ziegler, and was later appointed Headmaster Instructor Representative in separate terms for Great Britain, Iran and the Middle East, and Europe — and finally worldwide as Senior Grandmaster Instructor Representative, and as President and founder of the Ultimate Sin Moo Hapkido Federation. This appointment and authorisation is valid permanently and independently, and was issued directly by the late founder of Sin Moo Hapkido, the legendary Doju Ji Han Jae, in November 2025.

Senior Grandmaster Massan (Mohamad Hossein) Ghorbani is one of Doju Ji Han Jae's senior students and assistants, and the third non-Korean practitioner ever to achieve 10th Dan Black Belt and Gold Belt. He also received the special title Joongkwan Sunsa in Sin Moo Hapkido and the Sin Moo Associations directly from Doju Ji Han Jae, the founder of this unique style.

SGM Ghorbani has competed in many national and international tournaments and championships, including Sosai Mas Oyama's knockdown Kyokushin Kai karate championships in Iran, Great Britain and Europe. He was the knockdown karate champion of Iran in 1985 in his own weight division before moving to Ireland. He also holds many world and European kickboxing titles in semi, light and full contact, and is a former world medallist and WAKO European and national champion since moving to Ireland in January 1986.

With the new age in martial arts, new developments in fighting skills and the birth of MMA, Joongkwan Sunsa Massan Ghorbani believes Hapkido must technically upgrade in order to maintain its original objectives and goals: to maintain and improve physical, intellectual, social, emotional and spiritual health and fitness, and to have the ability to defend oneself against anyone, with any old or new style or skill set.

Leading armies in the world consistently strive to build superior weapons, and countries with superior weapons and technology are considered leading civilisations. Traditional martial arts, on the other hand, have always taught ethics, morals, character building and self-development, as well as life skills and self-defence skills, and have proved to be beneficial for mental health and physical well-being as well as for building strength and conditioning. Martial arts instructors are teachers, leaders, mentors and advisors, striving to be the best version of themselves with a great responsibility toward themselves and all in their communities.

SGM Massan Ghorbani's highest goals are to reach the highest level of humanity, and to bring to all the gifts of inner peace, self-worth, self-belief, self-respect and self-realisation — helping everyone within his reach to discover their unlimited potential and to become the best they can be, in skill and in character. He teaches and promotes a positive outlook and the other 47 necessary characters to help others focus and build on the positive, attract good, grow, develop and enjoy gratitude, goodness, a good self-image, patience through strength and respect through kindness, helping all to win the ongoing inner battle between the good and the bad wolf within us.

The root of all victories is honesty, and the root of honesty is strength. We must always strive to be strong physically, mentally and spiritually in order to stay honest, healthy, happy and successful, and to maintain our self-worth. The root of anger is fear, and the root of fear is a lack of gratitude. Be grateful daily and always perform your best in all life's challenges.