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Hapkido

Hapkido is the "other" Korean martial art. Hapkido translates to the art (do) of coordinating (hap) power (ki). It is an art that balances hard and soft, linear and circular, and resistance and acceptance. Hapkido's name is written with the same three Chinese characters as Aikido. However, its techniques bear little resemblance to those of Aikido.

Hapkido was founded by Choi Yong­sul, a Korean who during the Japanese occupation of Korea had been taken to Japan to work. In Japan, Choi used the Japanese name Tatsujutsu (some say it was Asao) Yoshida, since at that time, all immigrants to Japan took Japanese names. According to the most widely propagated history, he worked as a houseboy (some say he was adopted) in the household of Sogaku Takeda, a Daito­ryu Aikijutsu master, and that he worked there from 1913 (age 9) to 1943 (when Takeda died). However, Daito-ryu records do not reflect this and Takeda's descendants and followers deny that Choi ever studied with their master. Some claim that Choi's Daito-ryu training was limited to attending seminars. Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido, was also a student of Takeda (undisputed). Hapkido and Aikido both have significant similarities to Daitoryu AikiJujutsu, so it would seem that Hapkido's link to it is real, regardless of how and where Choi trained.

Choi returned to Korea after Takeda's death and began studying Korean arts and teaching yu sool or yawara (other names for Jujutsu), eventually calling his kwan (school) the Hapki Kwan. Han Jae Ji began studying under Choi and eventually started his own school, where he taught what he called Hapkido, after the grandmaster's school. Ji now calls his system sin moo Hapkido. In the 1970's and 80', Hapkido was taught as the style of choice to elite South Korean armed forces units.

Along the way, Hapkido adopted various techniques from tang soo do, tae kyon, and other Korean kwans. Some Korean sources emphasize the Korean arts lineage of Hapkido over the AikiJujutsu lineage, some even omit the AikiJujutsu connection. Hapkido gained notice in the United States in the 1970's through the Billy Jack movies in which Master Bong Soo Han performed fighting sequences as a stand-in for the star.

Hapkido sprang from the same roots as Taekwondo, however, there are major differences between the two arts. Whereas hard styles, such as Taekwondo, use hard, linear, forceful techniques like chops, punches, and kicks, and soft styles, such as tai-chi and Judo, use soft, circular, accepting techniques such as spins and throws, Hapkido uses the principles of both hard and soft styles. It combines joint locks, pressure points, throws, kicks, and strikes for practical self-defense. More soft than hard and more internal than external, but elements of each are included. Emphasizes circular motion, non-resistive movements, and control of the opponent. Development of ki (internal energy) is also stressed.

Hapkido is composed three main principles: water principle, circular motion, and non-resistance. Water flows around objects in its path instead of resisting them, uses the force of many separate drops to wear away an obstruction, takes the form of any vessel it is placed into, and it changes state (liquid, gas, and solid) as required. Hapkido incorporates these attributes of water into its fighting style. In the circular motion, what goes around, comes around. If you respect others, they respect you. Force is never met with force, it is deflected and redirected with a circular technique. If you confront anger with anger, there will be a clash, so oppose anger with calm. The non-resistance principle is the major area in which Hapkido differs from other styles of kartate. It is represented by yin and yang, the balance between opposites. In nature, opposites work together in harmony, such as night/day and work/rest. The idea is to deflect an opponent's strength, not clash with it. The non-resistance principle achieves harmony by combining the water principle and circular motion. When pushed, give way (water principle), rotate, and then throw the opponent (circular principle). 

Although Hapkido contains both outfighting and infighting techniques, the goal in most situations is to get inside for a close-in strike, lock, or throw. When striking, power is derived from hip rotation. As a general rule, beginners concentrate on basic strikes and kicks, along with a few joint locks and throws. Some of the striking and kicking practice is pattern-like, with no partner, but most is done with a partner who is holding heavy pads that the student strikes and kicks with full power. Some schools use patterns, some do not; some do sparring and some do not, although at the advanced levels, most schools do at least some sparring. Although Hapkido may be used in competition, it is not considered a sport.

Hapkido originally focused on pressure point strikes, joint locks, and throws, but now, thanks to the influence of Master Ji, it also includes highly refined kicks and hand strikes. Various weapons are taught, including the cane, kubatan, staff, and belt.

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