Hwang In Shik (also Whang Ing-Sik, born 1940 in Sunch'ŏn,
north of Pyongyang in present day North Korea) is one of the foremost
Korean Hapkido
teachers today. A great popularizer of the art in Asia through his work
in the Hong Kong based films of
Bruce Lee,
Jackie Chan and Angela
Mao, he is known nevertheless as one the top teachers of the art and was
eventually awarded a 10th degree black belt, the highest rank possible
in the art, by the World Hapkido Association.
Hwang In-Shik's family moved to Seoul from North Korea while he still a
young child and it was there that he was first exposed to the martial
arts, first to Tang Soo Do and then, when he was 13 years old, to the
art of Korean hapkido.
Hwang identifies his teacher as Choi Yong Sul, the founder of the art.
According to Kim Hyung Sang of the Ulchikwan dojang Hwang's first
teacher was Kim Yong-Jin. Hwang In Shik achieved his black belt grading
at age 16 and was sent shortly thereafter to the Korea Hapkido
Association headquarters presided over by Ji
Han Jae. A very important time in the history of the development
of the art, many of the prime movers in hapkido today were his seniors
there including Han Bong Soo, Kim
Chong Sung and Myung Kwang-Sik. Hwang was known in particular at this
time for his superlative kicking ability.
He was eventually promoted to 7th dan in 1976 by the Republic of Korea
Hapkido Association (Dae Han Min Gook Hapkido Hyub Hwe) and was
appointed as chief instructor for the association headquarters. In this
capacity he became an influential and well known teacher of the art.
World Hapkido Association
Prominent hapkido teacher, Jung Tae, with the support of senior hapkido
people such as Bong Soo Han decided to form his own organization called
the World Hapkido Association. Wishing to show respect to one of his
senior teachers from Korea he appointed Hwang In-Shik as the Chief
Instructor to his organization with the official title of Chong Jae and
awarded him with the 10th degree black belt in the organization
symbolizing in the eyes of the World Hapkido Association the highest
level of technical achievement in the art.[9]
Hwang, although independent of any group himself, continues to support
the efforts of the World Hapkido Association with seminars and
participation in the group's many events which are centered chiefly in
the United States, Norway and Brazil. In addition to this he is on the
senior council of masters for the Ulchikwan, one of the founding schools
of the Korea Hapkido Federation.