# Hapkido Principles and Techniques



## jezr74 (Sep 24, 2014)

What is the difference between techniques and principles in the context of Hapkido.

And what are the core principles of your style of Hapkido or how you were taught?


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## WMKS Shogun (Sep 24, 2014)

I am not quite sure what you mean by your first question. 

As far as key principles I was taught in hapkido, generally follow the line of thinking of non-resistance (do not meet force with force), redirection, then control or destroy (if necessary). Use your strength against your opponent's weaknesses and turn his strengths into liabilities. Flow like water, circular movement to direct, redirect, or reflect. Blend with an attack. I would go into more detail, but I have to hop off. I will try to check back in and add more and also answer the first question if you can give me a little more to go on.


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## Dirty Dog (Sep 24, 2014)

Techniques are a series of movements.
Principles are what drive those movements. Distance, timing, balance and leverage, for example.


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## jezr74 (Sep 25, 2014)

The first question was more to make sure I understood the distinction between them. 

How do I translate a principle to striking, distance etc? Is that the footwork for example?

Is blending, drawing?

Sent from my HP ElitePad 1000 G2 using Tapatalk


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## Dirty Dog (Sep 25, 2014)

They don't translate. To translate, things have to be the same, or at least close. Like "Hola" translates to "Hello".
When you are taught techniques, you are taught to do a series of movements in a certain way. When you understand the principles, you know *why* they are done in that way.

Think of it this way. Your partner initiates a specific attack. You've been taught a technique to counter it, and you can make it work. But only if the attack is exactly what you've been taught. Change the attack, and the counter no longer works for you.

Once you understand the principles behind the technique, you can make it work if the original attack is anything remotely like the "expected" attack. When you understand what makes the original technique work, then when the "attack" is from a different angle, or targeted differently, or whatever, you can alter your response to get the same end result.

Techniques are taught, quickly and pretty easily. Mastery comes from understanding the principles behind them.


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## oftheherd1 (Sep 25, 2014)

jezr74 said:


> What is the difference between techniques and principles in the context of Hapkido.
> 
> And what are the core principles of your style of Hapkido or how you were taught?



Have you asked your teacher?


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## jezr74 (Sep 25, 2014)

oftheherd1 said:


> Have you asked your teacher?



I have, there seems to be a number of flavors of HKD and I was interested in finding out the subtle differences if any in principle, or differing interpretations.

Techniques appear to have a more broad interpretation.


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## jezr74 (Sep 25, 2014)

jezr74 said:


> Techniques appear to have a more broad interpretation.



Meaning a lot of different possibilities and break down.


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## oftheherd1 (Sep 26, 2014)

jezr74 said:


> I have, there seems to be a number of flavors of HKD and I was interested in finding out the subtle differences if any in principle, or differing interpretations.
> 
> Techniques appear to have a more broad interpretation.



As far as I know, there are several HKD organizations, each of which seems to consider itself 'the' one.  There are many kwans within the different organizations.  Generally when a GM starts a kwan, it will be taught with what he thinks is are the best techniques.  There will probably be a lot of what he learned in the kwan he advanced from, but he will no doubt make changes to reflect what he thinks is more important.  That will usually be incorporating different techniques than what he learned in his former kwan, or perhaps the level at which he thinks certain techniques should be taught.  Sometimes organizations will dictate the level of some techniques.  For example, in the Hapkido I learned, I was taught knife defense at the red belt level.  Later, the Korean Hapkido Association decreed that knife defense should not be taught until after achieving 1st Dan.

I doubt principles would be changed, but interpretations of them might be.

Is that what your teacher has told you?


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## Raymond (Sep 27, 2014)

jezr74 said:


> What is the difference between techniques and principles in the context of Hapkido.
> 
> And what are the core principles of your style of Hapkido or how you were taught?




The principles of Hapkido and the techniques of Hapkido are intertwined.  The principles that are most widely recognized are:
Nonresistance
Circle principle 
Water Principle 

With these principles, a technique should be able to adhere to all three as closely as possible.  A good technique should:
Not meet the opponent head on with force or strength and should lend to absorbing and redirecting an opponent's force else where
Draw power from the circle either through hand, foot and body movement
Be able to flow and trickle through an opponent's defense much like water will erode the mightiest mountain or able to powerfully destroy much like the waves of a tsunami.  Water gives life but it can also destroy violently.  It can be liquid and unable to be held easily in the hand or it can be frozen, hard and solid.  

Hapkido is an eclectic art and these principles can be interpreted in many ways by many practitioners.  Being that Hapkido is a "do" art, the techniques serve not just as a means of physical fighting skills but the Hapkido student should also follow these principles by being able to be flexible and with the ability to adjust to life instead of trying to stubbornly resist it head on and understanding.  This way of thinking can help us live the principles of Nonresistance and Water, and by understanding that all life is dependent on one another and impermanent we can understand the Circle principle.

So the technique and you should view the principles as a filter; if the filter does not apply to the technique or you then that might not be the best representation of Hapkido.  It is up to the master to help shape how his students understand the principles and find them in their technique and for the student to further develop their own insight and make the principles "their principles".


