From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article needs additional citations for . Please help
by . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2012) ()
This article contains
text. Without proper , you may see
instead of
Hapkido (:
, also spelled hap ki do or hapki-do; from
hapgido Korean pronunciation: ) is a highly
. It is a form of
that employs , , and
techniques similar to those of other martial arts, as well as , , and other striking attacks. It also teaches the use of traditional weapons, including , , , ssang juhl bong (),
(ji pang ee), short stick (dan bong), and middle-length
(joong , , and
(Japanese)), which vary in emphasis depending on the particular tradition examined.
Hapkido employs both long-range and close-range fighting techniques, utilizing jumping kicks and percussive hand strikes at longer ranges, and
strikes, joint locks, and
at closer fighting distances. Hapkido emphasizes circular motion, redirection of force, and control of the opponent. Practitioners seek to gain advantage over their opponents through footwork and body positioning to incorporate the use of leverage, avoiding the use of brute strength against brute strength.
The art was adapted from
as it was taught by
(???) when he returned to
after having
for 30 years. This system was later combined by Choi?s disciples with kicking and striking techniques of indigenous and contemporary arts such as , as well as various
techniques and
from Japanese .
Hapkido is rendered "???" in the native Korean writing system known as , the script used most widely in modern Korea. The art's name can also however be written "" utilizing the same
which would have been used to refer to the
in the pre-1946 period. The current preference in Japan is for the use of a
simplif substituting
for the earlier, more complex character . The character 合 hap means "coordinated" or "joining"; 氣
describes internal energy, spirit, strength, and 道 do means "way" or "art", yielding a literal translation of "joining-energy-way". It is most often translated as "the way of coordinating energy", "the way of coordinated power" or "the way of harmony".
Although Japanese
and Korean hapkido share common technical origins, in time they have become separate and distinct from one another. They differ significantly in philosophy, range of responses and manner of executing techniques. The fact that they share the same Japanese technical ancestry represented by their respective founders practice of , and that they share the same Chinese characters, despite 合 being pronounced "ai" in Japanese and "hap" in Korean, has proved problematic in promoting Hapkido internationally as a discipline with its own set of unique characteristics differing from those common to Japanese martial arts.[]
The birth of modern hapkido can be traced to the efforts of a group of Korean nationals in the post Japanese colonial period of Korea,
(???) () and his mos Chinil Chang, his personally chosen successor, Seo Bok-Seob, the firs
(born 1936), one of the earliest
, , a connector between the art of hapkido and aikido,
the historian and ambassador, all of whom were direct students of Choi or of his immediate students.
Master Choi Yong-Sool (circa 1954)
Choi Yong-Sool (???)'s training in martial arts is a subject of contention. It is known that Choi was sent to
as a young boy and returned to
with techniques characteristic of , a forerunner of aikido.
The subsequent history is quite controversial in Daitō-ryū circles but is claimed by many contemporary hapkido-ists and is attributed to Choi in an interview that took place during a trip Choi made to the
in 1980 to visit his direct lineage successor Chin il Chang in New York City. In the interview with Chin Il Chang, Choi is claimed to have been adopted by
when he was 11 years old and was given the
name, Yoshida Asao. He claims to have been taken to Takeda's home and
on Shin Shu mountain where he lived and trained with the master for 30 years. The interview also asserts that he travelled with him as a teaching assistant, that he was employed to catch war deserters and that he was the only student to have a complete understanding of the system taught by Takeda.
This is contradicted by other claims asserting that Choi was simply a worker in the home of Takeda. The meticulous enrollment and fee records of Tokimune Takeda, Takeda's eldest son and Daitō-ryū's successor, do not seem to include Choi's name among them. Therefore, except for claims made by Choi himself, there is little evidence that Choi was the adopted son of Takeda, or that he ever formally studied Daitō-ryū under the founder of the art.
Retouched photograph of the master of Daito Ryu Aiki-jujutsu
(circa 1888)
, then of Aiki News and now editor of , asked
about Choi Yong-Sool and hapkido:
On another subject, it is true that a Korean named "Choi" who founded hapkido studied aikido or Daito-ryu?
I don't know what art it was but I understand that there was a young Korean of about 17 or 18 who participated in a seminar of Sokaku Takeda Sensei held in
in . It seems that he studied the art together with
and would refer to him as his "senior".
If that's the case the art must have been Daito-ryu.
I've heard that this man who studied Daito-ryu had some contact with my father after that. Then he returned to Korea and began teaching Daito-ryu on a modest scale. The art gradually became popular and many Koreans trained with him. Since aikido became popular in Japan he called his art hapkido [written in Korean with the same characters as aikido]. Then the art split into many schools before anyone realized it. This is what my father told me. I once received a letter from this teacher after my father's death.
