Styles Of Hapkido

[Arys]

What are the different styles of Hapkido?

 

Any information on the type you may take or any you know of would be great. ^^ Im rather new to the Korean Martial Art Scene so anything would help.

[tufrthanu]

Well theres a couple of different styles...

 

Sin Moo HKD

 

Combat HKD

 

WHF or IHF HKD

 

On those two I'm not sure if they are actually different or if they are just different federations. Also I'm not sure of the WHF if thats even an org but I thought it was. I have heard some bad things about combat HKD and I don't like John Pellegrini personally, but it may be an ok art. I personally take Sin Moo HKD and I like it. Its definitely hardcore. The founder, Ji Han Jae, studied under the found of Hapkido and also fought Bruce Lee in the movie Game of Death. He added some nice kicks to the regular hapkido curriculum.

[KoreanTiger30]

There is so many differnet styleof Hapkido its unbelievable..Not only do you ahve federation banner stlyes llus family style Hapkido, and differnet school that donot fall under any organization. For example I Know the Korea Hapkido Federation has somewhere around 74 different types of Kwans (schools/styles) under thier banner. This is probbaly the main federation I believe. Then you ahve the International Hapkido Federation which has Hapkido and Hankido under it. The oldsest federation are the KHF and the World Kido Federation. There are alot of American oragnaizations too some of which are brnaches form the IHF, KHF< and WKF. recently there are developing styles like COmbat Hapkdo. NAd Branches that are revativley Hapkido but fal under Kuk Sool name like eKuk Sool Hapkido or Hwarangdo that had alot of hapkido training before they changed the name.

[Blade3]

Well theres a couple of different styles...

 

Sin Moo HKD

 

Combat HKD

 

WHF or IHF HKD

 

On those two I'm not sure if they are actually different or if they are just different federations. Also I'm not sure of the WHF if thats even an org but I thought it was. I have heard some bad things about combat HKD and I don't like John Pellegrini personally, but it may be an ok art. I personally take Sin Moo HKD and I like it. Its definitely hardcore. The founder, Ji Han Jae, studied under the found of Hapkido and also fought Bruce Lee in the movie Game of Death. He added some nice kicks to the regular hapkido curriculum.

 

I don't know much about John Pelligrini, but why is it that you don't like him?

[Chris from CT]

Now I can’t speak for Allen (KoreanTiger30), but in general, these are some of the most common issues Hapkido practitioners have with John Pellegrini and his Combat Hapkido…

 

1) John Pellegrini received his first dan in Hapkido from the late Master Michael Wollmershauser in 1989-90 and then by 1992 he was an 8th dan and had created his own system of Hapkido.

 

2) Pellegrini has said he has taken out what is unnecessary for self-defense application. On the other side of the coin, it has also been said that it is questionable that he even knew the applicability of what “he never added” to his style and thereby never possessing some of what makes Hapkido, Hapkido.

 

3) Pellegrini tagged his system with the term “Hapkido.” If he named it something else without the term Hapkido in it, he would probably have a few less naysayers within the Hapkido community given the previous two problems.

 

My issue is about Pellegrini using "Hapkido as its base" is that Pellegrini spent far more time training in TKD that he did in Hapkido. I have seen the vids and trained with his people, but what they were shown were just joint locks.

 

Is Hapkido just a bunch of joint locks? Of course not.

 

Besides the joint locks, everything else that is in the Combat Hapkido curriculum is added from other styles. The problem for many traditional Hapkidoin is, now considering the Combat Hapkido curriculum only teaches joint locks from Hapkido, but everything else is from other arts, "why should it be called Hapkido?"

 

His big advertisement is that “his style” has only taken the “combat applicable” material from traditional Hapkido. That is a bunch of garbage. One of the key things that is missing from the Combat Hapkido curriculum is manipulating a person's center to off-balance them. This is why a smaller weaker person can do these techniques on a larger, stronger opponent. This is not done by "faking" or "striking." Now tell me that this is not combat applicable?! The problem is that it takes time to teach and should be taught in the beginning.

