About Us
WHO WE ARE: PRACTICAL SELF-DEFENSE AND MARTIAL ARTS
- Conqueror Hapkido & MMA, considered by many to offer some of the best self-defense training, has served Bellevue and the surrounding areas since 2005.
- Our martial arts students range from age 5 through adulthood.
- With our wide array of instructors, we accommodate all skill levels, from beginner to advanced, and take every measure to provide a safe, friendly training environment.
- Conqueror Hapkido & Mixed Martial Arts for Self-Defense is a family-friendly program that aims to instill and strengthen discipline, patience, perseverance, and self-confidence through fitness, self-defense, martial arts, and meditation exercises.
HAP = United or Coordinated.
KI = Mental and/or physical energy.
DO = Way of life (or “way”).
Hapkido
- Hapkido, considered by many to be one of the best forms of self-defense, can be translated as “The Way of Unified Energy” or “The Way of Coordinated Power.”
- It is a form of self-defense that employs joint locks, grappling, and throwing techniques found in other martial arts, as well as kicks, punches, and other striking attacks, making it a true mixed martial art (MMA).
Traditional weapons are also used, including knives, swords, ropes, jool bong (nunchaku), canes, short sticks, and medium-length staffs.
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
- Conqueror Hapkido & MMA distinguishes itself from other forms of Hapkido by incorporating several principles of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and wrestling, enhancing its already strong foundation in ground fighting and grappling.
- Drawing on the wide range of skills and experience among our instructors (see below), we incorporate effective techniques from many types of martial arts, including boxing.
EFFECTIVE SELF DEFENSE
- What ultimately separates Conqueror Hapkido & MMA from most other martial arts is its comprehensive set of self-defense theories and principles, which guides everything we do.
- These principles are practical and applicable in many situations, which is why Hapkido is considered by many to be one of the most effective forms of martial arts and self-defense.
Our Instructors
ALI KAMARA
Ali Kamara brings decades of martial arts training and teaching experience to Conqueror Hapkido & MMA. His teaching career began in the late 1990s while serving with the U.S. Army in Yongson, Korea, where he worked as an assistant taekwondo instructor under Master Kim. Since then, he has continued developing his martial arts skills and holds black belts in multiple disciplines. Ali is a World Hapkido Association-certified fifth-dan Hapkido instructor and a Kukkiwon-certified fifth dan in taekwondo. His extensive experience, disciplined approach, and commitment to practical self-defense help provide students with strong instruction in a focused and supportive training environment.
GERALD “JERRY” WOLFF
Gerald “Jerry” Wolff is an experienced martial artist and instructor with a 5th-degree black belt in Hapkido and extensive Taekwondo experience. His background includes Taijutsu, Judo, Aikido, Japanese Jiu-Jitsu, Jungyae Mosul, and MMA. While serving in the U.S. Army in Frankfurt, Germany, Jerry assisted Special Forces instructors training Military Police in apprehension and restraint techniques. His teaching emphasizes practical self-defense, strong fundamentals, discipline, confidence, respect, and a supportive approach to student development.
MASTER ROLAND
Master Roland is a retired federal agent with 30 years of U.S. government service. His responsibilities included firearms and use-of-force instruction, unarmed self-defense, defensive tactics, physical fitness, and regional training coordination in Europe, Southeast Asia, and along the U.S. West Coast. He has more than 25 years of experience training civilian, military, and law-enforcement personnel. He also conducted protective-service operations for high-ranking officials, including members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, National Security Council, and White House Cabinet. Master Roland holds black belts in karate, judo, Japanese jujitsu, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
MAURICE SMITH
(UFC champion)
(Private classes only)
Maurice Smith is a retired American kickboxer and mixed martial artist whose successful career established him as one of combat sports’ most accomplished heavyweight competitors. He is a former UFC Heavyweight Champion and, in kickboxing, held the WKC World Light Heavyweight Championship, the WKA World Heavyweight Championship, and the ISKA World Heavyweight Championship. His extensive experience in striking, competition, and mixed martial arts brings elite-level knowledge of technique, timing, conditioning, and practical application to his private training sessions at Conqueror Hapkido & MMA.
