# General perceptions...



## Kong Soo Do (May 26, 2011)

When someone mentions an art like Aikido, a general or common perception may be something like, 'fluid movements, circular movements, joint locking, throwing etc'.  Boxing might have the general or common perception of, 'linear, striking, foot work, sport, well conditioned etc'.

I'd like to see what the common or general perception is of arts like;


Taekwondo
Hapkido
Tang Soo Do
If your perception differs from what you think the general/common perception is, please state why.  Thought it would be interesting to get an idea of what people thought, if there are any common threads, stark differences etc.

Thanks


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## Daniel Sullivan (May 27, 2011)

Kong Soo Do said:


> I'd like to see what the common or general perception is of arts like;
> 
> 
> Taekwondo
> ...


 
*Taekwondo:* 

*How I view it:* a striking system that was developed by commitee in the fifties, sixties, and seventies, characterized by many techniques common to various karate ryus but which have been developed in ways specific to taekwondo.

*Comments:* While the meaning of taekwondo; Way of trampling with the foot and smashing with the fist, could be appled in a generic fashion, I think that taekwondo is more narrowly defined by the two primary organizations and the two fairly large spin-off groups.  I do, however acknowledge that there are independent schools and smaller orgs that do their own thing.  

I view taekwondo as more of a lifestyle art with both sporting and practical application.

*Hapkido*

*How I view it:* A circular striking and grappling art that makes use of many techniques common in aikido and common in various striking arts, but performed in a way that is more 'hapkido' for lack of a better term.  Off ballancing an opponent and using his/her weight and motion against them in grapples and use of strikes as needed.  

I view it as more of a self defense art.

*Comments:* Hapkido is more fluid from school to school than the others two are from what I have seen and heard, and there seems to be less debate about what comprises hapkido.  Some of this might be due to the lack of defined forms in most hapkido schools and a lack of any uniformity of forms between those schools that do use them.

*Tang Su Do*

*How I view it:*  I look at Tangsudo as being essentially Korean Shotokan.  Took it for a year or so about thirty years ago, so I'm not exactly married to this perspective and would be willing to trade out 'Shotokan' with a general designation of karate.

*Comments:* TSD is another art that seems fairly well defined.  Pretty sure that TSD school are all using the same set of core forms (Pyung ahn) and the same set of core techniques.

Like taekwondo, I view it as more of a lifestyle art with both sporting and practical application.

Daniel


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## oftheherd1 (May 27, 2011)

I tend to view modern TaeKwonDo as more a sport than a MA.  I don't mean to take away its MA beginnings, nor its obvious MA applications.  Just that it has become very sporterized.

TangSooDo I see as a martial art that didn't give in to TKW's attempts to take over all Korean MA.  Also, they have that distinctive slow motion sparring.  I think of them as more a MA than a sport.

Hapkido I see as a much more practical MA.  I wouldn't characterize it as a striking art, but a very defense oriented art, that primarily uses joint manipulation, throws and pressure points in defense against other MA, or any type of attack.  At least the way I learned it.  

Since the troubles I read about them having in Korea, I don't know where they stand or how they teach now.  I sure don't like their idea of invalidating all previous belts awarded.  I haven't checked, but if they want money to issue another certificate, I would guess that was their only reason, and they are the poorer for it.  Anybody know more about what that was all about?

I don't know if what I said is what you are looking for, but it is how I view the three arts.


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## dancingalone (May 27, 2011)

Hapkido - joint locking and throwing system married with a very robust set of striking/kicking techniques.  Techniques are frequently executed in a fashion so as to cause more pain or damage to the assailant than perhaps its sister art of aikido.  A very solid and complete martial art and arguably a better MA to train in purely for SD than TSD or TKD.

Tang Soo Do - Korean karate with kicking emphasized.  Practitioners can be conflicted... Some want to delve back into the Okinawan side of things with bunkai and weapons, while others seem to have adopted the "lifestyle" martial art view more common perhaps to TKD.

Tae Kwon Do - a somewhat generic term.  The most prevalent image at this point that the term conjures can frequently be that of the Olympic rules competitions, yet ironically, the majority of dojang in the US probably spar differently.  Conversely, TKD is the most popular MA in the world, largely due NOW to the efforts of the KKW, but formerly the impetus came from General Choi's ITF.


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## Daniel Sullivan (May 27, 2011)

oftheherd1 said:


> Since the troubles I read about them having in Korea, I don't know where they stand or how they teach now. I sure don't like their idea of invalidating all previous belts awarded. I haven't checked, but if they want money to issue another certificate, I would guess that was their only reason, and they are the poorer for it. Anybody know more about what that was all about?


Which art?  Hapkido?  And which organization?  And what kind of troubles?

Daniel


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## oftheherd1 (Jun 2, 2011)

Sorry I didn't answer sooner.  I was referring to the information at http://koreanhapkidofederation.org/ which seems to say the old Hapkido Federation in which I was belted, is no more, and has been taken over by people who are invalidating everything from before.  If that is al bogus, I would be happy to hear it.


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## Daniel Sullivan (Jun 2, 2011)

This is apparently limited to one federation, and certainly not the largest.  I won't speculate as to how their situation came about; only that their issue with recertification is their issue alone.  

