The Hankuk Hapkido Martial Arts Association, a hapkido organization with more than 400 affiliated branches in 45 countries, is pressing ahead with a nationwide effort to protect the art's authenticity and cultivate the next generation of leaders.
The association said it successfully held the second session of its "2026 President Seo In-seon Original-Form Preservation National Tour" on Sunday at Kims Hapkido in Busan.
The training session was designed to systematically preserve and properly transmit the original techniques of President Seo In-seon, who laid the foundation of Hankuk Hapkido. Some 85 members and instructors from across the country attended, training with intensity despite the summer heat.
Chairman Seo Seong-il took the lead at the second session, personally instructing participants in the core forms and self-defense techniques of traditional hapkido as originally devised by President Seo In-seon. Sessions were divided according to participants' skill level and role: danjeon breathing and basic stances for all trainees, wrist-lock and pressure-strike application techniques for instructor-level training, and angle-method and flat-method techniques for gym director-level training.
"Only through consistent and proper education can we discover talented individuals who connect the past, present and future," Chairman Seo said. "The original techniques that embody President Seo In-seon's philosophy and spirit are not merely a path to improving one's skills — they are a way to realize the martial artist's spirit of national defense and moral fortitude. The association will devote all its efforts to preserving and developing this foundation."
After the practical training concluded, the association's management committee held a roundtable focused on the mutual growth and sustainable development of individual dojangs. Instructors and association staff shared the challenges they face on the ground and agreed to work together to find concrete support measures to revitalize their dojangs.
Having completed the first session in Daegu and the second in Busan, the association will continue with an extensive domestic and international tour schedule. Domestic sessions are planned for Aug. 22 in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, Oct. 17 in Donghae, Gangwon Province, and Nov. 28 in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province. Global sessions for overseas branches are set for Sept. 19 in Chicago, Oct. 11 in Austin and Oct. 31 in Sweden.
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