Dojunim Kim Sou Bong

At the age of nine years Kim decided to learn boxing, but his mother did not allow that. She was afraid that this kind of sports would bear a high risk to get injured. So Kim decided to practise other kinds of sports like swimming, climbing, Rugby, physical exercises and Chi-Lum.

So he was able to gain a broad range of sports experiences when he was young. At the age of 15 he started to learn TANG-SOU-DO, a kind of Budo sports, and within two years he was able to achieve the 1st Dan degree in this kind of martial arts.

At the age of 17 Kim was introduced to HapKiDo by a good friend, Choi. He was fascinated by this practical kind of self-defence and the systematic structure of its techniques. From this moment on an intensive training twice a day had a strong influence on his daily routine. He decided that HapKiDo will play an important role in his whole life.


Choi’s and Kim’s teacher was Dojunim Ji Han Jae. At the age of 18 Kim passed the exam for the 1st Dan degree. (At this time only two different colours were used for Kub degree in Korea: white and red). Until the 3rd Dan degree Kim was assistant trainer of Dojunim Ji Han Jae. At the age of 25 he succeeded in passing the exam for 4th Dan degree.

When the political situation in Korea changed dramatically, Kim Sou Bong began to think about the idea of leaving the country, because his parents were under constant police surveillance (his mother was a well known opposition politician and his father was editor-in-chief of a newspaper). After a short period of time he took the chance and followed the invitation of his friend Choi, who was already living in America. After short stops in Taiwan and Hong Kong he went to America for the first time, where HapKiDo and other kinds of martial arts used to be very popular.

Dojunim Kim Sou Bong was sent to Germany as the "Official Representative for HapKiDo", in order to spread and teach this martial arts. Kim was quite familiar with this country, because he was very interested in the German cultural history during his study of journalism in Korea. Kim Sou Bong took the chance to go to Germany as a miner, because at this time Germany was in need of a lot of guest workers.

Until he passed away (04.08.2011) Dojunim Kim Sou Bong successfully managed his Education centre in Düsseldorf, Wetterstraße 6, where he mainly educated masters and instructors. He was the founder of the “International HapKiDo Dan Association” as well as several HapKiDo clubs. His system of HapKiDo is the result of his manifold experiences and various studies.

Successor of Kim Sou Bong is Gerhard Agrinz 10th Dan. He is fully and solely responsible for the technical direction of the „HapKiDo teaching system Kim Sou Bong“ as well as the „TMR Instruction System“, which also had been developed by grand master Kim Sou Bong.

 

The HapKiDo way of grand master Gerhard Agrinz

Grand master Gerhard Agrinz started his HapKiDo training in 1971 in Austria. He was a personal student of grand master Kim Sou Bong until his death on 4. August 2011.

Before grand master Dojunim Kim Sou Bong died in 2011 he officially appointed grand master Gerhard Agrinz for his successor with regard to his teaching system. Gerhard Agrinz received the unlimited technical direction of the “HapKiDo teaching system Kim Sou Bong”. 

At the same time grand master Gerhard Agrinz took on the management of the “European HapKiDo Education Centre”, the central training centre for HapKiDo trainers, instructors and masters, which was foundet by Dojunim Kim Sou Bong.

The education centre particularly concentrates on the application of the TMR instruction system, also developed by Dojunim Kim Sou Bong.
This kind of training method is an independent instruction system, which provides a completely new approach in the education and development of persons practicing self-defence or martial arts. 

During his HapKiDo studies for more of four decades grand master Gerhard Agrinz has been making significant and pioneering contributions to the “teaching system Kim Sou Bong”. It is his declared goal to establish this special type of teaching system together with all HapKiDo masters and its friends and to carry it into the future.

Short profile

  • 1971, start training with Dojunim Kim Sou Bong.
  • 1978, exam for 1.Dan - HapKiDo teaching system Kim Sou Bong
  • 1984, world record with a "double feet special jump" up to a height of 2,3 m.
  • 1976 - 1988, multiple winner of HapKiDo tournaments in the following disciplines:  "performance battle, breaking tests and free fight".
  • 1995, exam for 4. Dan Sin Moo Hapkido by Dojunim Ji Han Jae, certificate No. 558/03.08.1995.
  • 9. January 2011, graduate for 9. Dan and awarding of the title "grand master" by Dojunim Kim Sou Bong. Announcment for president of "International HapKiDo Dan-Federation" System Kim Sou Bong.
  • Chief referee at the „ Open European All-Style Sport HapKiDo Tournament  2018“ in Sankt Petersburg /Russia
  • 07.10.2018 , graduate for 10. Dan, IHKDFD
  • 02.06.2019, Member of the Martial Arts Association-International
  • 02.06.2019, Member of the International Board of Black Belts the Technical. Advisory Council Committee of Martial Arts Education of  the Martial Arts Association-International
  • Chief referee at the „ Open European HapKiDo  Championship  2019“ in Saint Petersburg /Russia

Additional trainings:

  • 1984, exam for certified "instructor for fit sports" at Bundesportakademie Graz.
  • 1990, acupressur/Shiatsu - education.
  • 1992, certified "HapKiDo instructor" at Bundessportakademie Graz.
  • EDU Kinesthetics – basis training.
  • "Touch for Health"  - basis training.
  •  Speaker at national and international HapKiDo and martial arts seminars.
  • (GHA ) Global Hap Ki Do Association Referee

Awards:

  • International Martial Arts Award Munich Hall of Honours & Spirit 2014: "Dedicated Master of the year"
  • Martial Arts Hall of Honours Atlantic City, January 2015: "Grand Master of the  year - Europe"
  • 2015 Inaugural Tri-State Icon´s - Martial Arts Masters Hall of Fame Philadelphia, August 2015: "Golden Pioneer"
  • International Martial Arts Award Suisse Hall of Honours 2016: "Grandmaster of the Year"
  • International Martial Arts Award Munich Hall of Honours & Spirit 2017: "Legends of the Martial Arts 2017"