Some argue that Choi Yong-Sool's potential omission from the records, and the ensuing debate over hapkido's origins, may be due to , partly as a result of the . At the height of dispute, it is claimed by hapkido practitioners that Koreans were excluded from listing, though this is contradicted by Takeda's records which contain other Korean names. While some commentators claim hapkido has a Japanese lineage, others state that its origins lay with indigenous Korean martial arts.
Choi Yong-Sool's first student, and the man whom some claim helped him develop the art of hapkido was Seo Bok-Seob, a Korean
black belt when they met. Some of Choi's other respected senior students are: Chinil Chang, Ji Han-Jae, Chung Kee Tae, Kim Moo-Hong, and arguably
(: ???) and Lee Joo-Bang (: ???) who went on to form the arts of
and modern
respectively (though some argue that their training stems from time spent training under Kim Moo-Hong).
A direct student of Choi, Chin Il Chang(???) inherited the title of Doju in Choi's personal and complete system of Hapkido on January 15, 1985, becoming the second direct lineage Grandmaster.
On April 5, 1985 Choi personally awarded Chang the only existing 10th Dan certificate in Hapkido history. Chang also had the privilege and honor of being the first Hapkido master awarded the 9th Dan certificate by Choi in 1980.
A large inauguration ceremony followed on April 11, 1985. The historic event was covered and documented by Korea Sports News and MBC Korean Television. Choi Young-sool, Chang, and Choi's son, the late Choi Bok-Yeol, were in attendance. Chang is the only Hapkido master ever awarded the 10th Dan and Doju title directly from Choi. Choi left the full documentation and recordings of the system to Chang, who continued to research and document the full history and development of Hapkido.
Furthermore, the future Grandmaster, who was a personally trained, closed-door disciple of Choi, was given Letter of Appointment certificates, the second dated December 1, 1977 and the third dated March 5, 1980. This gave Chang more progressive power and authority in Choi's Hapkido Association. These specific certificates, along with his 9th Dan ranking in 1980, and 10th Dan ranking in 1985, amply demonstrate that Choi was grooming Chang to be the future Grandmaster of Hapkido.
Chang's intimate video interview(one of several over decades) with his teacher Doju Choi during his visit to New York City has been abused through numerous interpretations and translations. Some have even claimed erroneously to have conducted the interview themselves, further clouding and distorting the truth and gravity inherent in the interview. These endless distortions were generally rebutted in various media each time they appeared.
Doju Chang continues to teach in New York City after decades of maintaining a commercial school, as well as a stint teaching Hapkido at the United Nations. He currently teaches a small group in NYC dedicated to the preservation of Hapkido. Many detractors have spread endless conjecture about him. One lineage created further controversy by stating Choi passed the system to his only son, Choi Bok-Yeol, which is incorrect, misleading, and insulting to the legacy and wishes of Choi. Black Belt Magazine, respecting Chin Il Chang as the second lineage successor, asked him to write a brief obituary on Choi that appeared in the April 1987 issue.
Choi's first student and the first person known to have opened up a dojang under Choi was Seo Bok-Seob (???, also spelled Suh Bok-Sup).
In 1948, when Seo Bok-sub was still in his early 20s, he had already earned his black belt in
and was a graduate of Korea University. After watching Choi Yong-Sool successfully defend himself against a group of men when an argument erupted in the yard of the Seo Brewery Company, Seo who was son of the chairman of the company, invited Choi to begin teaching martial arts to him and some workers at the distillery where he had prepared a dojang.
In 1951, Seo opened up the first proper dojang called the "Daehan Hapki Yukwonsool Dojang (?????????)". Seo also incorporated many of judo?s throws and ground work techniques to the teachings of master Choi. The first symbol for Hapkido was designed by Seo, which was used to denote the art was the inverted arrowhead design featured in both the modern incarnation of the KiDo Association and by Myung Kwang-Sik's World Hapkido Federation. Choi Yong-Sool was also employed during this time as a bodyguard to Seo's father who was a congressman. Seo and Choi agreed to shorten the name of the art from 'hapki yu kwon sool' to 'hapkido' in 1959.
Grand Master Ji Han Jae (left) and Hapkido founder Choi Yong Sul (right).
Ji Han-Jae (???) was undoubtedly the prime mover in the art of Korean hapkido. It is due to his physical skills, technical contributions, promotional efforts and political connections as head hapkido instructor to the presidential body guard under Korean President
that hapkido became popularized, first within Korea and then internationally.
