Author: Grand Master Dr. Jung Hwan Park
Copyright 1995
Grand Master Park was born in Korea. He studied Tae Kwon Do under the Late Grand Master Dong-Ju Lee. Grand Master Park also studied for many years under Grand Master Sun Ki-Song.
Grand Master Park participated in the first National Tae Kwon Do Championship competition ever held in Korea. He arose in the competition as Champion of the Kyung-Pook Providence. He was appointed captain of the Korean National Team that competed against the champion Japanese team in Taegu City. During this time of his life he also earned a black belt in Judo.
Grand Master Park attended Kyung-Pook University in Taegu in 1966. He was awarded a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. In this same time frame he joined the Korean Army as a Lieutenant.(ROTC)
Grand Master Park in 1967 he was assigned as Tae Kwon Do instructor of the South Vietnamese Army. While serving in the South Vietnam he was captured and became a prisoner of war of the VietCong. Young Master Park seized an opportunity to utilize his skill in Tae Kwon Do and Hapkido and managed to escape.
When Grand Master Park returned home to Korea he was recognized as a National War Hero. He later published an autobiographical account of his Vietnam experiences entitled: Through the Jungle of Death
Grand Master Park began Hapkido training in 1958. This training included three years of private lessons from Late Grand Master Yong-Sool Choi, the Founder of Modern Hapkido. Grand Master Park earned his Sixth Degree in Black Belt in 1970. Eight years later he was awarded the Seventh Degree Black Belt from Grand Master Choi.
Grand Master Yong-Sool Choi personally gave Dr. Park his Blessing and Official authorization to build an Hapkido organization in America in 1972. Upon his arrival in the United States Dr. Park opened a School in New York City. Which subsequently relocated to Florida.
The prestigious Eight Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do, which includes the title of Grand Master, was awarded to Dr. Park in 1982 by The World Tae Kwon Do Federation (Ku Ki Won).
In 1985 he founded the United States Hapkido Association and World Traditional Hapkido Federation. A year later he published a book entitled: Traditional Tae Kwon Do. Presently Grand Master Park resides on the west coast of Florida and presides over his school, teaching his skills and knowledge to a wide variety of age groups. He frequently travels to branch schools located in Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut, New York, South Carolina, Alaska, Florida, and Puerto Rico conducting demonstrations and lending his expertise to much sought after seminars.
It has text and photographic instruction of this martial art, from white through blue belts. He later produced a series of instructional video tapes on Hapkido.