Our story

The Full Story

The Beginning:

Yoon's Martial arts school was originally founded by Grand Master Byung ock Yoon. In 1947 he began his martial arts training, at the age of 7 in Seoul Korea. In 1963 Master Yoon opened his Academy called Yoon Mu Kwan Hoshindo. After serving in the Korean CIA, and CID, and operating a martial arts school in Korea, he decided to come to Canada and expand his art to the Canadian people. He passed his flourishing Korean school to two of his best students, and came to Calgary Alberta in 1975. Here, Master Yoon started the first HapKiDo academy in Canada, and the second in North America. Back then no one knew what HapKiDo was. Through many demonstrations and teaching classes, he quickly became one of the forerunners of martial arts in Calgary.

The Wild West:

Master Yoon's teachings followed the premise of his belief in encouraging Calgary's youth to focus on Martial arts virtues. Classes were strict, traditional, practical and to the point. With a major focus on instilling martial arts virtues such as manners, discipline, endurance, and focus. Yoon's Martial arts school soon gained a reputation for instilling traditional virtues to Calgary’s youth.

The Karate Kid

Ten Years had gone by, and Master Yoon had graduated 20 students to the black belt level. The tests were very difficult and old school. That was the year Karate kid was released in theaters.  The school quickly accumulated many students who wanted to be the next karate Kid. One of those students was Bobby Triantafillou. Bobby  loved martial arts from a very young age.

In 1985, the classes gained a huge reputation of the school for blood, sweat, and tears. This was Master Yoon's long term vision to wean out the non-dedicated and keep the serious students.

Enter The Black Belt:

Master Yoon graduated his first multi Dan black belt in December 1991. This was also the year Bobby received his Black belt along with seven others. Master Yoon started to delegate responsibilities to select black belts, this included teaching some classes and leading Junior belts. Finally Master Yoon built his army. With a proper hierarchy in place, students followed a perfect syllabus of techniques, taught perfectly By Grand Master Yoon. To keep the proper syllabus, Master Yoon kept strict tabs on the teachers and instructors and would forbid teaching if an instructor was not ready or was ill performing the techniques. He would than review them until there techniques were perfect.

The Beginning of a New Era

In 2000, Master Yoon graduated Bobby Triantafillou to a 4th degree Black belt, making him the first Canadian to hold this rank under the World Hoshido Federation.  Bobby began teaching full time and refining the program to Grand Master Yoon's complete approval. In 2006 Bobby received his 5th degree Black Belt and trained students to the instructor level.  The trained instructors were tested by Grand master Yoon with perfect retention of the curriculum.  Bobby is now a 7th degree black belt, with the rank of Master.

Today:

Today Yoon's Martial Arts School is headed By  Bobby Triantafillou.  Bobby continues to maintain Master Yoon's level of excellence in teaching traditional virtues along with progressing and adapting other martial arts techniques in order to compliment the schools arts.