HAPKIDO CREATOR
The most well-known figure in the establishment of Hapkido is 최용술 (Choi Yong Sool). There are many accounts of the variation of 최용술's (Choi Yong Sool's) training in Japan, and each particular story should be viewed in the context of the writer. Much of Japanese history is written from an ethnocentric point of view, particularly regarding Korean history.
An example of this is how Korean history was rewritten during the brutal occupation of Korea from 1910 to 1945. During this period, the Japanese attempted to completely eliminate Korean thought, cultural arts, and the foundation of traditional Korean martial arts, as these represented a threat to their authority in an occupied land.
최용술 (Choi Yong Sool) was born in 1904 in the province of 충북 (Chung Buk), Korea. Some say he lost his parents at a young age. He was taken to Japan in 1913, where he became a servant, perhaps even the adopted son of 대도류 (Daito Ryu Aikijujutsu) Grandmaster 다케다 소카쿠 (Takeda Sokaku).
Martial arts historians, such as 김정윤 (Kim Jeong-yoon) from Seoul, say that after 최용술 (Choi Yong Sool) became orphaned, he was taken to Japan by a Japanese family. He then spent four years living in a temple before 다케다 소카쿠 (Takeda Sokaku), a close friend of the abbot, took him in. Perhaps a more authoritative version comes from 서복섭 (Suh Bok Sub), the first student of 최용술 (Choi Yong Sool) in Korea.
In an interview with Michael Wollmershauser from Massachusetts in 1996, 서복섭 (Suh Bok Sub) stated that 최용술 (Choi Yong Sool) told him that he was born into a very poor Korean family, living near a candy factory run by a Japanese couple. The couple became fond of 최용술 (Choi Yong Sool), and as his family could not support him, they allowed him to be taken back to Japan with them. This is in line with 김정윤's (Kim Jeong-Yoon) account.
As the Japanese couple took him to Japan, there was no problem for 최용술 (Choi Yong Sool) to enter Japan. The couple left him in a Buddhist temple so they could travel more widely throughout Japan and so that 최용술 (Choi Yong Sool) could receive an education. Apparently, 최용술 (Choi Yong Sool) was not interested in schooling and was causing some minor problems, such as fighting and showing a lack of discipline.
The head of the temple sent him to a friend named 소카쿠 다케다 (Sokaku Takeda). 최용술 (Choi Yong Sool) then cleaned 다케다 소카쿠's (Takeda Sokaku's) dojo for five years, after which the master allowed him to learn 아이키주주쯔 (Aikijujutsu). In an interview, 서복섭 (Suh Bok Sub) mentions that 최용술 (Choi Yong Sool) showed him a photograph of 다케다 소카쿠 (Takeda Sokaku) and explained to 서복섭 (Suh Bok Sub) that 다케다 소카쿠 (Takeda Sokaku) was his surrogate father.
Many practitioners of 아이키주주쯔 (Aikijujutsu) cannot accept the proposition that 최용술 (Choi Yong Sool), a low-status Korean in the eyes of the Japanese, could have been taught by or been close to 다케다 소카쿠 (Takeda Sokaku). On the other hand, Bernie Lau, a researcher and instructor of 아이키주주쯔 (Aikijujutsu), commented in the February 1987 issue of Black Belt magazine that one of the most famous styles related to 대도류 (Daito Ryu) is 합기도 (Hapkido).
Furthermore, he commented that 우에시바 모리헤이 (Uyeshiba Morihei), the founder of 아이키도 (Aikido) and a former student of 다케다 소카쿠 (Takeda Sokaku), had such a low social status compared to other disciples of 다케다 소카쿠 (Takeda Sokaku) that he could not even obtain a proper recommendation to study with 다케다 소카쿠 (Takeda Sokaku).
In Japan, 최용술 (Choi Yong Sool) used the Japanese name 요시다 다쓰주쯔 (Yoshida Tatsujutsu), as Japanese law at the time required everyone to use a Japanese name. Dr. 김해영 (Kim He-Young) explains that when 최용술 (Choi Yong Sool) returned to the city of 대구 (Daegu), Korea, in 1945, after the end of the Japanese occupation, a bag with his martial arts certificates and money was stolen. This was confirmed by 서복섭 (Suh Bok Sub), who states that the bag was stolen at the train station 영선 (Younson), after 최용술 (Choi Yong Sool) returned to his hometown of 용동 (Yong Dong). He then decided to search for the city of 대구 (Daegu), as he did not find anyone to search for him at the train station. However, there are no official records in 대도류 (Daito Ryu) to reflect the granting of a teaching certificate.
