Hapkido

The hapkido (hangul: 합기도; hanja: 合氣道; McCune-Reischauer: hapkido; revised romanization: hapkido) is a Korean martial art focused on military and civilian self-defense. The term can be interpreted as "the path of union with universal energy."

This discipline can be described as a hybrid, physical and energetic art, where physical strength, by itself, is not a primary requirement, and where the movement of the body itself (kinetic chains), breathing, flexibility, sensitivity, and speed of action when carrying out the different techniques, although his training is very vigorous and demanding. With hapkido the formation of the individual is sought as a person willing to defend himself, his family and his country.

Overview

When we talk about hapkido we usually talk about two tendencies: one hard and linear, and the other more circular and fluid. Its founder, Grandmaster Choi Young Sool, was born in 1904 and died in 1986. Despite the fact that Grandmaster Choi was one of the people who most influenced the collection and structuring, under a single format, of traditional Chinese arts, Korean and Japanese, few were the people who recognized his work in life, even among his own students and in Korea itself. This was due, above all, to disputes between several of his direct disciples.

Hapkido at a strategic and philosophical level is defensive; Regarding its technical-tactical application, the following 3 combat distances are used:

1. The long distance or use of the legs, where kicks are used, in combination and in jump.

2. The average distance or use of the hands, where punches, open hand blows, blocks, checks, deflections, traps and locks are used.

3. The short distance or "melee" both standing and on the ground, where projections, dislocations, immobilizations and strangulations are used.

Today there are many variants of hapkido and more than a dozen federations, associations, organizations and governing bodies. Some variants have produced forms (hyung in Korean or katas in Japanese) to codify and preserve the numerous techniques and fundamentals of the art, others emphasize the use of high kicks (including combinations, jumps and aerial kicks) and others in handling traditional weapons. Some instructors have added even more techniques from Japanese kickboxing or even various techniques from Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) following the hybrid nature of the evolution of art, to complement it.

History

Background

Over the past 2000 years, Korean society, in pursuit of its national identity and based on different Chinese and Japanese martial arts, has developed various martial arts systems and disciplines (ho sin sul or "defense techniques" in Korean) that arose from hundreds of years of invasions and trade between Korea and its neighboring countries (China and Japan).

In the Korean peninsula, Buddhist monks and Taoist scholars from China were the first to spread some styles of Chinese martial arts or Kung fu which included open hand strikes, kicks, as well as various locks and throws, when considering non-lethal combat alternatives, in accordance with their beliefs. It is believed that some of these monks passed down their techniques to some of the aristocratic families of Korean society, as the monks and scholars were in charge of their education. During the period of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) in Korea there was a massive shift from the Buddhist religion to the more conservative neo-Confucianism and since then martial arts began to lose their importance and were almost abolished in favor of academia, the art, music, literature and poetry. Looking for a peaceful, hard-working, harmonious and honest society. So, only some martial practices continued in secret, while many others fell into oblivion over the years.

Following the end of the Joseon Dynasty came the dramatic Japanese occupation of Korea, beginning in 1910 and lasting thirty-five years until the end of World War II in 1945.

During the colonial period under Japanese control, Korea experienced a process of forced assimilation of the Japanese, denying it, even the use of the Korean language, the use of its traditional clothing or the preservation of its own culture, including of course the Classical Korean martial arts such as folk martial dance or taekyon, subak and kwon bup (Chinese boxing techniques adopted into Korean culture), ssirum (hand-to-hand fighting), si pal ki (armed and unarmed combat), the Kik sul, and others. The only martial arts that were allowed were Japanese Judo, Karate-Do and Kendo. It was not until the end of World War II, in 1945 and with the surrender of Japan, when the US freed Korea from occupation, that the practice of any martial art in that country was again legalized. The modern martial arts that developed in the Korean peninsula, after the end of the occupation and with a marked technical-tactical influence of the aforementioned Japanese martial arts, were: taekwondo, tang soo do, hapkido and hapkumdo (fencing).

Other arts such as taekkyon, kuk sul, sipalki, "subak", &# 34;ssyrum" and hwa rang do developed centuries before, and are therefore considered classical Korean martial arts.

Even today, there are many instructors who maintain, out of devotion to their teachers or out of affinity with the immense nationalistic pride of the Korean people, that hapkido is traditional and very old. However, it is known that this method was structured by its founding teachers in the mid-20th century, between 1951 and 1959, during and after the Korean War (1950-1953).

The hapkido, in its beginnings, was destined to end the life of the adversaries because, due to the Korean War (1950-1953), it was necessary to prepare quickly and put aside the entire philosophy of traditional martial arts from which the different techniques are derived. Peace was achieved after the signing of the Armistice at Panmunjong and over the years, some masters have sought to return and revive the philosophy of "hapki"/ & #34;Aiki" under a Taoist approach, which would lead the art of hapkido to follow a much clearer philosophy. A true path, towards the search for the preservation of harmony with our society, with our family and with ourselves.

Origin and development

Photograph by the master of daitō-ryū aiki-jūjutsu Sōkaku Takeda in 1888

Great Masters Ji Han Jae (left) and Choi Yong Sul (right).

Although no one disputes the Japanese and native origins of hapkido, there is some controversy regarding who structured it methodologically taking into account what is known today as hapkido traditional. In this sense, there are two key people to whom the consolidation of this martial art is usually attributed. The first is Grandmaster Choi Yong Sul (1904-1986), who brought to Korea the knowledge of daitō-ryū aiki-jūjutsu (known at the time as a style of yawara or traditional jujutsu) learned by Choi in Japan. The second key person who consolidated and promoted this martial art also in the West is Ji Han Jae, one of Choi Yong Sul's first and oldest students.

The founder, Grandmaster Choi Yong Sul

Grandmaster Choi Yong Sul (1904-1986) was born in Chungbuk, Korea. In 1912, at the age of eight and during the Japanese occupation of Korea, Choi was brought to Japan by a Japanese candy wholesaler; Ogichi Yamada, who was returning to his home country. Choi Young Sul was an orphan and the (apparently informal) adoption attempt by Yamada and his wife did not work out. After spending three years living with them, and due to Choi's difficult character; the Yamadas abandoned him, with some nostalgia, in a Zen Buddhist temple. The young Choi spent two years living in the temple under the care of the monk Kintaro Wadanabi, but Choi's restless way of being was not the most appropriate to follow a religious and peaceful life, so the monk who took care of him asked him what What did you want to do in life? The young Choi, already thirteen years old, pointed towards the images of warriors that covered the walls of the temple. At that time many of the samurai warriors, following the ancient traditions, made annual pilgrimages throughout Japan to give thanks and improve their skills. During these trips they would visit local temples to offer prayers and donations. On one of these occasions, the monk handed Choi over as a serf to a feudal lord and samurai he knew; Master Sōkaku Takeda, who was the leader of the feudal clan of the Takeda family. Master Sokaku Takeda resided in Daitō castle and was the last heir master of the martial tradition (or soke) of the art of daitō-ryū aiki-jūjutsu, being the only heir to the thirty-seventh generation (37) of the art and also a master of classical Japanese fencing, or kenjutsu, of the ona-ha itto-ryu kenjutsu style.

The year was 1917 and Master Sōkaku Takeda, seeing that he could not educate an exiled Korean boy before the elite of the kuge nobles or the samurai warriors of his clan, made Choi adopt the name "Asao Yoshida" given by his first adoptive father in Japan and forbade him to use Korean language and customs so that he would not be discriminated against by his peers. With time, obedience, a lot of effort and great sacrifice, Asao Yoshida earned the appreciation of the Takeda family and his teacher, whom he accompanied in numerous exhibitions and combats on his tours throughout the country witnessing several of the numerous challenges that were made to him. various mercenaries, or masterless samurai (ronin) and other samurai warriors. During World War II (1939-1945), Master Sōkaku Takeda and Asao Yoshida were employed by the Japanese Imperial Army in capturing numerous army deserters and bandits, who were hiding and abounding in the mountains of Japan. Choi came to consider Master Sōkaku Takeda as his surrogate father (referring to him in this way in various interviews) even years after the famous daitō-ryū aiki-jūjutsu master passed away.

After the death of the Soke (hereditary master) Takeda in 1943 (according to Choi, the master Sōkaku Takeda died voluntarily of starvation, due to the shame he felt because Japan was losing the war) and after the end of World War II in 1945, Asao Yoshida returned to his native Korea, specifically to the city of Daegu (North Gyeongsang Province), re-adopting his Korean name or "Choi Yong Sul". In Korea he started a new life raising pigs, and dedicating himself to farm work. In his region there was a brewery, which gave the discarded remains of peat to feed the pigs and when they distributed the animal feed, because the brewery used water from a nearby well, and since there were no aqueduct networks at that time., there were always arguments between the various breeders, as some offered to bring water from the well, losing their place in line. One day because of this there was a fight in the factory during which the manager in charge of the factory noticed how Choi easily got rid of his adversaries. After requesting to see him in his office, the manager asked Choi to teach his techniques to his son, who was the manager in charge and who was called Seo Bok-Seob (and who was practicing Judo at the time, even though he was already a 1 dan).), becoming one of Choi's first disciples and later one of the first Hapkido masters. Since then, Choi and Seo began to develop a self-defense method based on the combination of the classical martial art of daitō-ryū aiki-jūjutsu from Japan, the then traditional martial art of Judo, along with the techniques of Korean martial dance, or taekkyon, which is noted for its numerous kicking, foot-catching, and sweeping techniques. He initially called this new system Yu Kwon Sul and eventually, his disciples called it & # 34; hapkido & # 34; .

