Hapkido
Korean Martial Arts - Fusion of Korean Karate and Japanese Aikido
Korean Martial Arts - Fusion of Korean Karate and Japanese Aikido
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ProForce 10 oz. Hapkido Uniforms Jacket features unique, sewn diamond pattern. 10 oz. 100% cotton canvas. Gusset crotch design. Hems on pants and jacket sleeves feature 6 line stitching. Read More... Price: $46.95 - $64.95 Black Belt Special! |
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Medium Weight Hapkido Uniforms This is a high quality medium weight uniform approximately 10oz. Made of a cotton/poly blend. Comfortable and absorbant. Choose from 2 styles. Belts sold separately. Read More... Price: $34.00 - $40.00 |
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Heavy Weight Hapkido Uniforms One of the finest Hapkido uniform available! 14oz of quality stitched black canvas with red diamond stitches. Comes with jacket and pants with a drawstring waist. Read More... Price: $70.00 - $80.00 |
Hapkido is one of the most dynamic martial arts in
existence today. It is an exciting combination of Korean
Tae Kwon Do kicks and punches combined with the deadly
joint locks and grappling techniques of Japanese Aikido.
"The Way of Coordination and Internal Power," is one of
the three major Korean martial arts. Founded in 1963 by
Choi Young-Sul, it is a system of self-defense. It can
be described as a fusion of Aikido and Tae Kwon Do. It's
many grappling techniques make it an idea street
fighting art. There is a lot of kicking, punching and
screaming involved in this art. Combined with the deadly
art of Aikido, it makes it a deadly fighting style.
Hapkido uses the color belt system like other Korean
Martial Arts and Japanese Karate. Many Hapkido schools
can be found throughout the United States and the World.
There is also a World Hapkido Federation.
Many Korean purists consider Hapkido to not be real Korean Martial Art because of it's Japanese influences.
The founder of Hapkido was Yong Shui Choi. He was born in Yong Dong, Choong Chung Province, South Korea. It is a small city near Tae Gue, South Korea. He was born in 1904.
In 1909, Korea came under Japanese occupation. It widely believed that the Japanese enslaved Yong Shui Choi at the age of seven to become a servant in Japan. It was common practice back then to relocate Young Korean girls and boys into servitude in Japan. Many of the minority population in Japan can trace their roots back to this period.
Choi began working for a Japanese karate master named Sokaku Takeda (1860-1943), the 32nd Patriarch of Daito Ryu Aikijitsu. Takeda was 44 yeras old at the time Choi was only 7 years old. Choi was given a Japanese name, Yoshida, Asao.
Choi worked as an employee of Takeda, one can argue, as a slave. At this period in history, the Japanese considered themselves to be the superior asian race. They downgraded the Korea and Chinese population as 3rd class, almost slave status. During this period, the future founder of Hapkido was but a slave. It is a myth among Western Hapkido students that Choi was treated as a son or an adopted son. It is unanimously believed amonst the early Hapkido Gradmasters that Choi was a slave, no more, no less of Takeda.
Takeda's own son, Tokimune Takeda, stated that he never new Choi. Choi remained under the servitude of Takeda for 30 years. Takeda died on April 25, 1943, and Choi regained his freedom. Choi would soon return to his homeland of Tae Gue, South Korea.
It is during Choi's servitude with Takeda that hey may have learned many of the techniques that would later become incorporated into the future Hapkido. There is however no historic record of Choi ever being a certified student or teacher of Daito Ryu.
Choi's first student was Suh Bok Sup. He was a former brewery manager. Prior to his studies with Choi, Suh Bok Sup was a 1st Dan Black Belt in Judo, under the Korean Judo instructor Choi Yong Ho. In Feb 1948, the then 24 year old Suh witnessed Choi, who was now in his forties, engage in a street brawl with several men. This led to Suh hiring Choi, who was then working as a street rice cake salesman after his return to Korea. Choi would teach Suh for several years privately and would also work as a bodyguard for Suh's father, Suh Dong Jin.
With the help and inspiration of Suh Bok Sup, Choi opened up his first Hapkido school in February of 1951. Suh would become Choi's first black belt student. Due to Suh's advanced understanding of Judo, many Judo techniques would later become a part of Hapkido.
As time progressed and other Korean martial art pioneers, such as General Hong Hi Choi (Taekwondo) and Hwang Kee (Tang Soo Do) were rediscovering and expanding upon the offensive nature of Tae Kyon (Korean Martial Arts), their discoveries influenced some of the advanced students of Choi, such as Ji, Han Jae, who slowly began to incorporate the very aggressive punching and kicking techniques into the overall understanding of Hapkido. Choi, himself, never taught kicking in association with Hapkido, however.
