[1][2] Born in Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea on October 27, 1936, he began his martial arts training in 1949 under Choi Yong-sool (Korean: 최용술) and reached the rank of eighth dan.

Ji trained in the ancient methods of Korean martial arts known as Sam Rang Do Tek Gi by a man named Taoist Lee.

Choi's first student Seo Bok-seop, however, said in a 1980 interview that Jung Moo Kwan was the first to use the term to refer to the art as well as the symbol of the eagle to represent hapkido.

In addition, Ji's original Sung Moo Kwan (Korean: 성무관) shared space with people who trained in other arts including Western boxing.

Leaving Daegu for his hometown of Andong, Ji opened his first school, Anmoogwan (Korean: 안무관), in 1956, still calling his art yukwonsul at this time.

[4] By 1965, Ji was hapkido instructor for the presidential guard at the Blue House and grew acquainted with Park Jong-kyoo (Korean: 박종규), chief of the country's security forces.

Unhappy with his lack of input in the Daehan Kidohoe, with political connections and an ever-growing support from his Sung Moo Kwan students, he formed his own organization, the Korea Hapkido Association (Korean: 대한 합기도 협회), with Kim Woo-joong (Korean: 김우중), president of Daewoo Corp., as the association's first head.

Ji Han-jae's political career began to rise quickly after he started teaching hapkido to the bodyguards at the presidential Blue House.

In 1984, Ji Han-jae moved to the United States and founded Sin Moo Hapkido (Korean: 신무 합기도).

Before he left Korea, his close friend Myung Jae-nam, the head of the International H.K.D Federation, awarded Ji the rank of 10th dan.