Han recently said his schedule kept him "awfully busy." But just as he made this admission, the hapkido stylist quickly added he maintains his hard-charging pace out of two controlling needs, the desire to take control over what he does and the challenge of trying what is new.

For many others lured by the siren song of Hollywood stardom, all that had gone before or all that: had, led to success was sloughed off and discarded. But Han shook his head and insisted he would never forget the foundation of his success, his expertise as a hapkido practitioner and teacher.

"More than anything else," he said, "the martial arts are my life. Regardless of what I'm doing first I am a martial artist. Second, I like the challenge of different areas."

And in his primary area, Han continues to be actively involved wit his school operation, for he said, he see it as the wellspring from which the activities have arisen. The martial artist-actor said more care must belavished on his school than perhaps required for schools in some of the other arts for the simple reasons the hapkido lacks a direct competitive connection and instructors shy away from commercialism.

"I know I can make a hell of a lot (more) of money than what I can make from the hapkido business, " Han said, "The reason I'm doing this is because I is a part of my life. I've been doing this all my lifetime, and I'm going, to be doing it the rest of my life. Someone walks into my school one day, so clumsy and awkward. But two years later he is a totally different person. This makes me happy. That's what I like to do."

Han said he seeks the challenge offered him with each new student who enters his dojo. The hapkido instructor also noted an equal challenge in the Hollywood film industry.

"It's hard to get into the movie industry," Han said, "and once in, it's even tougher to stay in. That makes me interested in trying something harder, so I'm not just trying to be an actor. I already have produced a couple of pictures, one as an associate and the other as executive producer."

It may indeed be hard to get into the film industry, but for Han, the transition came as a result of a chance meeting with Tom Laughlin, who is noted for his Billy Jack movies. Laughlin, reportedly required a martial artist to choreograph fight scenes for the first film and simply walked into Han's studio, then located in the Well-to-do Pacific Palisades area. Just north of Santa Monica. That meeting led to the development of a film career paralleling and, highlighting the rise of Han's career in the martial arts. With that rise came the desire to attain control over the product.

"I was associate producer for Kill the Golden Goose," he said and noted he had moved even higher in the chain of command to become the executive producer of a film called Retriever and another titled Snow Tiger. Goose is yet to be released (planned for later this year), and Retriever was receiving final editing as this article was written. Han said Snow Tiger would begin production late this year. Though Han has acting roles in these pictures, he said he also found it, desirable to exert creative control over the productions.

"I can make the pictures the way I want," he said. "If you are working for someone else, you have too many bosses to listen to They may take just the ideas and refuse the whole script. Then they may hire somebody else to write a new script I might as, well forget it."

But the martial artist and actor did not forget it-and neither did he forget hapkido. To exert a measure of control in this latter area as well the instructor organized the Korean Hapkido Association of the United States with other local hapkido teachers.

Han noted with pride that many of his students had taken trophies for their efforts and said their advantage came from their being armed with the multitude of techniques in hapkido's arsenal.

"There's a great big advantage," one of Han's students chimed in. "We use kicks they've never seen before" but kicks that still are "very much legal."

"Without trying," the slightly graying instructor responded, "you are never going to know, so it's sort of an experimental thing."

Han's last statement could read as a personal motto or even recipe for his success in the United States. After having, weathered the wars that ravaged Korea, in the 1940s and 1950s-during which time Han mastered the little-known art of hapkido-the martial artist rose to prominence in his art in the 1960s. Following a stint in Vietnam he offered hand-to-hand combat training to the American forces, Han journeyed to the United States to carve out a career. From a poor start with a school, in one of the less affluent neighborhoods of Los Angeles, Han finally made the right move by transferring his school to the Pacific Pallsides. It was here that he was working on his first film work.

They typical martial artist on film more often than not displays an astonishing if not downright incredible expertise. He becomes a sort of Asian superman, warding off the blows and attacks of any number of foes while smashing his way to whatever goal that is set before him. While Han himself has been called upon to portray similar characters, he nevertheless takes issue with some of what comes across and said he has tried to portray more than the mere physical and violent sides of, the martial arts.

