FREQUENTLY ASKED HAPKIDO QUESTIONS
As we build this section, we hope we can
anticipate those questions most frequently asked of and by Hapkido students, in
the mean time please feel free to e-mail us with your questions.
How
do I find a good Hapkido club or instructor?
What are the common Korean
terms and customs used in Hapkido?
Who can learn Hapkido and how old do you have to
be?
Hapkido is a technical art that does not rely on superior
strength or power to overcome an opponent. It relies on correct joint
angles in locks, superior balance and the use of an attackers energy against him
to defend oneself. Therefore virtually anyone can learn Hapkido,
regardless of age or gender. Though experience shows that kids over six years
tend to learn more easily. Even those with physical injuries or other unique
challenges can learn Hapkido. The HIA believes in providing an equal
opportunity for all to practice this art in order to promote their personal
development.
What sort of techniques does Hapkido teach?
While learning Hapkido the student acquires
numerous skills. These include Tan-Jeon breathing for improved general
health, fitness and power. Also practiced are a wide variety of kicks,
punches, blocks and strikes. As the student develops they will go on to
learn tripping, throws, wrist & arm locks and holds. At advanced
levels the Hapkido students can also study weapons like sword, staff, fan, dan-bong
(short stick), cane and belt.
But more important than fighting technique are
the life skills a student learns. Our classes promote self-discipline,
humility, honesty and respect for others. These skills avoid a lot more
conflicts than self defence technique can. As a result of the training,
qualities like self-confidence, stress-relief and physical fitness develop
naturally.
How long does it take to reach black belt?
The time taken to achieve black-belt depends
greatly on the students level of commitment and their aptitude. Like life,
you only get as much out of Hapkido as you put in. A fit, coordinated
student training hard 5 or 6 classes a week can reach black belt in as little as
a year. Others may take two years or even longer. It all depends on
you. Our Association does not apply
minimum waiting periods between colour belt gradings. We hold
monthly gradings and students may grade each month if they are competent to.
Are there Hapkido competitions?
A few Australian Hapkido organisations hold their
own inter-club competitions from time to time. These can include
demonstration or some sparring. Other clubs allow their students to enter in all-style
type tournaments. Proper Hapkido comps are held in Korea and some other
countries. In 2006 the HIA held the first international Hapkido
demonstration championship to be held in Australia, this event will next be held
in Tasmania in late 2008. Hapkido does not generally lend itself to
fighting competition too
well. This is because it is a self-defence art. Training drills
typically involve one person defending against an attack from another and should
not include prolonged fighting. Taekwondo style point sparring is good for
practicing hand & foot skills but these are only a very small part of
Hapkido.
What is the history of Hapkido?
The true history of Hapkido can never really be
established. This history has been re-written by people so many times over the
years for political and commercial gain that the truth has been lost to us.
While it is natural to try and understand the
roots of one’s martial arts training, you should remember that this history is
not important. What is important is commitment to and perseverance in training,
to develop good self-defence technique and good personal values.
Despite different claims in books and on the
internet one should understand that the art of Hapkido was not created or
invented by a single individual. It is impossible for one person to invent an
art so vast and complex.
Suffice to say that Hapkido’s techniques have
evolved as part of the history of the Korean nation over many hundreds of years.
The evolution of the techniques can be traced back as far as 3 A.D. when Korea
was divided into three kingdoms called Koguryu, Paekche and Silla. Martial
technique was developed and practiced during this time, primarily for the
protection of the royal family and other nobility. These techniques have
gradually been adapted and perfected in response to the culture of the time.
The name “Hapkido” was first used by Choi Yong
Sool in 1958, as a title for the collection of techniques that he had organised
into a system. He combined elements from the extensive range of old Korean self-defence
technique and the philosophies of the Korean people to form the system we know
today as Hapkido.
Since then Hapkido has become very popular. In
some cases it has divided into related arts, some of these are Tukong Moosul,
Hwarangdo, Kuk Sool Won, Hankido and Farang Moosul all of which are based on
Hapkido..
How do I find a good Hapkido club or
instructor?
There are many good Hapkido organisations around the world,
there are also many poor ones. The first thing to consider is the
instructor. To learn properly you must trust and get on with them.
