| Bong Soo Han - Hapkido |
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TaeKwonDo Times, January 1998
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To meet someone who has spent nearly half a century persistently practicing and teaching the martial arts
is a rare occurrence. To study under such a man is a privilege. Widely regarded as the father of modern Hapkido,
his international reputation is well deserved through his accomplishments in publishing, his involvement on major
motion pictures, instructional video production, and most importantly, teaching. His life's quest remains focused
on expending the art of Hapkido and its philosophy of non-resistance and non-violence throughout the world. At the
center of Grandmaster Han's traditional Hapkido are the self-development goals of preserving, indomitable spirit
and perfection of character. He relentlessly stresses the importance of discipline and respect. The resulting
also extremely attractive in that a palpable sense of courtesy pervades the entire school. As a result, his
students benefit from a very supportive and family oriented culture. A true test of a teacher's ability to
guide, inspire and enlighten is the length of time his students of Grandmaster Han have studied under him for
up to ten years and some have been studying with him for almost a quarter of a century, It is this kind of tenure
that lends irrefutable credence to that which is Grandmaster Han's Hapkido. The following insight comes form
another one of Grandmaster Han's most senior instructors.
"After studying under a true grandmaster for over 23 continuous years Grandmaster Bong Soo Han has shown me the path to becoming a true warrior and master of the martial arts. In three elements: the body, the mind and the spirit. When the mind, body and the spirit are in harmony there is almost nothing we cannot accomplish in this world."
TaeKwonDo Times, January 1998
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