Grandmaster Seo Bok Seob

Seo Bok-seob or Suh Bok Sup, was the first to learn the teachings of Grand Master Choi Yong Sul, with whom he founded the first dochang of the art in 1951, called daehan hapki yu kwon sool (대한 합기 유권술 도장), in Daegu, South Korea. This occurred after he watched Grandmaster Choi successfully defend himself around the Seo Brewing Company. After the incident, Seo and other factory workers set up a training room or dochang in a warehouse, where they began training.

Since Grandmaster Seo came from a wealthy and politically active family in his region, he was given an excellent education, even graduating from a prestigious university in Japan as an exchange student. Which was not possible but for few in his time. Under the Japanese occupation (1910-1935) he studied the then Japanese martial art of Judo and even managed to obtain his first (1) Dan black belt degree, under the Korean master Yong Ho Choi at a very young age. Grandmaster Seo, as a member of a wealthy family, was given positions of authority from a young age, and he became the founder and director of a rice wine distillery. Grandmaster Seo's father, was a congressman in the new Korea after the war, and employed Grandmaster Choi, and other early practitioners of hapkido as his bodyguard.

Grandmaster Seo was the one who designed the first symbol used for hapkido, which consisted of two arrow heads meeting inside a circle; the circle means the universe, within the universe is man, the arrows mean union, the encounter between opposites, between hard and soft, ying and yang, all in a cycle of change and constant balance or harmony. This emblem is still in use in the Korea Kido Association, the World kido Association, the World Hapkido Federation, and the Korea Hapkido Jung Sool Kwan Association. Likewise, Grand Master Seo incorporated into hapkido numerous projection techniques (nage-waza), ground fighting techniques (ne-waza), joint dislocation techniques (kansetsu-waza), in addition to various strangulation techniques "(shime-waza), from the then Japanese martial art of Judo, which he had practiced in his youth.

Grandmaster Seo claims that he and Grandmaster Choi had agreed to shorten the name of the art from hapki yu kwon sool to "hapkido" in 1959.

Years later, Grandmaster Seo would dedicate himself completely to traditional oriental medicine, becoming a university professor in Seoul in sports massage and osteopathy (manual therapy).

It is important to note that Grandmaster Ji Han Jae was a student of both Grandmaster Choi and Grandmaster Seo Bok Seob, who had a higher degree than him, being his superior in the "dojang".

Grandmaster Ji Han Jae

The great master Ji Han Jae, founder of Sin Moo Hapkido

Ji Han Jae was born in An Dong, Korea, in 1936. At age 3, he fled to China with his family, leaving occupied Korea. After World War II (1939-1945) after the liberation of Korea, Ji returned with his family to his native country. At the age of 13 in 1949 Ji moved to the city of Taeguk to attend high school. His family lived right next to Grandmaster Choi Yong Sul's house and he began attending his yawara / daitō-ryū aiki-jūjutsu classes. Ji remembers that the classes were very hard, but he endured the training. After several years Choi appointed Ji as his first assistant and she was awarded a black belt in the hapki yu kwon sul system, structured by Choi.

Ji Han Jae finished his studies in 1956 and moved to his hometown An Dong, there he continued his training in martial arts under the Taoist scholar Lee in what he called the art of sam rang do tek gi (the path of love/universal contemplation), this art included Taekkyon (kicks, takedowns, punches), bong sul techniques (techniques with long sticks and, medium and short) as well as Taoist meditation. Subsequently, Ji opened his first martial arts school in An Dong which he named An Moo Kwan. There he taught hapki yu kwon sul being his most outstanding student in this period Oh Se Lin , currently President of the Korea Hapkido Federation.

Over time, Ji developed extremely complex kicking techniques, training himself by placing chickpeas in a sock that he tied with a string and hung from the ceiling, using the sock to practice kicking focus, incorporating back flips with roundhouse kicks and again. In that year Ji devised the circular kick with a 360º turn that would revolutionize martial arts, he called it dwi dora chagui and soon taekwondo schools incorporated it, just as in the 70s Bruce Lee would make it famous in his movies. In September 1957 Ji decided to try his luck and went to Seoul. There she founded her second school in Ma Jang Dong district, she named it Sung Moo Kwan. This school was the most important, where she would develop the current modern hapkido program. In it she Ji perfected the teachings she received in Yu Kwon Sul from Grandmaster Choi Yong Sul and the sam rang do tek gi from Taoist scholar Lee. Initially, Ji had few students, who were mainly from Han Yang University, and they had little money.

One day Lee Yung Sung, a well-known gangster from the Ma Jang Dong district (where Sung Moo Kwan School was located), went to Ji's school to challenge him. He grabbed his Black Belt from a shelf and tossed it at his feet. Ji, angered by the affront, gave him an elbow pin with his left armpit, stepped behind him and continued with the elbow pin, subduing him. Lee didn't say anything, just walked away. After this incident, gangster Lee respected Ji Han Jae's techniques and sent about thirty of his followers to enroll in the school. The most notable students of this school were: Hwan Dok Kyu (current President of the Korea Hapkido Association) and Myung Kwan Shik (President of the World Hapkido Federation).

Ji's situation began to improve and in 1958 he moved his school to the Jung Bu Shi Jang district. In this period of time, his outstanding students were: Han Bong Soo (Pte. Of the International Hapkido Association) and Myung Jae Nam (Pte. Of the International Hapkido Federation).

It was in 1959 when Ji decided to change the name from hapki yu kwon sul to "hapkido". The reasons were as follows: he had enriched Grandmaster Choi's style with sam rang do tek gi techniques learned from Taoist scholar Lee, which included taekkyon (kicks, punches, takedowns), moo gui sul techniques (traditional weapons) and the mukyon (ki techniques), organizing the progression in empty hand techniques. Although Ji Han Jae began by instructing the art under the name hapki yu kwan sul, Ji liked to use the word "do", thus removing the word "sul", because do means 'way of living' and sul 'techniques'. So he decided to name his style definitively hapkido. Ji chose the symbol of an eagle catching an arrow in the air as a graphic representation of hapkido, since this art seeks, mainly, to use the traps to neutralize the different attacks or aggressions of the adversary, this being the basis of techniques. Thus the eagle catching the arrow represents the original schools of hapkido descendants of the teachings of today's Grandmaster Ji Han Jae.

In 1961, Grandmaster Kim Moo Wong, a friend of Ji's and also a student of Choi's, trained for 8 months at Ji's Sung Moo Kwan school. Kim was an excellent kicker and for a long time he was looking for new styles of kicks, he was practicing and perfecting them with his friend Ji Han Jae at his school. It was during this time that hapkido kicks were defined, these are the same as those practiced today, except in the Sin Moo Hapkido schools, as Ji Han Jae further evolved the kicking techniques. I hit in the 80's.

In 1962, Ji moved to the Kwan Chul Dong district, where the military academy was located. In that year the wife of the President of Korea (General Park) is assassinated, the President was afraid and decided to focus on her safety. Ji's Sung Moo Kwan school was well known and particularly 'tough'. Ji was requested by Major Lee Dong Nam, for an exhibition and demonstrate his techniques at the Military Academy before the Supreme Military Council. Ji was immediately hired by the government and appointed Chief Instructor of the security guard of the President of Korea (General Park Chung Hee), receiving direct training from his 300 bodyguards, this position he held for 19 years, until 1979.

In 1963, Ji Han Jae was 27 years old, that year the import embargo from Japan was lifted and one of the first books in Japanese on the traditional martial art of Aikido, called Aikido - The arts of self defense (Aikido - The arts of personal defense) published in 1957 by one of the most famous students of the O-Sensei (or Grand Master) Morihei Ueshiba, called Koichi Tohei. Grandmaster Ji noticed that the Chinese ideograms were the same for Hapkido as for Aikido and only the pronunciation was different. Isolated in Korea at the time, Ji was unaware that a previous traditional style called Aikido already existed and because Japan was still viewed with resentment in Korea, due to the recent end of the Japanese invasion (1910-1945) of the country. Ji did not approve of using the same name as the Japanese style, so he dropped the "hap" and for a short time called his art "kido".

