korean material arts Hapkido

Hapkido

Hapkido is a Korean martial art which emerged in the mid-twentieth century and quickly grew to become an international style.

Its founders created the art by selectively fusing a wide range of existing martial skills, with new innovations. The basis for much of Hapkido’s technical material is thought to come from Daito Ryu Aiki-Jujutsu, a Japanese art, which was reinterpreted and integrated with a broad range of native Korean philosophical ideas and martial techniques. Hapkido’s founders also created many unique martial techniques, some of which have since been adopted by other martial arts. As a result, Hapkido possesses one of the most complex, unique, and varied arsenals of self-defense techniques to be found in any martial art. These techniques encompass all major martial categories including: strikes, kicks, blocks, avoiding movements, holds, joint locks, chokes, throws, breakfalls, tumbling, ground fighting, weapons, meditation, and healing.
Like many Asian martial arts, Hapkido emphasizes the unification of body, mind, and spirit; the perfection of human character; social responsibility; and appropriate use of force. Unlike most martial arts, Hapkido utilizes more than 1100 core techniques, which are intuitively modified or combined to create thousands of variations. Self-defense techniques are characterized by a constant flow of striking, blocking, holding, and throwing techniques. Constant motion and fluid circular movements are designed to blend with an opponent’s force. Tactics often alternate between highly aggressive and defensive modes, with power being generated through use of one’s entire body. Internal energy development is fundamental to all training, leading to increased health and greater efficiency in self-defense techniques.
Hapkido techniques are not only for self-defense. Meditation and healing techniques are used to develop emotional stability, peace of mind, and confidence, while providing the same health benefits found in other arts, such as Tai Chi Chuan and Qi-Gong. Thus, Hapkido is a highly practical self-defense art with strong spiritual underpinnings.
In contemporary society, Hapkido is mostly practiced for self-defense, health, and spiritual growth. Although it is often compared to Aikido, Taekwondo, Jujutsu, Judo, and Tai Chi Chuan, it has a much broader range of techniques, suitable in a wider range of situations. This has made it adaptable to a wide range of body physiques, personalities, and lifestyles. Hapkido is currently practiced by a diverse range of men, women, and children of all ages; working professionals; gifted athletes; the physically impaired; those simply seeking physical exercise; as well as military and law enforcement professionals. Hapkido is currently practiced in more than 100 countries and continues to expand rapidly.

Tai Chi

Tai Chi Chuan is a Chinese martial art which is centuries old, and at one time included a broad range of martial skills—strikes, joint locks, throws, and weapons. Today Tai Chi is primarily practiced as a form of exercise used to promote health, peace of mind, and to develop one’s internal energy (called Qi or Ki). It is generally classified as an “internal” martial art, since its focus is the internal health of the mind and body.

Tai Chi practitioners are often seen in urban parks during the early hours of the morning, practicing the slow, flowing, graceful movements that characterize this martial art.

Judo

Judo (called Yudo in Korean) is a grappling-based martial art that began in Japan in the late-nineteenth century, and gradually grew to become a widely practiced international sport. Judo was founded by Jigoro Kano, who created the art by synthesizing and revitalizing Japanese Jujutsu, which at that time had become a dying military art. Kano’s intention was to create a martial art that was safer to practice by the general public. He did this by modifying the devastating joint locks and throws commonly used in Jujutsu, into gentler, safer techniques. Although Judo originally began as a self-defense art and a form of fitness exercise, it gradually evolved into an aggressive, exciting, grappling sport, and has been included in the Olympic Games since 1964. While Judo’s roots remain in Japan, the various countries where it is practiced govern the sport through their own national associations. Korea, France, the United States, Russia, among others, have all evolved their own culturally unique innovations and interpretations of Judo techniques, making it truly an “international” martial art.
The art of Judo primarily focuses on throwing, grappling, and ground fighting, and incorporates a broad range of choking techniques, immobilization holds, and joint manipulations. Judo practitioners are widely recognized for their extensive repertoire
of throwing techniques.

Adult Judo promotions 1 29-09

Click here to see pictures

St. Paul's Picnic-Glen Park Canyon
September 14, 2008 ( Sunday )

Theme- Olympic Sports
Steve Mendoza, St. Paul's Picnic Coordinator

Taekwondo and Judo are the only two Martial Arts Sports held in the
Olympic Games. This year 2008 America has taken two bronzes and
a silver in Olympic Taekwondo. There were medals won in Judo also from American players. The weather cooperated beautifully and the food was excellent at the picnic. And our Judo/Taekwondo demonstrations
followed suit.

KMAC-HQ thanks the following:

• Luis Perdices-Head JudoTeam Leader/ MC
  
• Steve Mendoza-Judo/Picnic Coordinator
  
• Edna Perez-Judo Team Member
  
• Giovanni Mendoza-Judo Team Member
  
• Sanel Velic-Judo Team Member
  
• Kaila Woo-Judo Team Member
  
• Madeline O'Donnell-Judo Team Member

We thank Johana Romero for her hard training but was not able to come.
Again, we thank all the parents of the team members who came out to support.

Taekwondo

Taekwondo is a Korean martial art which emerged in the mid-twentieth century, and has subsequently become one of the most widely practiced martial arts in the world. The name Taekwondo was created in 1955, to unify a broad range of Korean hard-styles descended from native Korean arts. Some of these older styles included Tang Soo Do, Kong Soo Do, Su Bak Ki, and Tae Soo Do. The evolution of these earlier styles was also influenced by Japanese and Chinese styles encountered during frequent conflicts between 1894 and 1945. Today there are over 20 million Taekwondo practitioners in over 120 countries. Since 1988, Taekwondo has been included in the Olympic Games, which has also contributed to its phenomenal growth and
popularity worldwide.

The art of Taekwondo primarily focuses on a linear style of kicking and punching. It resembles Karate, but with a more varied kicking repertoire. It also incorporates more circular movements, particularly in its kicks. In recent years, some Taekwondo systems have begun to integrate a limited number of joint locks, throws, and ground defenses into their curriculum, to keep pace with the needs of modern society. Most of these techniques are derived from Hapkido, another major Korean martial art.
The Korean Martial Arts Center is affiliated with the major Taekwondo governing bodies in the United States and Korea, United States Taekwondo (USAT), and World Taekwondo Federation (Kukkiwon).

Copyright 2000 Merrill Jung. All rights reserved. No part of this website may be used or reproduced for any reason by any means without written permission. Text copyright 2000 by Marc Tedeschi and is reproduced by permission.