Perhaps the reason for there being no records is the fact that, despite the close relationship with 최용술 (Choi Yong Sool), 다케다 소카쿠 (Takeda Sokaku) was not Japanese, and therefore 최용술 (Choi Yong Sool) was excluded from the records, or perhaps because he did not pay for the lessons, so there is no record of payment.
Some claim that 최용술's (Choi Yong Sool's) training was limited to only participating in seminars. Regardless of these speculations, 최용술 (Choi Yong Sool) spent 32 years in Japan, and his techniques reflect a definitive connection with 대도류 (Daito Ryu Aikijujutsu).
Recent information came to light in the form of a personal interview with Master 최용술 (Choi Yong Sool), conducted in 1982, in New York, where he details the early years of his life. It seems he was kidnapped by the Japanese couple and then abandoned by them because he was being extremely difficult. This would explain how he ended up in a Buddhist monastery, as these places often cared for orphans.
서복섭 (Suh Bok Sub) also mentions that by the time he returned to Korea after the war, he was married to a Korean woman and had three daughters and a son. It seems he had already traveled from Japan to Korea before and found his wife during one of these visits.
Rare photos of Grandmaster 최용술 (Choi Yong Sool) training at his Dojang in Korea.
We now come to a more interesting development that does not appear in much of the literature on 합기도 (Hapkido). Still alive today in the city of 대구 (Daegu) is Grandmaster 장엠목 (Jang Em Mok), who also trained with 다케다 소카쿠 (Takeda Sokaku). Grandmaster 장엠목 (Jang Em Mok) is 83 years old, which means he was born in 1912.
He has a book listing his training record in 대도류 (Daito Ryu). Although 장엠목 (Jang Em Mok) was born after 최용술 (Choi Yong Sool), they were contemporaries in Japan, studying under 다케다 소카쿠 (Takeda Sokaku), and both returned to the city of 대구 (Daegu), Korea in 1945. 장엠목 (Jang Em Mok) is an Eastern medicine doctor and masseuse but also used to teach 합기도 (Hapkido).
As his career was primarily as a doctor, he did not produce a large number of students. Further research on the early years of Master 장엠목 (Jang Em Mok) in Japan is ongoing, and any additional information he provides will certainly help improve our understanding of this part of the past.
From these two men who trained under 다케다 소카쿠 (Takeda Sokaku), there was a flourishing of Hapkido masters who spread the art worldwide, benefiting tens of thousands of students. As in any creative art, each master left their personal mark and emphasis on 합기도 (Hapkido).
Dr. 김해영 (Kim He-Young) documents many of the early Hapkido masters who trained under 최용술 (Choi Yong Sool). Among those listed are 서복섭 (Suh Bok Sub), 김무웡 (Kim Moo Wong) (Shin Moo Kwan Hapkido), 지한제 (Ji Han Jae) (Sin Moo Hapkido), 이주방 (Lee Joo Bang) (founder of 화랑도 (Hwarang Do)), 인혁서 (In Hyuk Suh) (founder of 국술원 (Kuk Sool Won)), 원광화 (Won Kwang Wha) (Moo Sool Kwan Hapkido), and 김정윤 (Kim Jung Yun) (Han Pul).
What is clear is that 서복섭 (Suh Bok Sub) was the first student of 최용술 (Choi Yong Sool) in Korea, and his first lesson was on Sunday, February 22, 1948. Currently (1996), the two highest-ranked students of 최용술 (Choi Yong Sool) are Grandmaster 임현수 (Im Hyon Soo) (9th Dan), who teaches in the city of 대구 (Daegu), Korea, Grandmaster 진일창 (Chin Il Chang) (9th Dan), in New York, and the head of 합기도 (Hapkido) (under the system of 최용술 (Choi Yong Sool).
Grandmaster 지한제 (Ji Han Jae) (10th Dan) leads his extensive organization 신무합기도 (Sin Moo Hapkido).
Understanding these historical connections is an important component of any serious study of 합기도 (Hapkido) and martial arts.
Grand Master Choy Yong Sool
