The Hap-Ki-Do Oh-Do-Kwan was created by Klaus Schuhmacher and officially introduced in Frankfurt Germany in the year 1986.
Klaus began to study HKD in 1975 under the supervision of Grandmaster Song-Il-Hak, then continued his
training in 1977 with the father of Hapkido in Europe, Grandmaster Kim Sou Bong, who later taught him privately,
and saw him like an adopted son.
Then Klaus trained as a closed door student with Grandmaster Yang/Yeung-Soo-Woo,
who appointed him as his successor !
Additionally, he received further instruction from Grandmasters Yu-Un-Son, and Young-Um-Kim, and other Hapkido experts.
To understand the origin of Oh-Do-Kwan-Hap-Ki-Do you must first know the
THE TRUE HISTORY OF HAP-KI-DO
Soke Klaus Schuhmacher has risen to 10th Degree ~ Dan Black Belt in Hap-Ki-Do. He was not content with the way Hap-Ki-Do had been taught, he saw mistakes in the methods and progression of it's teachings.
Soke Klaus Schuhmacher through many years careful study and a true mastery
of Hap-Ki-Do, developed a newer version of
Hap-Ki-Do and in 1986 he officially introduced
"KLAUS SCHUHMACHER' S SYSTEM OF TRADITIONAL HAP-KI-DO"
under the banner of the
OH-DO-KWAN.
He grouped all the techniques together Hap-Ki-Do
teaches and put it in a system of 13. Dan levels,
in which Soke Choi is the only 13th Dan holder forever.
The two main reasons for the new systemation of the Dan ranks are:
- The Oh-Do-Kwan teaches the most completed Hap-Ki-Do educational system with the most techniques in the world, with testing requirements up to 10th Dan. Just to compare:
Soke Choi´s curriculum required only to perform 26 techniques for the 1st Dan rank, but O.D.K.H.K.D. nearly 200 !) - Today Black Belts had become so easy to earn that they were devalued.
NOTE:
The use of Master ranks up to e.c. 20th Dan (Master rank)
was common
in ancient Korea, and Japan, but not used for the last 90 years. Other Grandmasters who came again up with this old traditional ranking system are:
- Soke Masaaki Hatsumi(16th Dan Nin-Jutsu)
- Grandmaster Cacoy Canete (12. Dan Modern Eskrima)
- Grandmaster In Suk Pak (12th Dan Tae Keuk-Do)
- Prof. Gilberto Pauciullo (11th Duan Kung-Fu)
- Grand Guru Jose G. Mena (12th Dan Philippine Arnis)
- Prof. Olohe Kolomona Solomon Kaihewalu (12th Dan Lua)
- Shihan Jose Augusto da Silva Costa
(12th Dan Karate Gojitsu-Ryu) - Grandmaster Nes Fernandez
(12th Dan Philippine Kali-Arnis-Escrima) - Shodai-Soke Joseph M. Victory Jr.(12th Dan Ju-Jitsu)
- Dr. William Chow (15th Dan Kempo)
- Dr. Anton Tariba (12th Dan Taikido Martial Arts)
- Also Grandmaster Bok Man Kim's "Chun Kuhn Do"
System goes up to 11th Dan
With KLAUS SCHUHMACHER´S SYSTEM OF TRADITIONAL HAP-KI-DO
everything
you learn as a beginner is used extensively even in the Grandmaster level.
Soke Schuhmacher did not stop there, he has even employed modern educational teaching/learning techniques and principles /philosophies on several street-fighting skills. He has thrown away some of the useless techniques that have been incorrectly passed on from several Hap-Ki-Do instructors were not learned the full art and/or understand the today's realistic self defense applications.
After teaching Hap-Ki-Do worldwide since 1978, Grandmaster Schuhmacher again meets always high ranking Hap-Ki-Do instructors were don´t know most of the higher level principles & techniques of this system. They also so often doing tremendous mistakes in apply locks & throws. The O.D.K. is open to everybody and tries to help these people, to understand and learn this techniques correct, realistic and in the way, and mind of Soke Choi.
CERTIFIED BLACK BELTS
Currently only the follow individuals are certified
Black Belts in Oh-Do-Kwan-Hap-Ki-Do:
Grandmaster Norbert Englich (Germany) 7th Dan
Grandmaster Emil Gruber (Germany) 7th Dan
Guido Topfer (Germany) 3rd Dan
Dr. Josef Iglhaut (Yemen) 2nd Dan
Michael de Fillipo (Puerto Rico) 1st Dan
Dr. Nigel May (Australia) 1st Dan
SEMINARS WORLDWIDE
Host a seminar at your school, with Grandmaster Schuhmacher!!
DISTANCE TESTING
Since its inception, it has evolved into an Interactive, Multi-media Program, international in scope.
In the vast majority of Martial Arts schools the tests for promotion come when the head instructor says so. But what happens if you feel you're just a few weeks away from being ready? Either you're forced to take the test at that time and possibly fail or you're left behind and have to wait until the next test, which could be months away. Somehow that just never seemed fair, so KLAUS SCHUHMACHER`S OH-DO-KWAN- HAP-KI-DO leaves it up to the student. It doesn't matter if the test is being taken in person or on DVD. When you're ready to do it, we re ready to judge it.
Another problem with most tests is that they are given in mass. There are usually from ten to twenty students taking it at the same time. There's no way to truly evaluate each performance. And there's no way to make corrections. With KLAUS SCHUHMACHER`S OH-DO-KWAN- HAP-KI-DO each test is conducted on an individual basis, so a far greater degree of personal attention is given to each student. Even more so on DVD than in person. In person, the test is evaluated as the student performs it and the corrections made as errors occur. True, the student is aware of his or her mistakes and can work on correcting them but sometimes it's difficult to remember all of them and you don't have anything to refer back to.
With a DVD test, the student's performance is first evaluated. A custom printed form is filled out, detailing the errors to be discussed. Then we record a private lesson on a DVD at the end of your test concerning your errors and exactly how to remedy them. The duration of the lesson depends upon how many mistakes we have to correct. The average runs twenty to thirty minutes. The beauties of this system being that you do not have to absorb all the corrections at one time. Once again, you'll do it at your own pace and on your own time.
RECORDS
1) All rank and dates of promotion will be recorded and kept on file in the computer and on hard copy at the H.K.D.O.D.K.W. International Headquarters.
2) Rank verification may be obtained by any member concerning themselves or any other member or non-member upon written request. A small fee for processing will be assessed.
3) The verification of rank will also include the standing of the individual. (Qualifying or Certified rank, Good Standing, Not Good Standing*)
Generally speaking, the further a system gets from the source, the more distorted it becomes. By the time a technique is passed from person to person enough times, very often it's changed beyond recognition. The only saving grace is that sometimes, the changes are verifiably for the better. Occasionally, during its travels, someone has stopped to better analyse it and actually improve upon it. Unfortunately, most of the time the opposite is true.
A correction on DVD can be repeated until the student fully understands it. It may take longer but there is no pressure on the student to get-it-or-else and there is no pressure on the instructor to make him or her get it, or be left behind. Each test is handled individually.
In most Schools of Martial Arts, regardless of style or system the tests are held in mass. How many students can you evaluate at once? Because of the proven results, we even require our in-house students to DVD test.
When a DVD test is received, the performance is analysed, move-by-move. Putting the tape on pause, we make notes and recommendations on a specially prepared form.