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Hapkido (way of coordinated energy) is a Korean martial art derived from Japanese Daito-ryu aikijujutsu. Hapkido typically includes strikes, kicks, jointlocks, throws, falling, and weapons work, and is aimed at developing realistic fighting skills. The martial arts of hwarangdo and kuksul are at least partially derived from hapkido, and share many of the same characteristics. The story that hapkido was descended from Wadoryu karate seems to have been pure fantasy. The primary link between hapkido and Japanese jujutsu was Yong-Sul Choi, whose history is problematic in many ways. Nevertheless, hapkido and Daito-ryu share the same general body of techniques and are obviously related in some way. Even though there are concerns that Choi’s story is false, it still serves to define the relationship between the two arts.
Yong-Sul Choi (1904-1986) claimed to have trained for many years in Daito-ryu aikijutsu under Sokaku Minamoto Takeda (1860-1943). According to an interview give in June of 1982 and translated by Chinil Chang, Choi was born in the village of Yong-dong in the Ch’ungch’eong province of Korea. When he was about eight years old he met a Japanese businessman named Morimoto. Morimoto was a candy store owner. He and his wife had no sons so they took Choi back to Japan. Bok-Sup Suh indicates that they did so because Choi “was cute and his own family could not afford him.” Choi’s own interview describes the incident as an abduction. He was taken back to Japan, but protested and cried so much that he was abandoned in the town of Moji soon after they arrived in Japan. Choi traveled alone to Osaka, where he was picked up by the police and sent to a Buddhist temple in Kyoto where Kintaro Watanabe (aka. Wadanabi) cared for him. Choi stayed at the temple for two years and then, when Watanabe asked him “what direction I wanted my life to take,” Choi pointed at the murals on the wall depicting martial arts scenes. As it happened, Watanabe was a “close friend” of Sokaku Takeda, and arranged an introduction, after which Takeda decided to adopt him, giving him the name of Asao Yoshida. According to Andre Carbonell,
“Sogaku Takeda era una persona muy orgullosa y provenía de familia de Samurai, por lo que nunca hubiese aceptado a un ‘esclavo coreano’ como alumno. Por eso Choi Yong Sul fue admitido bajo un nombre japones aunque le era prohibido hablar coreano y comportarse como un coreano.”
This translates as:
“Sogaku Takeda was a very proud person and came from a samurai family, who would never have accepted a ‘Korean slave’ as a student. Because of this, Choi Yong Sul had him admitted under a Japanese name although he had prohibited him [Choi] from speaking Korean and behaving as a Korean.”
According to Ki-Tae Chung, Choi’s initial training was not unusual:
“He started like everyone else did. He had to clean the school, learn to sit properly and to watch. No lessons. For six months Choi, Yong Sul cleaned, sat and watched. It was not like it is now, where you pay and then you take lessons. After six months Choi, Yong Sul spent living in the dojang and doing everything for his teacher, his teacher finally agreed that it is time for this young man, he wants to learn, now I will teach him.”
For the next thirty years, Choi lived at Takeda’s home and dojo “on Shin Su Mountain in the area of Akeda.” Choi was Takeda’s “constant student” and under his personal direction,” as well as serving as “assistant in all of his instruction.” For twenty years of his training, Choi claimed that, “I was secluded in his mountain home.” Choi also claimed that:
“I was my teachers’s assistant in all of his instruction. While in Tokyo, we also taught high-ranking government officials within the palace circle. Also, we traveled to various parts of Japan and taught select groups of people.”
Choi eventually returned to Korea, probably in 1945 after the end of the Second World War. Choi arrived at Pusan City and then took a train for his hometown of Yong-dong. He found no one waiting for him, so he boarded the train again, this time for Taegu city. At the Younson train station, his traveling bag was stolen, along with all his money and his menkyo-kaiden certificate proving his rank in Daito-ryu aikijujutsu. 이하 생략...,