Hapkido

One martial art that has been overlooked today is Hapkido, and with the need for self defense this art might be a nice addition to your current training. Hapkido really got noticed in the film Billy Jack and also brought instructor Bong Soo Han national attention who was the fight choreographer for the movie.

As a Hapkido practitioner you become well-versed in many kicks, punches, and blocks. From Aiki-Jujitsu (the predecessor of Aikido) it gets most of its grappling techniques. Hence, the Hapkido practitioner spends an equated volume of time learning techniques such as throws and joint locks. The advantage of studying Hapkido versus studying one striking style and one grappling style is that the practitioner learns to use the two approaches to enhance one another.

For example, a Hapkido artist would use a punch to disrupt their training partner while a challenging throw is set up. Conversely, a Hapkido performer can turn around or knock their opponent off balance to decrease their ability to defend against a kick.

Along these same lines, the Hapkido practioner learns to counter in the opposite manner of an strike, hence mystifying the foe. As such, linear attacks are countered with a roundish technique and spherical attacks are countered with a linear technique. Hapkido artists furthermore become skilled at vital targets and pressure points in order to immobilize their attacker as fast as imaginable.

Modern Hapkido – Very similar to traditional Hapkido, this contemporary version uses Muay Thai striking techniques as a replacement of getting its strikes.

Hapkido is a brand of self-defense that employs joint locks, pressure points, throws, kicks, and other strikes. Hapkido practitioners learn to counter the techniques of other martial arts as well as common “unskilled” attacks. There is also a range of traditional weapons including short stick, cane, rope, sword and staff which adjust in emphasis depending on the particular tradition examined.

Albeit Hapkido consist of both long and close range fighting techniques, the objective of most engagements is to get near for a close punch, lock, or throw. Hapkido emphasizes spherical motion, non-resisting movements, and ownership of the adversary.

Practitioners seek to get advantage by the use of footwork and body positioning to employ leverage, avoiding the use of strength against strength.

On the “hard-soft” scale of martial arts, Hapkido stands everyplace in the center, employing “soft” techniques similar to jujitsu and Aikido as well as “hard” techniques reminiscent of Taekwondo and Tang soo do. Even the “hard” techniques, though, emphasize spherical rather than linear movements. Hapkido is an eclectic martial art, and different Hapkido schools emphasize varied techniques. Then again, some core techniques are found in each school (kwan), and all techniques should follow the three principles of Hapkido:

Correct Hapkido techinques include using footwork and a series of kicks and hand strikes to bridge the distance with a opponent. Afterward to instantaneously control the balance of the rival (naturally by manipulating the head and neck), for a take down or to isolate a wrist or arm and apply a joint twisting throw, depending upon the situation; Hapkido is a comprehensive system and as the rival’s balance has been taken, there are a myriad of techniques to disable and overcome the foe.

Hapkido endeavors to be a absolutely comprehensive fighting style and as such strives to keep away from narrow specialization in any particular variety of technique or range of fighting. It maintains a wide range of tactics for striking, standing joint locks, throwing techniques (both pure and joint manipulating throws) and pinning techniques. some classes as well incorporate tactics for ground fighting notwithstanding these tactics readily tend to be focused upon escaping, controlling, striking and gouging tactics over submissions and emphasizing the capability to take one’s feet and situational awareness over pins.

Like most martial arts, Hapkido employs a great number of punches and hand strikes, as well as elbow strikes. A distinctive example of Hapkido hand techniques is “live hand” punch that focuses energy to the Baek hwa hyul in the hand, causing energy strikes and internal strikes.

The hand strikes are readily used to weaken the training partner ahead of joint locking and throwing, and additionally as finishing techniques. Hand striking in Hapkido (unless in competition) is not localized to punches and open hand striking; some significance is given to striking with talons at the throat and eyes; pulling at the foe’s genitals is also covered in established training.

In order to recall hand strikes more easily in an emotionally charged situation, beginning students are taught usual, effective routines of blocks and counterattacks called Makko Chigi, which results to more compound techniques as the student becomes familiar with them.

A good deal of of Hapkido’s joint control techniques are cited to be derived largely From Aikijujutsu. They are taught additionally to Aikido techniques, but in general the circles are lesser and the techniques are applied in a more linear fashion. Hapkido’s joint manipulation techniques attack both large joints (such as the elbow, shoulder, neck, back, knee, and hip) and small joints (such as wrists, fingers, ankles, toes, jaw)

Hapkido is well accepted for its use of a wide variety of wristlocks. These techniques are believed to have been derived From Daito-ryu aikijujutsu even though their manner of performance is not always alike to that of the parent art. Still many of the tactics found in Hapkido are quite similar to those of Daito-ryu and of aikido which was derived From that art. These involve such tactics as the supinating wrist lock, pronating wristlock, internal rotational wristlock and the utilizing of pressure points on the wrist and are ordinary to many types of Japanese jujutsu, Chinese Chin Na and even ‘catch as catch can’ brawling.

Elbow locks Even if well recognized for its wristlocking techniques Hapkido has an equally wide range of tactics which center upon the manipulation of the elbow joint (see armlocks). The first self defense technique typically taught in many Hapkido schools is the knifehand elbow press. This technique is thought to be derived From Daito-ryu’s ippondori, a development of disarming and destroying the elbow joint of a sword wielding foe.

Hapkido classically introduces this technique off a wrist grabbing strike where the defender makes a roundish movement with his hands to free themselves From their foe’s grasp and applies a pronating wristlock while cutting down upon the elbow joint with their forearm, taking their rival down to the ground where an elbow lock is administered with one’s hand or knee to immobilize the attacker in a pin.

Interestingly both Daito-ryu and aikido opt for to use hand pressure on the elbow during the technique rather than using the forearm as a ‘hand blade’, cutting the into elbow joint, in the Hapkido manner.

Hapkido training is available in most cities around the world and might be something you might want to add to your fighting repertoire.