FAQ

Will I Learn Practical Self-Defense?

Hapkido is considered the most practical martial art for self defense. It covers every aspect of self defense and the different combat ranges including striking, kicking, joint locks, throws, ground grappling, defenses against weapons and the use of the cane as a legal self defense tool.

Will Hapkido Get Me In Shape?

Hapkido training can get you in the best shape of your life IF you attend classes regulary three times per week. We allocate more time to general conditioning than 90% of the martial arts schools. We find this to be an embarrassing injustice to students who are told they will get in shape while they learn the art, yet conditioning is nothing more than a few stretches and warm up lasting 10 minutes. If you’re looking to really get in shape, you’ll be happy to know that we allocate a full 20-30 minutes of specific conditioning each class. This ensures you get the physical and mental benefits of the art.

What is the Difference Between Hapkido and Aikido, Judo, Karate etc.?

Hapkido and Aikido are sister arts since the founders of both arts,learned from the same Master (Sokaku Takeda in Japan). Compared to Aikido, Hapkido contains infinitely more variety in self defense application and content although many of the applications in the way of joint locks are quite similar. Compared to Karate and Judo, Hapkido contains similar strikes and throws with the emphasis on self defense. Most martial arts specialize in one or two aspects of self defense such as strilking or joint locking or ground grappling. The Hapkido practitioner is well versed in ALL self defense skills.

Why Do You Teach Cane Instead of Other Weapons?

Quite simply, because it is the ONLY self defense tool you can legally carry anywhere including airports. We respect all martial arts weapons training, but how practical is it to learn to use swords, nunchakus, sticks etc. if you can’t legally carry them with you? We also find the cane to be the most practical self defense tool with the exception of a gun, which ofcourse may be impractical and even illegal in certain situations. Furthermore, the Hapkido student learns the direct relationship of the cane self-defense techniques and their bare-hand applications.

How Long Does it Take to Attain Black Belt Status?

This all depends on student attendance, motivation, and skill level amongst other factors. There are minimum time in grade requirements before students are allowed to test for their next rank.