Taking advantage of his political influence, he decided to create an organization that would represent the Korean martial arts, thus founding the Korea Kido Association to supervise and standardize the teachings and requirements of the black belts of the different classical and modern arts, Taekwondo was already considered as the national sport, and had its own organization. The Korea KiDo Association currently brings together more than 40 variations of different traditional and modern martial arts. As a sign of respect to his first master, Ji offers the presidency of the new organization to Grandmaster Choi, but despite Ji being one of the founders, Choi appointed Kim Yung Jung (his right-hand man) as general secretary instead of chili pepper. This did not please Ji nor did the students who were training at Sung Moo Kwan (Ji's school) under the name "hapkido". These students also said that they did not like the new name "kido" and that they would continue to name their art "hapkido", since that they did not feel the same way about the new name "kido" and were not concerned that there was a previous Japanese art whose name was similar. For them the two arts were not related and the students who practiced it assiduously did not need to change the name. And they did not cease in their efforts. For all these reasons and at the suggestion of Park Jong Kyu (3rd Degree, President's Head of Security), Ji left the Korea KiDo Association and in 1965 founded the Korea Hapkido Association. The Korea Hapkido Association mainly focused on the safety of President Park and in 1967 the association sent 50 members in exhibition teams to Vietnam, some of these being Myung Kwang Shik, Han Bong Soo, Jung Won Sun and Ji Han Jae. The team demonstrated various hapkido techniques to Korean, American and Vietnamese troops. All Korean soldiers were trained in military Taekwondo at that time and with these exhibitions they were quite impressed by the effectiveness of hapkido, which soon also began to form part of the teaching of the special forces of the Korean army, the so-called "Korean Tigers".

Ji Han Jae currently resides in the United States and his organization Sin Moo Hapkido has its dochang headquarters in Switzerland and has representatives in Europe, Asia and other continents.

Grandmaster Hwang In Shik

Hwang In-Shik, was born on September 13, 1940, in Sunch'ŏn, north of Pyongyang in what is now North Korea, he and his family moved to Seoul in his childhood, and there It was where he began his practice of martial arts; first in tangsudo, and at the age of 13 with hapkido. He was a student of Grandmaster Kim Yong-Jin and Grandmaster Choi, he got his black belt at the age of 16 and was taken to the Korea Hapkido Association, chaired at that time by Grandmaster Ji Han Jae, at this time Hwang He was recognized for his great ability to kick. In 1976 he was given the seventh Dan degree by the Korea Hapkido Association & # 34; Dae Han Min Gook Hapkido Hyub Hwe & # 34; (Republic of Korea Hapkido Association), during that time he was a well-known teacher of the art.

In 1972, with the rise of Hong Kong action movies, Chinese producers and their stars went to train at the Korean Hapkido Association, seeking more daring and exciting techniques for the big screen. Both Ji Han Jae and Hwang In Shik starred in several movies made in Hong Kong, and some in Korea. Later, Grandmaster Hwang would star in the series of famous films "The Young Master", with Jackie Chan, where he shows his great skills both with his legs, as well as in techniques and counter-techniques of multiple dislocations, developed in the Original hapkido from the Japanese daitō-ryū aiki-jūjutsu in which he especially excelled.

In 1976, Grandmaster Hwang begins a new life in Canada, where he raises his own family, opening a dochang in Danforth, Toronto; where he continues to teach and train daily. Very few students, personally graduated by Grandmaster Hwang, are living and remain.

Grandmaster Hwang, despite remaining independent of any association or federation, supports the World Hapkido Association, having participated in seminars and various events that have been held in the US, Norway, Brazil and Lanzarote.

Grandmaster Bong Soo Han

Bong soo Han or Han Bong Soo (August 25, 1933 – January 8, 2007), is known as the father of hapkido in the US. He was a martial arts instructor, writer, and The founder of the International HapKido Federation, Han was born in Incheon, South Korea. He began studying hapkido under Grandmaster Choi in his teens. During the Japanese occupation of Korea (1910-1945) all school-age children were required to read, write, and speak Japanese; additionally they were taught the martial arts of judo, or kendo. Han studied these disciplines intensively from 1943 to 1945.

From 1948 to 1950, Han studied Korean Kempo or kwon bup, which was a mixture of Chinese boxing or Kung-Fu/Chuan Fa methods. . He later studied shudokan-style karate, earning his first dan black belt under Korean Master Byung In Yoon. The teachings of Master Yoon and his students led to the development of one of the first schools of 'kong soo do'. This being one of the schools (along with the chang moo kwan, jido kwan and a few other schools) that helped form the style that is now known as WTF Taekwondo.

After seeing a demonstration by Grandmaster Choi Yong Sul, Han began his training in hapkido. However, in the 1950s, Han would meet other martial arts instructors to train and exchange ideas, even traveling to the city of Hwa Chun, in Kang Won province, where he trained in the classical Korean art of Taekkyon. , under Grandmaster Bok Yong Lee.

Since Han was a native of Seoul, and one of Grandmaster Choi's oldest students, he assisted him in promoting the first hapkido school in the country's capital. Later in 1959, Han opened his own dochang, in Samgangji, Seoul. Han became one of the top teachers in the newly created Korea Hapkido Association, and taught many high-ranking people in the Korean military and presidential guard. He eventually was chosen to teach martial arts to the US military at the air force military base in Osan City, teaching there for 6 years.

In 1967, during the final years of the Vietnam War (1955-1975), he taught Korean self-defense (Hoo Sin Sool in Korean) to hundreds of Korean servicemen and was part of the Korean Hapkido Association demonstration.

In late 1967, Han immigrated to the US, first staying with a friend, teaching hapkido at Choi's Hapkido School in California. And then he opened his own school in Los Angeles in 1968. His early years were very hard, during the day he worked as a factory worker and at night he taught.

On July 4, 1969, Grandmaster Bong Soo Han was giving a hapkido demonstration in a park in Pacific Palisades, California. In the audience was actor Tom Laughlin; who approached the Grand Master to convince him to be part of his film project; the movie "Billy Jack". Due to the scenes in this movie, Grandmaster Han gained worldwide fame by making hapkido known.

Grandmaster Han continued to make and direct choreographies in action movies throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Grandmaster Han has been on the cover of various magazines and newspaper articles. He has been inducted in the Hall of Fame since 1978. He has published numerous articles, and is the author of the book Hapkido, The Korean Art of Self-Defense. ), which was published by Ohara Publications in 1974 and is already in its twenty-third (23) reprint. Also a few months before he passed away he completed a series of 10 DVDs on hapkido.

Grandmaster Kwang Sik Myung

Myung Kwang-Sik was born in North Korea, but lived in Seoul during his childhood. There during the years of the Japanese occupation, in 1948 at the age of 7 he began his training in martial arts under his uncle who taught him the basics of the art of the Japanese sword or Kendo; already in high school he began the practice of judo. However, since he was weak and short in stature at the time, he felt he had an advantage in judo and supplemented it with tangsudo , three times a week. At 15 he was awarded a black belt in tangsudo . Likewise he also began his studies in acupuncture and oriental calligraphy. He also studied yoga, which he stated: "Although it's not a martial art, it's good for martial artists," and did some western boxing.

Grandmaster Myung began his hapkido training with Ji Han Jae in Seoul in 1957, where he practiced with other well-known teachers and instructors such as: Hwang Duk-Kyu, who later became president of Korea Hapkido Association, Lee Tae-Joon, Kang Jong-Soo, Kim Yong-Jin and Kim Yong-Whan. Much later, he received lessons from Grandmaster Choi Yong-Sul. He graduated from Sung Kyon Kwon University in Commerce.

In 1967, the Korean Hapkido Association sent 14 of its demonstration team members, including Grandmaster Myung, to Vietnam to demonstrate and teach the art to US and Vietnamese troops.

In 1968, Grandmaster Myung published the 254-page book Hapkido in the Korean language, at the age of 27.^{[citation needed]} In 1976, KOREAN Hapkido - ANCIENT OF MASTERS was published in English. In recognition, he was appointed director of the North Seoul branch of the Korea Hapkido Association.

Myung opened a school in the Sansunkyo district calling it "The Korea Hapkido Yon Mu Kwan Association". Myung emigrated to the US, in 1973, to the city of Cincinnati, Ohio. In December of that year, she moved to the city of Detroit, where she opened her first school of her own and formed the World Hapkido Association. In 1976, she published the 300-page English book called 'Hapkido – Art of Masters'.

In 1985 the name of the World Hapkido Association changed to the World Hapkido Federation. Around this time Myung sought to supplement his hapkido with a parallel program in taekwondo and introduced forms to be added to the existing syllabus. In 1986, Myung Kwang Sik was awarded 9th Dan (certificate number #85-001).

In 1997, Grandmaster Myung designed his association's uniform, based on the regalia of an ancient Korean dynasty.

In the 2000s, Grandmaster Myung was in a car accident, which left him confined to a wheelchair; but against all odds he was rehabilitated in 2006. Likewise, he decided to leave the direction of the World Hapkido Federation in the hands of his son, Master Roe Jai Myung.

Grandmaster Kwang Sik Myung passed away on July 19, 2009.

