# Hapkido in the movies



## jujutsu_indonesia (Feb 13, 2006)

My teacher once interviewed Billy Chong (HK movie star) and Mr. Chong mentioned that he learned Heqitao (Hapkido) in Hongkong. It is amazing, but Hapkido used to be well-represented in Hongkong movie industries in the 70s. Some of the masters gets roles as well, such as GM Ji Han Jae in one of Bruce Lee's film. 

Recently my teacher discovered that another Hapkido master, Ing-Sik Whang, is also a movie star who appeared in many movies. Here are his filmography.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0923554/

Very interesting, isn't it? Now I know why some of the techniques in Hongkong movies looks like Jujutsu 

If it used to be quite well known, how come Hapkido isn't famous in Hongkong now? Anybody knows the answer why?


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## bignick (Feb 13, 2006)

Bong So Han in Billy Jack as well.  I believe he also showed up in Kentucky Fried Movie.


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## Hollywood1340 (Feb 13, 2006)

Aye, that he did. Also Phillip Rhree in the later Best of the Best movies. There is a GREAT montage of HKD over the ending credits of BotB 4 which is worthe the movie itself.


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## arnisador (Feb 13, 2006)

Wasn't Hapkido represented in Game of Death?


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## sksk (Feb 13, 2006)

Yes Ji han jae (sorry if i spelled it wrong)  Think White and Gold Dobok:jedi1:


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## Drac (Feb 13, 2006)

bignick said:
			
		

> Bong So Han in Billy Jack as well. I believe he also showed up in Kentucky Fried Movie.


 
You are correct Sir..


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## bignick (Feb 13, 2006)

Drac said:
			
		

> You are correct Sir..



You ever been in a martial arts army?


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## Drac (Feb 14, 2006)

bignick said:
			
		

> You ever been in a martial arts army?


 
Nope..Was watching the Disney version of "Hercules" with my Grandson and the villian "Hades" said it, I like the sound of it so I repeated it..


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## jujutsu_indonesia (Feb 14, 2006)

My sensei was told that it was GM. Kim Jin Pal who started teaching at Hongkong. Anybody here knows anything about this master?


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## Kumbajah (Feb 14, 2006)

I am a student of Kim Jin Pal . He had a studio in Hong Kong and was in 8 movies as well. A short bio can be read here http://www.jinpalhapkidodc.com/gm.html to continue to the next pages there is link in the bottom right hand corner.


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## Kuk Sa Nim (Feb 15, 2006)

Greetings,

HKD was taught to soo many Chinese movie stars, especially during the 70's and 80's. The masters most responsible were in fact:

- Kim, Jin Pal (Very cool guy, and awesome martial artist, with some of the most beautiful kicks you've ever seen. He was in lots of Hong Kong movies, and taught LOTS of movie stars. I believe he currently lives in Orange  County and has a very nice dojang there too. He also has a very large HKD following all over the world)

- Ji, Han Jae (The big cheese of HKD. His reputation speaks for itself. He is actually a very nice man as well, and very talented martial artist and teacher. He is responsible for initially spreading HKD all over the world, including Hong Kong and getting into the movies. He made a couple appearances in some movies such as "Game of Death" with Bruce Lee and "This is Hap Ki Do" {I believe that was the name of the movie} with Angela Mao Ying. Both of these stars BTW learned from Ji, Han Jae. You may also remember Angela Mao as Bruce Lees sister, throwing those awesome spin kicks in "Enter the Dragon".  I beleive he has a dojang in the Philadelphia - East coast area).

- Yum, Ki Nam (Super nice man. Very big in HKD as well as HRD. He taught many movie stars in Hong Kong. I'm not sure how many know this but Jackie Chan received his 2nd Dan from him, and just look at the series of advanced break falls and joint locks he goes thru with Hwang, In Sik {aka Ing-Sik Whang} in the move "The Young Master" and others such as "The Fearless Hyena". Grand Master Yum currently heads several HRD schools on the East coast).

- Hwang, In Sik (Never met him, but love his kicking skills. He appeared in numerous Hong Kong movies, usually as a bad guy. He is the bad guy in &#8220;Game of Death II&#8221;, with some very exciting fight scenes. He also released a training video in the 80's on kicking skills which was filmed in Hong Kong. Very cool tape).

So, there are the main people that come to mind when HKD in Hong Kong, especially during it's prominent years.

With brotherhood,
Grand Master De Alba


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## Kumbajah (Feb 15, 2006)

Kim Jin Pal now resides outside of Washington D.C. He was the first to have a Hapkido Studio in Hong Kong. He gave Jackie Chan his first Hapkido training. Article http://www.web-vue.com/hapkido.htm He was also responsible for bringing over Ji Han Jae to Hong Kong who brought Hwang In Sik with him.


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## jujutsu_indonesia (Feb 16, 2006)

Kumbajah said:
			
		

> I am a student of Kim Jin Pal . He had a studio in Hong Kong and was in 8 movies as well. A short bio can be read here http://www.jinpalhapkidodc.com/gm.html to continue to the next pages there is link in the bottom right hand corner.


 
Hello Kumbajah, thank you very much for your information! :asian:


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## mateo (Feb 20, 2006)

Daniel C Lee article on Hwang In-Shik -


How did an unassuming hapkido master come to play opposite some of the most illus&shy;trious martial arts talent ever to grace the screen? "They contacted me," Hwang recalls with modest indifference. "I worked as head instructor for the Korea Hapkido Association in Seoul. At that time, Huang Feng brought Hung Chin-pao, Jackie Chan, Tang Wei-cheng, Hu Yin-yin, Mao Ying, Chang Yi and Chin Hsiang-lin for location shooting in 1972. They wanted Korea's best school so they con&shy;tacted ours. Already promotion had started for _Chinese Connection (Fist of Fury), _but they wanted to learn. So Mao Ying, Hung Chin-pao, Chang Yi, Chin Hsiang-lin, Hu Yin-yin and Tang Wei-cheng studied with us for about four months. They sent the return invitation for me to go to Hong Kong but at the airport, I was met by a lot of reporters. Already at that time, I think Huang Feng made up his mind to do a film with me. That's why they wanted the publicity."

