Choi Yong-sool

Choi Yong-Sool 최용술
Choi Yong-sool, circa 1954
Born	(1904-11-09)9 November 1904 Chungcheongbuk-do, Korea
Died	15 June 1986(1986-06-15) (aged 81)
Native name	최용술
Other names	Choi Yong-Sul, Yoshida Asao, Yoshida Tatujutsu
Residence	Daegu
Nationality	South Korea
Style	Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu, Hapkido
Trainer	Takeda Sōkaku
Rank	Doju, Grandmaster
Occupation	Martial artist
Notable students	Chinil Chang, 10th dan/Successor Ji Han-Jae, Kim Moo-Hong, Chung Kee Tae, Kim Yun-sik, Kim Jung-Soo
Notable school(s)	Daehan Hapki YuKwonSool Dojang
last updated on: 2010-02-23

Choi Yong-sool (Hangul: 최용술; November 9, 1904 – June 15, 1986), alternative spelling Choi Yong-sul, was the founder of the martial art Hapkido (Hangul: 합기도; hanja: 合氣道). He was born in today's Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea, and was taken to Japan during the Japanese occupation of Korea when he was eight years old. Choi later stated that he became a student of Takeda Sōkaku, and studied a form of jujutsu known as Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu (大東流合気柔術) while in Japan. This is disputed by some parties, due to the historically acrimonious relationship between Japan and Korea, and lack of clear documentary evidence (see below).

Choi returned to Korea after the end of the World War II and in 1948 began teaching his art at a brewery owned by the father of his first student Seo Bok-Seob (Hangul: 서복섭; Suh Bok-Sub). He first called his art "Yu Sul (Hangul: 유술)" or "Yawara (Hangul: 야와라; 柔術)" later changing it to "Yu Kwon Sool (Hangul: 유권술; 柔拳術)" and "Hap Ki Yu Kwon Sool (Hangul: 합기 유권술; 合氣柔拳術)" and eventually Hapkido.