If the martial art education of Choi Yong-Sool is unconfirmed, the same must be said for martial art history of Ji Han-Jae's training, apart from his time as a student of Choi. Ji was an early student (Dan #14) of Choi. He details that prior to opening his martial art school in , the Sung Moo Kwan (???), he also supposedlly studied from a man known as 'Taoist Lee' and an old woman he knew as 'Grandma'.
As a teacher of hapkido, Ji incorporated traditional Korean kicking techniques (from Taoist Lee and the art Sam Rang Do Tek Gi) and
techniques into the system and gave the resulting synthesis the name hapkido in 1957. Hapkido is the Korean pronunciation of (Japanese) aikido and is sometimes erroneously referred to as its Korean cousin.
Although a founding member of the Korea Kido Association(?????) in 1963 with Choi Yong-Sool as titular Chairman and Kim Jeong-Yoon as Secretary General and Head Instructor for the association Ji found himself not able to exert as much control over the organization as he might have wished. To this end and with the support of the Head of the Security Forces, Park Jong-Kyu, Ji founded the very successful
(?? ??? ??) in 1965.
Later when this organization combined with the organizations founded by Myung Jae-Nam (Korea Hapki Association/?? ???) and Kim Moo-Hong (Korean Hapkido Association/?? ??? ??) in 1973 they became the very extensive and influential organization known as the Republic of Korea Hapkido Association (???? ??? ??).
In 1984, after being released from prison for fraud, Ji moved first to
and then to the
and founded
(?? ???), which incorporates philosophical tenets, a specific series of techniques (including kicks) and healing techniques into the art. Three of Ji Han-Jae's notable students in Korea were
(???) and Chang Young Shil (???) who is the current president of the International Hapkido Federation. Ji can be seen in the films
in which he takes part in a long fight scene against .
After the death of Choi Yong-Sool in 1986, Ji came forward with the assertion that it was he who founded the Korean art of hapkido, asserting that Choi Yong-Sool taught only
based skills and that it was he who added much of the kicking and weapon techniques we now associate with modern hapkido. The reality being that Grandmaster Choi Yong-Sool taught him little of the original art and higher level techniques so he fabricated a new system on his own terms. He also asserts that it was he that first used the term 'hapkido' to refer to the art. While both claims are contested by some of the other senior teachers of the art, what is not contested is the undeniably huge contributions made by Ji to the art, its systematization and its promotion worldwide.
(alternately rendered as Bong Soo Han)
This section of a
needs additional
for . Please help by adding . Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially
or harmful. (December 2014) ()
(???) began his training in Hapkido after seeing a demonstration put on by the founder, Yong Sul Choi. From then on, he committed himself to Hapkido training under Choi and other teachers, but never received any direct high ranking from Choi himself. Han was one of the world's foremost practitioners of Hapkido, and is referred to as the Father of his own offshoot of modern Hapkido in the Western World. He led a dedicated effort in the development of his own version of Hapkido. He taught thousands of loyal students throughout his life with many becoming masters themselves. Other masters across all styles have sought out his wisdom and teachings.
In 1967, Han emigrated to the United States of America, first staying with and teaching at his friend S. O. Choi's hapkido school in California. Han later opened his own school in Los Angeles in 1968. His early years were difficult and he worked in a factory during the day while he taught at a struggling hapkido school in the evening located in an economically depressed area. Later, he relocated his school to the Pacific Palisades area in an effort to be closer to Hollywood and the movie industry.
On July 4, 1969, Han Bong Soo was giving a demonstration of Hapkido at a park in . In the audience was . After a spectacular demonstration, Laughlin approached Han about being involved in a movie project called . Han gained critical acclaim for staging and performing some of the most realistic martial arts fight sequences in a film. Before Billy Jack, movies contained at most brief references to martial arts, with fights portrayed by actors who had little training. With Billy Jack, Han introduced authentic hapkido techniques to Western audiences. In its sequel, , he received a co-starring part where he spoke about and demonstrated the art, mentioning the art by name for the first time.
Han studied and refined this Korean martial art for more than 60 years. He was not a direct high level student of Grandmaster Yong Sul Choi but created and crafted his own limited version from various other teachers that he expanded and taught throughout the world.
(alternately rendered as Kim Moo-Woong or Kim Mu-Hyun)
A student from the Choi and Seo's Daehan Hapki Yukwonsool Dojang, was Kim Moo-Hong (???), who later taught at Seo's main dojang in . Seo, who promoted Kim to 4th degree, credits Kim with the development of many kicks which are still used in hapkido today. Kim apparentally took the concepts from very basic kicks he had learned from Choi and went to a temple to work on developing them to a much greater degree. Later, in 1961, Kim travelled to Seoul and while staying at Ji Han-Jae's Sung Moo Kwan dojang they finalized the kicking curriculum.
