Grandmaster Rony Dassen (Belgium)
· 9th Dan Black Belt Sin Moo Hapkido
Chung Kwanjang-Nim Rony Dassen started practicing martial arts in 1976 at the age of 17 years old. In the outset he started with the indonesian art “Pencak Silat”. But because it was the time of Bruce Lee, he went over to “Kung-Fu” pretty soon. He practiced this martial art for about 6 years.
He started his Hapkido carreer under the guidance of GM Myong, Jae-Nam. President of the International Hapkido Federation. At the 1the European championchips Hapkido in 1994 too Maastricht (The Netherlands), he won the silver medallion. Grandmaster Myong Jae-Nam himself was present at this tournament and was giving also a two days seminar. He proceeded his martial art carreer with IHF Hapkido under the guidance of Sabum-Nim Yvan de Wever, responsable for the 'International Hapkido Federation' from President Won Sang Cho in Belgium. He was awarded 3th Degree Black Belt in this organisation. At the 3the European Championchips Hapkido in 1997 too Aachen (Germany), he won with his colleague Kris Engelen the silver medallion in the “Meisterklasse” technique.
Searching to find the roots of Hapkido, he came in contact with DojuNim Ji, Han-Jae in 1996. After this meeting he changed his style and continued teaching only Sin Moo Hapkido, wich he learned as a direct student of DoJuNim Ji,Han-Jae. In Juin 1996 he started his own school called 'Hapkido Chung Do Kwan' at Rekem in Belgium. In 2000, after visiting DojuNim Ji,Han-Jae in New Jersey (USA), he formed the 'Belgian-Dutch Sin Moo Hapkido Association”, and got the responsability for the Benelux from DojuNim Ji,Han-Jae (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg).
In October 2002, he became vice-president of “World Hapkido Association.”, formed in Seoul (Korea). Founder & Chairman of this organisation is DojuNim Ji,Han-Jae and President is GM Dr. Lo Young Chul. DojuNim Ji,Han-Jae and his wife Lisa became close friends after visting Belgium several times and participating in a lot of DojuNim's seminars all over the world.
