# The Mad Hatter Opens Pandora's Box



## Disco (Feb 24, 2004)

Words escape me...... So read for yourself

This is a letter posted at Congress.org 

http://www.congress.org/congressorg/bio/userletter/?letter_id=70307916 

Help protect small business stop this illegal action 

To: 
Sen. Bob Graham 

February 10, 2004 

Dear Sir, 

I am writing to request your assistance in helping some small businessmen within your district/state, and indeed across the country. 

For some time now, there has been a steady stream of foreign travelers to the United States from overseas. These foreigners obtain visas at the American embassy in their home country posing as tourists to the United States, but they are actually coming to the United States to engage in business and to take money from gullible Americans. 

The website of a business in Korea called the "Dae Han Hapkido World Federation" is announcing the arrival in the United States of their representative from Malaysia, a Mister Julian Lim, to conduct one or mores seminars and to conduct rank testing and promotion. This website lists it name correctly in Korean on the website, but the site represents itself to be the "Korea Hapkido Federation", a totally different organization. 
The "Korea Hapkido Federation" is the organization recognized by the 
government of the Republic of Korea as the governing body for Hapkido. 

The martial arts in the United States are an unregulated multi-billion 
dollar industry, according to the Wall Street Journal. Most of that money goes out of our country, through scams such as that being perpetrated by Mister Julian Lim. 

By asserting on his visa application that he is coming to our country in March as a tourist, Mister Lim is committing fraud against the American government. The total package of income that Mister Lim and the "Dae Han Hapkido World Federation" stand to earn runs into tens of thousands of dollars. 
All of that is untaxed money, earned in the United States, carried overseas. 

The current issue of Taekwondo Times magazine carries an ad for a seminar to be conducted in May at the Martial Arts Fitness Center in Rochester, Minnesota. The ad indicates that a Korea, Mister Song Pan Gong, is the head of a martial art in Korea and going to Minnesota, at the invitation of a Mister Frederick Gommels, for 
the same purposes as Mister Julian Lim is coming to our country. Mister Song Pan Gong may be the head of a martial art in Korea, but the only school in the world where that so-called "art" is taught, is Mister Gommels' school. Certainly something that none of the attendees for that series of training sessions are being made aware of. Again, Mister Song Pan Gong is committing fraud when his application asserts that he is a "tourist" in our country. He is not coming to America to spend money, he is coming here to 
make it, and to carry it out of our country when he leaves. 

In the past, individuals such as myself have notified the Immigration and Naturalization Service of the activities of Mister Lim and Mister Song. We have even informed them of a continuing route for illegal immigration. That is a ratline from Asia with jobs waiting for Asians at martial arts schools here in the Southeast and around the country. One Asian martial art organization has even essentially relocated here in the United States as an organized crime ring. 

The federal agencies appear to have no interest in such reports from private citizens. Indeed, some we have been told as much by government representatives. 

Such activities are not only illegal, even if the federal government refuses to enforce its own laws, but they injure the small businessmen who are the lawful and proper representatives of the legitimate organizations in Asia to govern these activities. I am a legitimate representative of the Korea Hapkido Federation. The activities of this "Dae Han Hapkido World Federation" 
cost me a direct loss of revenue of over $50,000 in 2003. 

I own a school in Ocoee, Florida. I pay taxes to the City of Ocoee. Mister Lim and Mister Song do not. 

I pay for licenses and I pay a sales tax to the County of Orange. Mister Lim and Mister Song do not. 

I pay taxes to the State of Florida. Mister Lim and Mister Song do not. 

I pay taxes to the federal government. Mister Lim and Mister Song do not. 

The amount of taxes that I paid in 2002 or paid for 2003, are less than I should be paying because of lost income due to people like this, however, since Mister Lim and Mister Song, and the rest of these frauds and freebooters, severely reduced my business revenues in 2003. 2004 could be still worse for we American small business owners, if the government continues to refuse to act to protect us and to enforce the existing laws. 

This is also a matter of consumer protection, which should be obvious to everyone. Consumers are being bilked of literally millions of dollars annually by this industry. We honest small businessmen are voices in the wilderness, and we are being forced out of business by the inaction of our own government. 

