What if Hapkido were to become a popular art? Let’s say that someone was to make Hapkido a highly recognized art AND people were drawn to it and began to make it a well known and popular art. What would most of you think? What would you prefer? Would you rather that HKD be a lesser known art with fewer followers or a more popular art that flourishes with students? What would you prefer?
1 thing that plagues "popular" martial arts is the tendency for McDojos to be born. the fact that it's an art with small circles somewhat prevents this from happening (of course there's tons of fake hapkido schools out there, but you know what i mean).
i would not want hkd to be a popular art. there are so many arts that people know of. tkd, karate, jiu jitsu, judo, ninjutsu... not many people know of hkd. its such a unique art and shouldnt be abused by mcdojangs and black belt factories popping up everywhere. i hate seeing tkd dojangs on every corner. im not saying tkd is a bad art, but many, many tkd school you go to are going to be crap. in my little town, i can easily think of about 6 tkd dojangs. maybe 2 out of the 6 will actually teach tkd decently. on all of long island im not sure if there is another hkd dojang besides mine. i think that by keeping hkd a little more "small circled", the art will continue to prosper and it will be much rarer for mcdojangs to pop up everywhere.
In Korea, there are already too many HKD McDojos - I got my belt from one such school! However, I've gotten really into Hapkido, and now that I'm due to go back to the UK, I've looked all over the Internet, and Hapkido schools are non-existant in my hometown which is the 5th biggest city in the UK. I'm really disappointed. Outside of Korea, I wish there would be MORE schools in Hapkido. Does it mean that now there are a lack of training opportunities for me in HKD, that I have to look to venture crossing over to Aikido?? It seems a shame I cannot continue something that's my real hobby.
How long did you practice Hapkido before you tested for black,and how long was the test-also what did the test consist of?
Hi Sir.. Newbie here..For me..Keep Hapkido to the few who really Love it..Thats just how I feel.(but I can be selfish).. Robi
Ok, first Dan test, that was a while back. For me since I went to 3 different HKD schools it took me 2 1/2 years. Traditionally it takes 18 months to first dan. Now this is also based on the idea that you are good and you train a min 2 hours a day 6 days a week. Our requirements for BB; Black Belt: Korean Terminology, no less than 75% / Sparring is a testing requirement for all belts. Yellow Belt: Lapel Grab Hand Techniques. Break Falls. Stretch Kicks. Basic Kicks. (General Kicks) Begin at this level. Basic Breathing Exercises. Green Belt: Belt (Judo) Grab Hand Techniques. Basic Kicks. (General Kicks) Begin at this level. Basic Striking. Purple Belt: Inside Wrist Grab Techniques. Punch Defenses. Kicks. Side Kick Defenses. Blue Belt: Double Single Wrist Grab Techniques. Basic Rolls. Use of Elbows (Guarding). Kicks. Punch Defenses. Side Kick Defense. Brown Belt: Outside Wrist Grab Techniques. Striking Kicks Spin Kick Defenses. Red Belt: Front Double Wrist Grabs. Upper Arm Grabs. Front Single Shoulder Grabs. Double Front Lapel Grabs. Roundhouse Defenses. Kicks. BB Candidate: Rear Single Collar Grabs. Rear Double Shoulder Grabs. Rear Double Elbow Grabs. Rear Double Wrist Grabs. Walk by Techniques. Bear Hug Defenses. Hair Grab Defenses. Sit Down Defenses. Headlock Defenses. Knife Thrust Defenses. Overhead Knife Defenses. Horse Stance to Rear Side Kick Front Kick to Spin Kick Side Kick to Spin Kick Roundhouse to Spin Kick Low Spin Kick to Low Round House 6 Consecutive Sparring Matches The number of techniques required for each rank increase based on practitioner ability and understanding.
Hapkido, McKido, Aikidounot You should have a word with someone like Matt Fiddes, who, at the age of just 27 claims to be a 5th Dan Master instructor, running his own franchised organisation, and currently boasting 25,000 active members! Pugil
Never heard of him. I myself don't mind if HKD could maintain itself as it is with traditions and quality.
Hello all, All power to him, but its TKD, not Hapkido, so like comparing apples to oragnes, right? Many of you might not remember that in the UK at the start of the 1980's Bob Miller, a dynamic, charasmatic person (I'm staying very nice) grew an organization using the wrod Hapkido to about 1000 members in less than 6 months...but without the leader, the thing immediately fell apart - these types of groups generally fall apart after the head "beacon" departs...
Mr. Hapkid0ist.. Not sure I understand. Are you saying it only took 2/ in a half years to get your 1st Dan in Hapkido? If so--You must have trained every day for hrs. Last Wensday I recieved my yellow. I was HIGH! Felt great..Any color did..Anyways I train at ATC down in Corona Ca. My Grandmaster is Mr. Spellman.. Do you know him? If so what do you think?? Mums the word..For myself I love it..I'm an old man too..
