Hapkido

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Hapkido

Hapkido tournament in Korea.
Also known as Hap Ki Do or Hapki-Do
Style Grappling, throws, and joint locks.
Country of origin Flag of South Korea Korea
Creator Choi Yong Sul
Parenthood primarily Daito-ryu aikijujutsu
Olympic Sport no
Hapkido
Hangul:
합기도
Hanja:
合氣道
Revised Romanization: Hapgido
McCune-Reischauer: Hapkido

Hapkido (also spelled hap ki do or hapki-do) is a dynamic and somewhat eclectic Korean martial art. In the Korean language, hap means "harmony", "coordinated", or "joining"; ki describes internal energy, spirit, strength, or power; and do means "way" or "art". Thus, hapkido, which shares the same Chinese characters with aikido (合気道), translates literally to "joining-energy-way", but it is most often rendered as "the way of coordinating energy" or "the way of coordinated power."

A historical link to Daito-ryu aikijujutsu is generally acknowledged, though the exact nature of which is clouded by the historical animosity between the Korean and Japanese peoples and the confusion following the end of the Second World War.

Hapkido prides itself on effective self-defense and as such employs joint locks, pressure points, throws, kicks, and other strikes. Hapkido is an authentic Asian martial art of total self-defense; it deals with countering the techniques of other martial arts as well as common "unskilled" attacks.

Although hapkido contains both long range fighting and infighting techniques, the end of most situations is to get near for a close strike, lock, or throw. Hapkido emphasizes circular motion, non-resisting movements, and control of the opponent. Practitioners seek to gain advantage through footwork and body positioning to employ leverage, avoiding the use of strength against strength.

Contents

[edit] History and Major Figures

The birth of hapkido can be traced to the efforts of a group of Korean nationals in the post Japanese colonial period of Korea, Choi Yong Sul (b. 1904, d. 1986) and his most prominent students; Suh Bok Sub, the first student of the art, Ji Han Jae (b. 1936, ) undoubtedly the greatest promoter of the art, Kim Moo Hong, a major innovator in the art, Myung Jae Nam who forged a greater connection between the art and Japanese aikido and then founded Hankido, and others, all of whom were direct students of Choi or of his immediate students.

[edit] Choi Yong Sul

Main article: Choi Yong Sul

Choi Yong Sul's training in martial arts is a subject of contention. It is known that Choi was sent to Japan as a young boy and returned to Korea with techniques characteristic of Daito-ryu, a forerunner of aikido. Some claim that while he was in Japan, Choi became the adopted son of the patriarch of Daito-ryu aikijujutsu, Sokaku Takeda. This is contradicted by other claims asserting that Choi was simply a worker in the home of Takeda. [1] In fact, the meticulous enrollment and fee records of Takeda Tokimune, held by Takeda Sokaku's eldest son and Daito-ryu'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 Sokaku Takeda, or that he ever formally studied Daito-ryu.[2]

Stanley Pranin, then of Aiki News and now editor of the Aikidojournal.com, asked Ueshiba Kisshomaru 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 Asahikawa City in Hokkaido. It seems that he studied the art together with my father 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.

 ”
- Aiki News Magazine No. 77 [3]

Some argue that Choi Yong Sul's potential omission from the records, and the ensuing debate over hapkido's origins, may be due to tensions between Koreans and Japanese, partly as a result of Japanese involvement in the occupation of Korea (see History of Korea). 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 Sul's first student, and the man whom some claim helped him develop the art of hapkido was Suh Bok Sup (also spelled Bok-Sub), a Korean Judo black belt when they met. Some of Choi's other respected senior students are: Ji Han Jae, Kim Moo-Hong, Won Kwang-Hwa, Kim Jung-Yoon, and arguably Suh In-Hyuk and Lee Joo Bang who went on to form the arts of Kuk Sool Won and modern Hwarang-do respectively (though some argue that their training stems from time spent training under Kim Moo-Hong).

[edit] Suh Bok Sub

Choi's first student and the first person known to have opened up a dojang under Choi was Master Suh Bok-Sub.

In 1948, when Suh Bok-sub was still in his early 20s, he had already earned his black belt in judo and was a graduate of the prestigious Korea University. After watching Choi Yong Sul successfully defend himself against a group of men when an argument erupted in the yard of the Suh Brewery Company, Suh, who was the chairman of the company, invited Choi to begin teaching martial arts to Suh and some of the workers at the distillery where Suh had prepared a dojang.

