Bong Soo Han

Grand Master Bong Soo Han was the world's foremost practitioner of Hapkido, and is referred to as the "Father of Hapkido" in the Western World. As one of the original senior students to the Founder of Hapkido, Yong Sul Choi, he led a dedicated effort in the development of Hapkido as it is known today. Grand Master Han first introduced Hapkido into the United States in 1967, although mass exposure did not come until the motion picture "Billy Jack" filled the nation's theaters in 1971. In this film, Grand Master Han gained critical acclaim for creating and staging some of the most breathtaking and realistic fight sequences ever to have graced the silver screen. Up to the release of this film, brief references to martial arts were often portrayed by actors and not by martial artists. Grand Master Han redefined and revolutionized Hollywood's understanding of martial arts by demonstrating a level of martial arts skill previously not seen before, much to the delight of the audience who found it tremendously exciting. Grand Master Han was the subject of hundreds of magazine and newspaper articles and countless martial arts magazine cover stories. He was a member of the Black Belt Magazine Hall of Fame (1978), the Martial Arts History Museum Hall of Fame (1999) and the Taekwondo Times Magazine Hall of Fame (2003). He was also featured in The Arts and Entertainment documentary, "The Martial Arts," the Wesley Snipes-produced "Master of the Martial Arts," and several other radio, Internet, and television profiles. In addition to being cited in dozens of martial arts books, Grand Master Han himself wrote many articles on the Way of martial arts, and also authored the book, HAPKIDO: The Korean Art of Self Defense (Ohara Publications, 1974), which is now in its 23rd printing. He also completed a series of ten instructional Hapkido DVD's for worldwide distribution. Grand Master Bong Soo Han was best known, however, for his indefatigable dedication to the teaching of Hapkido, sharing with thousands the truth and nature of martial arts.