GM Bong Soo Han passed away on Jan 8th, 2007.
Hapkido, and the martial arts world has lost a true icon. I only had the pleasure of meeting and talking with GM Han a few times, but his encouragement and humility have carried with me ever since. He is one of the reasons that I founded a gov. body for HKD and TKD. Long story, but suffice to say that instructors like him are rare.
And please my fellow bullies- keep it respectful.
Go in peace …
I never had the pleasure of meeting him, but those that have always had good to say of him. My master’s father trained with him back in the day. Rest in peace.
Maybe you can clear a few things up for me.
I have the grandmaster’s book “Hapkido” from 1974. It looks exactly like the TKD I started learning about a decade later.
Then I’ve worked out with hapkido guys who looked like they were doing some kind of small circle jiu jitsu. Incredibly complicated, which made for great demonstrations but not very practical for fighting
Now I see hapkido tournaments that look like a combination of Olympic style TKD and judo.
Is this an evolution going on throughout all of hapkido, or is it like the different branches of TKD splitting off in different directions?
In the early 1980s hapkido was still a bit obscure, so as a young white belt I asked my GM about it and how it comapred to TKD. He said, “No difference. Same thing.” In fact, the original YH Park on Long Island, who ran a chain of TKD schools, was actually a hapkido practitioner in Korea.
I wonder if back in the post-WW II days, when classes were almost 8 hours a day, if hapkido actually amounted to another Korean karate kwan? As classes diminished in length due to people taking lessons part-time, and techniques naturally had to be cut to fit classes into 6 hours, then 5 hours, 4 hours, etc… if hapkido didn’t go more in the joint manipulation direction to emphasize a difference from the other kwans?
Then again, Bong Soo Han’s book looks just like TKD.
Can you clear up any of this confusion for me?
Good thoughts emboesso but you might want to start a new thread for them
Most serious HKD practitioners will agree that, unfortunately, that book from '74 is not the best representation of HKD, even though it comes from GM Han. Also, some HKD tourneys, especially in Korea, do look like Oly TKD and Judo. A more realistic competition would be the Pro-Hapkido, Pankration, or sport JJ.
As for your GM saying that there is “no difference” between TKD and HKD: well, no dissrespect to your GM, but he is dead wrong. The origins are different:
HKD- rooted in Daito Ryu AikiJutsu and TaeKyoon
TKD- rooted in Shotokan and TaeKyoon
TKD tends to be “hard” in its approach, stratagies, and tactics, while HKD is more “soft”. While TKD does have a few locks and sweeps, there are not nearly the amount of throws, sweeps, and locks as there are in HKD, and those soft techniques are focused on as much or more than the striking (depending on the school).
Unfortunately, many Korean masters and GMs are ranked in both HKD and TKD. Even GM Han told me that the Korean masters and GMs are some of the most guilty of passing out rank and delegitimizing the rank system. Many of these folks that have rank in both systems really don’t deserve it. Organizations like mine are trying to bring back balance and legitimacy to my chosen systems.
If you want greater detail, feel free to read Tadeschi’s HKD book, the history in the beginning of the book addresses both the revisionist history of the Koreans, and what is more likely the real contemporary history of KMA. Or PM me and I will go into greater detail at a later date.
For the record, while I do not agree with much of the revisionist history perpetrated by TKD and HKD practitioners, I understand why it happened. I have no idea what it is like to have my entire culture and cultural history destroyed by a foreign power, and then attempt to reinvigorate the culture of my people after that power has left- especially having left a huge amount of influence behind. I wonder what my contemporaries and I would have done in that situation.
Agreed. :5grouphug
*Raises Glass
A toast to Bong Soo Han!!
If you look at a book on hapkido, it will look similar to TKD, but the strikes and kicks are much different, when seen in reality. I remember driving behind Master Han, back in LA in the late 80’s- he had a HAPKIDO license plate and a great set of hair, for an old guy. He also had a sense of humor, appearing in Kentucky Fried Movie, which pretty much nailed Enter the Dragon.
man…there goes the guy who did all Tom Laughlin’s moves in “Billy Jack.”
Including the infamous “I’m gonna take my right foot and whop you on the left side of your face, and there ain’t a damned thing you can do about it” kick.
RIP, Master Han
He was a great man and will be missed.
Thanks for the thoughtful reply.
I’m aware of the different origins. What I wondering is if we were look at a hapkido class in 1946, and a chung do kwan class say in the same year, would we see whole lot of difference? Chung Do Kwan classes were like 1 hour of punching, 1 hour of kicking, 1 hour of judo, 1 hour of joint manipulation (what we’d generically call “hapkido”), 1 hour of one step sparring, 1 hour of sparring, etc.
How different would a hapkido class have looked?
I’m wondering as the classes wound down from 8 hours a day to 1 to 2 hours a day, if TKD didn’t just jettison most of its “hapkido,” and if hapkido didn’t just jettison most of its TKD?
My GM was around in those days, so I’m sure something lead him to say “no difference”
My GM has a very young Korean hapkido instructor assisting him these days. He summed up contemporary HKD as such, “Very exciting for good demonstrations. Not very practical for fighting.” Which isn’t what he said 20 years ago.
And now,
<clinking classes of Korean Chamisul with Omega> Here’s to the late Bong Soo Han!
BTW: Omega, did you ever come across the GM out there in your travels? Anyone have any more stories to share?
Rest In Peace, Master Bong Soo Han.
wait. that’s where i know that name from?
dr klahn is DEAD?
that sucks. he has my gratitude.