Kim went on to found his Shin Moo Kwan dojang (???) in the
section of Seoul, also in 1961.
(???) and Kim Jung-Soo(???) also served as instructors at this dojang. Kim's notable students were Lee Han-Cheol (???), Kim Woo-Tak (???; who founded the Kuk Sool Kwan Hapkido dojang), Huh Il-Woong (???), Lee Joo-Bang (???; who founded modern ), Na Han-Dong (???), Shin Dong-Ki (???) and Seo In-Hyuk (???; who founded ).
Originally a member of the Korea Kido Association, the organization sent Kim to teach hapkido in the United States in 1969. Upon returning to Korea in 1970, Kim looked to Ji Han-Jae's move to set up his own organization and with the encouragement of his students followed suit and founded the Korean Hapkido Association in 1971. Later he combined this organization with the groups led by Ji Han-Jae and Myung Jae-Nam to form the Republic of Korea Hapkido Association.
Kim Jung-Soo (???) was born and raised in the
area, Korea, and started training Hapkido directly under Choi Yong-Sool (???) in 1957. He was one of the earlier students of Hapkido, and one source puts him as the eight original student of Choi Yong-Sool. Kim Jung-Soo trained sporadically under Choi Yong-Sool (???) along with his primary teachers and influencers Kim Moo-Hong (???) and Won Kwang-Wha (???) from 1957 until 1986.
In 1961, Kim Moo-Hong (???) moved to Seoul to open a dojang, and Kim Jung-Soo (???) and Won Kwang-Wha (???) went with him and became his dojang's primary instructors. Together, they developed the Shin Moo Kwan(???) branch of Hapkido. In 1963 Kim Jung-Soo (???) decided to go his own way and opened his own dojang in
under the banner of Yun Bee Kwan (???). Later, his students began opening branch schools throughout the greater
aerea, under various names, but still considered to be part of the Yun Bee Kwan (???) family. These schools are known to hold tightly to the original teachings of Choi, Yong Sool (???), while also including most of the refinements done by Kim Moo-Hong (???) in terms of kicking methods.
Kim Jung-Soo (???) is mostly known for being the founder and president of the Korea-based World Hapkido General Federation, also known as World Hapkido Federation, collecting most of the schools under the Yun Bee Kwan(???) linage in one federation. This organization has since expanded worldwide. While having a similar name, this organization is not to be confused with the U.S. based World Hapkido Federation founded by Kwang Sik Myung (???).
Kim Jung-Soo is currently teaching from his dojang in , South Korea.
In 1972, Myung Jae-Nam (???) was one of the original members of the Korea Hapkido Association(?? ??? ??), which was formed in 1965 at the request of the South Korean President Park Jeong-Hee. The Korea Hapkido Association was formed with the assistance of Park Jong Kyu, who was the head of the Presidential Protective Forces and one of the most powerful men in Korea at the time.
Myung Jae Nam exchanged martial art techniques and information with an Aikido practitioner named Hirata in 1965, for a period of about four years and included many aikido-like techniques into his version of hapkido. He has produced Several books and videos on the subject of hapkido self-defense. Later Myung Jae-Nam broke away from all the other organizations and started to focus on promoting a new style, . Until his death in 1999 he was the leader of the International Hapkido Federation.
Chong Min Lee was born and raised in Seoul, Korea. He began his study of Hapkido as a teenager and continued studying Hapkido throughout his life though not a direct student of the late Grandmaster Yong Sool Choi. He is a self-promoted 9th Degree Black Belt, the Master Instructor of Hapkido Center, President of The World Hapkido Association.
Lee served as an Instructor with the 1st Special Forces Group in the Korean Army, and has taught martial arts to the Police Departments in Seoul as well as Plainfield, New Jersey. He has also served as the director of Hapkido demonstrations for such dignitaries as Hubert H. Humphrey and the Chancellor of the Republic of China, Mr. Chang, during their visits to Seoul, Korea. Lee came to the United States in June 1980. He currently operates a Hapkido Center in Warren, New Jersey and is also a member of the Law Enforcement Officers Association New Jersey State. He has been instructing students for over 42 years in Hapkido.
