Grandmaster Ken MacKenzie - Taekwondo Times

Hapkido’s Founder Ji Han Jae’s American Son
An Interview by Master Dan Allebach
Grandmaster Kenneth P. MacKenzie is a certified ninth-dan black belt in Korean Sin Moo Hapkido. In addition,
he holds a master rank in Tae Kwon Do and various black belts in other traditional martial arts. He
lives in southern New Jersey and, while operating his five full-time martial arts academies, serves DoJuNim
Ji Han Jae as the President to the World Sin Moo Hapkido Federation. Having given over 1000 public presentations
and seminars, and as an international seminar instructor and motivational speaker, Grandmaster
MacKenzie has been seen around the world in newspapers, magazines, books, and on television. He holds
a B.A. Degree in Law & Justice and has studied at Drexel University and Glassboro State. His volunteer
experience includes that with the YMCA, Red Cross and Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization. It has been
announced that Grandmaster MacKenzie has been nominated by DoJuNim Ji Han Jae for promotion to
tenth-dan black belt and is among a selected few who will lead Sin Moo Hapkido into the 21 st century.
Dan Allebach: Grandmaster MacKenzie, what
can you tell me about your earliest beginnings and
interests in the martial arts?
GM MacKenzie: I remember as a preschooler,
watching wide-eyed the Yudo ( Judo) classes at
my local YMCA on the eastside of Indianapolis.
I wanted so badly to join the classes, however my
parents didn’t allow it. Over the years, I was persistent
in asking again and again for permission.
My favorite movies as a youngster included Billy
Jack (I later met Tom “Billy Jack” Laughlin in Las
Vegas and we shared a memorable lunch together)
and Bruce Lee’s Game of Death featuring DoJuNim
Ji Han Jae. Both films highlighted Korean Hapkido.
Little did I know that Hapkido was to become my
art and Ji Han Jae to become my personal teacher...
it’s funny how karma works! Early on, I had studied
some boxing and wrestling. What I really wanted,
however, was to study traditional Asian martial arts.
As a young boy, I developed a number of illnesses
and was hospitalized numerous times. I had four
surgeries during those young years, one related to
the serious bone disease osteomyelitis, in which
I nearly lost my left leg. The doctors were able to
save my leg, but, the damage was extensive. It was
at this time that my parents, in an effort to encourage
me to rehabilitate my leg, finally allowed me to
train in the martial arts. This was in the 1970s and
what I was to learn was then called ‘Korean Karate.’
It included Tae Kwon Do (Song Moo Kwan lineage),
Hapkido, and kickboxing. This proved to be
the perfect therapy! In the beginning, learning the
martial arts was very painful and difficult. With my
leg pain constant and extreme, and major challenges
with balance, strength and flexibility, quitting would
have been the easy choice. My passion for what I
was learning along with my innate drive to achieve
my black belt, disallowed quitting as an option…I
was in this for the long haul!
Photo by Laura Smulktis
taekwondotimes.com / November 2009 51