Hapkido7 Congratulations on your yellow belt!! At our dojang it would take at least 3 years to get black belt,and the test takes hours. I love Hapkido and i'm glad you enjoy it also!
Removal I'm sorry there was some confusion as to who my question was directed to. I was asking you specifically how long you practiced, and how long the black belt test took for Hapkido in Korea? You mentioned it only took about 7 minutes to test for 2nd Dan in Taekwondo there and I am completely surprised by that!
Well, I am a life long maist. Hap Ki Do was not my first art, but became my base art. When I first started training in HKD I was stationed in Saudi. I trained 3 hours a night every other night. When I got back to the states the dojang I ended up at (my GM's dojang) was a full time dojang, open from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. I trained fro 45 min every day at lunch and then after work from 4 til 9 and 2 hours on Sat. This is unless we lost rack of time. There were times when we were there till 11 p.m. The gf would chew me out for that one. After I got out of the military I trained full time for a year, 9 a.m. till 10 p.m. 5 days a week and the 2 hours on Sat. while I waited for my Academy date for the Va police academy. Eventually I ended up here in Cali. where I train out of my garage currently while trying to get a studio opened up here. This is how I have always trained. I have been called obsessive, but it is my love. This is my 11th year in Hap Ki Do and it is still as remarkable to me today as when I first stepped into the dojang, as well I still have that will to train that I had from the beginning, and still put in at least 3 hours a day. When I get my dojang open around Feb. if all goes well, I will also have the same hours as my GM. As for your GM, I'm afraid that I don't know him. I am not very familiar with to many people in the HKD community. I am from a predominantly Shorin Ryu community (also my art before HKD) and we pretty much kept to ourselves. I am just now getting out and meeting people in the HKD community. I primarily go to these sites to chat to other HKD players - http://s2.excoboard.com/exco/index.php?boardid=1571 - & - http://www.hapkidoforum.com/index.php?sid=e726040e49baecd7f9da3db6f4d5087f - If you haven't been to them before then give it a shot. There are a lot of good people on these sites. As for our 1st Dan, since we have no forms or katas, it normally only takes on an average of 18 months to be eligible to test. But understand this is also going on the assumption that you train for a min of 2 hours a day and 5 to 6 days a week, and you know what you are doing and comprehend it. Understand that 1st dan is only a beginning. It is when a student has attained the basic knowledge to permit them to proceed forward into the realm of Hap Ki Do. Only then do we permit a student to call themselves a Hapkidoist.
timex... Thank you..It's a start and that's ok. I have nothing but time..I made many mistakes in my youth thinking that even then I was to dam old to start..Now here I am at 45 doing what I should have started years ago--What a crack up. I finally woke up... Robi
To Timex, Sorry, I didn't realise there was a question for me! Yes, true, my 2nd Dan test in Korea took about 7 minutes. As for the HKD test, it took about 250 Dollars! True. I took HKD classes for about 1 and half yrs before I went for black belt. I don't think I was quite ready - I am missing 2 moves: the backflip and jumping over someone at head height, as well as weakness in sword forms - but as I knew I would be leaving Korea, I didn't want to waste the 'nearly there' point. It seems that there is no opp for me to train in IHF in my hometown in the UK. I went to HKD class about 4 times a week and also sometimes went to Taekwondo classes on the same day as well as doing a little training at the weekends on my rooftop. I entered HKD with pretty much all the kicking sussed, so I think I had a headstart compared to someone who enters with no MA knowledge at all. 12 months is the norm to get any blackbelt here. I think another key point that ties in with my initial point on this thread, is that you can only really claim yourself to be a black belt if you keep your training in the art current. If I can't continue HKD owing to lack of gyms in the UK, then I don't feel I will be able to claim my status as blackbelt for much longer. I want to keep up my skills, and so wish there would be more HKD gyms in the UK!!! The other side of the coin is that if there were people like me really desperate to train in the UK, that the only way to do so is by opening my own classes, the standards of HKD could be compromised by us inferior instructors. I am not well-rounded enough to be a quality instructor as yet, but how to solve the dilemma?
Hello all, Answer: TRAVEL. THe UK is small and well connected with public transport. I assume since you said you lived in the 5th largest city you are up in Sheffield Area? If so, travel is still manageable. I can recommend two groups off the top of my head in the UK for top notch Hapkido - in London, Joe Marsh, Jungki Kwan UK and Grandmaster Fred Adams International Hapkido - with clubs dotted all over UK - Worse comes to worse, Klaas is IHF and hes only in the Netherlands - could be great holidays...
I took HKD classes for about 1 and half yrs before I went for black belt. I don't think I was quite ready - I am missing 2 moves: the backflip and jumping over someone at head height, If that's what it takes to get a BB in Traditional Hapkido I'd never make it. I really don't see the point. I'm sure every place is different though.
