Myung Jae Nam
Encyclopedia
Myung Jae Nam or Jae-Nam Myong (1938-August 3, 1999) was a Korean
Hapkido
practitioner who founded two martial art styles; Hankido
and Hankumdo
.
province but lived in Incheon
for most of his life.
He started his martial arts training in 1948 with his grandfather Myung Jung-min (명중민, 1884–1961) who taught him ssireum
and later practiced with a teacher named Bang Gi-hwa (방기화). In 1958 he moved to Seoul where he learned hapkido
from Ji Han Jae
at the Joong Bu Si Jang location. Joining Myung at that time were Bong Soo Han
and Choi Sea Oh. In 1959 Myung Jae Nam moved back to his hometown where he taught for some time at the local fire station. In February 1964 Myung Jae-nam moved again, this time to Incheon where he started his own school named Jeong Do Gwan (정도관).
In 1972 Myung was one of the original members of the Korea Hapkido Association (Dae Han Hapkido Hyub Hwe), which was formed in 1965 at the request of the South Korean President Park Chung Hee.
In January 1972, he changed the name of his own group to the "Han Kuk Hapki Hwe", and moved his headquarters from Incheon to Bukchang-Dong, Chung-Ku, in Seoul, Korea. In October 1973, while still maintaining his own organization, he assisted in the forming the "Dae Han Min Kuk Hapkido Hyop Hwe" (Republic of Korea Hapkido Association) and was appointed the executive director and he remained with that organization until 1980.
In August 1974, he again changed the name of his own organization to "Kuk Jae Yong Meng Hapki Hwe" and is known in English as the International H.K.D Federation
. In the same year he also co-founded the Korean Hapkido Association.
in Japan and on his certificates from that era, he even has aikido founder Morihei Ueshiba
's name at the top.
Myung was the former Korean representative for the Aikikai and has included many aikido-like techniques into his version of hapkido. He has produced Several books and videos on the subject of hapkido self defense and hankido.
In the 1980s Myung Jae Nam started working on the development of his own unique martial art, which was later called hankido (한기도). He wanted to develop a martial art for the people of Korea, which would be simple and easy to learn.
Hankido's core consists of only twelve basic techniques. Myung Jae Nam once said that it is better learn one technique a thousand times instead of practicing a thousand different techniques.
In the years after the first Hapkido Games, he traveled around the world to promote his unique style and his own organization, the International Hapkido Federation. This organization has its headquarters in Yong-In, Korea, and in 1996 included well over one million members worldwide in fifty countries.
He started the development of another sword art called Hankumdo
(한검도) which gives the foreign practitioner a chance to learn the Korean alphabet, hangul
.
His older twin brother Myung Jae Ok survives him teaching his own martial art which he founded based upon circular motion called Hoi Jeon Moo Sool.
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
Hapkido
Hapkido
Hapkido is a dynamic and also eclectic Korean martial art. It is a form of self-defense that employs joint locks, techniques of other martial arts, as well as kicks, punches, and other striking attacks...
practitioner who founded two martial art styles; Hankido
Hankido
Hankido is a new hapkido style developed by the late Myung Jae Nam using even more circular flowing movements owing to Nam's background in traditional Korean dance.-Etymology:...
and Hankumdo
Hankumdo
Hankumdo is a Korean sword-art where the basic techniques are based on the letters of the Korean alphabet, Hangul.-Goal:The goal of hankumdo is to teach people how to defend themselves and at the same time offer them exercises to stay healthy. It also is meant to give practitioners the means to...
.
Life
Myung Jae Nam was born in Jeollanam-doJeollanam-do
Jeollanam-do is a province in the southwest of South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the southern half of the former Jeolla province, remained a province of Korea until the country's division in 1945, then became part of South Korea...
province but lived in Incheon
Incheon
The Incheon Metropolitan City is located in northwestern South Korea. The city was home to just 4,700 people when Jemulpo port was built in 1883. Today 2.76 million people live in the city, making it Korea’s third most populous city after Seoul and Busan Metropolitan City...
for most of his life.