In 1951, Suh opened up the first proper dojang called the Korean Yu Kwan Sool Hapki Dojang. The first symbol, designed by Suh, which was used to denote the art was the inverted arrowhead design featured in both the modern incarnation of the KiDo Association and by Master Myung Kwang-Sik's World Hapkido Federation. Choi Yong Sul was also employed during this time to as a bodyguard to Suh's father who was a congressman. Suh claims that he and Choi agreed to shorten the name of the art from 'hapki yu kwon sool' to 'hapkido' in 1959.[4]

[edit] Kim Moo Hong

(alternately rendered as Kim Moo Woong or Kim Mu Hyun)

A notable student from the Choi and Suh's Yu Sool Kwan dojang was Kim Moo Hong who later taught at Suh's Joong Ang dojang in Daegu. Suh, who promoted Kim to 4th degree, credits Kim with the development of many kicks which are still used in hapkido today. Master Kim apparentally took the concepts from very the 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 Master 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 Jong Myo section of Seoul, also in 1961. Won Kwang-Wha also served as an instructor at this dojang. Kim's notable students were Lee Han-Chul, Kim Woo-Tak (who founded the Kuk Sool Kwan Hapkido dojang), Huh Il-Wooong, Lee Joo Bang (who founded modern Hwarang-do), Na Han-Dong, Shin Dong-Ki and Suh In-Hyuk (who founded Kuk Sool Won.[5]

Originally a member of the Korea Kido Association, the organization sent Master 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 (Hangook 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.

[edit] Won Kwang-Wha

Won Kwang-Wha also served as a personal secretary and body guard to Suh Bok-Sub's father, congressman Suh Dong-jin. Having first learned hapkido from Suh he later studied directly from Choi Yong-Sul. In 1962, when Kim Moo Hong opened up his Shin Moo-Hong dojang in Seoul he became one the instructors there. Shortly thereafter Won opened his own school the Moo Sool Kwan.

Being already an older practitioner when he started his training and having pragmatic reasons for studying the art Won's Moo Sool Kwon emphasized what he believed constituted practical self defense techniques. Moo Sool Kwan emphasizes powerful and direct techniques and a greater emphasis on strength in responses rather than ki power. There is also a preference towards whole body throws than wrist centered joint locking throws.[6]

Some of his notable students were Park Lee-Hyun, Kimm He-Young, Won Hyung-Dae

Won Hyung-Dae, his son, took over the management of the kwan upon his father's passing.

[edit] Ji Han Jae

Main article: Ji Han Jae

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 Park Jung Hee that hapkido became popularized, first within Korea and then internationally.

Whereas the martial art education of Choi Yong Sul is unconfirmed, the martial art history of Ji Han Jae's core training is somewhat easier to trace. Ji was an early student (Dan #14) of Choi. He details that prior to opening his martial art school in Seoul, the Sung Moo Kwan, he also 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 punching 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 Dae Han Ki Do Hwe (Korea Kido Association) in 1963 with Choi Yong Sool acting as official Chairman and Kim Jung-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 Dae Han Hapkido Association (Dae Han Hapkido Hyub Hwe) in 1965.[7]

Later when this organization combined with the organizations founded by Myung Jae-Nam (Korea Hapki Association/Hangook Hapki Hwe) and Kim Moo-Hong (Korean Hapkido Association/Hangook Hapkido Hyub Hwe) in 1973 they became the very extensive and influential organization known as the Republic of Korea Hapkido Association (Dae Han Min Gook Hapkido Hyub Hwe).

Ji was imprisoned for one year on suspicion of tax fraud and subsequently left Korea in 1984. [8]His organization was taken over by his student Oh Se-Lim who re-christened the organization by Ji's first organization's name the Daehan Hapkido Hyub Hwe and the 'Korea Hapkido Federation' became the preferred rendering in English. The KHF remains the most influential of the many hapkido organizations existing in Korea today. This organization is still primarily run by students of Master Ji's original Sung Moo Kwan dojang.

In 1984, Ji moved first to Germany and then to the United States and founded sin moo hapkido, 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 Tae Man Kwon, Myung Jae Nam, and Han Bong Soo. Ji can be seen in the films Lady Kung-fu and Game of Death in which he takes part in a long fight scene against Bruce Lee.

Prior to the death of Choi Yong Sul, Ji came forward with the assertion that it was he who founded the Korean art of hapkido, asserting that Choi Yong Sul taught only yawara based skills and that it was he who added much of the kicking, and weapon techniques we now associate with modern hapkido.[9] 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,[10] what is not contested is the undeniably huge contributions made by Ji to the art, its systematization and its promotion world wide.

