What is Hapkido?

[rb]

Hapkido was founded by Yong Shui Choi aroun 1919 whom had studied the famous Daito-ryu Aiki-jutsu, which is the very same art that Morihei Ueshiba (founder of Aikido) and Jigoro Kano (founder of Judo) had studied. Interesting that all had the one link to the same art that incorporates the same methods and techniques, or the basis of.

 

The connection between Hapkido and Daito Ryu can be seen readily in their core techniques. However, Kano's background was in Tenshin Shinyo Ryu and Kito Ryu. Judo saw some other jujutsu influences as other masters joined forces with the kodokan.

[Blade3]

What is the main focus of Hapkido, is it's kicks or is it's joint locks?

 

I know that Hapkido is a very complete style, my Hapkido friend is able to do everything but till now I am not sure of his focus and he told me his teacher teaches him everything from punches, kicks to joint locks, so just what is the main focus of Hapkido?

 

(LOL) The main focus is to win!! There are so many techniques in Hapkido

 

I train in Jang Mu Hapkido. After training for a while you'll see each student excel in Hapkido but of each student you may see one who's good in one area but fair in another and suck in another but know enough to make the techniques work in class well enough to pass to the next grade.

 

I'm one of those students, I'm excellent in punching, low kicks, throws & escaping techniques. I'm not so good at fast moving joint locks, high acrobatic kicks, or extensive ground fighting but I do know enough to to defend myself really well, If I have to take someone down I can If I go down or I'm trying to be taken down then I know enough to get out & make my adversary bring the fight to me on my terms.

 

when we're doing drills on different nights you can see clearly over time who's good in what & who's mediocore, there's one guy who kicks like the wind ( He's played soccer all his life) hi,low,acrobatic,sweeping but his falling techniques are weak as also his throws. There's a female who's background since she could walk is ballet,tap & gymnastics, who's combinations of kicks, punches, & sweeps are lightning fast & will keep you on your heels & backing up & trying to think of counters while she's rapidly coming at you. On the other hand she can never fully execute her throws or counters to throws. Then there's those who've never been atheletic or have done any atheletic activity in a long time so they come in with two left feet but in time they excel & find what works for them, then there's a few guys & girls who are the Jordans,Gretzkys,& Muhammad Ali's of Hapkido. Meaning they're really really good & undrestand the art from start to finish & by Brown belt they can Kick, punch,throw,sweep,lock & anything else they are taught in a few classes from first learning the technique...But we talk & they know what they feel is best for them to use on the streets when they have to use HKD.

 

The Jie Han Jae liniage of HKD is awsome if taught right..Avoid TKD HKD schools, learn HKD at an HKD only school, it's more than enough for self defense. I hope this sheds some light on your questions.

[miguksaram]

Avoid TKD HKD schools, learn HKD at an HKD only school, it's more than enough for self defense. I hope this sheds some light on your questions.

 

I would tend to agree with you 90% of the time. Most TKD HKD school are people schools that teach TKD but then took some HKD lessons in the past and are throwing that in as "extra" things to learn. There are some schools where the instructor is legit in his HKD training as well as his TKD training, but they are far and few in between. Then you have the schools ran by the Korean college students aka Young-in graduates who studied TKD and HKD in college in Korea. They are cookie cutter students who will teach WTF and KHA system. The trouble is that they are mostly belt factories and will mill your * right through the ranks.

[HRDMIKE]

I am currently studying Hapkido from a guy that attended the Koren College you mentioned above. There are a couple of guys that teach at some of the Bally's locations here in Minnesota. He seems to really know his techniques, but it does seem that they try to run you through the ranks pretty quickly. It seems like they try to promote you every couple of months. They are pretty new to the Minnesota area, so I was wondering what their reputation was in the Chicago area, as I think that is where they started and have the largest number of schools/students.

 

Thanks for the info, I appreciate it.

[miguksaram]

I am currently studying Hapkido from a guy that attended the Koren College you mentioned above. There are a couple of guys that teach at some of the Bally's locations here in Minnesota. He seems to really know his techniques, but it does seem that they try to run you through the ranks pretty quickly. It seems like they try to promote you every couple of months. They are pretty new to the Minnesota area, so I was wondering what their reputation was in the Chicago area, as I think that is where they started and have the largest number of schools/students.

 

Thanks for the info, I appreciate it.

 

Yes, the whole movement was actually started by Mr. Kim (I refuse to call him a GM because he bought his ranks) Anyway, Kim had a great idea to make money. Import the teachers from Yongin college and open up schools across America called T-USA. He then got a lot of these naive kids out college and arranged green cards for them to teach TKD in America. Wow what an opprotunity. Especailly considering that TKD schools in Korea are a dime a dozen and yhou just graduated with a thousand people looking to do what you do.

