It all started quite normally for Josef Schoop. After leaving school he embarked on an apprenticeship, then became a programmer for milling machines and lathes. His hobby at the time was football, and he was an active member of the club team in his home town of Asbach.

At some point during this period Josef came into contact with the martial arts and started learning Hapkido in 1980. This art of self-defence contains both soft and hard techniques, most of which originate from Japanese Aiki-Jutsu. At this time Josef was also active in other martial arts such as Hosindo and Kick-Boxing.

In 1991 he formed his own martial arts school in Asbach. Over time up to 130 martial arts enthusiasts of all ages would attend the various courses held there.

Josef has been practicing Hapkido and Hosindo regularly since this time, and in 2001 he took the examinations for the 7th Dan in Hapkido and the 6th Dan in Hosindo. During the long period leading up to this grade he developed a friendly relationship with his teachers Professor Soo Ung Choi (10th Dan Hapkido, 10th Dan Hosindo) and Professor Dr. Ki Chul Ham, the Dean of the Academy of Social Athletics (Hanseo University). These two not only instructed Josef in martial arts techniques, but also in the philosophies that influence these arts. They taught him the code of honour of these old tradition, virtues such as courage, loyalty, honour, benevolence and honesty. On a daily basis Josef tries to integrate these values into his life and pass them on to his students.
At some time Josef went to see a WingTsun demonstration together with a training colleague, subsequently taking part in a trial lesson at this school. He instinctively recognised the great effectiveness of WingTsun and began to learn it in 1988. Although his training partner lost interest after a short while, Josef remained loyal to the WT system and continued his regular training in both Hapkido and WingTsun. With his Sihing Heiko Martin he attended seminars held by Grandmaster Keith Kernspecht and was fascinated by the logical concept of WT. After passing the examination as a WingTsun instructor Josef opened his first WT class under the aegis of his Sihing.
This was followed by further WT groups in various other towns in the region. During this time Josef regularly attended further training classes at Langenzell Castle, soon achieving the 1st Technician grade. In 2000, on passing his 2nd Technician grade, he was awarded the title of Sifu.

As time went on, the martial arts schools he had run more or less as a hobby gave way to a professionally operated training centre for different martial arts. In 1995 Josef began to learn Kum-Do, a sword-fighting art from Korea in which conscious thinking is suppressed so that movements are carried out by instinct.

Meanwhile the Security Academy was founded at Langenzell Castle, offering training courses in the personal protection sector. Josef attended the first personal protection seminar there in December 1994. This provided him comprehensive know-how, and alongside his martial arts schools he took the leap to full independence in 1995 by forming his own security company. At first Josef concentrated on site security assignments in industrial areas, also working as a doorman at social events or in discotheques.

After just a short time, further training courses at the Security Academy in Langenzell Castle, as well as his growing practical experience, paid off handsomely for Josef. Today Josef employs ten permanent staff in his company and takes on not only site security and personal protection assignments, but also armed guard duties and investigations. His security company is also in great demand for major pop concerts.
Travelling to various countries has also familiarised Josef with local training methods for security companies and police forces, and on the basis of these contacts he has e.g. trained the elite unit of the police department of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, in WingTsun.

In order to meet the requirements of his Korean martial arts, Josef flies to Korea several times each year to absolve his Hapkido examinations before a grading committee. Here he receives further training from masters in their field, and particularly Professor Dr. Ki Chul Ham of Hanseo University plays a major part in his further development.

This year Josef was awarded the 8th Dan in Hapkido by Dr. Ki Chul Ham (10th Dan), the Dean of the Academy of Social Athletics at Hanseo University in Susan, Korea, and the martial arts teacher Soo Ung Choi in Frankfurt (10th Dan Hapkido and Hosindo). On obtaining this grade he was also appointed as their European representative by his masters.

In addition the Korean association appointed Josef as the Hapkido instructor-in-chief for Germany, and in 2001 he became a visiting professor for security at Hanseo University. Since then Josef has given regular tutorials on scientific and security topics there.

Josef Schoop is a martial artist with heart and soul. With enormous discipline and tenacity he has been able to achieve advanced and very high grades in different martial arts systems. The most important aspect is still the character-forming aspect of the martial arts, however. "Loyalty, honour, courage, benevolence and honesty are important virtues that are increasingly disregarded in today's society", Josef says. In his view a martial artist should especially do battle with this loss of principles – and he should always start with himself.

Text: Uwe Klersy