Park Song Il was born in Korea in 1945. During his early school years, he studied Judo and Tae kwon do, but due to the limited and repetitive curriculum of these arts, he began studying HAPKIDO in 1958 at the Sung Moo Kwan under HAPKIDO founder Grandmaster Ji Han Jae. In 1976, Grandmaster Park relocated to the Republic of Panama, establishing his own style called Song Moo HAPKIDO or HAPKIDO Song Moo Kwan. He is currently still teaching in Panama.
Kim Myong Yunj was born in Korea in 1942. He started at the age of 17 training at Seung Moo Kwan School under Grandmaster Ji Han Jae. He was a Hapkido instructor in the military camp of Wang Shim Ri. His style of Hapkido Jin Jung Kwan has locations all over the world and is one of the largest Hapkido styles practiced. He is currently still teaching in Houston.
Kim Yun-Sik (???)was born in Seoul,
in 1943. He is the founder of Bum Moo Kwan Hapkido. He began his
training in 1954 under the direction of , and received the black belt from Choi in 1957. In the same year he received the black belt in
from Grandmaster .
Kim is the founder of the Bum Moo Kwan style, in which the practitioner is instructed to finish the encounter quickly, using any available material as weapon or any part of his body, aiming the opponent's pressure or vital points. Bum Moo is one of the three original and government regulated Hapkido Kwans.[]
Residing, teaching and training in Brazil since 1977, Kim was the master of several Hapkido World Champions, such as Leandro Heck Gemeo, Norberto Serrano Jr. and Rafael Tercarolli[]
On the "" scale of martial arts, hapkido stands somewhere in the middle, employing "soft" techniques similar to
as well as "hard" techniques reminiscent of
and . Even the "hard" techniques, though, emphasize circular rather than linear movements. Hapkido is an , , and different hapkido schools emphasize different techniques. However, some core techniques are found in each school (), and all techniques should follow the three principles of hapkido:
Nonresistance or harmony (: ?; : 和; : hwa)
Circle principle (: ?; : 圓; : won)
The Water/Flexible principle (: ?; : 流; : yu)
Hwa, or non-resistance, is simply the act of remaining relaxed and not directly opposing an opponent's strength. For example, if an opponent were to push against a hapkido student's chest, rather than resist and push back, the hapkido student would avoid a direct confrontation by moving in the same direction as the push and utilizing the opponent's forward momentum to throw him.
Won, the circular principle, is a way to gain momentum for executing the techniques in a natural and free-flowing manner. If an opponent attacks in linear motion, as in a
thrust, the hapkido student would redirect the opponent's force by leading the attack in a circular pattern, thereby adding the attacker's power to his own. Once he has redirected the power, the hapkido student can execute any of a variety of techniques to incapacitate his attacker. The hapkido practitioner learns to view an attacker as an "energy entity" rather than as a physical entity. The bigger the person is, the more energy a person has, the better it is for the hapkido student.
Yu, the water principle, is analogous to the term
used in the names of Japanese arts such as
and , and can be thought of as the soft, adaptable strength of water.
Hapkido is "soft" in that it does not rely on physical force alone, much like water is soft to touch. It is adaptable in that a hapkido master will attempt to deflect an opponent's strike, in a way that is similar to free-flowing water being divided around a stone only to return and envelop it.
Hapkido seeks to be a fully comprehensive fighting style and as such tries to avoid narrow specialization in any particular type of technique or range of fighting. It maintains a wide range of tactics for , standing ,
(both pure and joint manipulating throws) and pinning techniques. Some styles also incorporate tactics for
although these tactics generally tend to be focused upon escaping and regaining footing or controlling, striking, and finishing a downed opponent, rather than lengthy
engagements.
The Korean term for technique is sool (: ?; : 術; : sul). As terminology varies between schools, some refer to defensive maneuvers as soolgi (??; loosely translated as "technique-ing"), while hoshinsool (: ???; : 護身術; : hosinsul; meaning "self-defense") is preferred by others.
Proper hapkido tactics include using footwork and a series of kicks and hand strikes to bridge the distance with an opponent. Then to immediately control the balance of the opponent (typically by manipulating the head and neck), for a take down or to isolate a wrist or arm and apply a joint twisting throw, dependin Hapkido is a comprehensive system and once the opponent's balance has been taken, there are a myriad of techniques to disable and subdue the opponent.
Hapkido makes
known in Korean as hyeol (: ?; : 穴) which are also used in traditional Asian medical practices such as . These
are either struck to produce unconsciousness or manipulated to create pain allowing one to more easily upset the balance of one's opponent prior to a throw or joint manipulation.
Hapkido emphasizes self-defense over sport fighting and as such employs the use of weapons, including environmental weapons of opportunity, in addition to empty hand techniques. Some schools also teach
(: ?; : 形), the Korean equivalent of what is commonly known as "" (or "forms") in Japanese martial arts.