The hapkido name

The ideograms that represent the word hapkido are the same as those of the traditional Japanese martial art of aikido, differing only in pronunciation. This similarity in the ideograms is, on the one hand, the result of the common origin that these two martial arts have with the daitō-ryū aiki-jūjutsu regarding the ideograms "hapki&# 34; and "aiki", and, on the other hand, it is the result of chance regarding the inclusion of the ideogram "do&# 34; in the name of the two martial arts, since, although both martial arts have common technical and tactical bases, they were not related until years after they were founded.

Hapkido:
Hap. (union), ki (energy) and do. (road).

When we talk about "hap" we do it referring to the union or joining something, when we talk about "ki" we do it referring to the energy that makes everything exist and move, and when we talk about "do" we do it referring to the path that seeks to return to the tao philosophical, to communion with the absolute. Therefore, "hapkido" can also mean 'the way to join the energy to achieve harmony with those around us, with nature and with ourselves" 39;.

Grandmaster Ji Han Jae, claims to have been the first to introduce the name "hapkido" to Seoul in 1957. However, this is strongly disputed by the first student of Choi, Grandmaster Suh Bok Sup, who claims that he and Grandmaster Choi were already using the words "hapkido" when Choi opened his first dochang, in 1951. The greatest student of Korean martial arts, Dr. Kim He-Young, after years of research tells us the following by way of metaphor:

We can approach the two positions by saying that the founder master Yong Sul Choi lit up the phosphorus, but who caused the fire that made known the hapkido massively in Korea, was his disciple Ji Han Jae.

From this last metaphor, it can be concluded that Ji Han Jae was the expansive engine and great diffuser of hapkido in Korea and, perhaps, it could be true that he was the one who first called it as such and therefore, being its founder, especially if one takes into account that Ji Han Jae added new techniques to this modern martial art. However, regardless of who was the first to use the name hapkido, what is obvious is that both Grandmaster Choi Yong Sul and Master Ji Han Jae have been the two characters keys in the development of hapkido. The first for laying the initial technical foundations of this martial art and the second for disseminating and enriching them with other new techniques (traditional weapons, energy emission and capture techniques or ki, meditation, and innovative kicks).

KUPS degrees according to the Universal Hapki-do DEAMYDC

The Universal Hapki-do discipline DEAMYDC (U.H.D.) of the Spanish Department of Martial Arts and Contact Sports DEAMYDC, is a discipline that has united several more and less known disciplines of Hapki-do to practice it universally.

Kups degrees are the most basic degrees of Hapki-do. They follow a reverse numbering, so a student who has just started practicing Hapki-do will hold the 10th kup, while a student who is about to obtain a black belt (1st DAN) will have the 1st kup. Although the grades were also borrowed from Korean Taekwon-do, the belt grade system was first introduced in Judo at the beginning of the 20th century.

The Spanish Department of Martial Arts and Contact Sports DEAMYDC is an entity, which has a National scope, being registered in Spain in the Ministry of the Interior with the National Registry No. 607.327, as well as being recognized by the Federation Spanish Martial Arts and Contact Sports FEAMYDC.

At U.H.D. the belts ordered from most inexperienced to most experienced are:

Color	Graduation	Description Universal Hapki-do DEAMYDC (U.H.D.)	Porting
	White belt	White: This color symbolizes innocence, the beginning of the practitioner on the Hapki-do road. Fé. Requires a minimum of 3 months of porting	3 months
	White belt... Yellow	White-talk: This combination symbolizes innocence at the beginning of the practitioner on the Hapki-do road and in turn sees the small flashes of sunlight. It requires a minimum of 3 months of porting. (Sixteen years old)	3 months
	Yellow belt	Yellow: This color symbolizes the small flashes of the inner light that want to cover the entire land of the Hapki-do world. Education. It requires a minimum of 3 months of porting.	3 months
	Yellow-Naranja belt	Yellow- Orange: This combination symbolizes that small beams of light begin to cover the fertile land, where a new seed will be planted that will spring up as a future plant. It requires a minimum of 4 months of porting. (Sixteen years old)	4 months
	Orange belt	Orange: This color symbolizes the fertile land, where a new seed will be planted that will spring as a future plant. Admiral. It requires a minimum of 5 months of porting.	4 months
	Orange-Verde Belt	Orange-Verde: This combination symbolizes the seed of the Hapki-do, sown in the practitioner. It requires a minimum of 5 months of porting. (Sixteen years old)	5 months
	Green belt	Green: This combination symbolizes the germination of the seed, as a new plant. Moral. It requires a minimum of 7 months of porting.	7 months
	Green Belt-Azul	Green-Azul: This color symbolizes the growth of the plant, as the skills in the Hapki-do begin to develop. It requires a minimum of 8 months of porting. (Sixteen years old)	8 months
	Blue belt	Blue: It symbolizes Heaven, to which the plant grows to become a mature tree, as knowledge in Hapki-do progresses. Over. Requires a minimum of 9 months of porting	9 months
	Blue-brown belt	Blue-brown: This combination symbolizes the first fruits that the tree begins to give, which are the fruits achieved in the learning of the Hapki-do. It requires a minimum of 11 months of portion. (Sixteen years old)	11 months
	Brown belt	Brown: This color symbolizes the danger. It is the stage in which the student must learn to handle caution to measure his strength against his opponents. At the same time, it tells its opponents to stay away, due to the maturity of their knowledge. Another meaning is the fruit harvested from the Hapki-do tree. Dedication. It requires a minimum of 11 months of portion.	11 months
	Black-red belt	Black-red: This color symbolizes the maturity of the practitioner as to his competition in the Hapki-do. It is completely the opposite of the white color although it has the red to be smaller. A representation that has black, is in coal, for its hardness and simplicity, which can burn to generate energy or disintegrate to write its story, united to the red color of danger of minor. It also represents the impermeability of its carrier, fear and darkness. It takes 1 year of porting. (Sixteen years old)	1 year
	Black Belt 1o Dan	Black 1o Dan: This color symbolizes the maturity of the practitioner in terms of his competence to impart teaching in the Hapki-do. It is completely the opposite of the white color. A representation that has black is in coal, for its hardness and simplicity, which can burn to generate energy or disintegrate to write its story. It also represents the impermeability of its carrier, fear and darkness. Continuity. It takes 1 year of porting.	1 year
	Black-red belt 2o Pum	Black-red 2o Pum: One more degree of knowledge within that principle of non-fear within the Hapki-do, although it is a black infant belt since it cannot perform the combats in the exams. It takes 1 year of porting. (Sixteen years old)	1 year
	Black belt 2o Dan	Black 2nd Dan: The color symbolizes maturity in martial art and the two stripes symbolize the age of such maturity. Fidelity. It takes 1 year of porting.	1 year
	Black-red belt 3o Pum	Black-red 3o Pum: Last grade difficultly achieved by few minors, since it requires having started very young within the Hapki-do world. He rewards that martial career with a more and more experienced degree within the Hapki-do with his short age. It takes 2 years of porting. (Sixteen years old)	2 years
	Black belt 3o Dan	Black 3rd Dan: The color symbolizes the maturity in the Hapki-do, and the three stripes symbolize the sportsman's effort. Effort. It takes 2 years of porting.	2 years
	Black Belt 4o Dan	Black 4o Dan: Few martial artists arrive at this level, they tend to stay on the road, as it is a hard and difficult way. Awesome. It takes 3 years of porting.	3 years
	Black 5o Dan belt	Black 5o Dan: It is the last step of the Hapki-do road, given that it is the last level on which the athlete should be examined. Great. It takes 4 years of porting.	4 years
	Black belt 6o Dan	Black 6th Dan: It is the first degree that is delivered by the sports merits of the martial artist. Yang. It takes 5 years of porting.	5 years
	Black Belt 7o Dan	Black 7th Dan: It is the second degree that is granted on the part of the federation. Devotion. It takes 6 years of porting.	6 years
	8o Dan Black Belt	Black 8o Dan: It is the third degree given by sporting merits, at this level, still one realizes that much can be learned from his students, having fulfilled almost a life in the Hapki-do. Implemented. It takes 7 years of porting.	7 years
	9o Dan Black Belt:	Black 9th Dan: It is the last title that is given in an honorary form, therefore it is the maximum graduation of FEAMYDC to which a Hapki-do practitioner can aspire in life.	to death

The training

The strength, speed, resistance and flexibility, and the physical adaptations necessary for the execution of the different techniques of hapkido are developed with training. Although it is advisable to work in parallel, through self-loading exercises (calisthenics and military gymnastics); the resistance strength of the trunk, legs, arms and hands, as well as developing a high degree of flexibility and elasticity of the joint range, as a basis for developing the explosive force necessary for an optimal execution of the different techniques. The attitude in training is, perhaps, the most important part of learning, since the student who does not make an effort or trains enough may end up knowing many techniques, but will never know how to apply the fundamentals of these.

According to the representatives of the Korean Hapkido Federation / The Korea Hapkido Federation (KHF), the objectives of training in hapkido are:

One. Acquiring skills in personal defense.

Two. Protect the family.

3o. Protect the community.

Four. Serve the nation.

