The Beat March 2003

Hap – “together”, referring to the harmony of body and spirit.
Ki - “life and body energy”
Do – “way of (learning)”

Hapkido is a eclectic Korean martial art, which combines the locking and breaking aspects of Aikido, the throwing aspects of Judo, the striking aspects of Karate, and the footwork of Tae Kwon Do. It includes a vast variety of arm and leg joint locks, weapon techniques, throws, kicks, strikes, and nerve pressure techniques. It is a skill that unlocks the hidden powers of strength and confidence in even the smallest person - young or old, male or female – and is the most effective defense against the most common and uncommon assaults.

Most other martial arts deal with direct, straight movements, whereas, Hapkido leads the attack of an opponent in a circle. Hapkido revolves around the principle of circular motion within a sphere, which stems from the central balance point of your body in a particular position. Therefore, instead of stopping an opponent's attack and initiating an attack of one's own, a Hapkidoist leads the attack by simply moving out of the way and then using the attack against the opponent. Not much strength is needed because the stronger the opponent's attack, the more he resists, the more aggressive he becomes, the easier it is for the Hapkidoist to defend himself.

Aside from its obvious self defense aspects, it is said that Hapkido leads to a more serene and longer life. Hapkido uses natural movements, and so induces calmness and relaxation. Movements of Hapkido are also thought to slow the degradation and aging of the body by providing proper circulation through the body and self-regulation of the nervous system.

Randy Lee has been studying various martial arts since 1972, in Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco, New York, Aspen, Hong Kong, Korea, and Singapore.