 

Test this out… have a person grab you strong, and then consider this person grabbing you is someone you can’t hit (i.e. it’s a family member, someone younger, you’re a cop and this is a perp who is resisting, but not yet violent). Then try to apply any of the techniques learned without striking. Did you have to “muscle it?” That technique would not have worked if the person were stronger. In Hapkido we cannot rely on being the stronger person.

 

And what about the “fake?“ Ok, what if the fake doesn’t work? What do you do then? With the body manipulation off balancing it doesn’t matter because it works as long as the person has a pulse. It doesn’t matter how smart they are or how strong they are. It works on natural laws that apply to everyone on this earth. This body manipulation off balancing is just one of the things that keeps traditional Hapkido from being “just a bunch of joint locks.”

 

I have to admit I get a little frustrated when I hear people talk about Hapkido and it is considered just a bunch of joint locks. Many styles incorporate joint locks and do the same thing of using “fakes and strikes,” and all these styles are good, but they are not Hapkido.

 

I have seen good and bad Combat Hapkido practitioners just as I have seen good and bad traditional Hapkidoin. It’s really what “you” make of it. Just be honest with yourself about what you what to get out of it. The style is good for what it is… a “Self-defense System.” If that is what you want then that’s fantastic. No one can take that away from you. No matter what…enjoy what you do.

 

Take care

[Blade3]

Thanks Chris, Well put.. I just returned from digging in the crates to look for a two year old article in Tae Kwo Do Times that features JP & an 8 page long article/interview with him.

 

I just wanted to read it over again & disect it.

 

How on earth did he reach 8th Dan from 1st Dan in two years?

 

Who is Grandmaster Ino Sun Seo? Why would he make this an official Kwon? Hmmm...

 

I know that the writer of the article Sept 2002 Tae Kwon Do Times is Mark Daely & He starts the article say this:If you are not convinced of Combat Hapkido, all you have to do is look back at any back issues of TKDT & see how many articles, news releases and advertisements for Hapkido you can find? (Personaly I liked it that way )

 

All the best sources and reference material that I have reveiwed place the official birth of Hapkido at 1948. So can anyone explain how a 53 year old self defense system ,based on Japanese AkiJuJitsu, founded by a Korean and futher repackaged and modified by several Korean instructors for Korean consumption, can today be described as a traditional art? (& then,blah blah blah) Grandmaster P is simply continuing the process of refining and evolving this system, a process initiated by the founder himself? (& then blah,blah,) Hapkido experts today would not even be in the business of teaching Hapkido if it wasn't for GMP relentless pioneneering efforts to popularize the system in not only the US but Europe,etc; Then He starts the 8 page interview (The total sory is about 11 pages long & He goes on to say that His style has added Jeet Kune Do, Sambo,BJJ,TKD,etc; Also he talks about adding CHKD to other styles & teaching it at other schools to add in to their curricular.

 

Well I love Martial Arts & no matter what the style I just like to stop in at different schools & watch & maybe make some friends.

 

I still wonder why hasn't it (ICHF) hit only one place in CA?

 

Thanks for your imput Chris,it was rally helpful.

[Chris from CT]

All the best sources and reference material that I have reveiwed place the official birth of Hapkido at 1948. So can anyone explain how a 53 year old self defense system ,based on Japanese AkiJuJitsu, founded by a Korean and futher repackaged and modified by several Korean instructors for Korean consumption, can today be described as a traditional art?

 

Good question...

 

As you are aware of, there are many styles of Hapkido around today, each with their own spin on things. When I say, "Traditional Hapkido," I am refering to the style and principles that were taught by the founder, Choi, Yong-Sul.

 

 

Hapkido experts today would not even be in the business of teaching Hapkido if it wasn't for GMP relentless pioneneering efforts to popularize the system in not only the US but Europe,etc;

 

Is that what the article said? Because that is one of the most rediculous things I have ever heard. Nothing but the lies of marketing propaganda.

