The Biggest News of My Life as a Martial Artist

[UseoForce]

The National Training Conference for Combat Hapkido was last weekend. Famous martial artists (Bill Wallace, Melegrito...) from all over teach seminars and such to International Combat Hapkido Federation members.

Some huge news was unveiled aat this event.

Apparently, ESPN really wants to Combat Hapkido competition regularly televised on their station.

Wow.

Not TKD, not TSD, not Karate, not Judo, but Combat Hapkido. We have something like 250 dojangs world wide. We're small, but apparently in demand.

Thing is, we don't have ANY competitions right now. Combat Hapkido has always been a self-defense martial art ONLY. One of the core principals of my art is we train for the street, not tournaments. Compare to Krav Maga if you will.

So after the ESPN rep finishes speaking, Grandmaster Pellegrini (the FOUNDER of COmbat Hapkido) comes up to the mike.

Wow, he says. He's absolutely shocked. While Combat Hapkido was never meant to be a competitive martial art, he knows what PR and finacial benefits this could have for our art. So he gives no final answer.

Rules are sketchy right now. From what I've heard, punching and kicking would be allowed, as well as any sort of throw or takedown. However, if the opponent is not taken down right into a submission, the fighters are stood back up. You can also win by ataining a control position, such as a standing escort lock. It seems ESPN wants to avoid the brutal and "boring" gorund combat I love so much.

I have mixed feelings about this.

+ Great exposure for Combat Hapkido

+ Possible finacial benefits

-Is it worth changing our art?

-Is our art being misrepresented?

- Will Combat Hapkido training fall the same way as so many martial arts, being diluted and blunted to conform to competition rules?

Wow.

What do y'all think?

[sk0t]

If all this does happen, I will resend my Combat Hapkido rank. And be done with it forever.

[coralreefer_1]

Im sure the "all mighty dollar" will dictate that decision. All christians have probably heard the phrase from the bible.."Is it easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than it is for a rich man to enter the kindgom of heaven" But I dont know one Christian in the world that would turn down all of the luxury we all work so hard to gain, in the sake of purity. So i dont imagine "purity" of the art wil lplay a factor in this decision.

frankly..i would hate to be the guy who has to make that decision. it's kind of a no win situation. People will say he either "sold out the art" or that "he held the art back" from becoming bigger and possible better.

Just cant please everyone...

[sk0t]

Nonetheless, this will sway the art from being applicable in self-defense to being tournament oriented, and no matter how it is looked at, it will lose its real life appeal.

[orion82698]

Doesn't sound like it's going to help the art, possibly hurt it.

[IcemanSK]

Im sure the "all mighty dollar" will dictate that decision. All christians have probably heard the phrase from the bible.."Is it easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than it is for a rich man to enter the kindgom of heaven" But I dont know one Christian in the world that would turn down all of the luxury we all work so hard to gain, in the sake of purity. So i dont imagine "purity" of the art wil lplay a factor in this decision.

quote]

Hyperbole aside, your point is well taken. Personally, I know many Christians who have turned down luxury for the sake of purity.

However, I think you're right about the purity of the art issue for the ICHF.

[Maddwraph]

as much as this sounds like it sucks, sport martial arts can still be applicable to self-defense, like BJJ, judo, boxing. it might downgrade it a little. sorry to hear thew news if it does happen though.

[elbows_and_knees]

Nonetheless, this will sway the art from being applicable in self-defense to being tournament oriented, and no matter how it is looked at, it will lose its real life appeal.

No, it will not. ANY martial art can be modified for street or ring if you properly understand it's principles. Muay Thai is no less applicable in the street just because it's a ringsport...And, actually, from a standpoint of pressure testing, it will help the art, not hurt it.

[IcemanSK]

It does kinda take the "combat" distinction out of Combat Hapkido. I don't have a dog in this fight, but it sems to me that Combat Hapkido wouldn't have a sportaspect it by design.

[elbows_and_knees]

sure it would. do they kick? do they punch? do they throw? do they lock? If so, these things can be used in the ring. If an art as brutal as shuai chiao can be made into a sport, surely hapkido can... As stated, if done properly this will only help enhance their training and ability.