[edit] Myung Jae Nam

Main article: Myung Jae Nam

In 1972 Myung Jae Nam was the 8th person to receive an 8th degree black belt from Ji Han Jae, and was one of the original members of the Korea Hapkido Association (Dae Han Hapkido Hyub Hwe), which was formed in 1965 at the request of the South Korean President Park Chung Hee. The Korea Hapkido Association was formed with the assistance of Mr. Park Jong Kyu, who was the head of the Presidential Protective Forces and one of the most powerful men in Korea at the time.

Later Myung Jae Nam broke away from all the other organizations and started to focus on promoting a new style, hankido. Until his death in 1999 he was the leader of the International HKD Federation (Kuk Jae Yeon Maeng Hapki Hwe), at that time one of Korea's three main hapkido organizations.

[edit] Lim Hyun Soo

Main article: Lim Hyun Soo

Lim, Hyun Soo is one of few who were promoted to 9th degree black belt by Choi Yong Sul. He studied with Choi for nineteen years. Lim had a special interest in martial art at an early age. In middle school he had started Dang-Su (당수), a kind of martial art. He graduated from Gue-Chang high school and entered the Yeung-nam University. In 1965 he visited Choi Yong Sul and had his first meeting with Choi's Hapkido. At first he was taught by Kim Yeung Jae, a pupil of Choi. He was then taught by Choi and was his pupil until 1981.

[edit] Techniques

On the "hard-soft" scale of martial arts, hapkido stands somewhere in the middle, employing "soft" techniques similar to aikido and "hard" techniques reminiscent of taekwondo and tangsoodo. Even the "hard" techniques, though, emphasize circular rather than linear movements. Hapkido is an eclectic martial art, and different hapkido schools emphasize different techniques. However, some core techniques are found in each school (kwan), and all techniques should follow the three principles of hapkido:

  • Nonresistance ("Hwa", 화 or 和)
  • Circular Motion ("Won", 원 or 圓)
  • The Water Principle ("Ryu", 류 or 流)

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.

One of hapkido's principles, Won 원, consists in redirecting the opponent's power in a circular motion, as shown.
One of hapkido's principles, Won 원, consists in redirecting the opponent's power in a circular motion, as shown.

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 punch or knife 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.

Ryu, the water principle, 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.

"As the flowing stream penetrates and surrounds its obstructions and as dripping water eventually penetrates the stone, so does the hapkido strength flow in and through its opponents."

[edit] Core Techniques

These consist of gentle or forceful throws and joint control techniques derived largely from aikijujutsu. They are taught similarly to aikido techniques, but in general the circles are smaller and the techniques, particularly those of sin moo hapkido are applied in a more linear fashion. Most techniques work by a combination of unbalancing the attacker and applying pressure to specific places on the body, known as hyul. Hapkido makes use of over 700 pressure points.

[edit] Example of a Hapkido Curriculum

[edit] 1st Degree Black Belt

  • Single Kicks
  • Defense Against Wrist Grabs
  • Defense Against Clothing Grabs
  • Punch Defense
  • Kick Defense
  • Combination Kicks
  • Jumping Kicks
  • Defense Against Throws
  • Knife Defense
  • Attacking Techniques / Taking the Initiative

[edit] 2nd Degree Black Belt

  • Advanced Defense Against Wrist Grabs
  • Advanced Defense Against Clothing Grabs
  • Advanced Punch Defense
  • Advanced Kick Defense
  • Defense Against Chokes
  • Attacking Techniques
  • Special Kicks
  • Defense From A Sitting Or Lying Posture

[edit] 3rd Degree Black Belt

  • Joint locking Counters
  • Short Stick Techniques
  • Staff Techniques

[edit] 4th Degree Black Belt

  • Cane Techniques
  • Sword Techniques
  • Defense Against Multiple Attackers

[edit] 5th Degree Black Belt

  • Techniques Using Opponent's Force
  • Rope Techniques
  • Knife Throwing Techniques
  • Revival Techniques[11]


Hapkido practitioners perform yudo techniques.
Hapkido practitioners perform yudo techniques.

[edit] Yudo/Judo

Yudo (Martial arts that derive from judo in Japan) techniques are centered around extensive throws applied using different footwork than the core techniques. The techniques differ somewhat because of the smaller circles applied to combat, and because of the types of application that are practiced in hapkido. Yudo techniques also include various chokes, hold downs, joint locks, and other grappling techniques used to control the opponent on the ground.