MICHAEL MCCLELLAND
Michael McClelland is a second-degree black belt in Hapkido under Master Ali Kamara. A dedicated member of the Conqueror Hapkido & MMA instructor team, Michael brings patience, encouragement, and a positive attitude to every class. He is especially valued for the way he connects with younger students, helping them build confidence, discipline, focus, and strong martial arts fundamentals. His commitment to his students and the Conqueror community makes him a trusted and well-loved instructor.
ANDREW ZENG
Andrew is a lifelong martial artist. He holds a black-belt equivalent in Wushu Sanda and a blue belt in Hapkido under Master Ali Kamara. He began his martial arts journey at age 6 with Shaolin Kung Fu and competed in Wushu Sanda at age 11. He later practiced wrestling in high school, MMA in college, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu while earning a degree in traditional Chinese medicine in Shanghai, China.
Today, as an assistant instructor at Conqueror, Andrew is passionate about sharing the benefits of martial arts and self-defense training with others. He is also an owner and provider at Rise Acupuncture & Wellness Clinic in Bellevue, WA.
AD
AD brings several years of experience practicing and teaching martial arts, with a strong focus on weapons training, Korean swordsmanship, and taekwondo. She currently holds a third-dan rank in Korean swordsmanship, reflecting years of dedication, discipline, and technical development. As a member of the Conqueror Hapkido & MMA instructor team, AD brings that experience into the training environment while continuing to strengthen her own skills. She is currently preparing to test for her Hapkido black belt and remains committed to growing as both a martial artist and an instructor.
HISTORY OF HAPKIDO
After the death of Choi Yong Sool, many people attempted to reconstruct the true history of Hapkido. Unfortunately, some of these accounts were used mainly as platforms for individuals to promote themselves and their own involvement in Hapkido’s history. To maintain accuracy, this summary focuses on facts that are generally undisputed. As students continue their journey through the martial way, they will encounter a variety of theories and historical accounts. These disputed claims should be treated as information rather than established fact.
Choi Yong Sool was born in Taegu, Korea, in 1904. During World War II, while Korea was under Japanese occupation, Choi was taken to Japan. There, he reportedly served Takeda Sokaku (1860–1943), the 32nd patriarch of Daito-Ryu Aikijutsu. Some accounts claim that Takeda adopted Choi; however, this claim remains disputed.
Choi remained with Takeda until Takeda’s death on April 25, 1943. After Korea was liberated, Choi returned home to Taegu, Korea. By his own account, he began raising pigs after returning home. While waiting in line for free grain at the Suh Brewery Co., Choi caught the attention of the company’s chairman, Suh Bok Sup. On February 21, 1948, Suh—who was already a judo black belt—became Choi’s first student, and the spread of Hapkido began. The art’s name evolved over time. Choi first referred to it as YaWa Ra, the Korean term used for Daito-Ryu Aikijutsu. It later became Yu Sool, then Hapki, and finally Hapkido in the late 1950s.
According to an interview with Suh Bok Sup, Kim Moo Hun later added kicking techniques to Hapkido. Kim was subsequently named sabum of the Daegu City dojang established by Choi and Suh. Suh stated that, in 1958, he and Choi added “Do” to “Hapki,” creating the name Hapkido that is still used today.
Choi Yong Sool died in August 1986. Five years earlier, in 1981, he had transferred the Hapkido system to Chang Chin Ill of New York City.
One point of disagreement is whether Ji Han Jae was the first person to use the term “Hapkido.” According to Ji’s account, he began using the term in 1959 and later shared it with Choi Yong Sool out of respect. Many also believe that Ji added numerous kicking and weapons techniques that are now part of traditional Hapkido training. Regardless of which account is correct, Hapkido’s hallmark self-defense training, known as “hoshinsool,” was introduced by Choi. Many kicking and weapons techniques taught today reflect each instructor’s background and abilities rather than one historically standardized curriculum.
Note:
This is not an exhaustive history. Students are encouraged to study Korean and Hapkido history in greater depth to develop a fuller understanding of this narrative.