P1 History of Hwa Rang Do®: Expo in Jang Choong Sports Arena, Seoul, Korea 1960s

Continuation of the History of the Reemergence of the Hwarang Knight Order: ...In 1961 Dr. Joo-Bang Lee began using the name Hapkido (합기도 合氣道) for his dojang. Founder Choi’s first masters did not want to continue using the YuSool (Yawara) name for their dojangs because the Korean public hated the use of Japanese terms. The Hapkido name was at least unknown and less offensive. The first person to use this name was another of Choi’s students, Master Moon-Jin Kang. Master Kang had come across some printed reference to Aikido (合氣道 – meaning “way of harmonious energy”), a name that was being used in Japan by Morehei Uyeshiba who was another student of the Yawara tradition upon which YuSool was based, and thought that this name sounded appealing. So Master Kang began to use the name Hapkido (the Korean pronunciation of 合氣道) for the school which he opened in Daegu in 1959. About a year later Master Kang moved to Seoul to work for the DEA and Dr. Lee picked up the idea of this name from Master Kang. So Dr. Lee began using the name Hapkido for his dojang along with two other YuSool masters who also did the same. Master Han-Jae Ji changed the name of the dojang he originally opened in 1959 to Seongmu Kwan Hapkido (성무관합기도 聖武館合氣道 1961 – 1968 Seoul), and Master Mu Kim came from Daegu to Seoul and opened a dojang with the name of ShinMu Kwan Hapkido (신무관합기도 新武館合氣道 1961- 1970 Seoul). At this time these were the only schools in Seoul that were using this name. These are the three masters who are considered the founders of the Hapkido name.... (continued) Read the entire history at