"In movies, most directors emphasize strong movements so it will look as if you really get him (the opponent)," the hapkidoist said, "but the real philosophy is, you don't have to be like this. You don't show any expression on, your face, so he doesn't know what he will get He will see that you're not ready, but then you're on top of him."

The martial artist remarked that even the cover of this issue of BLACK BELT, which features him, did not express more than the, action aspect of the art. "When you took the pictures for the cover, the emphasis, was on a strong, expressive face," he said.

The emphasis on dynamic action not withstanding, Han said he believes the film medium opens an, important avenue for getting the message of hapkido across, particularly, when he has active control of the production. One such production is the upcoming Snow Tiger, in which Han will also star.

Snow Tiger will be set in the Old West and follow the tale of a Chinese martial artist (played by Han) who comes to the United States in search of his long-lost son. The martial arts sequences Han explained will be built into the plot rather than the reverse pattern so many low-budget martial arts movies have. Exhibited a pattern in which a string of fights is-substituted for a cohesive storyline.

In Snow Tiger and other films in which Han has played a large creative role, the martial artist actor has placed "the main emphasis on philosophy and culture itself more than trying to show up someone else. That's a different approach, and since I've been working in movies for the past ten years, that's the best way to I expose hapkido throughout the whole world."

"I'm not thinking in terms of being a movie star. Instead of showing martial arts in the movies as having no purpose and even with the commercial reasons (for not depicting hapkido in movies), I Still use it in a certain way to get that philosophy into the movie."

Han's martial arts philosophy not only has made its appearance on the silver screen. The home video tube, in a recent, 1978-1979 season episode of The Hulk, played host to the hapkidoist's martial arts style.

"I put fifteen of my students into that show using hapkido philosophy," Han said with but the slightest trace of the natural pride that lay hidden beneath his still youthful-looking visage.

"The producer wanted to have something different from most martial arts sequences-in the movies, which are mostly shouting and smashing. They had heard about me and called me. They discussed the fight sequences with, me and when I told them about my ideas, they liked it very much."

As it came out, the story concerned a dying kung fu master who taught his students a form of the art that emphasized control an d brief bursts of energy to win the advantage over opponents.

But even with his years-long exposure to movie and television Han said he realizes film audiences. I film entertainment is not quite enough to show prospective students and particularly American students what the art encompasses.

"New students - don't know what they're going to get, and they don't know what they're going to do (when they sign up for classes)," Han said. It's just a totally different world that's very hard for them to understand when seeing through pictures.

"The difference between Korea and the United States is great. Peoples' approach to the martial arts is different in the Orient. Asians, especially Koreans, know before joining the class what they will, get and what they have to do and that sort of thing."

To resolve some of these problems, Han explained, instructors through his association are attempting to promote hapkido instruction "properly, instead of just opening hundreds of schools all over the place, teaching all sorts of different ways and commercializing too much. We don't like that idea,"

As with his film work, Han also does riot like the idea of losing control over hapkido as well.

"Right now, it's (the Korean Hapkido Association of the United States) got that big yet," the martial artist explained "but we don't want to have a big federation. We'd rather have quality than quantity. If it were too big, it would be very hard for us to handle, because there are a lot of things we would have to do.

"I don't want a huge association to control the, world. I would, rather have a small organization that we can handle, so it can be good and effective."

Despite the existence of a similar hapkido organization in Korea, Han insisted that his group's affiliation with the Asian counterpart is only "indirect."

"We don't get orders from them at all," he said. "Occasionally, one of the masters will visit and communicate back and forth and report on what we've been doing. And they always give us their information. They even send us their hapkido newspapers-that sort of thing."

Han said he values communication and information and sees his art as existing in a continuous flux, constantly evolving, expanding and modifying the thousands of techniques and combinations that comprise the art's essence.

He also said he has and still does play a role in the evolution of hapkido.

"No, I wouldn't hesitate at all," the hapkidoist declared evenly when asked whether he would adopt a technique from another martial art if he found it of use. "I would take it as mine. Why not? I've, been doing this for over thirty years I'm still learning."

Han noted that the openness of hapkido to influences from other fighting systems explains in large degree why "hapkido has more techniques than any other martial art in the world."

When it comes to categorizing and counting the plethora of hapkido techniques that are theoretically possible, the instructor admitted he could not come up with precise numbers. He declined to issue any claims regarding his art possessing "a thousand foot and a thousand hand techniques."