A bidirectional kick.
The wide variety of
in hapkido make it distinctly Korean. Taekwondo kicks appear to be similar to many of the kicks found in hapkido, though again circular motion is emphasized. Also, in contrast to most modern taekwondo styles, hapkido utilises a wide variety of low (below the waist), hooking or sweeping kicks, with one of the most distinctive being the low spinning (sweeping) heel kick.
Hapkido's method of delivery tends toward greater weight commitment to the strikes and less concern for quick retraction of the kicking leg. Traditionally, Choi Yong-Sool's yu kwon sool (: ???; : 柔拳術; : yugwonsul) kicking techniques were only to the lower body, but most derived varieties of hapkido, probably as a direct influence from other Korean arts, also include high kicks and jumping kicks. At the more advanced levels of Hapkido the practitioner learns "blade kicks" which utilize sweeping blade strikes of the inner and outer foot against pressure points of the body.
Two of the earliest innovators in this regard were
and , both of whom were exposed to what were thought to be indigenous Korean kicking arts. They combined these forms together with the yu sool concepts for striking taught to them by Choi and during a period of 8 months training together in 1961 finalized the kicking curriculum which would be used by the Korea Hapkido Association for many years to come.
Other influences also were exerted on the kicking techniques of important hapkido teachers.
(???) initially studied under Ji Han-Jae before immigrating to southern California in the United States.
studied under
(: ??; : 拳法) and
(???), whose students were influential in the later forming of
styles, specifically the
and . He, like Kim Moo-Hong, also trained briefly in the Korean art of
under Lee Bok-Yong (???).
Many other teachers like
(???), Jeong Kee-Tae (???), Lim Hyun-Soo (???), and many others trained in tang soo do and kong soo do,
and Shūdōkan karate based systems which predated and influenced the forming of first
and later modern taekwondo styles.
Kim Sang-Cook states that while many of the original yu kwon sool students were exposed to many different contemporary Korean arts the
was of particular importance in the transition from the original jujutsu based form to what we know today as modern hapkido.
Most forms of hapkido include a series of double kicks used to promote balance, coordination and muscular control.
An example of a double kick set
Front Kick — Side Kick
Front Kick - Back Kick ("Turning back-Side Kick")
Front Kick - Roundhouse Kick
Front Heel/Hook Kick — Roundhouse Kick
Inverted Low Side Kick - High Side Kick
Inside Crescent Kick — Outside Crescent Kick (or Heeldown/Axe Kick for both)
Inside Crescent Kick - Side Kick (or Inside Heeldown Kick and Side Kick)
Outside Heel-down Kick — Roundhouse Kick
Ankle Scoop Kick — Side Kick
Cover Kick - Front Kick
Inside Heel Hooking-the-Thigh Kick—Front Kick
High Spinning Heel Kick — Low Spinning Heel Kick
Inside Footblade Kick – Outside Footblade Kick
Outside Heeldown Kick - Roundhouse
After these kicks are mastered using one foot kick the student moves on to jumping versions using alternate kicking legs.
Kim Chong Sung (???, Jang Mu Won Hapkido Founder), was one of the oldest living active hapkido instructors, maintains that the source of these kicking methods is from the indigenous Korean kicking art of taekkyeon. Others feel that these kicks are more representative of kong soo do and tang soo do styles which emerged from an adaptation of Japanese karate forms.
Like most martial arts, hapkido employs a great number of punches and hand strikes, as well as elbow strikes. A distinctive example of hapkido hand techniques is "live hand" strike that focuses energy to the baek hwa hyul in the hand, producing energy strikes and internal strikes. The hand strikes are often used to weaken the opponent before joint locking and throwing, and also as finishing techniques.
Hand striking in hapkido (unless in competition) is not restricted to punches an some significance is given to striking with fingernails at pulling at the opponent's genitals is also covered in conventional training.
In order to recall hand strikes more easily in an emotionally charged situation, beginning students are taught conventional, effective patterns of blocks and counter-attacks called makko chigi (?? ??), which progress to more complex techniques as the student becomes familiar with them.
A hyperflexing
used as a .
The straight
is an example of a very effective elbowlock.
Many of hapkido's joint control techniques are said to be derived largely from . They are taught similarly to
techniques, but in general the circles are smaller and the techniques are applied in a more linear fashion. Hapkido's joint manipulation techniques attack both large joints (such as the elbow, shoulder, neck, back, knee, and hip) and small joints (such as wrists, fingers, ankles, toes, and jaw).
