What is Hap-Ki-Do? by Master Eric Laino, 5th Dan

Hap-Ki-Do was originated and organized unique principles because it is a branch of Korean Jujitsu. Hap-Ki-Do is a martial art which is complimented its three principles: “Yu-Won-Hwa,” which means power or energy, complete defense, and coordination. Hap-Ki-Do has 3,000 different martial art techniques which apply the dynamic theory to the vital and weak parts of a human body, such as the fourteen (14) blood lines of the back arteries, the front of the face, 365 vital parts, and joints like elbows and knees.

The three principles of Hap-Ki-Do are as follows:

1. The “Yu,” meaning the power or dynamic energy. It is a high-level attacking viewpoint of Hap-Ki-Do.
2. The “Won,” meaning a body element which consists of these concepts. It represents a high-level defense technique in a technical viewpoint. The “Won” symbolizes the circular shape like Earth and space.
3. The “Hwa” originates from adding “Ki” (meaning power) and “Che” (meaning human body). It is a combination method like a natural theory. As a martial art technique, you should combine your body and mind as one unit in order to always win the fight.

By using the above principles, every person, young and old alike, can learn Hap-Ki-Do easily; it can protect their body from various attacks. You can also learn the contrary technique of self-defense using the attacker’s power to help you.

The mental training should be taught by a legal instructor who completely understands the basic and high-level techniques of Hap-Ki-Do. You can form a noble personality from the training. It is very important to learn the Hap-Ki-Do technique, which can mold the technique and the mind into a single unit. The healthy body and noble mentality will develop an ideal person with a good personality which can win and adjust well to many different circumstances. Although it is a difficult martial art to practice and understand, Hap-Ki-Do can be learned easily by training over a long period of time… just as young children learn a language even though they cannot read it yet.

Also, you can learn patience and courtesy during the training, though a student may not realize it. You can learn the real courage which passes through your life righteously and overcomes the difficulty of any kind of environment. You can also learn leadership and the coordination with other people by group activity.

Characteristics of Hap-Ki-Do

1. Hap-Ki-Do is not a sport. A sport is a game where the winner will be decided by assigned rules during the game period. Hap-Ki-Do is the martial art for personal protection. You do not attack the opposite person or people first in the righteous viewpoint.
2. Hap-Ki-Do is a martial art for master defense. It is a self-discovering martial art in which you overpower the opposite side first. It is also a superior and dangerous martial art if you really want to attack the opposite side first.

Effects of Hap-Ki-Do

1. Increase the brain development by cultivation of mental concentration ability. Students can study better, and the adult can increase their work efficiency in their assignment.
2. Develop patience! People do not easily give up the work even through they confront some difficulty during the work. Also, they do their best in their assignment with reasonable thinking.
3. Learn courtesy, etiquette and noble manners. Students learn how to respect parents, senior members, and older people. They also learn how to get along well with friends in a real friendship.
4. Remove and solve tension, uneasiness, and stress. It removes these problems by dispersing their stress while they exercise hand, stretching, kicking, and self-defense art.
5. Improves leadership. Students will have more self-confidence and leadership as well as having more kindness towards other people, because the senior black-belted members often teach and direct the junior members and beginners.
6. Develop the balanced body. Students will improve the dynamic health by increasing the creation of red and white blood cells, as well as improving the muscle power.

About the author: Eric Laino is a certified Master Instructor and owner of The Korean Pro Martial Arts Institute. He is the World Hapkido Union Head Coach for Team USA and the Deputy State Director for the state of North Carolina. He can be reached by email at lainoeric@yahoo.com For more information on Hapkido please visit https://haemukwan.com