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hapkido in scotland uk

I have been training in scotland for over 20 years. Yet hapkido is still unknown most high ranking black belts have changed orginisations to gain advancement or have trained with grandmasters once or twice a year I have seen people get black belts for a level I would struggle to justify green belt just because they hold dan grades in tkd this does not help promote hapkido but turns it into crap when I learned hapkido only Fred Adams taught in scotland that was 1986 I left fred in 1995 but had to go to his home town norwich home of hapkido in the uk to find a grand master. I was at a blackbelt. Presentation.in 2002 this man is now a grandmaster. Come on. What do you think

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Permalink Reply by David sneddon on February 6, 2012 at 8:07am

Hello kevin
First off haven't googled you yet to see who I'm talking to
I wouldn't use a kwans name to make a point.
Geoff j Booth is in the uk twice a year is good at his trade so why not train with him. Not often a 9th dan will entertain a small group and also he's not charging thousands of pounds like some in the states quoted me. I will also be meeting with gm Kim beom from Durham. Will be visiting David Hastings in Lemington spa and I will be meeting up with my grand master. M Barron at the end of April for. A BHA seminar all going well

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Permalink Reply by Kevin Sogor on February 6, 2012 at 3:02pm

Sorry, read this "Hapkido Scotland SUNGJAKWAN at MMA @ Paisley 6th april" and figured you were part of that group...that's all.

Me, I'm at Chicago Hapkido - I first met Fred about 32 years ago...

Sounds like you will have a full calendar. Well done.

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Permalink Reply by David sneddon on February 6, 2012 at 3:12pm

I do try to get people intrested in hapkido
The history will sort its self out I don't deny. Fred his part but like most you grow and you have to move on. I don't claim to be what I'm not my grades reflect this . At this moment I am the Scottish rep for Sungjakwan but that does not mean I can't train and learn from others. I like my autonomy which was hard earned and won't be given up.
Yours in Hapkido
David

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Permalink Reply by Kevin Sogor on February 6, 2012 at 3:17pm

Very cool David, again, just asking because I didn't know. I am sure that you will make a great showing in Scotland, as there is very little Hapkido there!

And its clear you have the passion to do right by your students and that's really important!

Thank you for all the replies! I look forward to talking to you more.

I have to add that given a brief understanding of some of your experiences, I do get the need for autonomy!!

Permalink Reply by Kevin Sogor on February 6, 2012 at 8:08am

And I ask about Geoff Booth because other than his "9th" Dan from Ji Han Jae, I can't find out that much about his lineage in Hapkido other than he started MA with Teakwondo in 1977. Not slagging off, just curious.

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Permalink Reply by David sneddon on February 6, 2012 at 8:16am

Check his web sites give him a call ask fred but come on 9th dan from ji han jae is that not enough or are you saying that's sus fred. Did not like him I can recall that from our talks but most people I have asked say he's a top bloke

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Permalink Reply by Kevin Sogor on February 6, 2012 at 3:12pm

Geoff Booth's web sites don't mention his lineage at all, that is why I asked if you knew where I could find it.

If you are asking me if a 9th Dan from Ji Han Jae holds any weight with me, the answer is, on the face of that alone, not at all. Ji has been handing out rank like candy of late, so that level of dan has kinda lost meaning in Sin Moo - from my perspective, I know that there are some competent martial artists in that group, but there are also a huge number of "political" appointments that have nothing to do with skill - more financial.

This story is a bit unrelated, but a rather well known martial artist here is Chicago (whose initials are F.D.) had a seminar here in Chicago several years ago in conjunction with a man that had a connection to Ji. They put on the seminar, which was far smaller than they expected, and at the end JI approached FD and told him they could make a lot of money in the midwest if he would be his Hapkido rep in the area. He told him that he would issue him a 9th dan on the spot and that they could be "really rich" - FD replied that he was grateful for the offer but he could "hardly spell Hapkido, let alone do any" - and this is a man that has black belts in numerous styles dating back to the late 1960's. So, if you ask me if just the mention of a 9th dan from Ji matters; not so much.

I do wish you all the best with the seminar. It sounds like you will be doing a great deal of Hapkido training and research, and that is always a good thing.

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Permalink Reply by David sneddon on February 6, 2012 at 3:24pm

Let's say I had meetings with some of the hapkido greats in america (all korean(1990)and three out the four were only after money, the one I will name is bong soo han and he was a gentle man., I was ripped of by a gent in florida but you live and learn(2004)so I go and train with people who are what they say and mr booth looks the part
As to hapkido in scotland there is some but let's say they aren't what they say they are. But that just makes me better

Permalink Reply by Kevin Sogor on February 6, 2012 at 3:34pm

All I can say is that I have made the same rounds as you and often found the same thing. And Florida seems to be a place lots of people have had issues! If you ever comes stateside again, please look me up, and I hope if I get up to Scotland to drop by!

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Permalink Reply by David sneddon on February 6, 2012 at 3:46pm

Your more than welcome to visit and who knows by that time after 20 odd years I might be a master I'm not in it for the grade but for the art.
I am hoping to get to Brazil in 2013 so if I'm going that far. Your towns not that far from there haha

hapkido in scotland uk

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