 

So he brings these kids over and stock pile them into apartments and they now become indentured servants. Kim opens up tons of schools, rake in a nice sum of money and then WHAM!!! He declares bankruptcy and starts to close down the schools. Now these instructors are pretty much screwed. But weight...in steps in another Kim (not realated to the first) who buys the Sporex school and then cuts a deal with Ballys and the formation of TMA is born. They have a cookie cutter system and pretty much run you right through there. The teachers who were almost screwed out of a livelihood now have it back.

 

Now, while I respect and applaud someone's dedication to the arts that they would spend their whole college carrer in pursuit of a degree in it, it must be told that Yongin college is also known as a gangpae (gangster) college. Why? Because a good majority of the Korean population believe that if you are going there, you were not smart enough to make it in a real college. Now do the students from the college come out with some skill? Yes they do. Hell they just spent 4 year eating, drinking, sleeping and crapping TKD or HKD.

[HRDMIKE]

Thanks for all that background info, I was very curious about how TMA came about. I think I will probably stick with it though, my teacher is very skillful and I like most of the techniques we have been taught so far. It is also a great deal monewise if you have a membership with Bally's. I do wish that they would slow down on the testing though.

[tufrthanu]

Hey mike does the HRD in your sn stand for Hwa Rang Do? And if so have you ever been down to the Hwa Rang Do school in minneapolis?

[47MartialMan]

[quote name="miguksaram

 

Yes' date=' the whole movement was actually started by Mr. Kim (I refuse to call him a GM because he bought his ranks)

 

Hasn't anyone?

 

Anyway, Kim had a great idea to make money.

 

Does everyone?

 

Import the teachers from Yongin college and open up schools across America called T-USA. He then got a lot of these naive kids out college and arranged green cards for them to teach TKD in America. Wow what an opprotunity. Especailly considering that TKD schools in Korea are a dime a dozen and yhou just graduated with a thousand people looking to do what you do.

 

Spawn come to mind.

 

So he brings these kids over and stock pile them into apartments and they now become indentured servants. Kim opens up tons of schools, rake in a nice sum of money and then WHAM!!! He declares bankruptcy and starts to close down the schools. Now these instructors are pretty much screwed. But weight...in steps in another Kim (not realated to the first) who buys the Sporex school and then cuts a deal with Ballys and the formation of TMA is born. They have a cookie cutter system and pretty much run you right through there. The teachers who were almost screwed out of a livelihood now have it back.

 

I had nevered hear of this-any links?

 

[HRDMIKE]

Hey mike does the HRD in your sn stand for Hwa Rang Do? And if so have you ever been down to the Hwa Rang Do school in minneapolis?

 

Hi Tuf,

 

yeah that is what it stands for. When I first signed up for this forum, I was studying Hwa Rang Do. It was the same school, but they were in Edina at the time, before they moved into the new place in Minneapolis. It is a great school, with a great instructor. Unfortunately it was just a little too much money monthly for me to keep going there. If I could afford it though, I would be training there for sure. From what I have seen from pictures and heard from some students, the new dojang looks great. The teacher is really good, I still keep in touch with him from time to time. He studied directly under the grandmaster of hwa rang do out in LA for a while. A lot of the techniques are very similiar to Hapkido, so you should check it out sometime, I highly recommend that shcool.

[miguksaram]

[quote name="miguksaram

 

Yes' date=' the whole movement was actually started by Mr. Kim (I refuse to call him a GM because he bought his ranks)

 

Hasn't anyone?

 

There are still some GM's out there who actually earned their rank.

[quote name="miguksaram

 

Anyway' date=' Kim had a great idea to make money.

 

Does everyone?

 

Everyone has a million dollar idea. How many act on it?

 

 

[quote name="miguksaram

 

So he brings these kids over and stock pile them into apartments and they now become indentured servants. Kim opens up tons of schools' date=' rake in a nice sum of money and then WHAM!!! He declares bankruptcy and starts to close down the schools. Now these instructors are pretty much screwed. But weight...in steps in another Kim (not realated to the first) who buys the Sporex school and then cuts a deal with Ballys and the formation of TMA is born. They have a cookie cutter system and pretty much run you right through there. The teachers who were almost screwed out of a livelihood now have it back.

 

I had nevered hear of this-any links?

 

Nope, this is information discovered through perks of being in the "in-crowd" in the Korean community as well as being "allowed" to hang with Korean GM's. Yes folks being married to a Korean does have it perks.