The Founder


Hapkido was founded in the mid twentieth century by Choi, Young Sool. The story of Choi's early life is the stuff of legend.

As it goes, he was abducted by a Japanese business man to be a house boy in the early 1900's. Korea was under occupation by Imperialist Japan at the time, and this practice was rather common. Choi was not at all happy with his new situation and created a lot of fuss.

It was too much for his captor and so Choi was turned out into the street. Soon afterwards he was taken in by monks that cared for him until he was a young man. As he matured, and still at a young age, he became the servant of the Takeda house. Here he received his martial training in 'Daito-ryu Aiki jujutsu' a grappling and joint locking art.

As the story goes, the Japanese army was drafting martial artists to fight during World War II, and Takeda had Choi hospitalized for some minor surgery so that he could not be conscripted. After the war was over and the Japanese defeated, Choi was repatriated to Korea. It was difficult for him, as he did not speak his native language. Even so Choi gained a reputation for being able to handle the street toughs that roamed the neighborhoods of post-war Korea.

At some point after his return to Korea, Choi joined forces with a taekyon instructor that had a dojang in the back of his family's brewery, and founded the unique martial art that we now know as hapkido. Choi lived a long life and died in 1986. He left behind many students in Korea as well as here in the United States, and indeed all over the world. He did not, however, leave an organized grouping of techniques, and so consequently there are many different 'styles' of hapkido. The tradition of hapkido has been passed down orally and also organized by former students of Grandmaster Choi. Jung Hwan Park, Han Jae Ji, and He Young Kim have passed on rich hapkido tradition as direct links to the founder. Many others, westerners and easterners alike, have contributed to the spread of hapkido across the globe.

For some other versions of the history of hapkido, click here, here, and here.


The Master


Master Gary Toth is a 7th Dan in hapkido as well as a 5th Dan in taekwon-do. He holds black belt rank in other martial arts such as Shorin Ryu and Judo. Master Toth trained in the art of hapkido with Grandmasters He Young Kimm and Jung Hwan Park among others, and has been training in the martial arts for nearly forty years.

He was born in New Jersey and began his training at the age of 12. He is a veteran of many early full contact contests, and tournaments such as the Diamond Nationals and the East Coast Bloodbath. He is an accomplished marksman as well as a master martial artist. He served in the United States Air Force in the 1970's and settled in the Florida Panhandle. He currently resides in Paxton, Florida.



The Class Instructor


Eric Walker holds 3rd Dan rank under Master Toth and Grandmaster Park. He has been training for ten years in hapkido and holds rank in taekwon-do. He is a business man in the Fort Walton Beach and Niceville, Florida area and resides in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.