Yusul Training in Hapkido

[Daniel Sullivan]

Sul is the Korean equivalent of jutsu. It means technique (essentially).

Yudo is the Korean pronunciation of Judo, and Yusul is the Korean rendering of Jujutsu. Hapkido techniques are common to many grappling arts, including jujutsu, which Choi clamed to be trained in, though Choi's training in jujutsu and in what ryu is a matter of some debate (according to the founder, he trained in Daito Ryu Aiki Jujutsu under Takeda, though this is not universally accepted as being true). When Choi first began teaching, he called his art a number of different names, including yawara, before landing on hapkido. The first school opened up to teach the art was Seo Bok Seob's, and he called it "Hapki Yu Kwon Sul." It was later shortened to hapkido.

Whatever his background, the techniques are very similar, though hapkido traditionally does not have the ground fighting emphasis of BJJ, though some schools/organizations have incorporated BJJ into their curriculums.

As for spelling, English spelling varies depending upon the Romanization method used; sul and sool are both acceptable, though I have never seen any variations on 'yu.'

 

[Raymond]

Sul is the Korean equivalent of jutsu. It means technique (essentially).

Yudo is the Korean pronunciation of Judo, and Yusul is the Korean rendering of Jujutsu. Hapkido techniques are common to many grappling arts, including jujutsu, which Choi clamed to be trained in, though Choi's training in jujutsu and in what ryu is a matter of some debate (according to the founder, he trained in Daito Ryu Aiki Jujutsu under Takeda, though this is not universally accepted as being true). When Choi first began teaching, he called his art a number of different names, including yawara, before landing on hapkido. The first school opened up to teach the art was Seo Bok Seob's, and he called it "Hapki Yu Kwon Sul." It was later shortened to hapkido.

Whatever his background, the techniques are very similar, though hapkido traditionally does not have the ground fighting emphasis of BJJ, though some schools/organizations have incorporated BJJ into their curriculums.

As for spelling, English spelling varies depending upon the Romanization method used; sul and sool are both acceptable, though I have never seen any variations on 'yu.'

I don't know if I would say that Hapki Yu Kwon Sul was simply "shortened" to Hapkido as the subtraction of Sul and the addition of Do are pretty big.

Jutsu arts in Japan were arts that strictly focused on the efficacy of combat. Where as a Do art such as Aikido are more a lifestyle where the main focus of the art is harmonizing the body with the mind and personal development through the practice of martial techniques, and fighting ability being secondary. So taking Hapki Yu Kwon Sul (which I would believe translates roughly as Soft style of Energy Joining Techniques or something like that) to the "Way of Harmonizing Energy" shows a big change in philosophy of the art from strictly a fighting system to a more personal means of development through martial art.

I know I'm just nit picking but its an interesting point in my opinion.

Also, the evolution of Brazilian Jiujitsu has very little relation to any of the traditional Japanese jujutsu systems. In reality, BJJ came from Judo newaza training, so it is a generation removed from Japanese jujutsu and only ended up being called "Brazilian Jiujitsu" most likely because Judo wasn't really well known in Brazil by that name and was still called "Kano's jiujitsu/jujutsu". I believe the story goes that the Gracie side (because I don't know much of the Franca lineagee) of BJJ came from them training in Judo under Mitsuyo Maeda who was very good at newaza and he taught some of the Gracies. Carlos trained Judo, and when his Judo instructor was out he took over classes and basically kept doing it on his own even after the instructors returned. Basically going "yeah we learned enough from you and now have our own system". It'd be the equivalent of a BJJ blue belt today going and opening his own school, giving himself a black belt and going "I made my own art".

But back to Hapkido. Suh Bok-sup was a Judo black belt and Judo did have limited ground fighting. I'm not familiar with Suh's curriculum of Hapki Yu Kwon Sul, but if I had any ground fighting in it I have to believe that he incorporated his own Judo knowledge into what Dojunim Choi taught him.

This is just my personal feeling, but I know BJJ is responsible for the making ground fighting popular in recent years. However, if I were to include extensive ground fighting into a Hapkido curriculum I think it would be more historically meaningful to say that it is influenced by Judo. I would also say that the principles of Judo ground fighting being to pin or submit the opponent from a dominant top position is more meaningful to Hapkido since the aim of Hapkido's martial application is self defense and the emphasis on pinning from the top is better for that, rather than the style of being comfortable fighting from the back which is more prevalent in sport BJJ.

 

[K-man]

Jutsu arts in Japan were arts that strictly focused on the efficacy of combat. Where as a Do art such as Aikido are more a lifestyle where the main focus of the art is harmonizing the body with the mind and personal development through the practice of martial techniques, and fighting ability being secondary. So taking Hapki Yu Kwon Sul (which I would believe translates roughly as Soft style of Energy Joining Techniques or something like that) to the "Way of Harmonizing Energy" shows a big change in philosophy of the art from strictly a fighting system to a more personal means of development through martial art.