 

Just a couple of points to back that up...

 

One of the biggest promoters of Hapkido in the world is GM Ji, Han-Jae, which he came over to the United States in 1984. Which is when John Pellegrini was still doing TKD in Florida.

 

The late Master Mike Wollmershauser (head of the American Hapkido Association and who gave Pellegrini his 1st dan) was studying hapkido since the 1970's and was doing international seminars quite often.

 

Master J.R West (one of the first Americans to teach Hapkido in the States and Head of the United States Korean Martial Arts Federation) has been teaching since 1970 and has one of the largest Hapkido organizations in the USA. Master West also hosts an International Hapkido seminar twice a year in Jackson Mississippi.

 

The list can go on and on...

 

Pellegrini is great at marketing and advertising. He promotes himself, not Hapkido. For those people that have spent the time on the mat training and learning about what Hapkido is, it's disappointing to have people think that CHKD is what we do.

Well I love Martial Arts & no matter what the style I just like to stop in at different schools & watch & maybe make some friends.

 

I feel the exact same way. I am a martial arts junky. My girlfriend is getting used to the fact that I stop into martial art schools to train while we are on vacation. She's alright!

 

I have said this before on other sites, but I have no problem with people in the ICHF and I will continue to enjoy training along side them. My issue is with Peligrini and his false marketing.

Thanks for your imput Chris,it was rally helpful.

 

If I can ever be of help to you, just let me know.

 

Take care.

[Blade3]

Thanks again Chris, but the articles writer Mark Daley stated that HE CAN ONLY TRACE HAPKIDO BACK TO 1948.

 

And the last question that I asked is why only one school in CA?

 

It was a Hmmmm...(sarcastic question)

 

I don't know this but I do know that when another person just opens up any kind of Korean MA school within two miles without first consulting the Owner of any schools already established in the area then there's usally some drama. Back in the days it was direct from the owner & his senior students nowa days it's more or less brought before the orginzations.

 

For example my instructor has been in LA for at least 23 years teaching proffesionally he has two schools & one day about 2 years ago an established Hapkido instructor who was teaching in another city moved his school to about a mile away ON THE SAME STREET, claiming to teach AUTHENTIC HAPKIDO so you can best believe my instructor was pissed. He's a kind loving old man who does not act like he's badder than anyone but this time he went to the school & could only speak to a 25yr. old Senior instructor, twice & then he called & left messages for the owner for about a month. So from there a meeting was called of some of the other orginizations to meet with this guy & when all was said & done he had to close shop & move about 8 miles away where he still teaches.

 

So that's why I posed the question sarcasticly.

 

When you come to the So Cal area to set up shop then you & your organization need to speak to some people before you do that.

 

There's GM Bong Soo Han, GM Song, GM Chong S Kim who has 7 schools, Sae Yung Kim, The Kwon brothers, Master Lee, & so on & even though some of them may take sides or don't get along with a certain individual they still respect each others business practices and will come together and have a sit down with anyone who just comes to town and sets up shop calling their style Hapkido..Well they want to see it & know your theory & history & qualifications ,etc;

 

So maybe that's why the ICHF hasn't hit here yet. It's a tough market .

 

Thanks again Chris & BTW if you get a chance try to find that story in the 10/02 issue of TKDT.

[Chris from CT]

When you come to the So Cal area to set up shop then you & your organization need to speak to some people before you do that.

 

There's GM Bong Soo Han, GM Song, GM Chong S Kim who has 7 schools, Sae Yung Kim, The Kwon brothers, Master Lee, & so on & even though some of them may take sides or don't get along with a certain individual they still respect each others business practices and will come together and have a sit down with anyone who just comes to town and sets up shop calling their style Hapkido..Well they want to see it & know your theory & history & qualifications ,etc;

 

Sounds like a place I would like to work. One of the big problems in the Hapkido community is petty bickering. It is nice to see so many Masters working together in one way or another.

 

Take care.