In the early years of the 20^th century, a Korean boy named CHOI Yong Sul was taken to Japan from Korea by a Japanese candy merchant returning to his home country.  Choi Young Sul was an orphan and the arrangement, seemingly an informal adoption, with the Japanese man, YAMADA Ogichi, and his wife didn’t work out.  Choi Yong Sul was homesick and eventually left the Yamadas and spent several years living in a Buddhist temple. 

The young boy was not suited for a religious life and eventually left the temple around the age of 13.  According to interviews with Choi Dojunim many years later, he came to train with TAKEDA Sokaku, headmaster of Daitoryu Aikijiujutsu.  Accounts vary, with some holding that Choi Dojunim was Takeda Sokaku’s adoptive son and others saying that he was a servant.  Choi Dojunim said that he studied Daitoryu Jiujutsu under Takeda Sokaku for many years.

After World War II and the liberation of Korea, Choi Dojunim returned to Korea, where he began to teach “yawara,” another term for jiujutsu.  He said that his certificates of rank were in a bag which was stolen at the train station in Daegu, Korea,  Regretably, there is no record of his name Daitoryu Jiujutsu student records. 

It is clear however that Choi Dojunim was a formidable martial artist when he returned to Korea. 

One of Choi Dojunim’s early students in Korea was a man named JI Han Jae.  GM Ji was  (and is) a prolific teacher.  His lineage is responsible for about 70% of modern Hapkido practitioners.  GM Ji is Master Thomas's (Holcombe’s) instructor’s teacher and is one of Dr. Kimm’s Hapkido teachers.