Hapkido originated in South Korea in about 1950 from an amalgamation of a number of styles. Hapkido teaches you how to defend yourself and others against a variety of common attacks. It combines hand strikes and powerful kicking along with joint locks, holds, takedowns, throws and ground fighting.

Hapkido's techniques are based on an opponents attack, meeting that attack, turning it back on the attacker, and following through with offensive finishing techniques if required.

The best way to describe Hapkido is that it is a “Mixed Martial Art” although unlike modern “Mixed Martial Arts” our focus is not on competition but on practical self defence. Hapkido is a unique style that will enable you to defend yourself in just about any situation.

Our particular style of Hapkido, New Zealand Hapkido, was originally developed by Grand Master Lee and is derived from military Hapkido. Our Hapkido training aims to preserve and develop Grand Master Lee's original teachings and philosophy which has Hapkido solely as a self defence orientated traditional martial art.

The Upper Hutt Hapkido Academy is the Headquarters of the New Zealand Hapkido Federation which also has affiliated clubs in Auckland, Palmerston North, Wellington City, Dunedin and Brisbane (www.hapkido.net.nz).

The Upper Hutt Hapkido Academy is also a member group of the World Ki Do Federation - one of the largest Korean martial arts associations in the world (www.kidohae.com).

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GM Lee was born in Kyangju, a city situated next to Moo Doung San mountain. Beginning TaeKwonDo (TKD) and Hapkido training at age 7, he earned his 1st Dan black belt at age 13. GM Lee's training was based first and foremost on self defence. The original style GM Lee was trained in was Bong Hwa Kwan, one of the several styles that evolved into TKD and Hapkido as we know it today.

GM Lee won a technical scholarship at high school and went on to study at Chosun university, majoring in physical education. After graduating he set up his own dojang in Kyangju City. Shortly afterwards, GM Lee became eligible for compulsory Army service. He signed up as an officer and began with a one year course at the Army's training academy in 1959. Graduating with the rank of first lieutenant he went on to begin another 12 month course - this time training as a commando in the Special Forces.

Because of his skill and diligence in training others GM Lee earned a great deal of respect from people of all ranks within the South Korean army. When the Vietnam War broke out South Korea assisted South Vietnam and ultimately GM Lee was sent to Vietnam in 1966 to help train their commandos. He held the positions of Director of Education and Technical Director of the Vietnam TKD Federation.

GM Lee left the Korean army in 1971 with the rank of captain (Special Forces) and took up the position of Director of the Bong Hwa Hapkido and TKD Gymnasium in Seoul, Korea. The Bong Hwa Gymnasium was affiliated to the Korea Hapkido Association at the time which was later to become one of the pre-cursors to the modern Korea Hapkido Federation.

GM Lee arrived in New Zealand in 1975 and began teaching TKD and Hapkido. He started at the YMCA in Wellington with seven people and soon expanded by running special courses for the police, traffic officers, army, air force, prison officers, and women's groups. For the first two years GM Lee devoted all his time to establishing TKD and Hapkido while his wife and three children stayed in Korea with relatives.

GM Lee founded Lee’s Hapkido Academy and it did not take long for him to establish new clubs by helping his senior students to become instructors. GM Lee spent the first five years concentrating his efforts and establishing TKD and Hapkido clubs around Wellington and the lower North Island before expanding elsewhere in New Zealand. In 1991 GM Lee moved from Wellington to Auckland to concentrate his efforts in promoting TKD and Hapkido to a larger population base.

During his time in NZ GM Lee has also worked on extending his own qualifications, going from 6th Dan black belt when he arrived, to 9th Dan and the title of Grandmaster which he graded for in 1991. The higher Dan gradings are not just physical tests but involve a great deal of written work - similar to a university degree. His last grading, for 9th Dan black belt, involved what amounted to a thesis on various counter attack techniques against other martial art styles such as kung-fu and karate, training techniques, and training equipment that maximise performance and remove the risk of injury.

During the first decade of the new century, GM Lee began to select people within both Hapkido and TKD to pass all his knowledge and skill to, so that he could then step back and take more of an advisory role. As part of this, in July 2006 GM Lee formally passed his leadership of Hapkido to Callum Forbes who had already been acting informally in this role since 1995.

When Grand Master Lee passed on the leadership of our style of Hapkido to Callum it was called Kukjae Hapkido. However in 2010 Callum changed this to New Zealand Hapkido to reflect its adaptation to the New Zealand environment. While we still acknowledge our style’s lineage to South Korea, the reality is that we are now a New Zealand martial arts style.

Our connection with South Korea remains through our logo – the Korean Sea Eagle. This particular rendition of the Hapkido Eagle was brought to New Zealand by Grand Master Lee and has remained unchanged