Most techniques involve applying force in the direction that a joint moves naturally and then forcing it to overextend or by forcing a joint to move in a direction that goes against its natural range of motion. These techniques can be used to cause pain and force a submission, to gain control of an opponent for a 'come along' techniques (as is often employed in law enforcement), to assist in a hard or gentle throw or to cause the dislocation or breaking of the joint. Hapkido differs from some post war styles of aikido in its preservation of a great many techniques which are applied against the joint that were deemed by some[] to be inconsistent with aikido's more pacifistic philosophy.
Wristlocks
Hapkido is well known for its use of a wide variety of . These techniques are believed[] to have been derived from Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu although their manner of performance is not always identical to that of the parent art. Still many of the techniques found in hapkido are quite similar to those of Daito-ryu and of aikido, which was derived from that art. Examples of such techniques are: the supinating wristlock, pronating wristlock, internal rotational wristlock, and the utilization of pressure points on the wrist. These techniques are common to many forms of Japanese jujutsu, Chinese , and even "catch as catch can" wrestling.
Elbowlocks
Although well known for its wristlocking techniques, hapkido has an equally wide array of tactics which center upon the manipulation of the elbow joint (see ). The first self-defense technique typically taught in many hapkido schools is the knife-hand elbow press. This technique is thought to be derived from Daitō-ryū's ippondori, a method of disarming and destroying the elbow joint of a sword-wielding opponent. Hapkido typically introduces this technique off a wrist-grabbing attack where the defender makes a circular movement with his hands to free himself from the opponent's grasp and applies a pronating wristlock while cutting down upon the elbow joint with their forearm, taking their opponent down to the ground, where an elbow lock is applied with one's hand or knee to immobilize the attacker in a pin. Both Daito-ryu and aikido prefer to use hand pressure on the elbow throughout the technique rather than using the forearm as a "hand blade (: ??; : 手刀)", cutting into the elbow joint, in the hapkido manner.
Hapkido students practice
In addition to throws which are achieved by unbalancing one's opponent through the twisting of their joints, hapkido also contains techniques of pure throwing which do not require the assistance of jointlocks. Some of these techniques are found within Daito-ryu but a great many of them are held in common with
(pronounced "yudo ??" in Korean). Many of early practitioners of hapkido had extensive judo backgrounds including Choi Yong-Sool's first student Seo Bok-Seob.
Judo techniques were introduced in the early years of the 20th century in Korea during the . Judo/Yudo tactics employ extensive use of throws, various , , joint locks, and other
techniques used to control the opponent on the ground. It is believed that these techniques were absorbed into the hapkido curriculum from judo as there were a great many judo practitioners in Korea at that time and its tactics were commonly employed in the fighting of the period. Indeed, there also exists a portion of the hapkido curriculum which consists of techniques specifically designed to thwart judo style attacks.
Hapkido practitioners perform
techniques.
Hapkido holds many
techniques in common with .
(Ssahng Jol G ???), one of hapkido weapons.
The judo/yudo techniques were however adopted with adjustments made to make them blend more completely with the self-defence orientation which hapkido stresses. For example, many of the judo style throwing techniques employed in hapkido do not rely upon the use of traditional judo grips on the uniform, which can play a large role in the Japanese sport. Instead in many cases they rely upon gripping the limbs, head or neck in order to be successful.
Even today Korea remains one of the strongest countries in the world for the sport of judo and this cross influence on the art of Korean hapkido to be felt in Hapkido influenced styles such as
As a hapkido student advances through the various belt levels (essentially the same as other Korean arts, e.g. ), he or she learns how to employ and defend against various weapons. The first weapon encountered is most often a
(: ?; : kal). Another initial weapon used to teach both control and the basic precepts of utilizing a weapon with Hapkido techniques is the Jung Bong ( sized stick), techniques and defenses against the 35 cm short stick (: ??; : 短棒; : danbong), a
(ji-pang- ???), and a
are introduced in hapkido training. Many hapkido organisations may also include other weapons training such as a
( ?), long
(: ??; : 長棒; : jangbong), ,
(: ???; : 雙節棍; : ssangjeolgon), war-fan or other types of bladed weapons such as twin short swords. Some schools even teach students to defend against firearms.[] Hapkido weapons techniques are often incorporated into many military and law enforcement training curricula.
Hapkido training takes place in a dojang. While training methods vary, a typical training session will contain technique practice (striking techniques as well as defensive throws and grappling), break falling (: ??; : 落法; : nakbeop), sparring, meditation and exercises to develop internal energy (ki, : ?; : 氣; : gi).
