Lim Hyun Soo
Lim, Hyun Soo (임현수, Sept. 7, 1945) is a Korean Hapkido practitioner who studied with Founder Choi, Yong Sul. He is one of a few who earned his 9th degree black belt directly from Hapkido Founder, Choi, Yong Sul. He studied for nineteen years and nine years of this study was private special sessions with the Founder. Lim also created a new Korean sword art called Chung Suk Kuhapdo.
Life
Born as the second child in Gue-Chang, Kyungnam province, Lim had a special interest in martial arts at an early age. In middle school he had started Dang Su, a kind of martial art. He graduated from Gue-Chang high school and entered the Yeung-nam University. While studying at the college, his lifelong desire to study traditional martial arts continued. In 1965, he visited Founder Choi Yong Sul and had his first meeting with Hapkido. He felt a mysterious charm that made him walk the way of a martial artist. At first he was taught by Kim Yeung Jae, Founder Choi's pupil. He was then taught by Founder, Choi , Yong-Sul and became his pupil until 1981. During this time with the founder, he endured strict and intense training.
Accomplishments
Knowing Hapkido's true values and meanings during the special training period with the founder he opened the Jung Ki Kwan on October 24, 1974. In 1976, Founder, Choi ,Young-Sul closed his place, joined the Jung Ki Kwan, and devoted his energy to it for the rest of his life.
When the Jung Ki Kwan opened in 1974, Lim structured the academy organization into two branches : Hapkido and the Kumdo/Kuhapdo.
In 1975, Jung Gum Hae, a Society of the Sword Association was born at the Jung Ki Kwan. In February 1982, to increase the momentum of the sword art, he promoted an exchange with Komei Sekiguchi, the 21st headmaster of the Yamauchi-ha branch of the Japanese art Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu. In September, 1982, the Korean Kuhapdo Association was born. In May 1985, Lim became the highest director of Kuhapdo in Korea.
Since the opening of the Jung Ki Kwan in 1974, Lim has been devoting himself not only to expanding the spirit of Hapkido and Kuhapdo to the public, but also to search for traditional martial arts that his ancestors had developed which cost many their lives. In 1986, he released a Korean style Kuhapdo called Chung Suk Kuhapdo which presents an original style of Korean swordsmanship and its morality based upon precise principle and theory. Lim is a devoted disciple of Hapkido Founder Choi and is committed to passing on the techniques as taught by Choi. Today, Lim, Hyun Soo is also one of the most recognized swordsman in Korea.