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HISTORY PAGE JUNGKIKWAN.doc

The Jung Ki Kwan,  an academy of traditional martial arts was opened to spread the spirit of  traditional martial arts to the world on October, 24, 1974by Hyun-Soo Lim.   Born as the second child in Gue -Chang, Kyungnam province on September 7, 1945, Grandmaster Lim had a special interest in martial arts at an early age.  In middle school he had started  Dang-Su Do, a kind of martial art.

He graduated from Gue-Chang high school and  entered the Yeung -namUniversity. While studying at college, his lifelong desire to study traditional martial arts continued.  In 1965, he visited  Hapkido Founder, Choi Young-Sul and had his first meeting with Hapkido.  He felt a mysterious charm that made him walk the way of a martial artist.  At first he was taught  by Master Kim Yeung Jae, Founder Choi's pupil.  He was then taught by Founder, Choi , Young-Sul and became his pupil until 1981. During this time with the founder, he endured strict and intense training.

 Knowing Hapkido's true values and meanings during the special training period with the founder, he opened the Jung Ki Kwan on October 24, 1974. In 1976, Founder, Choi ,Young-Sul closed his place, joined the Jung Ki Kwan, and devoted his energy to it for the rest of his life.

The Jung Ki Kwan has expanded its doors to foreigners. In 1977, we taught Hapkido to the soldiers of the United States8th Army.  Since then we have promoted Hapkido and its spirit to foreigners and produced many pupils.               

In August, 1979 Michael J, Wollmershauser (1943-2002) came from the U.S.to learn Hapkido.  He had lessons with Founder Choi and Grandmaster Lim at the Jung Ki Kwan.  He went back to the U.S.introducing Hapkido to Americaand also to Europe.  Being President of the American Hapkido Association, Mr. Wollermshauser was given the headmaster title of the American Hapkido Association in 1994.  In 1996, Grandmaster Lim, Hyun Soo and his wife, Mrs. Park visited the United States for the first time as a guest of Mr. Wollmershauser’s American Hapkido Association.

In 1996-1997, five U.S. Hapkido instructors, Marc Brackett, Michael D’Aloia, Sheryl Glidden, William May, and Todd Miller applied to be direct students of Grandmaster Lim and were accepted.   This group of five students learned Grandmster Lim’s Jung Ki system. They are committed to continuing their Jungki education and sharing it with others in Americaand abroad. The five embark on yearly journeys to the Jung Ki Kwan to learn from Grandmaster Lim and his outstanding Korean Jungki masters.

In 2005, Grandmaster Lim visited the U.S.on the first ever Jungki Hapkido & Kuhapdo tour.  His sponsors were Master Michael D’Aloia of New Jersey  and Master Sheryl Glidden of Maine.

Every year, the Jung Ki Kwan has been holding summer camp programs at its headquarters in Koreato promote its superiority and tradition to the world.

The principles of Hapkido lie in three elements:

  Hwa(Harmony). Won(Circle), Luy(Dynamic)

It was written in old book that a "Hap-Ki" is a principle of power, stemming from counteracting between real swords.

As a result of this principle, Grandmaster Lim joined an Oriental sword school in December, 1969.  In those days, in the academy, a bamboo sword was used instead of a real sword.

When the Jung Ki Kwan opened in 1974, Grandmaster Lim structured the academy’s organization into two branches : the Hapkido (Head coach Kim, Jae Hyung) and the Kumdo & Kuhapdo (Yoon, ByungIl)

In 1975, Jung Gum Hae, a Society of the Sword Association was born at the Jung Ki Kwan. The members included  Jung,Tae Min,  Lim,Hyun Soo,  Be,Chan Han,  Kim,Jae Hyun,   Som,Sung Hak,   Jo,Sung Bum ,   Kim,Young Gu ,   Park,Jong Dea ,   Park,Sang Yyun,    Lee,Jae Young,  etc.    The association practiced every Sunday at the Jung Ki Kwan to improve their skills and also to learn  Jae Jung Kuhapdo .

The Kuhapdo team has accomplished many splendid achievements such as group competition in the First President  Cup and 3rd place on March 1st in Taegu-Kyungbuk Kumdo competition.  They also have many other outstanding achievements in other friendly competitions.  The Jung Ki Kwan's Kumdo team also demonstrated at the opening ceremony of the TaegunMiddle School.   A special guest of the Jung Ki Kwan, Mr. Nam Byung Sun, director of the Taegu-Gyungbuk Kumdo Association was invited and attended the ceremony.

By using only a bamboo sword in training, Grandmaster Lim realized that there we limitations to truly understanding swordsmanship.  Thus in February 1982, to increase the momentum of the sword art, we promoted an exchange with Komei Sekiguchi, president of the Japanese Kuhapdo Association who is affiliated with Japanese traditional martial arts.  In September, 1982, the Korean Kuhapdo Association was born.

Members included the President Lee, Young Pal (a former president of the Taegu Kumdo Association), Lim, Hyun Soo (the headquarters director), Yoon,ByungIl  (a head coach), and others.

On May 6, 1984, President  Komei Sekiguchi  and six other masters came to the Jung Ki Kwan and showed a high level of Kuhapdo skills. Mr. Nam,Jung Bo (a bamboo sword 8th dan) and other high ranking masters attended the show and praised it highly ? “like an an act of sword skill from heaven.”   They felt a strong necessity for  Kuhapdo and prepared to practice and expand it.   However, due to an invisible pressure, not a clear understanding, and prejudice about Kuhapdo, it was not successfully expanded to the public.

In August 1984, President  Komei Sekiguchi and three other masters visited the Jung Ki Kwan and agreed to exchange meetings and made a written statement in detail

In May 1985, Grandmaster Lim became the highest director of Kuhapdo in Korea.  In November of the same year, he held the first Korean  and Japanese friendship game at the Taegu Dongsan Hotel.  This tournament brought much public attention to Kuhapdo and Kuhapdo started to become very popular.

Since the exchange began in 1985, there were many obstacles and hard times during the introductory period of Kuhapdo .  Without having any knowledge about Kuhapdo and the true meaning of swordsmanship, there was a boycott and unfriendly attitude towards Kuhapdo.   Particularly, the cultural antipathy stemming from a historical background between the Koreans and Japanese was the most difficult to overcome.

However , a pure exchange of the Kuhapdoian between the two countries based upon the truthful spirit of Kuhapdo, made it possible to overcome the differences and contribute to a steady expansion of the Korean Kuhapdo.

Since the opening of the Jung Ki Kwan in 1974, we have been devoting ourselves not only to the expand the spirit of Hapkido and Kuhapdo  to the public, but also to search for traditional martial arts that our ancestors have developed which cost many their lives.

In 1986, we released a Korean style Kuhapdo called Chung Suk Kuhapdo.   We showed it to the Japanese Kuhapdoians at Toyko Marshall Hall on May 3, 1989.  This event had a strong positive effect on the senior Japanese  Kuhapdoians.  Hanao, a representative of the Japanese Ancient Martial Arts Affliliation asked for an awakening effort of the Japanese Kuhapdoians to realize that there will be a time that we, Japanese should learn from the Korean Kuhapdo in the future.

We, at the Jung Ki Kwan have been making every effort to present an original style of Korean swordsmanship and its morality based upon precise principle and theory.  We, the Kuhapdoians have seen and studied the spirit of Kuahapdo from ancient "Beakje" people and their historical artiifacts.

We shall keep our minds and bodies strong, inheriting the spirit of traditional martial arts.  We will follow the way of truthful martial arts for all of mankind.