Our Shape Shifter Fitness martial arts featured content this week is on you guessed it Hapkido. 
Hapkido
Hap means “together” and means the harmony of body and spirit.
Ki defines the life and body energy.
Do means “way of life, way of learning”.
Hapkido translates to “The Way of Coordinated Power” or “The Way of Coordination and Internal Power”. It is based on continuous motion theory, i.e., the idea that every escape technique is followed immediately by a counterstrike, joint lock, or a throw. Unlike many martial arts that are based almost exclusively on punches and kicks, Hapkido allows for different levels of force ranging from moderate levels that enable one to control an attacker without injuring or bruising him, to a level of force that causes serious injury or even death. The goal is always to use only as much force as is necessary to subdue an attacker. This is a requirement based on both ethical and legal considerations. It is the ability to control the amount of force used to stop an attacker that is one of the major advantages of Hapkido. Of course, Hapkido also utilizes a wide range of kicks and hand strikes (similar to those used in Taekwondo) which can be used when necessary. Students that study this art will enhance their level of physical fitness and self confidence, develop the ability to defend themselves, form friendships with other students, and have fun! Material provided by http://www.ihapkidof.org/index-2.html 
Most forms of Hapkido include a series of double kicks used to promote balance, coordination and muscular control.
An example of a double kick set
Front Kick — Side Kick
Front Kick – Back Kick (“Turning-Side Kick”)
Front Kick – Roundhouse Kick
Front Heel/Hook Kick — Roundhouse Kick
Inverted Low Side Kick – High Side Kick
Inside Crescent Kick — Outside Crescent Kick (or Heeldown/Axe Kick for both)
Inside Crescent Kick – Side Kick (or Inside Heeldown Kick and Side Kick)
Outside Heel-down Kick — Roundhouse Kick
Ankle Scoop Kick — Side Kick
Cover Kick – Front Kick
Inside Heel Hooking-the-Thigh Kick—Front Kick
High Spinning Heel Kick — Low Spinning Heel Kick
Inside Footblade Kick – Outside Footblade Kick
Outside Heeldown Kick – Roundhouse
After these kicks are mastered using one foot kick the student moves on to jumping versions using alternate kicking legs.
Kim Jong-Seong (Hangul: 김종성), one of the oldest living active hapkido instructors, maintains that the source of these kicking methods is from the indigenous Korean kicking art of taekkyeon. Others feel that these kicks are more representative of kong soo do and tang soo do styles which emerged from an adaptation of Japanese karate forms.
Hand strikes
Like most martial arts, hapkido employs a great number of punches and hand strikes, as well as elbow strikes. A distinctive example of hapkido hand techniques is “live hand” strike that focuses energy to the baek hwa hyul in the hand, producing energy strikes and internal strikes. The hand strikes are often used to weaken the opponent before joint locking and throwing, and also as finishing techniques.
Hand striking in hapkido (unless in competition) is not restricted to punches and open hand striking; some significance is given to striking with fingernails at the throat and eyes; pulling at the opponent’s genitals is also covered in conventional training.
In order to recall hand strikes more easily in an emotionally charged situation, beginning students are taught conventional, effective patterns of blocks and counterattacks called makko chigi (Hangul: 막고 치기), which progress to more complex techniques as the student becomes familiar with them.
Joint manipulation techniques
A hyperflexing wristlock used as a pain compliance technique.
The straight armlock is an example of a very effective elbowlock.Much of hapkido’s joint control techniques are said to be derived largely from Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu. They are taught similarly to aikido techniques, but in general the circles are smaller and the techniques are applied in a more linear fashion. Hapkido’s joint manipulation techniques attack both large joints (such as the elbow, shoulder, neck, back, knee, and hip) and small joints (such as wrists, fingers, ankles, toes, jaw).
Most techniques involve applying force in the direction that a joint moves naturally and then forcing it to overextend or by forcing a joint to move in a direction that goes against its natural range of motion. These techniques can be used to cause pain and force a submission, to gain control of an opponent for a ‘come along’ techniques (as is often employed in law enforcement), to assist in a hard or gentle throw or to cause the dislocation or breaking of the joint. Hapkido differs from some post war styles of aikido in its preservation of a great many techniques which are applied against the joint that were deemed by some to be inconsistent with aikido’s more pacificistic philosophy.
Wristlocks
Hapkido is well known for its use of a wide variety of wristlocks. These techniques are believed to have been derived from Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu although their manner of performance is not always identical to that of the parent art. Still many of the tactics found in hapkido are quite similar to those of Daito-ryu and of aikido which was derived from that art. These involve such tactics as the supinating wristlock, pronating wristlock, internal rotational wristlock and the utilizing of pressure points on the wrist and are common to many forms of Japanese jujutsu, Chinese chin na and even “catch as catch can” wrestling.
