Hapkido Throws

[chi_town_guy]

I've been doing taekwondo for almost two years, and now I'd like to expand my horizons by cross-training in hapkido. My taekwondo school also offers hapkido, and I would love to learn from my current instructor. The hapkido class practices an impressive array of strikes and joint locks, but since our dojang isn't equipped with heavy mats they don't actually practice throws. Instead they simulate throws, but they don't actually throw or get thrown. From what I've read throws appear to be an integral part of the hapkido curriculum. Can I learn effective hapkido from this school, or should I look elsewhere?

 

Thanks for your help!

[karatekid1975]

We do throws in my school (I do TKD). We actually do the throws. We learn to fall first. If you school teaches you how to fall properly, it shouldn't hurt when you get thrown no matter what you fall on. Just my opinion, though

[Karateka_latino]

OH NO!!!! maybe it won't hurt Now, but it surely mess you up in a long-term..

 

I suggest you to get mats.. Specially while you learn..

 

And yes, to learn how to throw, you need to actually ThROW the person. You need your technique to flow and it won't if you stop in the middle. Is a techniques that isn't been developed as it fullest. Pretending your are throwing is not the same as Throwing.

[Tai Shan]

In my Hapkido dojang we also simulate the throws. Being a white belt, I've only learned one throw, but it's one that really couldn't be practiced safely since the intent of the throw is to have the "throwee" land on their head instead of their back.

 

I'm not sure if other Hapkido throws are done with this same intent, but if so, it would make it much harder to actually practice throwing.

 

I have taken a couple of classes of judo so I know what it's like to be thrown. It can be fairly dangerous if a person doesn't know what their doing. I had the misfortunate of someone throwing me, then tripping and landing shoulder-first on my head. I imagine some schools don't want to actually practice the throws for insurance reasons.

[ZR440]

I agree with SubFighter. And I would expect a proper throwing technique would also involve a follow up strike to the person on the ground. At least that's what is done in Kuk Sool Won, which is similar in some respects to Hapkido. I would also have to think falling techiniques (nakbup) would be practiced regularly, but how could that be done without mats? Maybe this isn't a traditional style Hapkido school?

[chi_town_guy]

There are mats, but they're the thinner kind used for TKD, maybe an inch or so thick. And the HKD class does practice breakfalls, and also joint lock takedowns (that's probably not the proper terminology) followed by strikes. They just don't practice throws.

 

-Vince

[karatekid1975]

I agree with Sub. To actually learn how to throw is to actually do the throw. It's kinda hard to explain. For instance, when I came to this school, I didn't know how to throw, but I watched a few classes, and listened to what they said about how to throw. But when I actually got to throw, I didn't know how. There's more to it than meets the eye.

[tommarker]

I think the enterance to the throw and the actual loading of the throw (when possible) is more important to get right in the junior ranks. If you can properly load someone up for a hip toss, you don't necessarily have to dump them every time.

[KoreanTiger30]

I have been doing Hapkido for abour eight years now and we spent the first two months jsut learning how to fall. My master stresses that to the fullest because the outcome of the fight could quickly turn around and counters are always out there. We practiced on mats first because we need to know the proper way to fall so not to injure ourselves. Next we went to puzzle mats, then outside on grass, and then at black belt we had to practice on concrete. if you learn hapkido separtely then they will teach you more in depth information behind each technique (throw). I have seen alot of Korean master that teach throwing in Tae Kwon Do but since it isnt a main focus the students miss out on laot of the important information.

[SBN Doug]

I think the enterance to the throw and the actual loading of the throw (when possible) is more important to get right in the junior ranks. If you can properly load someone up for a hip toss, you don't necessarily have to dump them every time.

 

I agree. However, you can't fully understand the dynamics of what changes throughout a throw (weight shift, foot hold, etc) unless you're able to go through the entire motion at some point.

 

Therefore, I have to go with Sub as well.