Choi Yong Sool (최용술)
Birth & Death: November 9, 1904 – June 15, 1986
Other Names: Choi Yong-Sul, Yoshida Asao, Yoshida Tatujutsu
Instructor: Takeda Sōkaku (Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu)
Choi lost his mother (2 years old) and his father at a very young age. He was kidnapped and taken to Japan. It is a controversial story of how Choi learned martial arts from Takeda, but it is believed by hapkidoist that Choi lived with Takeda in the mountains for 30 years; training and learning Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu.
In 1951, with the help of his first student, Seo, they opened up the Daehan Hapki Yo Kwon Sool Dojang (대한 합기 유권술 도장), the first school. In 1958, Choi opened up his own school under the name of Hapkido. Both of these schools were located in Daegu, South Korea.