Very cool Hapkido video!!

[Gerry Seymour]

I agree with everything you said. But I ALSO think that in Hapkido, when you open your fingers wide like that, you are allowing KI energy to flow through your arm from your center. When you combine the mechanics you mentioned with the belief that KI energy is flowing through your arm, you get an even more powerful technique.

I've never needed anything mystical in these kinds of things. The mechanics alone are sufficient to explain the effect. I still often refer to it using the ki vocabulary, but my students learn first that ki is just a shorthand for a certain type of mechanics.

 

[skribs]

I've never needed anything mystical in these kinds of things. The mechanics alone are sufficient to explain the effect. I still often refer to it using the ki vocabulary, but my students learn first that ki is just a shorthand for a certain type of mechanics.

I'm still trying to figure out how to write a full article on the shamanistic nature of martial arts. So far all I've got is drawing power from the ground.

 

[Buka]

I'm still trying to figure out how to write a full article on the shamanistic nature of martial arts. So far all I've got is drawing power from the ground.

The "shamanistic nature of martial arts". That's a corker of a phrase.

You know, Skribs, I hope you've compiled a lot of notes on the arts up until this point. You need to eventually write some books.

 

[skribs]

The "shamanistic nature of martial arts". That's a corker of a phrase.

You know, Skribs, I hope you've compiled a lot of notes on the arts up until this point. You need to eventually write some books.

Are you talking about all the strange topics I bring up?

 

[Buka]

Are you talking about all the strange topics I bring up?

Not at all. I’m talking about your passion for the arts, good writing skills and your ever growing experience.

 

[skribs]

Not at all. I’m talking about your passion for the arts, good writing skills and your ever growing experience.

Oh, because I was hoping it was the strange topics.

 

[Gweilo]

Another interesting Hapkido video

 

[Buka]

Another interesting Hapkido video

What a great demonstration video. I so loved that. Bravo to that young lady.

 

[adamr01]

Another interesting Hapkido video

Cool video! I really like those elbow blocks at around 2:45. Very painful.

 

[oftheherd1]

What a great demonstration video. I so loved that. Bravo to that young lady.

Clearly she would excel in whatever martial art she studied.

 

[dvcochran]

There are a lot of those in the aiki/hapki arts. They're not really throws in the normal sense - the fall is an escape from a lock. So used against someone who doesn't jump into the escape, it's meant to be a joint destruction. Some people - even without training - will jump into an escape, just as a response to the pain, but I wouldn't expect that to be a reliable response.

Agree. I have practiced/taught joint lock self defense/counter drills to some big men who some joint locks simply do not work on without some sort of setup or distraction to set the lock. Even then it is very hard.
I am intrigued by Hapkido but so much of the video was predicated on what the attacker did after contact. Frankly, I am more impressed by how the attackers were able to respond, apparently without much damage because they kept coming. There is great value in that mentality of continuance in a actual fight/bout or for LEO.
I couldn't tell for certain but it looked like they were on pine straw bedding, not exactly padding.

 

[Bruce7]

This is an educational video on Hapkido, with some excellent demonstrations.

Nice video, but I do not believe all the history. More likely Hapkido was develop from Korean Martial Artist who learn Japanese Martial Artist during the long Japanese occupation of Korea.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Nice video, but I do not believe all the history. More likely Hapkido was develop from Korean Martial Artist who learn Japanese Martial Artist during the long Japanese occupation of Korea.

It's pretty well established (and pretty obvious, IMO) that it's largely derived from Daito-ryu (perhaps via Ueshiba's Aikido?).

 

[Gweilo]

It's pretty well established (and pretty obvious, IMO) that it's largely derived from Daito-ryu (perhaps via Ueshiba's Aikido?).

Yes the art did emerge from Daito Ryu, but not from Ueshiba's Aikido. There are no records of Choi in the archives of Daito ryu, either in his Korean name or adopted Japanese name. But Saito is on record in an interview stating his father claimed Choi did indeed attend seminars as an assistant to Takada Sagaku. Choi returned to Korea before Ueshiba had created Aikido. An interview with Choi in the late 80's refers to his art as Yawara, and it is claimed by some that Ji Han Jan added most of the Korean influence and the name of Hapkido, the exact truth will probably never be known. I enjoyed the art when I trained it, it is fascinating, and still use some of the techniques in training today.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Yes the art did emerge from Daito Ryu, but not from Ueshiba's Aikido. There are no records of Choi in the archives of Daito ryu, either in his Korean name or adopted Japanese name. But Saito is on record in an interview stating his father claimed Choi did indeed attend seminars as an assistant to Takada Sagaku. Choi returned to Korea before Ueshiba had created Aikido. An interview with Choi in the late 80's refers to his art as Yawara, and it is claimed by some that Ji Han Jan added most of the Korean influence and the name of Hapkido, the exact truth will probably never be known. I enjoyed the art when I trained it, it is fascinating, and still use some of the techniques in training today.

He did return to Korea before Ueshiba started calling anything Aikido, but there's no really good dividing line as to when he started teaching something he would have considered Aikido (when he later used that term). A few things I've seen in Hapkido (haven't seen much, but enough to wonder) have me wondering if he had some significant interaction with Ueshiba in those days. It's a vague wondering, at best, and not backed by anything substantial.

 

[Gweilo]

I agree, Choi would not have been given any status, 1 because he would have been classed as a servant, 2nd he was not Japanese, and the only evidence is say so. The most interesting part was Morihei Ueshiba's acknowledgement to Saito Sense about Choi assisting at a seminar. Assiting in what way we are unsure of, but it is clear Choi was proficient at the techniques. After Takada ended his life via a hunger strike, it is unlikely Morihei would have associated himself with Choi, seeing as Choi stated in his 1980's interview, he returned to Korea, because he did not feel his Korean heritage would have been tolerated.

 

[Gweilo]

Found this link for the mentioned interview. Though it is not the full interview.

Historical Interview with Choi Yong-Sul – Hapkido Journal

 

[Gweilo]

Also this link may help, but we will still not know the whole truth.

The History of Hapkido - Scott Shaw

 

[oftheherd1]

There are a lot of those in the aiki/hapki arts. They're not really throws in the normal sense - the fall is an escape from a lock. So used against someone who doesn't jump into the escape, it's meant to be a joint destruction. Some people - even without training - will jump into an escape, just as a response to the pain, but I wouldn't expect that to be a reliable response.

Missed this reply when I read this before. You are of course correct. Too many who don't practice the grappling arts don't understand that. When a grapple is correctly applied, there will be destruction unless the defender stops before that happens, or the attacker applies the correct break fall.

And for further clarification, there are actual throws, at least in the Hapkido I studied, and I am sure the other grappling arts must be the same.

 

[oftheherd1]

One thing I think has been the hardest to learn in Hapkido is the footwork. The feet do 90% of the work.

You don't think about it, since it's supposed to be a wrist lock, but it is.

Yes sir! Another thing that is sometimes hard to learn. One of the reasons I felt so uncoordinated when I first began studying Hapkido.

For that reason, when I started teaching, footwork was one of the things I emphasized and ensured I taught with any new technique I taught.