Ji Han-jae, a renowned South Korean Hapkido grandmaster and founder of Sin Moo Hapkido, has passed away in his sleep at the age of 89.
In his short Hong Kong film career, he has appeared in titles such as 1972’s Hapkido, 1973’s Fist of Unicorn, 1974’s The Dragon Tamers and perhaps his most famous, 1972/1978’s Game of Death, where he had a memorable on-screen fight with Bruce Lee.
Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to his family and loved ones.
Here’s some Trailers and Clips, featuring Ji Han-jae’s work:
Sorry to hear this news. Though I never found him particularly exciting on screen, behind the scenes in the early 1970s Han Jae Ji was an influential martial arts instructor in Hong Kong, at least as far as Golden Harvest’s stable of leading actors was concerned. If I remember correctly, he taught Hapkido to Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Angela Mao, etc. which definitely contributed to their on screen fighting styles over the next few decades. Of course his star pupil Whang Ing Sik also contributed greatly to the appeal of the Hong Kong movies he appeared in (Way of the Dragon, The Young Master, Dragon Lord, etc.). R.I.P. Master Ji, you will be remembered.