Hapkido is a martial art which originated in Korea. The sport involves the use of pressure points, joint locks, and regular kicks, strikes and throws. The fighters also make use of some of Korea’s traditional weaponry, like nunchucks, ropes, canes, short sticks, the staff and swords. The style utilizes in both long range fighting skills as well as some short range ones. The long range fights see the use of hard kicking with repeated striking, while short range fighting involves the more subtle joint locks, pressure point catches and small throws & lunges.

Hapkido requires a fluid motion, most of the movements being circular and unrestricting, thus enabling you to control your opponents fighting positions. Footwork also plays a very essential role in this, as positioning your own body at strategic points is what helps you overcome your opponent. The name of the style itself, Hapkido, has an interesting meaning. The “Hap” means coordination or harmony, the “ki” refers to spirit or power, and the “do” refers to the art or the way. Thus, combining them all we get the meaning of Hapkido as a way of harmonical power or the art of coordinating the spirit.

Hapkido practitioners have to follow three basic skills or principles: Non-resistance, Circle Principle and the Water / Harmony Principle. The Non-resistance principle, or the Hwa as it is called, is simply trying to remain calm and relaxed, and not giving any reaction to the opponent’s strength. Like instead of retaliating if your opponent tries to push you, just move in the direction of his push, and you will end up throwing him off balance. This is the basic essence of Hapkido. The Circle Principle, or Won, is intended to allow a fighter to have momentum to make your moves in a free flowing manner, without jerky or constricting movements being made. An opponent would normally come on attack in a straight line, and you as a Hapkido fighter can use his strength along with yours if you can redirect that movement into a circular rhythm. The last principle is the Water, or Yu. This emphasizes on the soft touch of water and adapting to its strength. It gives you immense advantage over your opponent, for it is quite like water stopping on a stone and then getting around to completely engulfing it.

Hapkido employs four main techniques: kicking, hand striking, joint manipulation and throwing. While training for the sport, a student will need to go through defense lessons first, where he or she learns to defend themselves against various weapons, most often starting with the knife. After this come the ropes, walking sticks and canes. However, the most important lesson taught is with a weapon called Jung Bong, which is a stick about the size of a baton.

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