The Master Rafael Balbastre

Master Rafael Balbastre started to practice Martial Arts in 1975 with Master IL Hong Kim. For decades he practiced various Martial Arts and Contact Sports, finally leaning towards the Korean style.

Among his Masters are:

  • Master Ji Han Jae (Hapkido)
  • Master Jürg Ziegler (Hapkido y Philippine Knife)
  • Master IL Hong Kim (Taekwondo)
  • Master Roberto Lafuente (Taekwondo and Kick-Boxing)
  • Master Felix Serrano (Kumdo).

In 1981 he joined the Army to fulfil his military service, being assigned to the Military Police 112th Company of Tenerife, obtaining the rank of corporal and performing a various tasks such as: Custody and control of military convoys, patrols to control military personnel, protection and security of the Military Government of Tenerife, also corporal/head of the protection squad (Bodyguards) of the commander in chief of the day, etc.

Around 1983 he worked as a private policeman (VJ) for the company T.P.S., carrying out surveillance, security and access control in dance clubs, patrols in industrial areas, guarding and surveillance in private companies etc.

In 1985 he opened his own martial arts club and started practicing more specialized self-defense arts such as Tai-Jitsu, Ju-Jitsu and finally Hapkido.

For several years he trained with various spanish Hapkido masters, not being satisfied with the technical level reached, in 1994 he joined the organization of the original founder of Hapkido GM Ji Han Jae (Doju-nim), travelling during 1994, 1995 and 1996 to Switzerland to be trained by GM Jürg Ziegler (Representative Master for Europe).

From 1998 he is personally trained by the Doju-nim Ji Han Jae (Founder of Hapkido) both in public international seminars and in private classes, travelling to Ireland, Belgium, Finland, Switzerland, Germany and bringing the Doju-nim to Spain in 1999, 2003 and 2006.

Doju-nim Ji Han Jae y Rafael Balbastre

Between 1994 and 2000 Master Balbastre introduced Sin Moo Hapkido in Spain, Portugal, Mexico and Colombia. Ten years later in 2010, Doju-nim Ji Han Jae decided to grant him the highest rank, the 9th Dan of Hapkido, becoming Chung Kwan Chang-nim 정관창님, Senior Master under Doju-nim Ji Han Jae.

In the year 2022 Master Rafael Balbastre and Doju-nim Ji Han Jae meet again, this time in Germany, sharing a Seminar of Sin Moo Hapkido, Master R. Balbastre asks him for his personal approval to create a School/Organization of international character to be able to spread, promote and preserve his technical legacy independently of any other organization. Balbastre asks him for his personal approval to create a School/Organization of international character in order to spread, promote and preserve his technical legacy independently of any other organization.

Doju-nim Ji Han Jae accepts and issues him a certificate in recognition of the School (Kwan) called SIN MOO KWAN and that will exercise as World Hapkido Sin Moo Kwan Association 세계합기도신무관협회.