If you have reservations about them personally that is not the club for you.
The traditional rank for a qualified Hapkido instructor is
4th dan black belt, this normally takes at least ten years training. Black
belts of a lower dan can teach and often teach well. They can only do so
though under the supervision of a 4th dan (or higher) instructor who they should
have regular contact with. This ensures proper oversight and maintains
technical quality. All HIA instructors are supervised by a 4th dan
instructor and also receive training from Grand Master Kim (9th dan) several
times each year. A confident, qualified instructor will not hesitate to
answer questions like how long have you been training, who is your teacher, what
ranking do you hold? As a beginner it is not rude to ask such questions.
The club atmosphere is equally important, you must feel
comfortable. Some clubs are very sociable, others can have an air of
egotism or arrogance among their members. A good way to get a feel for the instructor and club
atmosphere is to visit and watch a class, then participate in a trial class before
committing large amounts of money.
The third consideration is that of technique. While a
novice does not know the difference between good and bad Hapkido technique some
things are obvious. A legitimate organisation should be issuing black-belt
certificates from one of the major Korean Hapkido organisations e.g. Hapkido Moo
Moo Kwan, the oldest and one of the largest federations in Korea, the Korea Hapkido Federation
and International HKD Federation are other examples. The
instructor should hold such certification. Beware of schools or
organisation that issue
their own unaffiliated certificates to their members and instructors.
Be extremely cautious of those instructors making
extraordinary claims such as 9th, 10th, or even 11th dan black belt. Such
ranks are very rare in the world. Some less than reputable instructors
have been known to start their own federation and as the founder seem to believe
they can award themselves such high ranks. This practice is not
legitimate. A 9th dan rank indicates the founder/head of a significant
Hapkido organisation but this rank is not self-appointed, it is granted by a
panel in Korea and takes several decades of training and commitment to Hapkido.
Hapkido is becoming a very popular martial art due to the
wide range of skills taught. As a result people with a background in a
wide range of different martial arts often piece together their own syllabus and
then use the Hapkido name for commercial purposes. These instructors are
often jacks of all trades and a master of none. Hapkido is a unique
martial art in it's own right. It is not a patchwork of Judo, Taekwondo,
Karate or other martial arts.
Instructors teaching these mongrel martial
art systems usually have a poor understanding of the true Hapkido principles or
techniques. Beware of instructors who have gained their Hapkido black-belt
by video correspondence courses. This also breeds a poor understanding of
the techniques. To be practiced properly (and safely) Hapkido should be
studied under the direct supervision of the instructor.
Due to their common Korean ancestry, it is very common for
Taekwondo instructors to pick-up a few Hapkido techniques and introduce it to
their clubs as Hapkido training. Hapkido is too vast and complex to
successfully teach it without studying it in full. Beware of Taekwondo
instructors who try to teach Hapkido without having first studied the whole
Hapkido system and it's principles which are very different to Taekwondo
concepts. Taekwondo and Hapkido can be studied concurrently but it is not
an easy conversion for an instructor.
BEGINNERS CHECK-LIST:
- Visit the school and watch a class
- Speak to the instructor, ask a lot of questions.
- Be satisfied of the instructor's experience, attitude,
legitimate certification and that they are supervised (if under 4th dan
black-belt). Don't be afraid to call the instructor's own teacher for a
reference.
- Participate in a trial class.
- Be satisfied with the club's atmosphere and legitimate
affiliation.
- Be satisfied that you are learning true and full Hapkido,
not a patchwork of other martial arts or taekwondo trying to be Hapkido.
- Once you start, train hard and use every minute of
training time effectively. Like life, you only get as much out of Hapkido as you
put in.
What are the common Korean terms and customs used in Hapkido?
While commands and terms will vary
between Hapkido organisations and schools, some of the more common
Korean words used in Hapkido are listed below, along with their
translation.
These are the most basic terms, those
you are most likely to encounter in your first few weeks of
training. Naturally there are many more that the student will pick
up along the way, depending on their school. The customs explained below are the
most basic and common adopted , once again, they will depend on the
school.
| 
