# starting hapkido



## guitarac311 (Jan 8, 2006)

Hello everyone, i have been seriously considering the possibility of joining a division of martial arts. However, i have just recently found a TKD and Hapkido dojo near by, i was wondering what all of you think. Anything you liked or disliked about the art itself, or recomendations.
                                                                                         -thanks


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## terryl965 (Jan 8, 2006)

Well first off Hello and welcome. I believe the best answer is go to the school and watch a few classes, see if they will let you take a class and go from there.

You should also post in the newbie section and give some background about yourself.
Terry


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## The MMA kid! (Jan 8, 2006)

Hi!

The first thing you want to do is ask yourself what you want out of the art. Do you want to get in shape? learn to defend yourself? become a prize fighter? etc. different arts cover different wants. for example, you dont want to spend years of your life doing an art like Wushu if you want to become a cage fighter. so be sure to ask yourself what you need, and find out the instructor's credentials.

Tae kwon do is a great art for kicking and flexibility, and a fantastic way to get in shape.


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## Jonathan Randall (Jan 8, 2006)

guitarac311 said:
			
		

> Hello everyone, i have been seriously considering the possibility of joining a division of martial arts. However, i have just recently found a TKD and Hapkido dojo near by, i was wondering what all of you think. Anything you liked or disliked about the art itself, or recomendations.
> -thanks


 
Taekwondo and Hapkido are very complementary arts - one is primarily kicking and striking and the other is predominately grappling. If the school is legitimate and fits your needs and personality you should have a good experience. Best of luck in the arts.

Welcome to MT!


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## arnisador (Jan 9, 2006)

It depends on the isntructor, of course, but Hapkido is an interesting art that will give you useful self-defense skills.


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## Tarot (Jan 9, 2006)

I too am looking at a school that teachs both disciplines.  Each class is an hour and a half long, half TKD and the other half, Hapkido.  I'm very excited to be trying out my first class!  Hopefully I will be able to test the waters this week. 

Good luck to you and I hope it's what you are looking for!


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## guitarac311 (Jan 9, 2006)

thankyou tarot, The classes i ill be taking are seperate from tkd. I am dissapointed though that the center i am looking at only has 2 classes a week for it. Also, Does anyone know how well hapkido works in a street situation, i have been reading up on aikido, aparently it isnt really effective without a willing partner.


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## arnisador (Jan 9, 2006)

Aikido takes a long time to be made effective, but it _can _be made effective. Hapkido comes from essentially the same roots, but is more similar to jujutsu (with an amount of striking that varies from org. to org.). I feel it's an effective art, based on my interactions with practitioners of it.


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## matt.m (May 18, 2006)

Hapkido is quite effective.  However so is Tae Kwon Do, really it is the what do you want to gain question that needs to be asked.  What do you want to accomplish?  What goals do you have that you want to fulfill?  

The main thing to do is to just start.  Begin in an art and pursue it.  If you let yourself get wrapped up in this publication said this about this art and that art then you will get nowhere fast.

I practice Moo Sul Kwan hapkido and Tae Kwon Do.  My father is a master in hapkido, his instructor was Lee H. Park who learned from Won Kwang Wha.  Won Kwang Wha learned from Choi himself.  

I am not studying from my dad, I am studying with a Grandmaster who learned from Lee as well.  I once found myself asking these questions, which is better and more practical etc.

The answer I got revolved around, "If you work out hard and are a diligent martial artist then you will be effective when and if the time comes."


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## mickey (Jun 5, 2006)

matt.m said:
			
		

> If you work out hard and are a diligent martial artist then you will be effective when and if the time comes.



It takes a significant amount of practice to become effective in anything, and martial arts are no different. (I tell my kids, both Hapkidoka, that they have to fail 1000 times in order to master something, from walking to tossing a frisbee....) In a belt system it'll take a half-dozen belts until you learn enough to stop falling over your feet (literally and figuratively). A concern with being effective belies all the realistic reasons for starting in the martial arts. Concommitant is the frequency and sincerity with which you practice: going once a week and muddling through the classes will give you much less progress than three times a week with serious mindfulness.

Aikido can be effective, but you'll need more years than you would with something more geared to street confrontations, such as Krav Maga. As has been said here, pick the part to meet your desireds and needs and self-image and capabilities.

The quality of the teacher and - more importantly - the quality of the classes will round out your experience.

Most importantly of all, as has also been said here: start! You can always change your teacher, your school, your art, and your needs. But each minute on the mat is an investment in you. Get going!


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## hapki68 (Jun 5, 2006)

Hi there, Guitarac,

I was orginally disappointed that there wasn't an aikido school closer to me, and I only took hapkido because it was being offered down the street.  On top of that, most of us who started at the same time did a lot of grumbling about spending so much time practicing what to do when someone grab's your wrist.  Our joke was imagining telling an attacker, "No.. don't punch me!  Grab my wrist!  Not that wrist... the other one!"

But now that I'm almost a year into it and a blue belt, I have a much better understanding of how blocking punches and even throwing people are based on those original moves we spent so much time on.  And many of our moves end with something violent (not that that's a good thing), like a wrist break or throat strike.  

So... it's taken me a while, but I've really come to like hapkido.  It's extremely efficient and much less forgiving than aikido.  I think it would be very effective in a street fight.  In fact, as I understand it, hapkido doesn't have competitions because it's simply too dangerous.

In sum, hapkido seems to be a good, practical, cross between the "do" (or "way") philosophies and a kick-*** fighting tool.  But I guess the most important thing is your instructor and how much effort you put into it.  A good aikidoka will kill a crappy hapkidoan in a heartbeat and vice versa (although both should be smart enough not to fight.)

Patrick

"Hap ki," as we say to each other at the beginning and end of each class.


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## Calhoun (Jun 14, 2006)

I myself, just got back, atually first time for Hapkido,(46 yr old Yellow belt)
I love it! I do 1 hour Thursday nights, 1-1/2 Sat morning (actually every other Sat for awhile..gotta work! )
And also, combat TKD tue, wed, thur.
It's a great workout and learn ALOT about grips, holds, escapes, etc.
I would suggest to start strenghtening yiour hands, grips, etc.
Later


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## spinkick (Jul 6, 2006)

I'm honestly a little offended you saying Hankido doesn't work I mean granted your not going to be Steven Segal after a few classes but If you actually learn the concepts it works.  Take it from a Hapkido and Han ki do Bleckbelt,  It's worth it.  Also you have to understand that you use your opponents resistance against him.. If he resists the technique you try to do, use that force to turn it into another technique. Or just loosen him up with a strike.


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## Paul B (Jul 6, 2006)

Steven Seagal is a 7th Dan in Aikido issued by the Aikikai. He has never studied Hapkido.


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## spinkick (Jul 7, 2006)

Thank you for that, I realize that he does AIkido, I was just trying to use a famous martial artist as an example.


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## matt.m (Jul 7, 2006)

Yeah, I believe you have to do a technique 10,000 times to get it right.


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## icp1775 (Jul 25, 2006)

i am in the same situation but there is only a couple schools local, i think hapkido would be the best for here.


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