Won Kwang-Wha, was one of the earliest students of Korea

Korea

Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...

n hapkido

Hapkido

Hapkido is a dynamic and also eclectic Korean martial art. It is a form of self-defense that employs joint locks, techniques of other martial arts, as well as kicks, punches, and other striking attacks...

 under the founder of the art Choi Yong Sul

Choi Yong Sul

Choi Yong-sool , alternative spelling Choi Yong-sul, was the founder of the martial art hapkido. 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...

and Suh Bok Sub. He was a pioneer of the art opening one of the first schools for the art in Seoul, the Moo Sool Kwan.

Accomplishments

Won Kwang-Wha also served as a personal secretary and body guard to Suh Bok-Sub's father, congressman Suh Dong-jin. Having first learned hapkido from Suh he later studied directly from Choi Yong-Sul. In 1962, when Kim Moo Hong opened up his Shin Moo-Hong dojang in Seoul he became one the instructors there. Shortly thereafter Won opened his own school the Moo Sool Kwan.

Being an older practitioner when he started his training, and having pragmatic reasons for studying the art, Won's Moo Sool Kwon emphasized what he believed constituted practical self defense techniques. Moo Sool Kwan emphasizes powerful and direct techniques and a greater emphasis on strength in responses rather than ki power. There is also a preference towards whole body throws than wrist centered joint locking throws.

Some of his notable students were Park Lee-Hyun, Kimm He-Young, Won Hyung-Dae

Won Hyung-Dae, his son, took over the management of the kwan upon his father's passing.