# Judo influenced hapkido?



## mcjon77 (Jul 23, 2004)

Hi all,

I've got a quick question about different ways of executing/teaching hapkido.  I'm sure we have all heard of hapkido schools that are heavily influenced by the instructors previous TKD experience.  However, recently I went to check out a school that teaches hapkido with a strong judo/yudo influence instead.  The school owner primarily teaches judo (he's an 8th dan), but also teaches hapkido.  I actually came to check out the judo class, but I got there early and saw the hapkido class as well. I personally liked what I saw, even though it was different from what I had experienced at a hapkido school I trained at briefly before (Kim, Jin Pal of Washington DC).

At the Jin Pal Hapkido school there were TONS of kicks of the flying spinning and jumping variety.  At the school I just checked out there were very few kicks, and all of them were below the waist.  The funny thing was that many of the self defense techniques they did I had seen at Jin Pal Hapkido.  Even though they were the same techniques that had a different "feel" to them.  It is really hard to explain further. This is not to say what I saw was "bad" or "sub par".  Far from it.  I liked it a lot, at least as much or more than my previous hapkido training.  I'm just commenting on the difference in feel between the the two schools.

I was wondering if others have had similar experiences with judo influenced hapkido before.  Do you guys also see a lot of difference between the execution of the same techniques between different hapkido schools?

Jon

P.S.  Nothing I have said hear should be considered a criticism of either school.  I will more than likely be joining the judo/hapkido school I mentioned and if I was still living in DC Jin Pal Hapkido would be number 1 on my list of schools to train at.


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## greendragon (Jul 23, 2004)

I totally understand what you are talking about.  The Hapkido I teach is much less involved these days with high flying kicks. But I love watching other Hapkido schools do them.  I think it really ends up being what the instructor prefers to stress the most.  Lets face it Hapkido has a LOT of sub sets of different ranges and techniques... you have kicking of every kind and height,, you have striking with every kind of conceivable hand position, elbows, knees. head buts, throwing of all types, thousands of joint locks, grappling and clinching, ground techniques, chokes of all kinds, and then there is weapon training!!  Knife, dan bong, cane, staff, belt, sword.  And then there is weapon defense!  Oh and don't let me forget falling and rolling.  Then there is also meditation and breath control.  There is a lot of stuff to learn and then practice in Hapkido. I believe this is why I love it so much.  I think as you get older and do Hapkido a lot you end up picking the categories that fit your body, mindset, and strengths the most.  I am a rather short and squat guy having played linebacker in college and wrestled for many years.  When I was younger I loved to do the high flying kicks, now at 46 years of age my body REALLY tries to revolt on me when I kick a lot.  Because of this and my love of grappling I have people come to my school and say "hey you guys really choke and get in close with your opponent a lot", I just nod and say yes we tend to prefer the close in part of Hapkido.  When I work out with Doju Nim Ji Han Jae he calls me the Judo guy... ha it's funny but I love him for saying that, he knows that I prefer to choke and throw much more then I like to spin kick. And he loves to demonstrate how to throw me! That is the beauty of our Art.  We have many many choices.  Let me just say that you have to try to practice EVERYTHING first for a long time and then pick your favorite ranges and hone your skills to suit your body.  I remember reading an article by the great Wally Jay once and they ask him why there were so many styles of Martial Arts.  He said that they have evolved because of all the different body sizes and makeups of human beings.  The guy ask him what he meant and he said something I thought was priceless... he said that people are built different just like dogs.. he said you never see a St. Bernard running at the dog track and you never see a greyhound in the snow hauling a bunch of supplies on his back!!  People are like that also.. if you are naturally built a certain way, make it your strenght but don't neglect the other aspects just work on them more,,, IMHO your training is up to you and the Judo styled school might be just right for you.. as long as the instructors are REAL Hapkido people and train hard with a lot of falling, sweating, and laughing you are in the right place regardless.
                                                       Michael Tomlinson
                                                    5th Dan Sin Moo Hapkido


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## glad2bhere (Jul 24, 2004)

Dear Jon: 

I agree with what you are saying but I also see places for concern. In YMK Hapkido the purpose of Hapkido is to end the fight. How this is done can be anything from buying the guy a beer to breaking a joint and beyond. While such an attitude might be closer to what Kano originally had in mind than the newer competition-style Judo investing oneself in an activity where these two might be at odds with each other may be asking for trouble. For instance, the practice of choking a person out as in "old style" Judo mat work would be consistent with Hapkido material. But what if the style of Hapkido that uses Judo opts for the mixing in the more modern view which essentially stops at the throw or takedown? 

Another point is in execution. Modern sport Judo has no small empahsis on form of execution. I am sure a modern Judo coach would find it very painful to watch me execute a hip throw or shoulder throw with my legs splayed a'la Mongolian wrestling or Ssierum style. Watching Kano (see KODOKAN JUDO) in his photos he was not above doing what was necessary to take the partner out. Mifune (IMVVHO) was even better. Encumbering the student with issues of form may detract from the S-D emphasis which is the under-pinning of Hapkido. FWIW. 

Best Wishes, 

Bruce


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