Due to the great influence of Son Buddhism (Zen Buddhism in Japanese) in Korea (Buddhism reached the Korean peninsula in the 4th century), hapkido is developed and practiced in a dochang (hangul: 도장; hanja: 道場; McCune-Reischauer: dochang; revised romanization: dojang ). Do not confuse the dochang with a simple gym for combat sports, since deep down it represents much more, being the place where the cultivation of the body, mind and spirit is sought, and where the philosophy and knowledge transmitted by the great masters are revered. The symbols of the school or federation are placed on the front of the dochang and next to the flag(s) of South Korea and/or the country where the discipline is being practiced (sometimes also usually puts the federation). The dobok is the name given to the traditional uniform that is usually worn to practice hapkido.

Before entering the dochang, the student must greet the symbols and the teacher with a bow, in that order and as a symbol of respect. A student should not enter the dochang until the teacher returns the greeting with another bow, a gesture with which he would be giving permission to enter. In the teacher's absence, the student may bow to the highest ranking student in the dochang. Once inside, the student must greet all the classmates who are in the dochang and, when they are all inside, the teacher -or in his case the instructor- proceeds to start the training.

The methods and means of training may vary depending on the school or federation. However, a session usually lasts one hour and thirty minutes, and consists of:

• 1. Initial warming: This consists of a short, gradual but intense cardiovascular exercise; in order to increase the body temperature and prepare it to prevent possible injuries when performing the different techniques. This initial warming is done by means of unarmed military gymnastics, where they predominate: the articular mobility, the trot (in front, back and side), sprints shorts, zigzag movements, lay down, stretches, jumps and fall techniques. Both these warm-up exercises and some of those that come after (the techniques that are made in formation, the greeting between students and the position of combat) are done, in each movement, after the teacher's indication - or in his case the instructor- through a shout or a word, in order for the students to do these movements at the same time as a means of training the reflections. This initial warming is completed for training.

Students hapkido in training being corrected by an instructor within the dochang.

• 2. Training: this consists of the orderly distribution of the hapkidokas inside dochang for the correct realization of the different techniques that are made in formation. The distribution, as seen in the photo on the right, is made by rows, forming a square or rectangle and being each hapkidoka equidistant with the one standing in front, behind and on its sides (if any). The position of the students and the realization of the exercises in the rows is always looking at the symbols. In the photo, for example, students are behind them, but that happens when, due to the different exercises, the belt is bleeding or the belt is bleeding. dobok it is unjusted, and it is necessary to readjust them, turning back to symbols for respect. The turn that is made within the formation to make these readjustments is called shooting tora in Korean. The teacher (or in his case the instructor) is the one who teaches the class and teaches the philosophy and the various techniques learned from his teacher, being the one closest to the symbols, placing himself in the center, behind them and looking at the students (the teacher - or in his case the instructor- only looks at the symbols at the time of greeting and ritual farewell). Order in the positions of the hapkidokas within the different rows is made from greater to lower range of belts and within each range or color are ordered from greater to less veteran or level of experience acquired. The ranges by belts, like most traditional and modern martial arts, do so by following the model kyu-dan (o) gup-dan) originated in the Japanese judo, with differences in some colors (to know the different ranges or colors see the term dobok).
  The distribution of the different rows within the dochangas well as the sense of order hapkidokas within them, they may differ depending on each federation or school. However, the most traditional distribution is the one shown in the photo (remember that in the photo the students are turned 180o), that is, (view from someone looking towards the symbols) the order of the students within the rows is from left to right and that of the rows from front to back, being the pupil of the highest rank (not counting the teacher or the instructor) the one that stands in front of the left, the next (Completed the first row, the next student starts the second and is placed behind the higher-ranking student, the next to the right of that and so on, being placed the lower-level student in the row further away from the symbols and, within the row, in the position more to the right. After the distribution of the pupils is complete, the teacher, or the instructor, orders the realization of the ritual greeting.

• 3. The ritual greeting: this consists of the greeting that all students do, at the same time and with reverences (from the position of "firm" or of care called chariot), towards the symbols and the master himself - or in his case the instructor-. This greeting is made as a symbol of respect at the time of beginning the realization of the techniques. It should be noted that if any student, for whatever reason, is within dochang but it is not in formation (because it is exercising apart, for example), it must also do the ritual greeting from where it is. The greeting is made to meditation and specific warming.

• 4. Specific meditation and warming: this consists in the realization of a short meditation (for reasons of time) as an initial visualization and, finished this, in the execution of specific warming exercises. The latter consist of performing elongation and stretching exercises through calistenia, where rotations of the joints (foot and sitting) and stretching are performed. These exercises are complemented by reflections, abdominal and lumbar. After these, it passes to the end of the warming.

• 5. Breathing techniques and active exercises: This part of the training consists of the realization of the breathing techniques of the danchen hohup and the execution of active intensive exercises (through different techniques of cuffs and techniques of simple kicks, all projected into the air).
  At the end of this part is when the formation is broken and all the warming is considered to be completed, passing a small three-minute break. The total warming duration (from point "1." to "5.") is approximately thirty minutes.

• 6. The techniques of kicking and combat exercises: this part of the training consists, on the one hand, in the realization and practice of all the techniques of kicking that possesses hapkido, techniques that are made in couple or group and using martial arts handplas, and, on the other hand, the realization of regulated combats. The best way to learn and perfect a leg technique is with repetition and continuous improvement, so dedicating time to this part of the training is important and more when learning is done with both legs. In the regulated combats it is where all the knowledge acquired by the student is put into practice during the days, months or years of training, while experience is acquired in the combat body to body. When practicing this type of technique and fighting among students, these, before beginning and at the end, always greet each other and at the same time (with a reverence) as a symbol of respect. Both for the realization of the different kicks and for the combat (regulated or not), always part, after the greeting, of a combat position. The time used for this part of the training is approximately thirty minutes. After completing the practice of these techniques, a three-minute break is done, and then passed to the last part of the training.

• 7. Locking techniques, blows, luxations and projections: this part of the training consists of the realization and technical-tactic practice of the different techniques of makki, chigui, kokki and donchigui. These techniques are learned with both hands and couples, and depending on the level, using or not traditional weapons. At the time of practice, students, before beginning and at the end, always greet each other and at the same time (with a reverence) as a symbol of respect. The best way to learn and perfect a technique of this type is, like with kicks, with repetition and continuous improvement, so dedicating time to this part of the training is also important. Generally, only teachers (from 4o dan black belt) can teach this type of techniques and the normal thing is that the student learns a technique per day of training. The techniques are associated with levels or range of belts and, as a level is exceeded (approving the corresponding examination), the techniques are more complex and combined. The use of traditional weapons is usually incorporated into the most advanced levels and the time used for this part of the training is approximately thirty minutes. After completing the practice of these techniques, the class is finished by doing the ritual farewell.

• 8. The ritual farewell: this consists of the reverences that all students do, at the same time (from the position of "firm" or of attention called chariot), towards the symbols and the teacher himself - or in his case the instructor-, as a symbol of respect at the time of completion of the training. It should be noted that if any student, for whatever reason, is within dochang but it is not in formation (because it is exercising apart, for example), it must also do the ritual greeting from where it is.

Before leaving the dochang, and as before entering, students must bow to the teacher -or the highest ranked student in the room- and to the symbols (in that order) as a symbol of respect.

Hapkido techniques

Instructor hapkido applying a luxation technique to the wrist or kokki sul (60s).

Hapkido is a hybrid discipline derived from other classical and traditional martial arts such as: The Japanese daitō-ryū aiki-jūjutsu (also the father of aikido), Judo (joint dislocations, retentions, strangulations, submissions and combat on the ground); Korean tangsudo (an art descended from Japanese karate-Do) in blocking and blows with the open hand and fist; Chinese kung fu in breathing techniques and energy projection ki and Taoist meditation; and also of the Korean dance and art of taekkyon in the different kicking techniques.

The way to apply the techniques in hapkido is divided into three categories:

• Empty hands against empty hands.

• Empty hands against weapon.

• Gun against gun.

hapkido is technically made up of about 270 techniques, which are the basis of the art. If we add their variants to these basic techniques, they add up to around 3,800. This total includes punching techniques (punching, slapping, and kicking), joint locks, projections, and handling of traditional weapons.

The renowned North American combat hapkido instructor and historian John Pellegrini, founder of the International Combat Hapkido Federation, states, however, that: "despite the fact that some instructors mistakenly claim that hapkido contains around 3600 techniques, including 120 different kicks, this was not the case at the beginning of the art". Likewise, Grandmaster Suh Bok Sup, who was the first student of founding Grandmaster Choi, states that the original system of hapkido, as taught by Master Choi, "covered only a few 100 self defense techniques".

Technical-tactical principles

There are three technical-tactical principles that any student of hapkido should consider when applying the different techniques. They are the following:

• The hwa (hangul: ▪ hanja: or principle of the Harmony: also called principle of the No resistance, this speaks that we must not oppose the strength or the energy of the adversary, but to do with it to use it for our own benefit.

• The yu (hangul:. hanja:)) or principle of water: this principle speaks of the need to penetrate the defense of the adversary in a fluid, flexible and changing way, to the similarity of the water.

