The Korea Hapkido Federation is the largest, wholly hapkido, governing body for the Korean martial art of hapkido in the world.[1] It is made up of predominantly Korean born students and instructors or those individuals who have directly trained in South Korea. This organization is based in Seoul, South Korea and its president is Oh Se-Lim.
Founder
Ji Han Jae was the founder of the original Korea Hapkido Association (Dae Han Hapkido Hyub Hoe) in 1965.[2] The first president of the Dae Han Hapkido Hyub Hoe was Park Jong-Kyu who was Head of Security Forces for the South Korean president. Later Kim Woo Joong, president of the Dae Woo company was elected president of the KHA. These political connections greatly increased the association's power and influence. The prime movers in this organization were members of Ji's original 'Sung Moo Kwan'.[3]
The KHA later grew into the Republic of Korea Hapkido Association (Dae Han Min Gook Hyub Hoe) with the merging of Ji han Jae's 'Dae Han Hapkido Hyub Hoe', Kim Moo-Hong's 'Han Gook Hapkido Hyub Hoe' (Korean Hapkido Association) and Myung Jae Nam's 'Han Gook Hapki Hoe' (Korean Hapki Association) in 1973. Choi Dae-Hoon was elected president of the association with Ji Han Jae serving as senior vice president.[3]
By 1983, Oh, See Lim, with many of the original founding members of the association departing, renamed the association by the first organizational name used by Ji, the Dae Han Hapkido Hyub Hoe. With a new preferred English rendering, the new Korea Hapkido Federation was born.[3]
Prominent members
A list of people who were or are prominent members of the Korea Hapkido Federation:
Kim Myung Yong - Korea Hapkido Federation US Branch President - Founder Jin Jung Kwan
Aleksandr Semyonov - Director for the Korea Hapkido Federation for Saint Petersburg, Russia Branch, 6 Dan
Michael Dunchok - Korea Hapkido Federation Certified 7th Dan - Irvine, California, U.S.A. (Kuk Sool Kwan)
Holcombe Thomas — Korea Hapkido Federation certified 8th Dan - Springfield, VA, USA
Lee Sung-Soo — Korea Hapkido Federation Certified 9th Dan - Australia
Shin, Hang Shik — Dae Han Hapkido Federation Certified 9th Dan - Atlanta, GA, USA
Scott Yates - Korea Hapkido Federation US Branch Director Certified 8th Dan - New Jersey, USA
Seo, Min Su — Dae Han Hapkido Federation Certified 7th Dan - Atlanta, GA, USA
Myung Kwang-Sik — President of the World Hapkido Federation (02 April 1940 – 19 July 2009)
Scott Shaw — Korea Hapkido Federation certified 7th Dan, California, USA
Julian Lim @ LTC (R) Dr. Alif Aiman Abdullah — Hapkido Sung Moo Kwan, President of Korean Martial Arts Asia Pacific (KOMA SEAPAC), Korea Hapkido Federation certified 7th Dan - Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA
Son Tae-Soo — Korea Hapkido Federation certified 7th Dan - Philadelphia, PA, USA
Thomas Bernard - Korea Hapkido Federation US Branch Chairman - Tennessee, USA
Kang Seok Lee — Korea Hapkido Federation certified 7th Dan - North Carolina, USA
Woo — Korea Hapkido Federation certified 7th Dan - Springfield, VA, USA
Reza Nobahari — Korea Hapkido Federation certified 7th Dan - Dubai, UAE
Lee Kidong — Korea Hapkido Federation certified 8th Dan - Sacramento, CA, USA
Ronald Christopher Garland - Korea Hapkido Federation US Branch Vice Chairman Certified 8th Dan - Tennessee, USA
Shin Jae Hwan — Hapkido Federation certified 8th Dan - Auckland, New Zealand
Gabriel Aburto - Korea Hapkido Federation certified 5th Dan - Chile Representative
Marcelo Ruhland - Korea Hapkido Federation certified 6th Dan - Brazil branch Director (Kuk Sool Kwan)
Rondy McKee - Korea Hapkido Federation certified 7th Dan - USA (Sisu Kwan)
Harold Whalen 8th Dan Korea Hapkido Federation -Boston MA USA
Daniel Piller - Korea Hapkido Federation Certified 7th Dan - Colorado, USA (MuSa Kwan)
Michael Rhoades - President of Jin Joong Kwan Association - Korea Hapkido Federation Certified 8th Dan - Missouri, USA
