Sin Moo Hapkido And Its Founder Ji Han Jae.(1949-1984)
Ji Han Jae's Training
Ji Han Jae began his training in 1949 with Choi Yong Sul. Ji Han Jae trained with Choi Yong Sul until 1956 when he moved to Seoul in order to open a school of self-defence. His earliest students were Kwon Tae-Man, Yu Yong-Wu, and Oh Se-Lim.
There he founded the Sung Moo Kwan, which would become the school of Hapkido.
In 1959 Ji Han Jae combined all of his martial arts knowledge together and began to teach Hapkido.
His first student was Hwang Duk-Kyu followed shortly after by Myung Kwang-Sik, Kim Yong-Jin, Jung Won Sun and others. It was around this time that Ji Han Jae began to use the name 'Hapkido' to promote the art, shortened from the original name of 'Hapki Yu Kwon Sool' which was used at the first school run by Choi Yong Sul and Suh Bok Sub in Taegu in 1951.
Ji Han Jae trained in the ancient martial arts methods of Korean Sam Rang Do Tek Gi with a man named Taoist Lee. This man is also believed to have trained Ji Han Jae in meditation, the Korean long staff "Jang-Bong", short staff "Dan-Bong", and the kicks of Sam Rang Do Tek Gi.
Sin Moo Hapkido Founder
In 1984 Ji Han Jae moved to the United States and founded Sin Moo Hapkido. After Ji Han Jae moved to the United States he soon managed to gather a large number of students interested in learning Hapkido, especially Sin Moo Hapkido.
Before he left Korea a former student, Myung Jae Nam head of the International H.K.D Federation, awarded Ji Han Jae a 10th Dan.
His new proper title is now DoJu Ji Han Jae. DoJu implies founder as Ji Han Jae is the founder of Sin Moo Hapkido, is Hapkido itself.
On his first trip to the United States, Ji Han Jae appeared in the film Game of Death with Bruce Lee. Before that he had already made his appearance in a movie called Hapkido other-words known as Lady Kungfu with Angela Mao.
The Art
Sin Moo Hapkido is a self-defence martial art which is of non-violence, self-improvement, adaptability, physical, emotional and spiritual balance, with the basic Hapkido training. In addition Sin Moo Hapkido forms a series of techniques, even though at advanced levels students are expected to expand their own work, building on the principles of circular motion, energy flow, and the water principle to execute techniques that are suited to their style, size, and ability levels. Once you are advanced the training can also include weapons training and the study of acupressure for both defensive and healing techniques. The core principles of Sin Moo Hapkido are circular motion, the water principle, and adaptability also referred as harmony.
Techniques
Sin Moo Hapkido uses various different holds, joint locks, throws, re-direction, kicks, punches, blocks, pressure points, weapons, and energy flow techniques.
The holds and joint locks are used to get control of the aggressor depending on your situation. They are more defensive, but at more life threatening situations they can be used as attacks. When you reach the 4th dan black belt there is also another 30 special attacking techniques using different variations and combinations of basic locks.
There are many different throws and many different ways of re-directing an aggressor's energy using the attacker's momentum to continue their own motion using the circular motion principle of Hapkido. These techniques depend on the incoming energy of the attack to determine the outcome; a soft or weak attack will require a small or soft re-direction. A large or powerful attack will result in a re-direction or throw that involves much more energy, leading to a more serious outcome upon the aggressor. The blocks used in Sin Moo Hapkido are usually also re-direction blocks, but some blocks are intended to be used to stop an aggressor's attack. Legs are also used for blocking.
Sin Moo Hapkido also uses a wide variety of strikes. It has 25 defensive kicks that are useful in "street style" defensive situations that counter incoming attacks - two of the 25 are to be only used to block kicks, but some of the other kicks can be used the same way also. Many of the kicks are designed for use in restricted spaces like hallways or crowds. Once you learn the basic 25 kicks you will then learn 29 special kicks. The special kicks are harder to master but they need more room to be used, they include double kicks, flying kicks, from/on the ground kicks, jumping-kicks and combination kicks. Sin Moo Hapkido also has 17 different kinds of punches.
Pressure points are also used in Sin Moo Hapkido to control the physical body, and to manipulate the body's Ki to stop, disarm and disable an attacker or heal a patient.
Sin Moo Hapkido uses many pressure points out of the body's over 600 pressure points.
The pressure points are also referred to as vital points.
In Sin Moo Hapkido there is also weapon training which consists the use of short sticks, walking sticks, long sticks, swords, ropes, knifes, thrown weapons and adapting everyday objects to use as weapons. Weapon training is learned in the black belt stages, but knife techniques and defences against them are learned just before black belt.
Sin Moo Hapkido has many meditation techniques. The Korean word for meditation is Mun Yum. Sin Moo Hapkido has also breathing techniques which are referred in Sin Moo Hapkido as Tanjum. The Korean term for formalized breathing techniques is, Ki Gung. Sin Moo Hapkido lessons usually start with Tanjum and end with meditation.
Nine basic rules
Sin Moo Hapkido also has basic rules that are categorized into three groups to make a total of 9 rules. These rules will help the Sin Moo Hapkido student to have a better and healthier life. The categories and rules are as follows;
Physical: 1st Good/Healthy Food/Eating 2nd Healthy Relationship 3rd Beneficial Meditation.
Mental: 4th Do not be Angry 5th Do not be Sad 6th Do not be Greedy.
Spiritual: 7th Water Control 8th Air Control 9th Sunshine Control.
Conclusion
This is how my teacher Doju Ji Han Jae learned Hapkido in Korea from the year 1949 when he first started training with Choi Yong Sul, till 1984 when he moved to the United States and founded Sin Moo Hapkido after the head person in charge of the International H.K.D Federation, awarded Ji Han Jae a 10th Dan. This meant his new title was now DoJu Ji Han Jae. Doju meaning founder as Ji Han Jae is the founder of Sin Moo Hapkido.