Hapkido

Hapkido is a form of self-defense that employs joint locks, pressure points, throws, kicks, and other striking techniques. Hapkido practitioners train to counter the techniques of other martial arts as well as common "unskilled" attacks.

Although Hapkido contains both long and close range fighting techniques, the purpose of most engagements is to get near for a close strike, lock, or throw. Hapkido emphasizes non-resisting movements, and control of the opponent. Practitioners seek to gain advantage through footwork and body positioning to employ leverage, avoiding the use of strength against strength.

Hapkido seeks to be a fully comprehensive fighting style and as such tries to avoid narrow specialization in any particular type of technique or range of fighting. It maintains a wide range of tactics for striking, standing joint locks and throwing techniques (both pure and joint manipulating throws). Proper Hapkido tactics include using footwork and a series of kicks and hand strikes to bridge the distance with an opponent. Then to immediately control/disrupt the balance of the opponent for a take down or to isolate a wrist or arm and apply a joint twisting throw, depending upon the situation; Hapkido is a comprehensive system and once the opponent's balance has been taken, there are a myriad of techniques to disable and subdue the opponent.

Principles of Hapkido

화	Hwa, or non-resistance, is simply the act of remaining relaxed and not directly opposing an opponent's strength. For example, if an opponent were to push against a Hapkido student's chest, rather than resist and push back, the Hapkido student would avoid a direct confrontation by moving in the same direction as the push and utilizing the opponent's forward momentum to throw him.
원	Won, the circular principle, is a way to gain momentum for executing the techniques in a natural and free-flowing manner. If an opponent attacks in linear motion, as in a punch or knife thrust, the Hapkido student would redirect the opponent's force by leading the attack in a circular pattern, thereby adding the attacker's power to his own. Once he has redirected the power, the Hapkido student can execute any of a variety of techniques to incapacitate his attacker. The Hapkido practitioner learns to view an attacker as an "energy entity" rather than as a physical entity. The bigger the person is, the more energy a person has, the better it is for the Hapkido student.  Centripetal, centrifugal, spinning forces are utilized for efficient self-defense techniques. Circular movements make it possible to use the opponent's strength against him. It also allows for offensive and defensive techniques to be executed simultaneously. The stronger the attacking force of the opponent, stronger the force of retaliation. The circle symbolizes the source of the universe and its limitlessness. In Hapkido the circle represents the comprehensiveness of the art, which includes linear, arcing, circular offensive and defensive techniques. It also reminds us that there can be no bounds in our martial arts training. Only through continual training and patience one can progress forward.
유	Yu, the water principle, can be thought of as the soft, adaptable strength of water. Hapkido is "soft" in that it does not rely on physical force alone, much like water is soft to touch. It is adaptable in that a Hapkido master will attempt to deflect an opponent's strike, in a way that is similar to free-flowing water being divided around a stone only to return and envelop it

기	氣	Ki or Gi, is generally translated as energy flow,. The literal translation is air, breathe, steam. Ki is considered active principle forming part of any living thing.