Han Mu Do
한무도A Korean system that, according to The Advocate, He-Young Kimm founded in 1989 in Baton Rouge. It combines elements of taekwondo, hapkido and judo.
Quick Facts
South KoreaCharacter & Origin
Organisation & Competition
What the style is built from
Editorial rating on a 0–3 scale, based on how much room each area gets in ordinary training.
Catalogs & Databases for Han Mu Do
About Han Mu Do
Han Mu Do is a Korean martial art that, according to the World Han Mu Do Association and the daily The Advocate of Baton Rouge, was founded in 1989 by He-Young Kimm. The Advocate states that Kimm then ran his own school in Baton Rouge, Kimm's Institute of Self Defense, opened in 1976, and that the new art combines elements of taekwondo, hapkido and judo. According to the Harvest Martial Arts school blog, the name means Korean martial arts. The association states that Kimm was born on 17 January 1940 and began martial arts in 1953. According to the association, Han Mu Do is officially registered with the Korean government as a recognised style of Korean martial arts, but we have not found independent confirmation. According to the Harvest Martial Arts school blog, Kimm has been collecting historical materials on Korean martial arts since 1962. Green cites his 1991 book Hapkido in the bibliography on hapkido. Hanmudo Association Singapore states that the techniques rest on the principle of water, the principle of the circle, movement in nine directions and the natural movement of the body. According to the World Han Mu Do Association, the curriculum combines strikes, joint locks, throws and weapons work. According to The Advocate, Kimm now lives in Atlanta and Han Mu Do also has schools in Europe and Singapore.
History
Hanmudo Association Singapore states that in 1994 Dennis Chua read an article about Han Mu Do in Taekwondo Times magazine, and in 1995 invited Kimm to Singapore for the first hapkido and Han Mu Do seminar. According to it, in 1996 the association was registered with the Singapore martial arts authority. According to the blog of the Harvest Martial Arts school, Kimm holds 10th dan in hapkido, 9th dan in judo and 8th dan in kuk sool won. The World Han Mu Do Association states that the Korea Ki Do Association awarded him the 10th dan in hapkido.
Technique
The blog of the Harvest Martial Arts school describes Han Mu Do as a balanced system, a balance between unarmed technique and weapons, external physical and internal ki training, and the left and right side. According to it, students learn kicks, strikes, blocks, sweeps, throws, joint locks, pressure point techniques, holds and chokes. Instructor Justin Martin states on his blog that the basic movement in attack and defence is the infinity movement shaped like a figure eight on its side, and that Han Mu Do stresses soft elements more than hapkido.
Training
Hanmudo Association Singapore describes a class as a warm-up, dan jun ho exercises with ki, falls and rolls, basic kicks and strikes, techniques by belt level and an explanation of the philosophy. In meditative qi training the student, according to Justin Martin, moves from lying exercises to standing ones. The World Han Mu Do Association states that, depending on the school, training can range from semi-contact to full-contact.
Ranks and progression
According to the Singapore association, the examining body of the World Han Mu Do Association is Han Do Won. It does not automatically recognise other arts' black belts, and the usual wait is two years between 1st and 2nd dan, three between 2nd and 3rd. School head and instructor must hold at least 1st dan and Han Do Won's instructor certificate. The detailed curriculum is on the association's website for registered users only.
Competition
In March 2026 the daily The Advocate wrote about the He-Yong Kimm Cup, the largest annual Han Mu Do tournament, named after the founder, whose main competition is sparring. According to it, one of the instructors competed already at the very first Han Mu Do tournament in the nineties.
Today
According to its website, the World Han Mu Do Association is based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. According to The Advocate, Kimm holds the title dojunim, founder, and is semi-retired. His books, among them Han Mu Do, Hapkido Bible, History of Korea and Hapkido and Taekwondo History, are offered by the website heyoungkimm.com.
Did you know
Korean Wikipedia lists under the name 한무도 a different system linked to a clan from Hapcheon in Gyeongsangnam-do province, which is unrelated to Kimm's Han Mu Do. The World Han Mu Do Association states optimism, balance and harmony as the principles of Han Mu Do.
Frequently asked questions
Who founded Han Mu Do?
He-Young Kimm, in 1989 in Baton Rouge, according to the World Han Mu Do Association and the daily The Advocate.
What does Han Mu Do draw on?
According to The Advocate it combines elements of taekwondo, hapkido and judo, and according to an instructor's blog it puts more emphasis on soft elements than hapkido.
Does Han Mu Do have competitions?
Yes. According to The Advocate, the largest tournament is the annual He-Yong Kimm Cup, where the main competition is sparring.
Similar styles
Selected by overlap in the style profile, not by historical lineage.