• The won won won (hangul:. hanja:)) or principle of circle: this principle speaks that the strength of the adversary must be diverted, controlled and directed in the desired direction in the form of circles.

The Falls

In hapkido there are different falling techniques (nak bop in Korean), derived from Judo and Daito Ryu Aiki jujutsu, which help the student acquire dexterity in overcoming physical obstacles and in avoiding injury when a locking or throwing technique is applied to you. The different falls that exist in this martial art are:

• Koorugi or fall with semi-laced spin on the ground and, by inertia, standing again.
• Junbang or jump upward with fall from front where, as it falls, it is made in iron, with head turned to one side and legs open, contacting the floor only the arms, the palms of the hands and the tips of the feet.
• Hoobang or jump upwards with fall back from back where, as they fall, they only contact the floor the arms, the palms of the hands and the shoulder blades.
• Chukbang or jump upwards with fall on one side (left or right) where, upon falling, they only contact the ground, and at the same time, the arm, the hip and the outer part of the leg (semiflexionada).
• Woljang o Head jump in height upwards (to overcome a high physical obstacle) with semi-learning forward as you reach the ground and, by inertia, standing again.
• Molli koorugi o Head leap forward long distance (to overcome a physical obstacle with horizontal length) with semi-learning forward upon reaching the ground and, by inertia, standing again.
• Kong joong hoejun o leap with 270o turn in the air forward (demi-laced) and fall on one side (left or right) where, upon falling, they only contact the ground, and at the same time, the arm, the hip and the outer part of the leg (semi-flexed).

The nae gong

Due to the influence it had on the development of this martial art, both the daitō-ryū Aiki jujutsu and the sam rang do tek gi; hapkido develops what is known in Korean as nae gong (qui gong in Chinese). These are Chinese meditation and breathing techniques, associated with the Taoist tradition and "soft or internal" called nèijiā. The purpose of nae gong is, among others, to develop inner energy or ki. In the human body, according to these oriental arts, there are two manifestations of energy: one is external, which is limited and is given by physical capacities such as strength, resistance, speed and flexibility; The other energy is internal, which has no limits and is worked through the aforementioned techniques.

Meditation

Meditation (hangul: 선; hanja: 禪; McCune-Reischauer: sŏn; Revised romanization: seon) practiced in hapkido comes from the chan Buddhist school (known in Japan and the West as Zen Buddhism), which came to Korea from China. This is a variant of dhyana Buddhism that came from India, since, when it arrived in China, it was influenced by Taoism. Meditation in hapkido is done sitting down (hangul: 좌선; hanja: 坐禪; McCune-Reischauer: chwasŏn; revised romanization: jwaseon) and specifically in the kneeling position (hangul: 정좌; hanja: 正坐; McCune-Reischauer: chŏngjwa; revised romanization: jeongjwa) with the body fully relaxed. The position of the hands is on the thighs or, joined by the fingers in a circle and on the abdomen -at the level of the hypogastrium-.

One type of meditation that is used in training is the hohup jung joabup technique, which consists of a meditation with deep, slow breathing, with eyes closed and head forward. This meditation ends with a reverence towards the ground, resting your hands on it and in the same position in which you were (on your knees).

Breathing

In hapkido there are breathing techniques (danchen hohup in Korean) that are used to train, develop and project the vital flow of energy or ki . The position of the body to carry out these techniques goes through three states or positions: 1. A firm or attentive position, called chariot; 2. "set" called chumbi, which consists of separating the legs at shoulder height (displacing the left leg) and positioning the fists towards the front, at the level of the groin (without touching them); 3. danchen hohup position where the left leg is moved a little to the left again (with both feet more than shoulder-width apart and the legs slightly bent) and where the hands are positioned (with open palms) at waist level (without touching it). At the end of this movement, a shout is given and the danchen hohup position is completed, leaving the hapkidoka ready to perform the breathing techniques. These techniques are done by contracting the abdominals to generate internal energy at the danchen point (located in the abdominal area, below the navel) while moving the arms and projecting this energy through the tips of the fingers of the hands. The four most basic movements are:

• Apr or to the front.
• Weero or up.
• Mituro or down.
• Yupuro' or to the sides.

The fighting stance

There are several positions (jase in Korean) that are used to perform the various techniques and combat in hapkido. Some of these positions can be in two directions, the left or the right, depending on the leg that moves when making the movement. If the displaced leg is the right, the position is the "left" and if the displaced leg were the left, the position is the "right". When adopting a position of this type, one starts from the natural position of the body (pyung jase in Korean) and, at the end of the combat position, gives a shout. The three basic positions are:

• Joa jase, which is the most common and consists of moving the right leg back (45o) and positioning the arms, semi-flexed and with the cuffs closed, at the height of the chest (without touching it), being the left arm more advanced than the right. The opposite position to this would be the woo jase where the displaced leg would be the left and the arm most advanced the right.
• Joa kumkang jase, which consists of moving the right leg back (45o), remaining both slightly flexed, and positioning, the right arm in high block position or sangdan makki and the left in low block position or hadan makki. The opposite position to this would be the woo kumkang jase where the displaced leg would be the left and the two locks would be made, each with the opposite arm.
• Paljang keen jasewhich consists of crossing arms over the chest.
• Ju Jung Jase, bearing position.

Blocks

Blocks and checks (makki in Korean) are an important part of hapkido, derived from Tangsudo/ tang soo do; (being similar to those of karate-Do and traditional Taekwondo). Several of these techniques are used either hard or soft, and as a link to initiate the different striking techniques, dislocations and projections against fist attacks, open hands, kicks and attacks with weapons. The fundamental ones are:

• Olgul makki I block the forearm of vertical blows directed to the head.
• Are makki I block the forearm of punches or kicks directed at the groin, or the fake ribs.
• Montong makki Blocked with the outer forearm to the inside with strokes directed to the chest or abdomen.
• Bakkat makki Blocked with the inner forearm to the outside in the face of strokes directed to the chest or abdomen.
• Kyo cha neryo makki Blocking with both cross-earms can be executed up or down as required, with fists or open hand.

Other techniques to take into account are those performed with the legs, or Bal chagui makki for example:

• Montong anchonae makki blockage made with the inner edge of the foot, in semi-circular form, before a kick in front.
• Bal chagui makki blockages with the external edge or sole of the foot (through the external or internal rotation of the hip) against the lower frontal or circular legs of the opponent.
• Balmaga joogui: This technique is used to block, with the outside of the leg or the edge of the foot, an opponent's kick, hitting him in the inside of the knee or the chin. It consists of elevating the knee and leg frontally to the height of the head, to, after this movement, hit lowering the leg, with a straight move, from inside. At the time of the coup, the tip of the foot is turned outside and, after this, the leg is collected, without it touching the dochanguntil you return to the initial position.

Blows and pinches

Traditional hapkido employs striking techniques with fists and open hands derived from Tangsudo/ tang soo do (similar to those of Japanese karate-Do from which this art originates), as well as grappling with the fingers, to the nerve points (from the Chinese "kung fu"). All striking techniques are called chigui sul or taerigui sul, and pinching techniques are called chiap sul, in Korean. These are very precise in their application and objectives, and are performed against grabs from different parts of the body, against attacks with fists, kicks, or weapons.

Both the chigui sul and chiap sul techniques are performed with linear, angular, percussion, pressure or friction movements, and always on vulnerable or vital points (kupso in Korean), or on nerve points (hyoldo in Korean, also known in Japanese as kyusho). Strikes can be made with the fist, fingertips, knuckles, palm or edge of the hand (inside or outside), elbow, knee, heel, or edge, sole, or instep of the foot. Regarding the position of the body, it can be hit standing up, sitting down or fighting on the ground.

Regarding the blows with the open hand, one of the blows that hapkido possesses and is offensive in nature (brought over from Chinese kung-fu or wu shu) is the coup de "live hand". This consists of the use of the open hand to allow the flow of the inner energy ki towards the outside and through the point baek hwa hyul, a point that is located in the palm hand in hand With this blow it is possible to affect the internal organs of the person who receives it. Other masters recently also added other punches based on Western boxing techniques.

The kicks

Master hapkido performing a double scissor kick in the air called kawee bal chagui (60s).

In hapkido there are a wide variety of techniques with the legs (jok sul in Korean) and most of them come from the traditional Korean art and dance of taekkyon , and Tangsudo/ tang soo do. Among the different techniques that can be done with the legs are kicks (chagui in Korean). These are used both to attack and to defend against a grab or blow of any kind.

