Ok so I'm new to these forums and I'm sure theres probably a thread about Hapkido schools in Chicago. So I decided to take up Martial arts for the first time since I was 5 years old and I'm leaning towards Hapkido for its self defense. A friend of mine just got his black belt from Hyuns on western and I asked him if it was a good school to join , he advised me that I should look around for a cheaper option and a school that teaches a more practical self defense form of Hapkido. So I searched around for somewhere that was cheaper since I'm on a budget and I found Master Jangs martial arts in oak park. I met with the master at her school had a great conversation and I'm supposed to take a free class tomorrow. Now my question is it a good school? Or is she a good teacher ? I know my friend had told me his dad got his black belt from her when she use to teach at Hyuns and said he heard great things about her. Now the price is reasonable since I'm on a budget and it's not heavily marketed like some places around town. Do you guys know any other Hapkido schools that are good and not too pricey?My other friend at work keeps telling me to do MMA but I feel that I want to do something More traditional.
I would sure take advantage of the free class and see how it goes. Master Jang's bio looks good - she's been on some well known demo teams and done some full contact fighting. The photos look pretty good - look like people are having fun and are enthusiastic. Check it out and see how it goes.
i studied at hyun's (first dan hapkido) for 6 years. i knew several people that had trained with master jang, and their assessment of her was that she was very knowledgable, a great teacher, a great martial artist and an awesome person. take the free class to see how you like it. i've also heard great things about gary keller's place on irving park--another former hyun student. where in the city are you located? oak park can be a drive, depending on where you're at. ugh...the eisenhower... edit: also...you should listen to your mma friend. i'm just sayin'. at the very least, take a boxing lesson.
To really explain your point you'd need to expound on "traditional," "Hapkido" and "look of being so" Mitch
true that! well hapkido is about as traditional as Judo or Aikido. and both of them are quite recent in their creation but the techniques they've derived from are pretty old.
Interesting isn't it? But they probably are what most people think of as traditional. Here's a thought. The Inca civilisation is often referred to as "remarkable" and "ancient." Whilst it flourished in a limited area and failed to invent the wheel, other cultures sailed the world's oceans for months at a time and had all the scientific knowledge that allowed everything from compasses to cannon. Claims of heritage (as I'm sure you know) should be treated with suspicion and in any case viewed under the cold, analytical light of reality. Mitch
what i also find interesting is the notion that MMA is not traditional, yet it uses many techniques from Judo, which are derived from older Jiu Jitsu ryu. one could even claim that the format and idea of MMA matches are really just an evolution from older times when people from different style would challenge one another.
I'm probably closer to her old location at Grand and Austin since I live around the Hermosa area. It's about maybe a 20 minute drive to her school in oak park from my house. I was thinking of taking some MMA classses from a gym around Fullerton and Cicero that according to my friend is like a college schedule each day you do something different . I might take it later. As far as Kellers place I read some bad reviews on them from yahoo some claiming that it's not the same without master Keller who left to Florida to open up another school not to mention some were saying it was going through bad management. I even look at Degerberg Academy , too pricey for a twice a week class.
I guess by traditional I meant by the belt system and uniform code since some MMA schools are just guys and women wearing sweat pants or shorts.
I love how the picture on the homepage is her beating up the Columbine shooters. Or vampires. Or the Columbine shooters came back as vampires.
Hahaha I thought it was real cheesy but hey I wouldn't mind learning how to take down a vampire with hapkido.
But the bottom line guys is that I want to learn some self defense with a sense of discipline. I hear Hapkido offers those things, idk what do you guys think?
