Hapkido is a Korean martial art that translates as the way of harmony through mental strength or energy. Like its Japanese cousin aikido, hapkido is generally thought to be a "soft" martial art that uses an opponent's own weight and strength against them. Known as a martial art that specializes in redirecting an attack, hapkido is also known for its joint locks, throws, foot sweeps and pressure point attacks.
The Early Years
The traditional basis for hapkido comes from an ancient Japanese art diato-ryu aiki-juitsu. It began when a student of one of Korea's founders of martial arts was relocated to Japan during the country's occupation of Korea. This student, Dojunim Choi Yung Sul, returned to Korea in 1945 after the liberation of the country at the end of World War II and taught private lessons of a blend of the old and the new martial arts out of his home.
It Wasn't Hapkido at That Point
The art that Choi was teaching in his home in 1945 wasn't the complete martial art that we know as hapkido today. It was more of a blend of different Japanese and Korean techniques, but Choi knew that he wanted to put together a complete system that would work in modern society rather than just being an ancient art that hearkened back to the days of field battle between warrior clans.
A Bar Fight Was The Spark
A couple of years after returning to Korea, on Feb. 21, 1948, Choi was standing in line at a brewery when he became involved in a physical altercation with several people. The proprietor of the brewery, Bok Sub Suh, noticed the way Choi handled himself during the fight and asked for a demonstration of the techniques. He subsequently became Choi's first student. Three years later, Choi and Suh opened their first school together.
Today
That first school was called the Yu Kwon Sool Hapki Dojang, and the name of the martial art was later changed to hapkido after kicking techniques were added and the blend of different Korean and Japanese styles were mixed to form a complete martial arts defense system. The art of hapkido that we know today is a form of unarmed self-defense that is based on throws, pressure point techniques, joint locks and kicks. And it all began after someone watched a bar fight.
Member Comments