The different types of kicks can be: high, medium, low and sweeping kicks -with and without twist-, double and triple combined kicks -with and without twist- and single, double and triple kicks in the air -with and without turn-. Although many kicks may resemble those of taekwondo, some are different in execution and names, and others are unique to one or the other art, although there are some masters who use kicks from both martial arts in their classes. All kicks are generally executed from the fighting position joa jase (or woo jase) and are struck with the back leg, although it can also be struck with the back leg. front leg. When they are double kicks and you hit with both legs (as long as they don't do it at the same time), generally, the first blow is done with the back leg and the second with the front one. All kicks are accompanied by a blocking movement during the execution of the technique and this varies depending on which kick it is. Whether it's a single, double or triple kick, always look in the direction you're hitting just before executing each blow. The different kicks of hapkido, and their names, are the following:

• Danshik bal chagui (single):
  • High kicks:
    • Dwikumchi chaoligui: This technique is used in warming and is used to increase flexibility and prepare legs for the execution of the rest of the kicks. It consists of lifting the leg to the vertical and frontally, and returning it to the initial position, being the leg completely relaxed and stretched throughout the movement.
    • Dwikumchi chanaerigui: This technique is used to hit, with the foot heel, at the top of the skull. or the opponent's face. It consists of lifting the leg, fully stretched, vertically and frontally to, after this movement, push the leg down, fully stretched and with the tip of the foot up, and hit. The technique ends by collecting the leg, without it touching the dochangand back to the initial position.
    • Dwikumchi chadoligui: This technique is used to hit, with the foot heel, in the opponent's head. It consists of lifting the knee frontally, above the hip and with the leg shrinking, while turning 135o outside with the support leg and the hip to, after that movement, stretch the leg and hit it again with a circular, horizontal and inside motion, with the foot horizontal. While the trunk of the 90th body is knocked down to the side of the support leg. The technique ends by lowering the leg, without it touching the dochangand back to the initial position.
    • Ahndari chagui: This technique is used to hit, with the inner edge of the foot, in the head of the opponent. It consists of elevating the leg, with a circular trajectory of 180o, from the inside and without it touching the dochang, delay it back to the initial position, being the leg fully stretched, with the tip of the foot up, throughout the technical movement.
    • Bakatdari chagui: This technique is used to hit, with the outer edge of the foot, in the head of the opponent. It consists of elevating the leg, with a circular trajectory of 180o, from inside and without it touching the dochang, delay it back to the initial position, being the leg fully stretched, with the tip of the foot up, throughout the technical movement.
    • Michoo chagui: This technique is used to hit, with the sole of the foot, in the face of the opponent. It consists of lifting the knee above the hip with a circular motion from the outside (in the opposite sense of the clock needles) to, while climbing, stretching the leg and hitting it from the outside. The technique ends by collecting the leg, without it touching the dochangand back to the initial position.
    • Sangdan yup chagui: This technique is used to hit, with the sole of the foot, on the face or neck of the opponent. It consists of lifting the knee to the height of the hip and with the shrinking leg, while turning 135o outside with the support leg and the hip, to, after that movement, stretch the leg to the side and hit with the foot horizontal, while the trunk of the 90th body is lowered to the side of the support leg. The technique ends by collecting the leg, without it touching the dochangand back to the initial position.
    • Jiguh chagui: This technique is used to beat, with the foot empeine, in the head or chest of the opponent. It consists of lifting the knee above the hip with a front movement to, after this, rotate 135o outside with the support leg and the hip, while stretching the leg and hitting it outside. While the trunk of the 45th body is knocked down to the side of the support leg. The technique ends by collecting the leg, without it touching the dochangand back to the initial position.
  • Average kicks:
    • Jokdo chaoligui: This technique is used to beat, with the outer edge of the foot, in the chest of the adversary. It consists of lifting the leg fully stretched and frontally, hitting up with the profiled edge (with the tip of the foot up). The technique ends by lowering the leg, without it touching the dochangand back to the initial position.
    • Jokdo chanaerigui: This technique is used to beat, with the outer edge of the foot, in the chest of the adversary. It consists of raising the knee above the hip and frontally to, after this movement, stretch the leg and push it forward and down, hitting with the profiled foot of chanting (being the tip of the foot up). The technique ends by delaying the leg, without it touching the dochangand back to the initial position.
    • Ap chagui: This technique is used to beat, with the planting part of the antepié, in the chest or abdomen of the opponent. It consists of raising the knee above the hip and frontally to, after this movement, lift the leg and push it forward and hit (being the tip of the foot up). The technique ends by delaying the leg, without it touching the dochangand back to the initial position.
    • Yup chagui: This technique is used to hit, with the foot heel, in the opponent's abdomen. It consists of making the same move as the kick "sangdan yup chagui" but hitting with a horizontal movement and lowering the body's trunk 45o.
    • Jokki jirugui: This technique is used to hit, with the foot empeine, in the opponent's abdomen. It consists of lifting the knee forward to the height of the hip and with the shrinking leg, to, after this movement, stretch the leg and foot forward and hit, while the trunk of the body is lowered 45o backwards and to the side of the leg that hits. The technique ends by collecting the leg, without it touching the dochangand back to the initial position.
    • Dwi dora yup chagui: This technique is used to hit, with the sole of the foot, in the opponent's abdomen. It consists of turning 225o inward with the support leg (the most advanced) and the hip, to, after that movement, stretch the leg that hits the side, with the foot horizontal, while the trunk of the 45th body is lowered to the opposite side of the leg movement that hits. The technique ends following the spin while collecting the leg, without it touching the dochanguntil you complete the 360o and return to the initial position.
    • Dwi yup chagui: This technique is used to hit, with the sole of the foot, in the opponent's abdomen. It consists of taking a step backwards with the support leg, with a small leap or not, while turning 45o in during the movement, to, after this, stretch the leg and hit the side, with the foot horizontal, while the trunk of the 45th body is lowered to the side of the support leg. The technique ends by collecting the leg and returning to the place and initial position, taking a step forward.
    • Moorup chagui: This technique is used to hit, with the knee, in the opponent's abdomen. It consists of holding the adversary over the head and/or shoulders and lowering the trunk of your body forward, while raising the knee frontally and hitting. The technique ends by dropping the opponent and lowering the knee, without the leg touching the dochanguntil you return to the initial position.
  • Low kicks:
    • Daetweboo chagui: This technique is used to hit, with the foot heel, on the outer side of the opponent's thigh. It consists of lifting the knee forward and outside (45o) to the height of the hip to, after this movement, stretch the leg and shrink it again, hitting it down and with a movement outside, being the tip of the foot up and rotated outside (45o) at the time of the coup. While the trunk of the 45th body is knocked down backwards and to the side of the leg that hits, and, at the end, the leg is collected, without it touching the dochanguntil you reach the initial position.
    • Hadan yup chagui: This technique is used to hit, with the sole of the foot, on the knee or the thorn of the opponent's leg. It consists of making the same move as the kick "sangdan yup chagui" but hitting down and lowering the trunk of the body slightly.
    • Ahndari chanukki: This technique is used to hit, with the inner edge of the foot, on the corner of the opponent's leg. It consists of lifting the knee forward about 45o and with the leg shrinking, to, after this movement, stretch the leg forward and hit with the foot rotated horizontally, with the tip outside. As it hits, the trunk of the 45th body is lowered backwards and to the side of the beating leg. The technique ends by collecting the leg, without it touching the dochangand back to the initial position. The blockades accompanying this kick are the sangdan makki (with the arm of the support leg side) and the hadan makki (with the arm on the side of the leg that hits).
    • Dwikumchi hatweboo mollae chagui: This technique is used to hit, with the sole of the foot, on the corner of the opponent's leg. It consists of lifting the knee forward about 45o for, after this movement, stretching and turning the leg (and the foot) inside out, hitting. As it hits, the trunk of the 45th body is lowered backwards and to the side of the beating leg. The technique ends by collecting the leg, without it touching the dochangand back to the initial position.
    • Jokdo hadan mollae chagui: This technique is used to hit, with the outer edge of the foot, on the corner of the opponent's leg. It consists of lifting the knee forward about 45o to, after this movement, stretch the leg and turn the tip of the foot in, while hitting it from outside with a horizontal movement. As it hits, it turns 90° outside with the support leg and the hip. The technique ends by collecting the leg, without it touching the dochangand back to the initial position.
    • Dwikumchi chanegui: low kick in which the knee is beaten with the leg heel to the side.
    • Chung Do Kyol chagui: At a very short distance, he strikes with the heel towards the opponent's twin.
    • An Cha Dwidora chagui: By lowering the body and holding both hands on the ground, it turns 180o and kicks with the rear leg heel to the rival's leg.
  • Tuksoo bal chagui (Special):
    • Sangdan dwi dora chagui: This technique is the one that invented Grand Master Ji Han Jae and is used to hit, with the foot heel, in the head of the opponent. It consists of turning the foot of support and the hip in (90o) while loading the weight of the body on that leg to, after that movement, continue to rotate (180o more), using the arms to push, while the trunk of the body is lowered forward (90o) and hit, moving the leg that hits and at the same time, back, up and out in. Finally, it continues to rotate (90th more) while the leg is lowered, without the touching of the leg. dochang, the trunk of the body rises and returns to the initial position. The total turn given is 360o and continuous. This technique generates a lot of power with its movement and has three important elements:
      One. The kinetic energy that comes from synchronization of the entire body.
      Two. The explosive force flowing from the compressed energy in the danchen.
      3o. The elastic strength that comes from musculature and flexibility.
      When these three factors are correctly combined, this technique is lethal. Another way to make this technique is from the pyung jase position. In this case, it jumps upwards impulsing on both legs, turning in the air and supporting the leg right at the moment it hits, to, after it, continue to spin while the leg is lowered that hits, without this touching the dochang, the trunk of the body rises and returns to the initial position.
    • Dwi dora chagui: This technique is used to hit, with the foot heel, at the height of the opponent's abdomen. It consists of making the same technique as the sangdan dwi dora chagui, but lowering the trunk of the body only 45o and turning, with a horizontal movement, the leg that hits.
    • Anja dwi dora chagui: This technique is swept and used to hit, with the foot heel, on the edge or ankle of the opponent. It consists of making the same technique as the sangdan dwi dora chagui, but, at the time of starting the spin and during the first part of it, the support leg is folded and the hip is vertically lowered, turning the leg that hits with a horizontal movement and supporting the palms of the hands, at the time it hits, on the floor and on the side of the support leg. After the blow, it continues to rotate as the body rises again and the leg is delayed that hits, without the touch dochanguntil you return to the initial position.
    • Junmyun chagui: This technique is swept and used to hit, with the foot empeine, on the edge or ankle of the opponent. It consists of folding the support leg and lowering the hip vertically while turning both 135o outside, to, upon coming down, support the palms of the hands to the side of the support leg while stretching the leg that hits and hits out. The technique ends by collecting the leg, without it touching the dochangas the body rises and returns to the initial position.
• Bokshik bal chagui (double):
  • Hit with the same leg:
    • Jokki jirugo jiguh chagui.
    • Jokki jirugo ap yup chagui.
    • Jokki jirugo yup yup chagui.
    • Jokki jirugo dwi yup chagui.
    • Ahndari chago bakatdari chagui.
    • Ahndari chago ap yup chagui.
    • Balmaga joogo jiguh chagui.
    • Daetweboo chago jokki jirugui.
    • Jokdo hadan mollae chago dwikumchi chadolligui.
  • Hit both legs.
    • Ap chago jiguh chagui.
    • Jiguh chago jiguh chagui.
    • Jiguh chago dwi dora chagui.
    • Jokki jirugo jiguh chagui.
    • Jokki jirugo dwi yup chagui.
    • Yup yup chago yup chagui.
  • Tuksoo bal chagui (Special):
    • Yang bal jiguh chagui.
    • Yang bal modeom bal chagui.
    • Yang bal beollyo chagui.
    • Junmyun chago anja dwi dora chagui.
    • Kawee bal chagui.
    • Yang bal moa yup chagui.
    • Mok keoro myungchi chagui
    • Dari keoro dwi dora chagui.
    • Dari kama numguigui.
• Triple and special quadruple kicks:
  • Dwikumchi hatweboo mollae chago jiguh chago sangdan dwi dora chagui.
  • Kawee bal chago jiguh chagui.
  • Sangdan dwi dora chago dwi dora chago anja dwi dora chagui.
  • Sadan hoejun chagui.