"I will describe it this way," he said. "We develop different ways of attacking with the foot. If we count all the little movements, it could be that much (a thousand techniques). But I wouldn't say exactly how many kick techniques we have. There are so many combinations."

Han said it is the combination of kicking (or any other) techniques that really matters.

"Definitely, our techniques are broad and wide-ranging. Also, every other area you can develop psychologically and physically. Not using power, you have into to psychologically lead them putting themselves into certain spots so that you can take advantage of them."

The instructor added that while the psychological factor plays a large role in teaching hapkido techniques, he is unaware of its role in other arts.

I don't know too much about that," he said. "It all depends on the individual (instructor), too. Some Masters who has been in the martial arts longs enough ares intelligent enough to figure this out. It would be something that you would not learn from your master directly."

While the psychology behind each hapkido move may be important, Han also noted that the philosophy of each movement is also equally important and, again sets the art off from its kin.

"Your movements do not depend on your muscles," he began. "If you're not depending on your muscles, you will be relaxed. And once your body is relaxed, you will be graceful, and your movements will be more spontaneous.

"Hapkido's purpose is not only to damage someone but also to develop your own body's movements. It's something like ballet even though you may be attacking someone. If your movements are graceful, that means your movements will be smooth and easy."

Though it may sound elementary, Han also mentioned that he tells his students the, process and time required to I master the graceful fighting art are neither easy nor short.

I personally, let them know the advantages and disadvantages," he said. "The advantage is, we have, such a variety of techniques in. which you are not really dependent on your own, muscles. Using your opponent's force is the philosophy of hapkido. That, I believe, is the skill, instead of depending On your muscle power to pound into someone and that I explain to people. And second, even though you don't use a lot of muscle, it still takes, years to learn the fundamentals. You have learn to be patient.

"Instead of telling students they can learn everything right away, I'll tell them the truth. It takes a long time to learn something, and to actually utilize it in a real situation, it takes even longer. And it's not only your physical ability, it depends on your mental attitude as well."

Han said he is quick to warn his students about the dangers, of impatience and the time and effort necessary to learn the art, but he said he also has Increased the tempo and, streamlined the art to meet the needs of I students in the United States.

Though he counts among his 125 or so students youngsters as small as six years and adults, Han said he prefers to teach those who possess reserves of energy. Even among the latter, however, the hapkido stylist remarked, he found them different from Korean students.

"When I first came to this country, I tried to teach the way I learned back in Korea," he said, recalling his early days in California. "And then, I found out many things. The way of life is different, the way of thinking is different, so the way they fight is different, too. Also, people are different structurally as well. So I eliminated a lot of things."

Han said he scrapped "some kicks and some, holds, something that is there just for nothing. There may be a thousand kicks, but a lot of them are useless. And why should I waste time teaching them to people if they become bored? This didn't make sense, so I cut them out.

"I only teach something that's good for the students. That's why I changed a lot of the moves. If your body. Movement is spontaneous and smooth, they will be faster. Speed is power. That's what I aim for."

An important part of Han's teachings includes the control of breathing. Tan jon breathing as it is called-the tan jon is located about two inches below the navel and is the point where "all physical, energy in man originates" resembles meditative breathing and is re-lied upon to develop concentration. The ultimate goal, Han said, is for tan jon breathing to aid in the development of ki power.

"Every time you move, you have to have proper breathing," Han explained. "If you don't, the movement won't be smooth and fast enough. If you can breathe properly, you can generate lots of power, which we call ki."

The "ki-hap," the Korean version of the Japanese "kiai" shout, Han added; is the hapkidoist's expression of ki power and results in a practitioner's movements being faster and more concentrated and thus more effective.

"The physical and mental aspects have to be combined," Han said. There's no way you can separate them. If anyone says (differently), he's lying."

Power is what it is all about in hapkido and in films. And Just as Han has taken the effort and the decades to polish one facet of his career in hapkido, he has applied similar effort to film where he has taken on. A producer's and star's role in his upcoming movie, Snow Tiger. And the polish required to make this facet of his career sparkle, he said, will require an estimated $5 million. A brilliant diamond never comes cheap.