Articles
Hapkido in New Zealand
Hapkido was introduced to New Zealand by Grand Master Lee Jung Nam who holds 9th degree black belts in both Hapkido and Tae Kwon Do. Grand Master Lee and his family moved to New Zealand in 1974 after he made friendships with New Zealanders while serving in Vietnam as a Captain in the Korean Army where, as part of his duties, he taught unarmed combat.
On this arrival in New Zealand Grand Master Lee began to promote Taekwondo to the general public and taught Hapkido to the Royal New Zealand Police Force, the Ministry of Transport and to Prison Officers.
Grand Master Lee's first Hapkido club was in the Hutt Valley. With Assistant Police Commissioner Graham Dallow's assistance it relocated to the old Police Gym in Buckle Street, Wellington. Then to upper Willis Street before moving to a more central location in Tory Street.
In the late 1980's, all the Hapkido clubs under Grand Master Lee were formed into one organisation - Kukjae Hapkido. Up until then, all of New Zealand's Hapkido students had been personally trained by Grand Master Lee. These students included Nigel Keay who moved to Dunedin in the mid-1980's and set up a Hapkido club, which to this day remains one of the stronger Hapkido clubs in the country. Nigel Keay then moved to Nelson and set another club there which is now run by Rob Brawley. Mark Metcalfe set up a club in Parnell, Auckland. Another club was set up in Invercargill which is now run by Colin Maitara who teaches both Hapkido and Taekwondo.
In 1990 Dana Bidgood and Nigel Keay became the first students to be graded to 2nd dan in Hapkido followed closely by Callum Forbes and Malcolm Wright (ex-Dunedin club). Malcolm Wright then moved to Palmerston North where he set up a Hapkido club.
Callum Forbes formed a Hapkido club in the Hutt Valley in 1994. Shortly afterwards the Wellington City club closed down after Grand Master Lee sold the Dojang and moved to Auckland. In 1995 Callum Forbes and Malcolm Wright became the first students to be graded to 3rd dan in Hapkido. In 1996 both were authorised to conduct colour belt gradings by Grand Master Lee.
Hutt Hapkido student Mark Conchie graded to 2nd dan in 1998 followed shortly by Dean Tobin and Bryce Burrows from the Dunedin club. Bryce then moved to London for work experience where he also taught Kukjae Hapkido. 1998 also saw the resurrection of the Wellington City club under Peter MacLeod.
In November 1999 Mark and Nicki Metcalfe from the Parnell, Auckland club both graded to 2nd dan.
In April 2000 Callum Forbes became the first of Grand Master Lee's students to be graded to 4th dan. After his grading Grand Master Lee gave Callum Forbes the authority to issue his own colour belt grade certificates and to grade students to 1st degree black belt in Kukjae Hapkido. Grand Master Lee also asked Callum to take over the running of Kukjae Hapkido in central New Zealand. In August 2000 Callum Forbes issued his first Black Belt grade in Kukjae Hapkido when he graded Paul Quickenden to 1st Dan.
In early 2001 Bryce Burrows and Dean Tobin from the Dunedin club graded to 3rd dan.
At the start of 2004 Dunedin/Hutt alumni Paul Quickenden started a club in Kingsland, Auckland. In late 2004 Callum Forbes opened the Upper Hutt Kukjae Hapkido Academy in Upper Hutt. Later in the year Andrew Montgomery, Aaron Hochwimmer and Paul Quickenden all graded to 2nd Dan.
Callum Forbes was awarded his 5th Dan in Hapkido in early 2005 by Grandmaster Lee. Many of the original Wellington club students resumed training - including Dana Bidgood, Malcolm Wright, Ann Pairman and Mark Pickup.
Callum was invited to apply for his 6th Dan grading by Grandmaster Lee in mid 2006 and was also given Grandmaster Lee's formal authority to reform the Kukjae Hapkido Federation of New Zealand under his leadership. This also included the authority to grade students to 4th Dan. At the same time the Upper Hutt Kukjae Hapkido Academy moved to larger premises nearby which are currently being developed into an owner-operated dedicated martial arts centre.
The new Kukjae Hapkido Federation of New Zealand currently has member clubs in Parnell, Kingsland, Palmerston North, Upper Hutt, Wellington City, Wellington South, Nelson, and Dunedin. Until now Hapkido has been a minor style in New Zealand, lacking the popular appeal of its cousin Taekwondo. However, with most of the club instructors now in regular contact with each other, we are now collectively working on developing Kukjae Hapkido as a mainstream self-defence martial art in New Zealand and overseas. This includes increasing both the numbers of students in the existing clubs as well as developing new clubs.