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## jezr74 (Sep 27, 2014)

oftheherd1 said:


> As far as I know, there are several HKD organizations, each of which seems to consider itself 'the' one.  There are many kwans within the different organizations.  Generally when a GM starts a kwan, it will be taught with what he thinks is are the best techniques.  There will probably be a lot of what he learned in the kwan he advanced from, but he will no doubt make changes to reflect what he thinks is more important.  That will usually be incorporating different techniques than what he learned in his former kwan, or perhaps the level at which he thinks certain techniques should be taught.  Sometimes organizations will dictate the level of some techniques.  For example, in the Hapkido I learned, I was taught knife defense at the red belt level.  Later, the Korean Hapkido Association decreed that knife defense should not be taught until after achieving 1st Dan.
> 
> I doubt principles would be changed, but interpretations of them might be.
> 
> Is that what your teacher has told you?



Yeah, something like that. I'm not interested in lineage in the sense of which is better than the other or more pure etc. or any politics for that matter if it exists. I'm more than happy with my instruction and syllabus. My only interest in lineage would be purely out of historical interest and curiosity as to the history of what I'm being taught and who has passed it on and so forth.

Don't think my intent for these post are because I'm questioning what I'm learning or the way it's taught. (if that's how it was coming across) I'm just interested to hear how other HKD students\teacher's interprets and train, it sparks some conversation and can draw out interesting things on methods and training aspects I've not heard of before.


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## Daniel Sullivan (Oct 7, 2014)

The three that Raymond mentioned are considered the basis of Hapkido principles:

Nonresistance
Circle principle 
Water Principle 

As was mentioned, there is a lot of room for interpretation and differences of execution. Then you have principles that are common to many martial arts, including hapkido.

But beyond principles are philosophies. You could teach the art as a lifestyle, as gritty self defense art, as a military art, as a sport, etc.

If the school's focus is on lifestyle and fitness, different things will be emphasized than in a school that teaches the art strictly for self defense. Both of which will be different from someone teaching HKD as a sport.

Most schools don't have forms, but some do. Most schools don't have competition, but some do. Philosophy will have an effect on what techniques are emphasized over others, and in some cases, how the techniques are performed. 

Then you get into differences between teachers; a teacher who hates high kicks (there are several on this forum, or at least there used to be; I haven't posted in over seven months) probably won't teach them at all.

From what I understand, as many different TKD orgs as there are, there are more HKD orgs.


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## Raymond (Oct 7, 2014)

Daniel Sullivan said:


> The three that Raymond mentioned are considered the basis of Hapkido principles:
> 
> Nonresistance
> Circle principle
> ...




The parallel between HKD (and martial arts in general) along with religion are astounding in terms of practice and interpretation.  But we can take that for what we will .


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## jezr74 (Oct 7, 2014)

Raymond said:


> The parallel between HKD (and martial arts in general) along with religion are astounding in terms of practice and interpretation.  But we can take that for what we will .



Can you elaborate? Do you find MA and Religion are similar in practice?


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## Kong Soo Do (Oct 8, 2014)

jezr74 said:


> What is the difference between techniques and principles in the context of Hapkido.
> 
> And what are the core principles of your style of Hapkido or how you were taught?



Let me give you an illustration.  The first set of movements in Pinan Shodan demonstrate an effective shoulder lock.  The shoulder lock in-and-of-itself is a technique.  The kata demonstrates the technique from a standing position.  However, using the principle that shoulder lock is based upon, it can be performed from a variety of angles or even while prone on the ground.


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## jezr74 (Oct 8, 2014)

I'm starting to feel the difference now, especially as I move on to cross arm techniques and double hands.


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## Raymond (Oct 8, 2014)

jezr74 said:


> Can you elaborate? Do you find MA and Religion are similar in practice?



Well, that is certainly a complicated question that I might not be able to fully elaborate.  I'll try my best while at the same time trying to avoid offending any members.

Let's just use Hapkido and Christianity as an example.  At the core of just about every Hapkido style are three principles:  Water, Circle, and Nonresistance.  But from just those three principles and one founder with Choi (two if you want to include Seob) we now have dozens and dozens of organizations teaching various flavors of Hapkido because they all have interpreted and expressed these three principles differently.  Often times throughout history you have these different styles and organizations coming to disagreement with each other as to what the "real" Hapkido is.  

Now lets compare that to Christianity.  At the heart of Christianity we have the Holy Bible, including the New Testament.  Now from this text, we have dozens and dozens of group interpreting and practicing it differently leading us to have different denominations like Catholic, Lutheran, Protestant and so on.  And historically these groups have even clashed with each other over what is the "true" expression of their faith.

And much like a faith, a martial art can be a way of life that shapes all your way of thinking and your actions.  Its not for nothing that we find smatterings of philosophy and religion in Asian arts such as elements of Zen in Japanese arts.


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## Danny T (Oct 8, 2014)

jezr74 said:


> What is the difference between techniques and principles in the context of Hapkido.


They will be the same as within the context of any other function.

 The different arts may have some principles that differ but the difference between techniques and principles will be the same.
A Principle is the underlying rule by which we function or do something no matter what system or style one is performing in. Different systems have several different rules for function. (some may be the same but the fundamental rules for function will be different) There will be stylistic differences (the distinct differences of expression), but principles for the system will be the same.
 A Technique a way of doing something by using knowledge or skill; the way that one does basic physical movements or skills and is defined the same no matter what one is doing.

  The real differences is in Application which is the act of putting to use the technique[FONT=&quot][/FONT].

If it is any individual system the principles will be the same or they are not the same system. If one system of Hapkido's principles are different than another then one of them is not Hapkido.


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