Callum Forbes has extensive experience in both Eastern and Western combat. He started his Hapkido training  in April 1982 after hearing about Hapkido while serving in the NZ Army (Territorials).

Callum is also a keen horseman and also studies both European and Korean mounted combat techniques as well as traditional European weapons –  in particular swords. He is the main organiser of the popular Harcourt Park jousting competitions held in Upper Hutt.  He also teaches at the Upper Hutt branch of the New Zealand School for European Martial Arts.

He has taught Hapkido since the 1990s and runs a dedicated martial arts centre for Hapkido. Callum received his 6th Dan in Hapkido in July 2006 from Grand Master Lee who also formally transferred the leadership of the New Zealand Hapkido Federation to him at the same time. He also received a 6th Dan Black Belt from Grand Master In Sun Seo of the World Kido Federation/Hanminjok Hapkido Association in 2013.

For his services to both Hapkido and to the wider New Zealand Martial Arts community, Callum was inducted into the New Zealand Martial Arts Hall of Fame  in 2013. In October 2015 Callum became the first New Zealander to be invited to lead a team demonstration as part of the official opening of the Hapkido World Championships in South Korea.