Today, there is no one Hapkido. Each teacher began to branch out incorporate their own flavor and styles. Some Hapkido teachers will have alot of grappling and lock techniques while other Hapkido instructors may emphasize the strong punches and kicks associated with tradional Korean Martial Arts.
Hapkido was formally introduced to the United States in 1964 by a 28 year old martial artist named Sea OH Choi.
Sea Oh Choi was a 5th Dan Black Belt in Hapkido. Although not the first black belt Hapkido practitioner to emigrate to the United States, he was the first to actually open a school. The name of the school was Hapki-Jujitsu of Self Defense. It was located on 821 Temple Street Los Angeles, California. He would later relocate his school to 721 S. Western Ave. Master Choi retired from teaching in the mid 1970's with the rank of 6th Dan. He would pursue a career in architecture and interior design.
Many Korean purists consider Hapkido to not be real Korean Martial Art because of it's Japanese influences.
The founder of Hapkido was Yong Shui Choi. He was born in Yong Dong, Choong Chung Province, South Korea. It is a small city near Tae Gue, South Korea. He was born in 1904.
In 1909, Korea came under Japanese occupation. It widely believed that the Japanese enslaved Yong Shui Choi at the age of seven to become a servant in Japan. It was common practice back then to relocate Young Korean girls and boys into servitude in Japan. Many of the minority population in Japan can trace their roots back to this period.
Choi began working for a Japanese karate master named Sokaku Takeda (1860-1943), the 32nd Patriarch of Daito Ryu Aikijitsu. Takeda was 44 yeras old at the time Choi was only 7 years old. Choi was given a Japanese name, Yoshida, Asao.
Choi worked as an employee of Takeda, one can argue, as a slave. At this period in history, the Japanese considered themselves to be the superior asian race. They downgraded the Korea and Chinese population as 3rd class, almost slave status. During this period, the future founder of Hapkido was but a slave. It is a myth among Western Hapkido students that Choi was treated as a son or an adopted son. It is unanimously believed amonst the early Hapkido Gradmasters that Choi was a slave, no more, no less of Takeda.
Takeda's own son, Tokimune Takeda, stated that he never new Choi. Choi remained under the servitude of Takeda for 30 years. Takeda died on April 25, 1943, and Choi regained his freedom. Choi would soon return to his homeland of Tae Gue, South Korea.
It is during Choi's servitude with Takeda that hey may have learned many of the techniques that would later become incorporated into the future Hapkido. There is however no historic record of Choi ever being a certified student or teacher of Daito Ryu.
Choi's first student was Suh Bok Sup. He was a former brewery manager. Prior to his studies with Choi, Suh Bok Sup was a 1st Dan Black Belt in Judo, under the Korean Judo instructor Choi Yong Ho. In Feb 1948, the then 24 year old Suh witnessed Choi, who was now in his forties, engage in a street brawl with several men. This led to Suh hiring Choi, who was then working as a street rice cake salesman after his return to Korea. Choi would teach Suh for several years privately and would also work as a bodyguard for Suh's father, Suh Dong Jin.
With the help and inspiration of Suh Bok Sup, Choi opened up his first Hapkido school in February of 1951. Suh would become Choi's first black belt student. Due to Suh's advanced understanding of Judo, many Judo techniques would later become a part of Hapkido.
As time progressed and other Korean martial art pioneers, such as General Hong Hi Choi (Taekwondo) and Hwang Kee (Tang Soo Do) were rediscovering and expanding upon the offensive nature of Tae Kyon (Korean Martial Arts), their discoveries influenced some of the advanced students of Choi, such as Ji, Han Jae, who slowly began to incorporate the very aggressive punching and kicking techniques into the overall understanding of Hapkido. Choi, himself, never taught kicking in association with Hapkido, however.
Today, there is no one Hapkido. Each teacher began to branch out incorporate their own flavor and styles. Some Hapkido teachers will have alot of grappling and lock techniques while other Hapkido instructors may emphasize the strong punches and kicks associated with tradional Korean Martial Arts.
Hapkido was formally introduced to the United States in 1964 by a 28 year old martial artist named Sea OH Choi.
Sea Oh Choi was a 5th Dan Black Belt in Hapkido. Although not the first black belt Hapkido practitioner to emigrate to the United States, he was the first to actually open a school. The name of the school was Hapki-Jujitsu of Self Defense. It was located on 821 Temple Street Los Angeles, California. He would later relocate his school to 721 S. Western Ave. Master Choi retired from teaching in the mid 1970's with the rank of 6th Dan. He would pursue a career in architecture and interior design.