Dislocations

In hapkido there is a wide variety of joint dislocation techniques (kokki sul in Korean). Derived mainly from Judo and Daito Ryu aiki-jujutsu. These techniques can be simple or combined and are performed against grips of different parts of the body, emphasizing dislocations of the wrist, elbow or shoulder, or against punch attacks, attacks with weapons and kicks.

In Hapkido, it is stated that: The dislocations can be executed in the direction of the joint range of the joint or against it, and always by generally small circular or semicircular movements, at 45 or 90 degrees. Likewise, it is important to remember that the performer's body position during the technique must prevent a counterattack with the opponent's free hand; These techniques can be performed standing up, sitting on your knees, or even wrestling on the ground.

Some of the most well-known dislocations are:

• Bu chae bending and torsion of the wrist to the outside through an internal rotation.
• Yun Hang torsion of the wrist to the interior by means of an internal rotation with elbow elevation.
• Palkumchi bending of the wrist to the inner face of the forearm with elbow extension, and internal rotation of the arm.
• Sonmok kokki Flexion of the wrist and torsion in an internal rotation with the forearm and elbow forming an "s"
• Hweon luxation with wrist torsion, bending and elbow lifting of the opponent's elbow upwards, and back on his forehead so that the defender seems to be cutting with a sword.

Throwing, strangulation and combat on the ground

Student hapkido running a hip projection technique from a wrist luxation or Donchigui sul.

In hapkido there is a great variety of projection techniques (donchigui sul in Korean). Also derived from the numerous throwing techniques of the shoulder, hip, hand and foot of Judo and Daito Ryu aiki-jujutsu, where they are incorporated into joint dislocations. These techniques are performed standing up and against grips to different parts of the body, against fist attacks, weapons and kicks.

The throws are made by diverting, absorbing and controlling the force / energy of the adversary (using the different parts of the body as leverage) or by imbalance. The trajectories that are used to carry out the projections are circular or semicircular and for this purpose the different parts of the body are used.

These techniques are called Donchigui, they consist of various projections of the shoulder, hip, hand and sacrifice (of their own balance), they are similar to those found in Judo, or they are projections &# 34;respiratory" similar to those used in the martial art of Aikido.

Strangulations are known under the term Mokchorugui and are largely derived from Judo, they can be respiratory or blood; They can also be classified as naked (or without grabbing the lapels of the uniform for support) or compound, that is, used together with a lock, or submission.

Regarding combat on the ground, Hapkido refers to the teachings of one of its first diffusers, the master Seo Bok Seob; who trained judo as a competitor and who reached the degree of black belt 1 Dan, which is why several of his techniques of Newaza or submission, transition (escapes), takedown, joint lock and strangulation are still present in current Hapkido.

Handling traditional weapons

As in the traditional arts from which it is derived (the daitō-ryū aiki-jūjutsu and the sam rang do tek gi with the techniques of sticks or bong sul) hapkido uses a varied number of traditional weapons in its practices, such as the long staff (yang bong in Korean) of approximately 180 cm, the medium stick (chang bong in Korean) about 90-110 cm, the short stick or club (dan bong in Korean) about 35-45 cm, the rope or lariat (including uniform belt), old man's or ear cane (chipang yisul in Korean), wooden sword (mok do in Korean), the sword made of bamboo cane (jook do in Korean) and the metal sword (shim gum in Korean, a weapon similar to the katana Japanese, but with a double edge). The degree and emphasis in the training of these weapons depends on the instructor, or the association/federation to which it belongs, or the degree program.

Some instructors, either due to ignorance or eclecticism, have decided to incorporate methodological elements and other traditional weapons typical of other systems such as Okinawan kobudo and/or fundamentals of arnis Filipino (Eskrima), an art where double medium sticks stand out, or they have taken up the traditional weapons of Chinese martial arts, such as the fan, the whip, or the nunchaku called in Korean the ssahng jol gohn.

The five technical fundamentals of hapkido

• Slow foot: The movement of the feet must be slow, but explosive to act in order to be surprising.
• Quick hand: The hand movement must be very fast and fluid, to redirect the opponent's energy.
• Low position: The position of the body must be lower at the end of most personal defense movements.
• Front view: The view should always be 'to the front' that is to say in the direction where the technique is performed.
• Mind calm: First of all, a mind should be kept calm to realize the technique by respecting basic principles and making it effective.

Hapkido as a possible Olympic discipline

About a possible entry of Hapkido to the J.J.O.O. The International Olympic Committee rejected, by a minority of votes, the possible participation of hapkido as an Olympic discipline in 1987, 1994 and 2005, reaching only 2/5 of the total. In the case of the J.J.M.M. (Contest where a large number of non-Olympic sports and cultural disciplines participate) The International Association of the World Games decided to group hapkido (due to its great similarity and technical kinship) with traditional Japanese jujutsu and with Aikido in his foot techniques. Recognizing the International Hapkido Federation (I.H.F.) at the federative level, to be able to present it as an "exhibition sport", in future world games. Being a mandatory requirement the organization of exhibitions or tournaments, local, regional, national, continental and world, under the same format, in addition to having a large number of member countries before the International Olympic Committee, to get to consider Hapkido, as a possible Olympic discipline.

Seeking to be recognized and distinguished from other martial disciplines, sports Hapkido has incorporated into the competitive scheme in recent years the modalities of "Nak Bop" jumps, divided into long jump (with running) and high jump (on a witness stick or horizontal bar) with a fall, to the well-known modalities of individual combat "kyorugi" to the point (where the use of sweeps to the feet is allowed unlike taekwondo, as well as throws and combat on the ground as in Judo) and the modality of exhibition of personal defense techniques in pairs or in groups.

Some styles derived from hapkido

• Hankido, style to which, from hapkido, has retaken several energy and technical-tactic principles of Japanese Aikido, adapting them to Korean culture.
• Susinkwan Chaui Moo Do, style developed by Master Vicente Becerra that includes Taekwondo and Jiujitsu techniques.
• Sipalki modern, Style developed by Soo Nam Yoo
• Kuk Sool Won, Style developed by the Seo brothers (Suh)Argentina.