Elbowlocks
Although well known for its wristlocking techniques hapkido has an equally wide array of tactics which centre upon the manipulation of the elbow joint (see armlock). The first self defense technique typically taught in many hapkido schools is the knifehand elbow press. This technique is thought to be derived from Daitō-ryū’s ippondori, a method of disarming and destroying the elbow joint of a sword wielding opponent. Hapkido typically introduces this technique off a wrist grabbing attack where the defender makes a circular movement with his hands to free themselves from their opponent’s grasp and applies a pronating wristlock while cutting down upon the elbow joint with their forearm, taking their opponent down to the ground where an elbow lock is applied with one’s hand or knee to immobolize the attacker in a pin. Interestingly both Daito-ryu and aikido prefer to use handpressure on the elbow throughout the technique rather than using the forearm as a “hand blade (Korean: 수도; 手刀)”, cutting into the elbow joint, in the hapkido manner.
Throwing techniques
Hapkido students practice throws and joint manipulation in a dojang.In addition to throws which are achieved by unbalancing one’s opponent through the twisting of their joints, hapkido also contains techniques of pure throwing which do not require the assistance of jointlocks. Some of these techniques are found within Daito-ryu but a great many of them are held in common with judo (the same Chinese characters are pronounced “yudo 유도” in Korean). Many of early practitioners of hapkido had extensive judo backgrounds including Choi Yong-Sool’s first student Seo Bok-Seob.
Judo techniques were introduced in the early years of the 20th century in Korea during the Japanese colonial period. Judo/Yudo tactics employ extensive use of throws, various chokes, hold downs, joint locks, and other grappling techniques used to control the opponent on the ground. It is believed that these techniques were absorbed into the hapkido curriculum from judo as there were a great many judo practitioners in Korea at that time and its tactics were commonly employed in the fighting of the period. Indeed, there also exists a portion of the hapkido curriculum which consists of techniques specifically designed to thwart judo style attacks.
Hapkido practitioners perform grappling techniques.
Hapkido holds many throwing techniques in common with judo.
Nunchaku (Ssahng Jol Gohn; 쌍절곤), one of hapkido weapons.The judo/yudo techniques were however adopted with adjustments made to make them blend more completely with the self defense orientation which hapkido stresses. For example many of the judo style throwing techniques employed in hapkido do not rely upon the use of traditional judo grips on the uniform, which can play a large role in the Japanese sport. Instead in many cases they rely upon gripping the limbs, head or neck in order to be successful.
Even today Korea remains one of the strongest countries in the world for the sport of judo and this cross influence on the art of Korean hapkido to be felt in Hapkido influenced styles such as GongKwon Yusul (Hangul: 공권 유술).
Weapons
As a hapkido student advances through the various belt levels (essentially the same as other Korean arts, e.g. taekwondo), he or she learns how to employ and defend against various weapons. The first weapon encountered is most often a knife (kal; 칼). Another initial weapon used to teach both control and the basic precepts of utilizing a weapon with Hapkido techniques is the Jung Bong (police baton sized stick), techniques and defenses against the 5 cm short stick (dahn bohng; 단봉), a walking stick or cane (ji-pang-ee; 지팡이), and a rope are introduced in hapkido training. Many hapkido organisations may also include other weapons training such as a sword (gum; 검), long staff (jahng bohng; 장봉), middle length staff, nunchaku (ssahng jol gohn; 쌍절곤), war-fan or other types of bladed weapons such as twin short swords. Some schools even teach students to defend against firearms.[citation needed]
Training
Hapkido training takes place in a dojang. While training methods vary, a typical training session will contain technique practice (striking techniques as well as defensive throws and grappling), break falling (nakbop; 낙법; 落法), sparring, meditation and exercises to develop internal energy (ki; 기; 氣).
Although Hapkido is in some respects a “soft” art, training is very vigorous and demanding. The practitioner could benefit in training by being lean and muscular. However, strength is not a prerequisite of hapkido; what strength and fitness is necessary to perform the techniques develops naturally as a result of training.
Example Curriculum
The following is an example of the Korea Hapkido Association technical requirements from 1st degree to 5th degree Black Belt as recorded by He-Young Kimm, created in association with Ji Han Jae. As one of the largest and most influential organizations[10] the content is fairly consistent with what is taught in a great many of today’s hapkido dojangs and the current Korea Hapkido Federation. The order in which the techniques are introduced may vary with individual schools. Hapkido students practice throws and joint manipulation in a dojang.
Requirements for 1st Degree Black Belt
* Single Kicks
* Wrist Seize Defense
* Clothing Seize Defense
* Punch Defense
* Kick Defense
* Combination Kicks
* Jumping Kicks
* Throw Defense
* Knife Defense
* Attacking Techniques / Taking the Initiative
2nd Degree Black Belt
* Advanced Wrist Grab Defense
* Advanced Clothing Grab Defense
* Advanced Punch Defense
* Advanced Kick Defense
* Choke Defense
* Advanced Attacking Techniques / Taking the Initiative
* Special Kicks
* Defense From A Sitting Or Lying Posture
A hapkido kick is countered by another practitioner.3rd Degree Black Belt
* Joint locking Counters
* Short Stick Techniques
* Staff Techniques
4th Degree Black Belt
* Cane Techniques
* Sword Techniques
* Defense Against Multiple Attackers
5th Degree Black Belt
* Techniques Using Opponent’s Force
* Rope Techniques
* Knife Throwing Techniques
* Revival Techniques[10]
