This week, Choe’s HapKiDo celebrates both Grandmaster Choe’s birthday and the 47th anniversary of his journey teaching HapKiDo in the United States. For our founder, Grandmaster JiMong Choe, February 1978 marked the beginning of his mission to share HapKiDo martial arts in America—a journey that has built a lasting legacy.
The Beginning of Grandmaster Choe’s HapKiDo Journey in the U.S.
Born in South Korea, Grandmaster Choe learned special family techniques passed down from first son to first son for nearly 2,000 years. Bringing this unique style of HapKiDo to the U.S., he dedicated himself to passing on its teachings and philosophy. In a 1997 feature in Tae Kwon Do Times, Grandmaster Choe expressed his lifelong commitment to martial arts, stating: “Martial arts is meant to be studied, practiced, and passed down—teaching its history as well as showing its invaluable benefits. If it is not shared with others, martial arts loses a part of its history.” Since opening his first location in 1978, Choe’s HapKiDo has expanded across multiple states, including Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, California, New York, and Georgia.
An Interview with One of our Masters!
When interviewed in 2023 about the celebration of the 45th anniversary of Grandmaster Choe teaching in America, Master Lee Harris shared his feelings and experience in sparring with our Grandmaster:
When I started in 1983, Grandmaster Choe would very often spar with his students. Years later while watching the Matrix movies, there was a scene where Neo was going to meet the Oracle. While on the way, the person escorting him started fighting with him suddenly, then just as suddenly he stopped. When Neo was clearly confused the person said something along the lines of ‘One of the best ways to get to know someone is to fight with them.’ I feel this is so true, and in the years training with Grandmaster Choe, I have learned a lot about him on a level many others are not lucky enough to. As a student, of course I was intimidated to spar with the Master. However in those sparring sessions, I was able to see Grandmaster Choe’s ability, grace, and generosity.
One of the biggest goals Grandmaster Choe has aimed to accomplish for almost five decades was to share the beautiful culture and traditions of South Korea to the American people through teaching HapKiDo. HapKiDo instructors have supported this goal by instilling in all the students the three Purposes of HapKiDo training, which are Self Defense, Health, and Completion of Self Culture.
As Master Harris’s experience in sparring with Grandmaster Choe was eye opening, he could see how much more HapKiDo can offer the world when taught like Grandmaster:
[From sparring with Grandmaster Choe,] I truly learned the breadth of not only his martial arts abilities but also his character. This was further demonstrated when Grandmaster Choe once asked a student what the difference between HapKiDo and sport was. The difference is that sports have rules, whereas HapKiDo has precepts. These precepts are not just for HapKiDo but for your whole life in general. I got to witness over many years how Grandmaster Choe exemplifies the 4 Precepts of HapKiDo with how he teaches, leads his students, and how he conducts himself outside of the HapKiDo School.
In addition to our purposes of training, the 4 Precepts of HapKiDo are the following: We Discipline Our Minds and Bodies; We Develop Good Wisdom and Sagacity; We Cultivate a High Quality of Personality; We Serve the Community. The combination of the Purposes and Precepts of HapKiDo are what our instructors have embodied to pass on to many generations in the United States.
Choe’s HapKiDo in the Present
Since 1978, Choe’s HapKiDo schools have helped cultivate over 2,000 Black Belts (and counting!)—many of whom have gone on to become doctors, lawyers, engineers, and leaders in their communities. Today, Choe’s HapKiDo continues to grow across multiple states, sharing the rich traditions of HapKiDo with students of all ages.
In Maryland, students can train at our Taneytown and Columbia locations. In Virginia, we have schools in Arlington, Tidewater, and Norfolk, providing top-tier martial arts instruction. Our schools in Georgia have also flourished since the first school opened in Duluth in 2004. Currently, students can train at locations in Cumming, Dahlonega, Duluth, Flowery Branch, Grayson, and Jefferson.
With the incredible success of the 2025 MD/VA Championship in March, Choe’s HapKiDo now looks ahead to our annual Fall HapKiDo Championship in October!
For more info on HapKiDo, check out this blog: What Is Combat HapKiDo and How Is It Different from Traditional HapKiDo?
For more information about Choe’s HapKiDo locations, visit here.