This is the curriculum taught to me by GM Myung Kwang Sik. These are the techniques that the GM taught me personally, not from seminars or videos, but on the mat with GM. I learned the “old school way” . I am blessed to have made the sacrifices to be able to follow the GM, doing 70+ mile commutes from home to work, to dojang, and back home, to learn from the GM.

I remember working one Saturday on an engagement at year end, and then going straight to the dojang to test for my 3rd dan, which by far, was the most grueling testing I had. GM had me perform anything from white belt up to 3rd dan, it was his choice to call out techniques, but I spent probably a good 2 hours on the mat with numerous partners rotating in to fall for me. I didn’t get to rotate out, it was nonstop for me.

Anyone can claim to be personal students, disciples, whatever. There are truly only a few, that had the privilege of learning from GM directly, on the mat, day to day, not seminars, not videos, not books. I can say that because I, and one other student, stayed with GM from 1989 until his death in 2009. The GM stopped teaching in 2006 due to his poor health. The GM made it to the dojang before he passed, but he was limited to sitting and watching his beloved Hapkido classes. I remember running promotion tests with GM, and ultimately, running them without him. Even for me, as Chief Instructor, or soo suk sa bum (수석 사범) in Korean, and Assistant Instructor Tim Shin, we both had periods where work and family issues pulled us out of training and teaching for periods of time.

GM stopped teaching techniques to me in 2005, or early 2006, when he began asking me “what have you not learned”. GM used to ask me “what did you learn” before each lesson. I realized that I had come to an end of techniques with the GM.  Assistant Instructor Tim Shin left around 2003 to become a police officer and was always respectful, coming back to the dojang to pay his respects to GM.

So this is the curriculum of Hapkido as GM Myung Kwang Sik taught me, personally, by his hands. From white to 1st dan, with dan jun ho hup, do jin bup, 120 kicks and 97 step in forms, there are 586 total techniques from white to 1st dan black belt. The black belt curriculum is listed.

White Belt to First Degree Black Belt

1st Dan Black Belt