Daniel


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## oftheherd1 (Jun 2, 2011)

Daniel Sullivan said:


> This is apparently limited to one federation, and certainly not the largest. I won't speculate as to how their situation came about; only that their issue with recertification is their issue alone.
> 
> Daniel


 
So they are not "the" Korean Hapkido Federation?  I guess what I am asking is if the federation that existed in 1987, is still intact with that name, or has this one taken over?  Since I have not been active as a student or teacher for some time, I don't know.


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## Daniel Sullivan (Jun 2, 2011)

oftheherd1 said:


> So they are not "the" Korean Hapkido Federation? I guess what I am asking is if the federation that existed in 1987, is still intact with that name, or has this one taken over? Since I have not been active as a student or teacher for some time, I don't know.


There is more than one Korea(n) Hapkido Federation.

http://www.daehanhapkido.org/ (Ji Han Jae's org.)
http://www.koreahapkidofederation.net/ (US hq for above from what I can tell)
http://haemukwan.com/ (never heard of them, but they call themselves the 'Korea Hapkido Federation too)
http://koreanhapkidofederation.org/ (the one you linked)
http://www.koreanhapkidofederation.com/ (this is one is a Montgomery County, Maryland based federation who's GM broke away from the IHF and which has no connection to any of the others listed) 

The big question is whether or not the one you linked is the same KHF that you were associated with in 1987.

Daniel


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## puunui (Jun 2, 2011)

Daniel Sullivan said:


> There is more than one Korea(n) Hapkido Federation.
> 
> http://haemukwan.com/ (never heard of them, but they call themselves the 'Korea Hapkido Federation too)




This one is Richard Hackworth's organization.


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## oftheherd1 (Jun 6, 2011)

Daniel Sullivan said:


> There is more than one Korea(n) Hapkido Federation.
> 
> http://www.daehanhapkido.org/ (Ji Han Jae's org.)
> http://www.koreahapkidofederation.net/ (US hq for above from what I can tell)
> ...


 
I can only go by what is on my card, Tae Han Hap Ki To Hyop Hwoe, or at least as close as I can come transliterating it.

EDIT: It is the same Korean writing as on the patch at the site you say is from Montgomery County.


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## Daniel Sullivan (Jun 6, 2011)

oftheherd1 said:


> I can only go by what is on my card, Tae Han Hap Ki To Hyop Hwoe, or at least as close as I can come transliterating it.
> 
> EDIT: It is the same Korean writing as on the patch at the site you say is from Montgomery County.


Like this?  &#45824;&#54620; &#54633;&#44592;&#46020; &#54801;&#54924;

That is probably Daehan Hapkido Hyeobhoe.  Should be this one http://www.daehanhapkido.org/ 

That is Ji Han Jae's organization.  

Daniel


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## oftheherd1 (Jun 7, 2011)

Daniel Sullivan said:


> Like this? &#45824;&#54620; &#54633;&#44592;&#46020; &#54801;&#54924;
> 
> That is probably Daehan Hapkido Hyeobhoe. Should be this one http://www.daehanhapkido.org/
> 
> ...


 
It would appear so.  I see the one in Maryland you linked to also uses the same Korean letters, however, the link in the quote above uses the hand with the index finger pointed ahead and the thumb up.  That is a symbol of the school I trained it.

Thanks.


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## Daniel Sullivan (Jun 7, 2011)

oftheherd1 said:


> It would appear so. I see the one in Maryland you linked to also uses the same Korean letters, however, the link in the quote above uses the hand with the index finger pointed ahead and the thumb up. That is a symbol of the school I trained it.
> 
> Thanks.


The one in Maryland is my KJN's organization.  

His calls his Korea*n* Hapkido Federation; *&#54620;&#44397;* &#54633;&#44592;&#46020; &#54801;&#54924;, Hanguk Hapkido Hyeobhoe.  
Your's is Korea Hapkido Federation; *&#45824;&#54620;* &#54633;&#44592;&#46020; &#54801;&#54924;, Daehan Hapkido Hyeobhoe.

KJN Kim broke off from the IHF about five years ago.  I know the reasons behind the decision.  It is not what I would have done personally, but it was not my decision to make.

Daniel


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## puunui (Jun 7, 2011)

Daniel Sullivan said:


> His calls his Korea*n* Hapkido Federation; *&#54620;&#44397;* &#54633;&#44592;&#46020; &#54801;&#54924;, Hanguk Hapkido Hyeobhoe.  KJN Kim broke off from the IHF about five years ago.



GM Ji has a 10th Dan certificate from GM MYONG Jae Nam dated 1983. The organization name on the certificate is Korean Hapkido Federation I believe. I have a photo of the certificate around here someplace.


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## Daniel Sullivan (Jun 8, 2011)

puunui said:


> GM Ji has a 10th Dan certificate from GM MYONG Jae Nam dated 1983. The organization name on the certificate is Korean Hapkido Federation I believe. I have a photo of the certificate around here someplace.


Certainly wouldn't surprise me, given that *&#45824;&#54620; *can be translated as Korea or Korean.

Daniel


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## Kong Soo Do (Dec 1, 2011)

puunui said:


> This one is Richard Hackworth's organization.



Friend of yours?


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