The Great Promoter of The Art
Leaving Daegu for his hometown of Andong, Ji Han-Jae opened up his first school, the An Moo Kwan (Hangul: 안무관) in 1956, still calling his art Yu Kwon Sool at this time. His earliest students from this period were Kwon Tae-Man (Hangul: 권태만; who teaches in California today), Yoo Young-Woo (Hangul: 유영우), and Oh Se-Lim (Hangul: 오세림; former president of the Korea Hapkido Federation).
After less than a year he decided to relocate to Seoul, the nation's capital, in 1957. There he founded the Sung Moo Kwan (Hangul: 성무관), which would become the an influential kwan, or school of hapkido, producing a great many of the important teachers of the art. His first student was Hwang Deok-Kyoo (Hangul: 황덕규; founder of the Korean Hapkido Association) followed shortly after by Myung Kwang-Sik (Hangul: 명광식; founder of the World Hapkido Federation), Lee Tae-Jun, Kang Jeong-soo. In 1958 students Kim Yong-Jin (Hangul: 김용진), Jeong Won-Seon (Hangul: 정원선; Retired 2007-taught in Rockford, Illinois) Han Bong-soo (of Billy Jack movie fame and founder of the International Hapkido Federation), Choi Sea-Oh (First man to teach hapkido in the U.S.) and Myung Jae-Nam (Hangul: 명재남; Founder of the Korea based International Hapkido Federation and Hankido). It was around this time that Ji began to use the name hapkido to promote the art, shortened from the original "Hap Ki Yu Kwon Sool (Hangul: 합기 유권술; 合氣柔拳術)" name employed at the first school run by Choi Yong-Sool and Seo Bok-Seob in Daegu in 1951.
In 1961, Kim Moo-Hong came to visit Ji and they developed many of the kicking tactics the art is known for.
Read more about this topic: Ji Han-Jae
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