Suh Bok-Sub

Infobox Korean name
hangul=서복섭
hanja=
rr=Seo Bok seop
mr=Suh Bok Sub

Suh Bok-Sub was the first student to study under hapkido founder Choi Yong Sul. With Choi Yong Sul he founded the art's first school, the Yu Kwon Sool Hapki dojang (sometimes referred to as the Hapki Yu Kwon Sool dojang) in Taegu, Korea. Moving to Seoul he later became a professor of East Asian medicine and worked for a time at Kyung Hee University.

Life

Coming from a wealthy and politically active family he was given an excellent education and was a graduate of the prestigious Korea University. ["Hapkido" (alternately "The Hapkido Bible"). Andrew Jackson Press, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 1991] Suh also studied judo and gained his black belt in the art while still quite young. He gained positions of some authority early in life and by his early twenties was the chairman of a rice wine distillery. ["Hapkido" (alternately "The Hapkido Bible"). Andrew Jackson Press, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 1991]

Suh's father was a congressman and both the founder, Choi Yong Sul, and other hapkido practitioners, such as Won Kwang-Wha were employed to work as bodyguards for the politician. ["Hapkido" (alternately "The Hapkido Bible"). Andrew Jackson Press, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 1991]

Suh later went on to pursue a career in traditional oriental medicine. ["Hapkido" (alternately "The Hapkido Bible"). Andrew Jackson Press, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 1991]

Accomplishments

Choi Yong Sul's first student and the first person known to have opened up a dojang under Choi. ["Hapkido" (alternately "The Hapkido Bible"). Andrew Jackson Press, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 1991]

After watching Choi Yong Sul successfully defend himself against a group of men when an argument erupted in the yard of the Suh Brewery Company, Suh, who was the chairman of the company, invited Choi to begin teaching martial arts to Suh and some of the workers at the distillery where Suh had prepared a makeshift dojang. ["Hapkido" (alternately "The Hapkido Bible"). Andrew Jackson Press, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 1991]

In 1951, Suh opened up the first proper dojang called the Korean Yu Kwan Sool Hapki Dojang. [Hentz, Eric (editor), "Taekwondo Times" Vol. 16, No. 8. Article by Mike Wollmershauser "The Beginning of Hapkido; An Interview with Hapkido Master Suh, Bok Sub". Tri-Mount Publications, Iowa 1996.]

Suh designed the first symbol used to denote the art consisting of two inverted arrowheads [Hentz, Eric (editor), "Taekwondo Times" Vol. 16, No. 8. Article by Mike Wollmershauser "The Beginning of Hapkido; An Interview with Hapkido Master Suh, Bok Sub". Tri-Mount Publications, Iowa 1996.] featured in both the original and modern incarnation of the Korea KiDo Association, the World Kido Association and by Master Myung Kwang-Sik's World Hapkido Federation.

Choi Yong Sul was also employed during this time as a bodyguard to Suh's father who was a congressman. [Hentz, Eric (editor), "Taekwondo Times" Vol. 16, No. 8. Article by Mike Wollmershauser "The Beginning of Hapkido; An Interview with Hapkido Master Suh, Bok Sub". Tri-Mount Publications, Iowa 1996.]

Suh claims that he and Choi agreed to shorten the name of the art from 'hapki yu kwon sool' to 'hapkido' in 1959. [Hentz, Eric (editor), "Taekwondo Times" Vol. 16, No. 8. Article by Mike Wollmershauser "The Beginning of Hapkido; An Interview with Hapkido Master Suh, Bok Sub". Tri-Mount Publications, Iowa 1996.]

References and further reading

*Kimm, He-Young. "Hapkido II". Andrew Jackson Press, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 1994.

See also

*Korean martial arts
*Hapkido
*List of people of Korean descent