He started his martial arts training in 1948 with his grandfather Myung Jung-min (명중민, 1884–1961) who taught him ssireum
Ssireum
Historically, there have been other terms for "wrestling" in Korean used alongside ssireum, such as gakjeo , gakhui , gakryeok , gakgii , chiuhui , sangbak , jaenggyo ....
and later practiced with a teacher named Bang Gi-hwa (방기화). In 1958 he moved to Seoul where he learned hapkido
Hapkido
Hapkido is a dynamic and also eclectic Korean martial art. It is a form of self-defense that employs joint locks, techniques of other martial arts, as well as kicks, punches, and other striking attacks...
from Ji Han Jae
Ji Han Jae
Ji Han-Jae was born in Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea in 1936. He is one of the highest ranking hapkido instructors in the world and founder of Sin Moo Hapkido.- Trainee :...
at the Joong Bu Si Jang location. Joining Myung at that time were Bong Soo Han
Bong Soo Han
Han Bong-Soo , also known as Bong Soo Han, was a martial arts instructor, author, the founder of the International Hapkido Federation, and one of the foremost practitioners of hapkido through his participation in books, magazine articles, and popular films featuring this Korean martial art...
and Choi Sea Oh. In 1959 Myung Jae Nam moved back to his hometown where he taught for some time at the local fire station. In February 1964 Myung Jae-nam moved again, this time to Incheon where he started his own school named Jeong Do Gwan (정도관).
In 1972 Myung was one of the original members of the Korea Hapkido Association (Dae Han Hapkido Hyub Hwe), which was formed in 1965 at the request of the South Korean President Park Chung Hee.
In January 1972, he changed the name of his own group to the "Han Kuk Hapki Hwe", and moved his headquarters from Incheon to Bukchang-Dong, Chung-Ku, in Seoul, Korea. In October 1973, while still maintaining his own organization, he assisted in the forming the "Dae Han Min Kuk Hapkido Hyop Hwe" (Republic of Korea Hapkido Association) and was appointed the executive director and he remained with that organization until 1980.
In August 1974, he again changed the name of his own organization to "Kuk Jae Yong Meng Hapki Hwe" and is known in English as the International H.K.D Federation
International H.K.D Federation
The International H.K.D. Federation was founded in 1974 by hapkido grandmaster Myung Jae Nam. Its original name was the International Hapkido Federation — it was changed when hankido and hankumdo were added to the I.H.F.'s curriculum.-Goal:...
. In the same year he also co-founded the Korean Hapkido Association.
Accomplishments
Myung Jae Nam exchanged martial art techniques and information with an Aikido practitioner named Hirata in 1965, for a period of about four years. In 1969, Myung broke from the Korea Hapkido Association (Dae Han Hapkido Hyub Hwe) and formed his own group called the "Han Kuk Hapki Sool Hwe". He considered himself associated with the AikikaiAikikai
The Aikikai is the original school of Aikido. It is centered on the Aikikai Foundation in Japan, and its figurehead is the Doshu . It is represented globally through the International Aikido Federation....
in Japan and on his certificates from that era, he even has aikido founder Morihei Ueshiba
Morihei Ueshiba
was a famous martial artist and founder of the Japanese martial art of aikido. He is often referred to as "the founder" or , "Great Teacher".-Early years:Morihei Ueshiba was born in Tanabe, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan on December 14, 1883....
's name at the top.
Myung was the former Korean representative for the Aikikai and has included many aikido-like techniques into his version of hapkido. He has produced Several books and videos on the subject of hapkido self defense and hankido.
In the 1980s Myung Jae Nam started working on the development of his own unique martial art, which was later called hankido (한기도). He wanted to develop a martial art for the people of Korea, which would be simple and easy to learn.
Hankido's core consists of only twelve basic techniques. Myung Jae Nam once said that it is better learn one technique a thousand times instead of practicing a thousand different techniques.
In the years after the first Hapkido Games, he traveled around the world to promote his unique style and his own organization, the International Hapkido Federation. This organization has its headquarters in Yong-In, Korea, and in 1996 included well over one million members worldwide in fifty countries.
He started the development of another sword art called Hankumdo
Hankumdo
Hankumdo is a Korean sword-art where the basic techniques are based on the letters of the Korean alphabet, Hangul.-Goal:The goal of hankumdo is to teach people how to defend themselves and at the same time offer them exercises to stay healthy. It also is meant to give practitioners the means to...
(한검도) which gives the foreign practitioner a chance to learn the Korean alphabet, hangul
Hangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
.
Personal life
Myung Jae Nam married his wife Yang Sun Bok in 1965. They had three children, two boys and one daughter.Death
On August 3, 1999, Myung Jae Nam died in Yong-In, Korea from stomach cancer. His first son Myung Sung Kwang, is now the 2nd doju, of the International H·K·D Federation - Jae Nam Musul Won.His older twin brother Myung Jae Ok survives him teaching his own martial art which he founded based upon circular motion called Hoi Jeon Moo Sool.