The film turned out to be _Hapkido, (Lady Kung-Fu _in North American release_)_which he did in between demonstrations at Hong Kong martial arts schools. But the glamor of the movie business was lost on Hwang, who hadn't even bothered to sign the standard contract "My senior, master Chi Hon Joi (Ji Han Jae), handled everything," he explains. "I never thought about the money because my family was rich and I didn't need anything. I was a little afraid because I didn't know anything about acting. The weather was hot and I was uncomfortable with all the greasy make up on my face."

etc.

-Martial Arts Movies, Vol.2, No.8, 1982

I thought that this might add to the discussion.

I have no idea whether Master Kim Jin Pal came shortly after or shortly before Masters Ji and Hwang started promoting hapkido in Hong Kong movies but I am sure each reinforced the other.


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## Kumbajah (Feb 20, 2006)

Hi Matt,

GM Kim went to Hong Kong in 1971 and opened his studio there. His first Movie was in 1973 (Tiger). I have pictures of Masters Kim, Ji and Hwang during their (Ji and Hwang) arrival at the airport. I will try to scan them in this week. 

Regardless you are correct in the fact that they reinforced each other well.


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## Mr.Rooster (Mar 4, 2006)

Bong Soo Han.
Philip and Simon Rhee.
Brian Bosworth.
To some extent, Jackie Chan as well.
Any more?


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## Kuk Sa Nim (Mar 8, 2006)

Kuk Sa Nim said:
			
		

> - Hwang, In Sik (Never met him, but love his kicking skills. He appeared in numerous Hong Kong movies, usually as a bad guy. He is the bad guy in Game of Death II, with some very exciting fight scenes. He also released a training video in the 80's on kicking skills which was filmed in Hong Kong. Very cool tape).


 
Greeting all,

I find that I must correct myself. After researching this kicking video tape, I realized that I made a mistake. I was confusing Hwang In Sik, with Hwang Jang Lee. I deeply apologize. 

It was Hwang Jang Lee that made the kicking tape, and also appeared in Game of Death II, as well as dozens of other Kung Fu flicks (such as the Drunken Master and Snake in the Eagles Shadow with Jackie Chan). I love and admire both these masters, and amazing kickers.

With brotherhood,
Grand Master De Alba


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## Scott Yates (Mar 20, 2006)

Kumbajah, 

You wrote:
GM Kim went to Hong Kong in 1971 and opened his studio there. His first Movie was in 1973 (Tiger). I have pictures of Masters Kim, Ji and Hwang during their (Ji and Hwang) arrival at the airport. I will try to scan them in this week. 

Would it be possible for you to email me those pics? I am a loyal student of GM Ji and collect archives of his. 

Scott Yates
New Jersey


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## djdoozer (Apr 1, 2006)

Mr. Yates, "scott yates" nj. Are you the 8th Dan Master Scott Yates residing in Southern New Jersey?  

It's awesome to see more incredible Hapkido talent on the board.


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## mickey (May 5, 2006)

My teacher, Jino Kang of Hapkido USA (San Francisco), made a movie several years ago: Blade Warrior [New York Times].


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## mantis (May 5, 2006)

it's funny that the movie "Hapkido" is aka "Lady Kung Fu"!
that sounds like a totally different movie


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## Kuk Sa Nim (May 5, 2006)

mickey said:
			
		

> My teacher, Jino Kang of Hapkido USA (San Francisco), made a movie several years ago: Blade Warrior [New York Times].


 
Yes, good "B" movie with some awesome kicks and IHF style joint locks. Very smooth and powerful. Then again consider your source. Master Jin O Kang is the postcard of a great master and technician. 

FYI, he can fight too. I know first hand. We spent many a day whacking at each other.

Another tidbit of info, is for those in the San Francisco area that are interested in some awesome grappling, Master Kang is a master there as well. He has taken the normal HKD techniques and ground work and taken it to another level by cross training in BJJ. He is a certified instructor in Gracie style BJJ.

With brotherhood,
Grand Master De Alba


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## mickey (May 8, 2006)

A pleasure making your acquaintance, Grand Master De Alba. Master Kang runs a very pleasant ship; nice staff, supportive students, good location. In fact, today they "broke ground" on a downstairs space (the main dojang is one flight up) for more BJJ, Muay Thai, etc.

One of the black belts with whom I spoke is thrilled because the new space has a higher ceiling, great for the kicks on which he's working.

And important to me, and perhaps to you, are the smattering of good restaurants in the neighborhood and near-by. Sometimes we'll head out to an early class, have a light dinner, and head back for another class.

I'm enjoying this thread; I never knew Hapkido was so well-represented in the movies.


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## mateo (May 16, 2006)

mickey said:
			
		

> My teacher, Jino Kang of Hapkido USA (San Francisco), made a movie several years ago: Blade Warrior [New York Times].


 
I just watched that film for the first time last week! (And enjoyed the martial arts in it very much.) 

I was surprised to see that Master Kang was IHF representative as I mistakenly believed that the IHF style was much more influenced by Japanese aikido that is evident in the film. Obviously the IHF has preserved all of the high and jumping kicks and tighter circled jointlocking techniques which are also part of other hapkido styles.

I am really impressed with what Master Kang presented in his film. You are lucky to be training with him!


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