HAPKIDO Brisbane

HAPKIDO

Hapkido (also spelled hap ki do or hapki-do is a dynamic Korean martial art which compliments Taekwondo. It is a form of self-defence that employs joint locks on the weaker points of the body to restrain an attacker. Kicks, punches, and other striking attacks are taught which are both similiar and different from Taekwondo. Traditional weapons, including the sword, walking cane, short stick, and staff (pole) are all taught in hapkido. Students are also taught how to roll and break fall like judo. Hapkido contains both long and close range fighting techniques, utilising jumping kicks and percussive hand strikes at longer ranges and pressure point strikes, joint locks, or throws at closer fighting distances. Hapkido emphasizes circular motion, non-resisting movements, and control of the opponent. Practitioners seek to gain advantage through footwork and body positioning to employ leverage, avoiding the use of strength against strength. The art copied from a jujutsu system taught by Choi Yong-Sool who returned to Korea after World War II, having lived in Japan for 30 years. This system was later combined with kicking and striking techniques of indigenous and contemporary arts such as taekkyeon and tang soo do. Its history is obscured by the historical animosity between the Korean and Japanese people following the Second World War.

HAP means "coordinated" or "joining"; KI describes internal energy, spirit, strength, or power; and DO means "way" or "art", yielding a literal translation of "joining-energy-way". It is most often translated as "the way of coordinating energy" or "the way of harmony". Although aikido and hapkido are believed by many to share a common history, they remain separate and distinct from one another. They differ significantly in philosophy, range of responses and manner of executing techniques.

The Korea Hapkido Federation is the largest, wholly hapkido, governing body for the Korean martial art of hapkido in the world. It is made up of predominantly Korean born students and instructors or those individuals who have directly trained in South Korea. This organization is based in Seoul, South Korea. Ji Han Jae was the founder of the original Korea Hapkido Association in 1965. In 1983 Oh, See Lim, renamed the association by the name first used by Ji, the Dae Han Hapkido Hyub Hoe, with a new preferred English rendering and the new Korea Hapkido Federation was born. On September 1, 2008, Oh, See Lim retired as President of the KHF and was succeeded by Master Kim, Jong-Youn. President Kim served as a policeman for over 33 years and was a master Hapkido instructor for the police department.

One of the pioneers of Hapkido in Australia is Grand Master Sung Soo Lee (GM Lee). GM Lee introduced Hapkido on his arrival to Australia in 1974. GM Lee is the highest ranking Hapkido master in Australia and is solely affiliated to the KHF. We are very proud to be students of GM Lee and have a direct lineage to the world governing body of Hapkido.

Hapkido Instructors