I know I'm just nit picking but its an interesting point in my opinion.

Not wanting to derail the thread but I learn Aikido only for its martial value. I couldn't give a rat's for the harmonisation and personal development. Aikido is the epitome of efficacy of combat, maximum effect from minimum effort.

Now, back to Hapkido!

 

[jezr74]

I haven't done enough of it to be able to differentiate jujutsu or judo, or know JJ or Judo enough to qualify it. I'll ask more questions of my teacher and here as I progress.

But I do find the language and meanings interesting, nothing seems to be cut and dry in MA.

 

[oftheherd1]

...

This is just my personal feeling, but I know BJJ is responsible for the making ground fighting popular in recent years. However, if I were to include extensive ground fighting into a Hapkido curriculum I think it would be more historically meaningful to say that it is influenced by Judo. I would also say that the principles of Judo ground fighting being to pin or submit the opponent from a dominant top position is more meaningful to Hapkido since the aim of Hapkido's martial application is self defense and the emphasis on pinning from the top is better for that, rather than the style of being comfortable fighting from the back which is more prevalent in sport BJJ.

In the Hapkido I learned, between 1st Dan and 2nd Dan, I was taught ground techniques: from sitting to being on my back. If I remember when I am home, I will see what GM Kimm does or does not show of ground techniques. It may or may not be significant that my GM studied Judo to the black belt level.

 

[Raymond]

In the Hapkido I learned, between 1st Dan and 2nd Dan, I was taught ground techniques: from sitting to being on my back. If I remember when I am home, I will see what GM Kimm does or does not show of ground techniques. It may or may not be significant that my GM studied Judo to the black belt level.

There are tons of overlap in techniques between the arts. I was just stating my own personal opinion and take on it. Nothing official or meant to tell others what or what not to do. General Choi's original TKD manuals had lots of ground and sitting techniques but it wasn't really "ground fighting" or grappling in my personal opinion (having done HKD, TKD and submission wrestling).

Hapkido as practiced in many dojangs is an eclectic art and many instructors are happy to incorporate other arts techniques as long as they work and adhere to that instructors principles. So an HKD instructor for example could teach an escape from side control that could come from Judo, BJJ, or wrestling and be nearly the same technique. It would just depend on "where" he learned it.

Or like wrist locks are done in Chinese arts, Hapkido, Aikido, various Japanese jujutsu systems, BJJ, and so on. But I personally learned the wrist lock part of my game from Hapkido, so when I show them or do them to people in sparring, I can say it was a "Hapkido" technique even if it isn't "owned" by Hapkido per se.

There are many roads that lead to the same destination. That's why I love Hapkido. It is so many different things to so many different people, with a "mysterious" and controversial history as to how Choi Yong-sul came to learn his art. There's so much room for discussion on history, ideas, techniques and so on.

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

I don't know if I would say that Hapki Yu Kwon Sul was simply "shortened" to Hapkido as the subtraction of Sul and the addition of Do are pretty big.

Agreed, though I was mainly focusing on the name changes that the art went through before it Choi and Seob landed on Hapkido. If I recall, Choi went through several, which gives less of an impression of him changing the emphasis of the art from strict fighting to lifestyle, than him simply trying to find a name that he liked.

From what I can tell, the arts biggest changes happened with Ji Han Jae and Kim Moo Hong, who introduced the plethora of kicking techniques to the art. From what I understand, Hapkido had mostly meat and potatoes kicks as it was taught by Choi.

 

[Raymond]

Agreed, though I was mainly focusing on the name changes that the art went through before it Choi and Seob landed on Hapkido. If I recall, Choi went through several, which gives less of an impression of him changing the emphasis of the art from strict fighting to lifestyle, than him simply trying to find a name that he liked.

From what I can tell, the arts biggest changes happened with Ji Han Jae and Kim Moo Hong, who introduced the plethora of kicking techniques to the art. From what I understand, Hapkido had mostly meat and potatoes kicks as it was taught by Choi.

Yeah, that all sounds pretty correct. I have some books on Daito Ryu (never trained in it with an instructor though) and I don't recall seeing many kicks at all. I only remember some front kicks, knees and side kicks to things like the knees, back of knee or groin during various close quarter defenses against grabs and such. I've downloaded as many Bong Soo Han instructionals as I could find and his kicking is different than Ji Han Jae's. Bong Soo Han seemed to teach more of the style of kicking found in Taekwondo or Tang Soo Do. While the kicking in the Ji Han Jae vids on Youtube from user Russmor seem to be way different and I am not familiar with them. They made my knees hurt just watching.

While not related to Hapkido, Black Belt Magazine this month had a nice article on Gichin Funakoshi's change in his Shotokan Karate from a "Karate-jutsu" (empty hand techniques) over to Karate-do (Way of the Empty Hand) and talks about the justsu and do differences at a philosophical level.