Hapkido is predominantly a "soft" art, but this does not mean that it is easier on the opponent, or that training is easier (see ). Hapkido training is vigorous and demanding. The practitioner could benefit in training by being lean and muscular. However, strength is not a pre what strength and fitness is necessary to perform the techniques develops naturally as a result of training.
Example Curriculum
The following is an example of the Korea Hapkido Association technical requirements from 1st degree to 5th degree Black Belt as recorded by He-Young Kimm in 1991, created in association with Ji Han Jae. These techniques are now considered pre-dan level.
1st Degree Black Belt
Single Kicks
Wrist Seize Defense
Clothing Seize Defense
Punch Defense
Kick Defense
Combination Kicks
Jumping Kicks
Throw Defense
Knife Defense
Attacking Techniques / Taking the Initiative
2nd Degree Black Belt
Advanced Wrist Grab Defense
Advanced Clothing Grab Defense
Advanced Punch Defense
Advanced Kick Defense
Choke Defense
Advanced Attacking Techniques / Taking the Initiative
Special Kicks
Defense From A Sitting Or Lying Posture
3rd Degree Black Belt
Joint locking Counters
Short Stick Techniques
Staff Techniques
4th Degree Black Belt
Cane Techniques
Sword Techniques
Defense Against Multiple Attackers
5th Degree Black Belt
Techniques Using Opponent's Force
Rope Techniques
Knife Throwing Techniques
Revival Techniques
Sheya, Joseph K. (1982). . Rim's Hapkido. Archived from
Pranin, Stanley (2007). . Encyclopedia of Aikido. Archived from
Pranin, Stanley (April 1988). . Aiki News. 77. Archived from
Giordano, Vincent (2003). Hidden Masters of the Martial Arts. New York City: Unpublished manuscript.
Giordano, Vincent (May 12, 2006). Interview with Doju Chin Il Chang. New York City: Personal interview.
Giordano, Vincent (February 1, 2013). Interview with Doju Chin Il Chang. New York City: Personal interview.
Giordano, Vincent (May 12, 2006). Interview with Doju Chinil Chang. New York City: Personal interview.
. . Archived from
Jong bae, R Sheya, J Burke, Mike (June 1999). "Birth of Hapkido: Founder Choi Yong-sul Reveals the Truth About the Art’s Origin". Black Belt Magazine: 130–139.
Giordano, Vincent (August 1999). "Hapkido History Heresy?". Black Belt Magazine: 43.
Restall, Barry (November 2006). "Young Sul Kwan: History of the Korean Hapkido Hapkiyusul Headquarters". Tae Kwon Do Times: 24–28.
Chang, Chinil (April 1987). "Hapkido Founder Choi Passes On". Black Belt Magazine: 16.
Young, Robert (January 1994). "Jujutsu vs. Hapkido". Black Belt Magazine: 26–31.
Kimm, He-Young (1991). The Hapkido Bible. Baton Rouge, Louisiana: Andrew Jackson Press.
Wollmershauser, Mike (1996). Eric Hentz, ed. "The Beginning of H An Interview with Hapkido Master Seo Bok-Seob". Taekwondo Times. 16 (8).
Corcoran, John. Inside Taekwondo. Vol.1, No.1. Feb. 1992. Article by James Dolmage Hapkido Grandmaster Ji Han-Jae Reveals the T The Beauty and the Benefits of Hapkido CFW Enterprises. Burbank, USA. 1991.
According to published works by Seo Bok-Seob, , , Kim Jong-Seong, Jeong Kee-Tae, Spear, Robert K., etc.
. Koti.mbnet.fi. Archived from
. Hapkimudo.co.kr.[]
Walker, Byron, Reflections of a Master: Philosophies of Hapkido Stylist . Martial Arts and Combat Sports Magazine. September 2001.
Hentz, Eric (editor). Article by Dick Morgan Interview With Grandmaster Kim Sang-Cook. Taekwondo Times, November 2005. Tri-Mount Publications, Iowa 2005.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to .
in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Myung, Kwang-Sik. Korean Hapkido: Ancient Art of Masters. World Hapkido Federation, Los Angeles, California, 1976.
Myung, Kwang-Sik. Hapkido: Special Self-Protection Techniques. World Hapkido Federation, Los Angeles, California, 1993.
Myung, Kwang-Sik. Hapkido Textbook (Vol. 1–5). World Hapkido Federation, Los Angeles, California, 2000.
Kim, He-Young. Hapkido. Andrew Jackson Press, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 1991.
Kim, He-Young. Hapkido II. Andrew Jackson Press, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 1994.
Kim, He-Young. History of Korea and Hapkido. Andrew Jackson Press, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 2008.
: Hidden categories:}