Grandmaster Ken MacKenzie - Taekwondo Times

What important masters have influenced you?
That’s a big question with an even bigger answer.
The most important influence on me as a martial
artist has without a doubt been DoJuNim Ji Han
Jae (founder of Hapkido and Sin Moo Hapkido). I
have enjoyed training under him for my entire adult
life. He considers me his “American Son” and true
disciple.
I was also very fortunate to have experienced
training with General Choi Hong Hi, Tae Kwon
Do’s founder at an ITF training event and dinner
in Arizona. This was a great honor indeed. Other
strong influences would include Grandmaster
Jhoon Rhee (father of Tae Kwon Do in America),
Grandmaster Hee Il Cho, Dr. He-Young Kimm
(Han Mu Do), World Champion Bill Wallace, and
World Champion Joe Lewis. My earliest instructors,
Harry Watson (under Song Moo Kwan
Grandmaster Byung Hoon Park), Danny Doyle,
Ray Doman, Bruce Hart, Sr., Master Richard Kenvin,
Master Carl Beaman, and Professor Frankie
DeFelice gave me a solid foundation. In addition,
a number of my contemporaries, including Masters
John Godwin, Robert Ott, Scott Yates, Perry
Zmugg and Juri Fleischmann, have allowed me to
expand as a martial arts master. Senior Grandmaster
Rudy Timmerman of Canada has paved the way
and demonstrated to me the joys and possibilities of
a lifetime in Korean martial arts. Martial arts business
guru Fred Mertens has supported my growth
as an academy operator. World famous master and
mentor Robert Ott is my true martial arts brother
and has shown me the true meaning of pilsung and
the indomitable spirit.
Outside of your primary style of Sin Moo Hapkido,
what other martial
arts systems have
you experienced?
First, allow me to
make a point. Mastery
is paramount. I
believe that the chop
suey approach to
martial arts can be
flawed. It’s difficult
to become the jack of
all trades. Digging deep into one may be the wiser
choice. While I was fortunate that my first school
taught Tae Kwon Do, Hapkido, kickboxing and Jiu-
Jitsu, and that the arts seemingly worked together
in harmony, I recommend narrowing down one’s
focus and education in the arts.
Sin Moo Hapkido is my primary style. I have enjoyed
both good fortune and opportunity as a firstgeneration
Hapkido/Sin Moo Hapkido student
under the founder. For me, there has and continues
to be no better privilege than to learn directly under
and from the source. For comparison, I have also
experienced Hapkido under other varied and elder
masters, many while in Korea.
I have experienced and appreciated other Hapkido-related
arts such as Han Mu Do and Kuk
Sool. Having trained in and taught the art since
the 1970s, I am also a master-instructor in Korean
Tae Kwon Do and have studied both the ITF and
WTF (including at the Kukkiwon) styles. I have
enjoyed learning more about Tang Soo Do from
Hall-of-Famer, Master John Godwin and had the
honor of meeting Grandmaster Jae Chul Shin and
the late Grandmaster Hwang Kee. As a full-contact
fighter in the 1980s, I trained in Burmese Bando,
Muay Thai, American kickboxing and French Savate,
becoming one of the first Americans certified
in that art.
While in South Korea, I trained in TaeKyun,
Mu Yee Eh Ship Sha Bahn, Yudo (Olympic Training
Headquarters), Olympic-Style WTF Tae Kwon
Do, Sun-Do, Sun Moo Do, Kum Do, Kuk-Sool,
and Buldo Moo Sool.
In North Korea, I experienced pure ITF Tae
Kwon Do and trained alongside the North Korean
athletes at the Tae Kwon Do Palace. While there,
our team gave the first-ever Hapkido/Sin Moo
Hapkido demonstration
in North
Korea and toured
the ITF museum.
Visiting Japan, I
experienced Daito
Ryu Aiki-Jitsu,
KyoKushin Kai
Karate-Do, Aikido
at the Aikido
Hombu in Tokyo,
GM MacKenzie, GM Lim, GM Ji Han Jae & Dr. Kimm
taekwondotimes.com / November 2009 53