I respectfully request - as a place to start - that you contact the Department of State and have the visas of these two foreign nationals revoked on the basis of fraudulent application. I and my fellow small businessmen in this industry stand ready, willing, and able, to meet with you, or any member of your staff, or your designee, to discuss the issues that I have raised herein. 

There are between twelve to twenty-million people involved in this field of human endeavor in the United States and the states refuse to regulate this multi-billion dollar industry. Did you know, for example that one of the largest martial art organizations in this country has connections to North Korea? We need your help! 

Sincerely, 
Richard Hackworth 
drhackworth@earthlink.net 
Ocoee , FL 
 :flushed:


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## shadow warrior (Feb 25, 2004)

This entire fiasco, has quite a long history indeed! It seems to have 'legs' as they say in the media biz..it will be very interesting indeed to see who looses their 'head' when the swords are drawn and the duel insues.

I tried for quite some time to come up with a title for my response but the BEST one has already been used!

I'm glad I live in Canada for many reasons, the fallout from this type of tactic and the results (both intended or not) just added another.

The biggest problem encountered when attempting to regulate an industry such as martial arts are these: WHO decides WHO is QUALIFIED to teach??? What constitutes a recognized 'style'?

I'm sure GMH would be the first to offer up his name for the top position.


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## ShaolinWolf (Feb 25, 2004)

Aw geez, here we go again...lol..doncha love it...yippeee!...heheheh


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## Disco (Feb 25, 2004)

I feel like a news reporter covering war footage. It's always changing, so here is something newer................  

Thanks Kevin
Writer : Grand Master Hackworth  (drhackworth@earthlink.net)


Thanks for posting the letter Kevin it saved me some time. When you get time also post a copy of the federal injunction I filed against Oh Se Lim's organization and Mr. Bae preventing them from doing business in the USA. It sites Hal Whalen as the legal representative of their organization in the US and will hold him responsible for any and all fines if they are caught doing business here. By the way, these fines start at $10,000 and go up from there. I will be watching closely for any posts or advertisements of any "official events" they do. So as soon as a seminar location and date is printed anywhere for Julian's "Official" seminars legal action will be taken against the host school. 

Best Regards, 
Richard Hackworth


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## glad2bhere (Feb 26, 2004)

Dear Shadow Warrior: 

".........The biggest problem encountered when attempting to regulate an industry such as martial arts are these: WHO decides WHO is QUALIFIED to teach??? What constitutes a recognized 'style'?...." 

The toughest part of this is not in answering the questions you raise but in doing it in association with an industry that is founded so heavily on subjectivity and image. In Golf, or Baseball, when someone scores its pretty hard to debate about the results (yes, I KNOW it happens, but admittedly as an exception, right?). In Hapkido most of the art is dependent on what someone says, or represents themselves as. To make matters worse, Hapkido is a pretty rough art to learn, and I am not even including the weapons material, concepts, and philosophies. Just the sheer physical demands are tough enough. Put everything I said together and most people would rather "play" at Hapkido than actually practice it. Such an attitude is the very place where people such as the person under discussion find an opportunity to wheel and deal. You must not forget that many of the people who were defrauded by the person knew at the time that they were buying rank they had not earned, from a person who was not qualified to give it. Nor did it start with this particular person. Wheeling and dealing in subjectivity and image have been going on for decades. The rules and guidelines are loose and even more loosely followed and thats the way a lot of people want it. If you start taking a stand and asking for sound principles and clear parameters, then people start shying away even while they pat you on the back for having strong convictions. Its a very Human thing to do; to follow the easier path. If somebody comes to me and wants to test for a rank I will expect them to know a particular amount of information and technique for that rank. And, should another person expect less and award the same rank for less money, which way do you think the typical person is going to go? Sad, but true. 

Best Wishes, 

Bruce 

I'm sure GMH would be the first to offer up his name for the top position.[/QUOTE]


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## dosandojang (Mar 27, 2004)

Damn. I feel like Dr. Hackworth let me down. I have been attacked by the whole HKD community, because I was a good, loyal person to him. By way of association, I was crucified. I want NO part or connection to him anymore. I NO longer associated with Dr. Hackworth....


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