[edit] Types of Yudo Techniques

English Korean Japanese
shoulder throw obo chigi seionage
body drop bit dangyo chigi tai otoshi
hip sweeping hori horigi harai goshi
shoulder wheel ukerome chigi kata guruma
scarf hold kyutnorugi hon kesa gatame
4 corner hold witnoragi kami shiho gatame


Yudo has one throw that judo does not, called lift and drop or durome chigi. It is a throw taken from ssireum (a form of Korean wrestling).

[edit] Kicking

The wide variety of kicks in hapkido make it distinctly Korean. Many of which are similar to taekwondo kicks, though again circular motion is emphasized. Hapkido's method of delivery tends toward greater weight commitment to the strikes and less concern for quick retraction of the kicking leg. As in other arts, such as Muay Thai, hapkido's emphasis is more towards power and commitment than to speed and the preference is toward hip rather than knee generated power.

Traditionally, Choi Yong Sul's Yu Kwon Sul (유권술, 柔拳術) kicking techniques were only to the lower body, but most derived varieties of hapkido also includes high kicks and jumping kicks.

[edit] Hand Strikes

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 and open hand striking; some significance is given to striking with fingernails at the throat and eyes; 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 counterattacks called Makko Chigi, which progress to more complex techniques as the student becomes familiar with them.

[edit] Weapons

As a hapkido student advances through the various belt levels (basically the same as other Korean arts, e.g. taekwondo), he or she learns how to employ and defend against various weapons. The first weapon encountered is most often the knife (kal, 칼). Then, techniques and defenses against the short stick (dan bong, 단봉), the walking cane (jipangee, 지팡이), and the rope are introduced in hapkido training. Some styles also incorporate the long staff (jang bong, 장봉), middle long staff (jung bong, 중봉), nunchaku (Ssang Jeol Gon, 쌍절곤) and the sword (Gum, 검).

[edit] Training

Hapkido students practice throws and joint manipulation in a dojang.
Hapkido students practice throws and joint manipulation in a dojang.

Hapkido training takes place in a dojang. While training methods vary, a typical training session will contain technique practice, break falling (nakbop, 낙법), sparring, meditation and exercises to develop internal energy (ki, 기).

Although hapkido is in some respects a "soft" art, training is very vigorous and demanding. The practitioner could benefit in training by being lean and muscular. However, strength is not a prerequisite of hapkido; what strength and fitness is necessary to perform the techniques develops naturally as a result of training.

[edit] References and Further Reading

  1. ^ Shaw, Scott. Hapkido: Korean Art of Self-Defense. Tuttle Publications, Rutland, Vermont 1996
  2. ^ http://www.aikidojournal.com/encyclopedia.php?entryID=119 Pranin, Stanley. Aikido Journal's on-line encyclopedia.
  3. ^ Pranin, S. (1988) 'Interview with Kisshomaru Ueshiba: The Early Days of Aikido', AikiNews, 77. Retrieved December 3, 2006 from [1]
  4. ^ Hentz, Eric (editor), Taekwondo Times Vol. 16, No. 8. Article by Mike Wollmershauser The Beginning of Hapkido; An Interview with Hapkido Master Suh, Bok Sub. Tri-Mount Publications, Iowa 1996.
  5. ^ Kimm, He-Young. Hapkido (alternately The Hapkido Bible). Andrew Jackson Press, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 1991
  6. ^ Kimm, He-Young. Hapkido (alternately The Hapkido Bible). Andrew Jackson Press, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 1991
  7. ^ Kimm, He-Young. Hapkido (alternately The Hapkido Bible). Andrew Jackson Press, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 1991
  8. ^ Kimm, He-Young. Hapkido (alternately The Hapkido Bible). Andrew Jackson Press, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 1991
  9. ^ Corcoran, John. Inside Taekwondo. Vol.1, No.1. Feb. 1992. Article by James Dolmage Hapkido Grandmaster Han Jae Ji Reveals the Truth; The Beauty and the Benefits of Hapkido CFW Enterprises. Burbank, USA. 1991
  10. ^ According to published works by Suh Bok-Sub, Han Bong Soo, Myung Kwang-Sik, Kim Chong Sung, Chung Kee Tae, Spear, Robert K., etc.
  11. ^ Kimm, He-Young. Hapkido (alternately The Hapkido Bible). Andrew Jackson Press, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 1991

Kimm, He-Young. Hapkido II. Andrew Jackson Press, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 1994.

Myung, Kwang-Sik. Korean Hapkido; Ancient Art of Masters. World Hapkido Federation, Los Angeles, California 1976.

[edit] See also

[edit] International Hapkido Organizations

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