aikido? is it right for me?

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[andrew walters]

Hi there I recently starting to learn the art as I wanted to get my confidence back as I am very unconfidant aikido has been brilliant for me and I love learning this but iv always wanted to try hapkido can anybody tell me if there are any differences? Much appricated also some tips on chi breathin would be brill

[Gorgeous George]

Hi there I recently starting to learn the art as I wanted to get my confidence back as I am very unconfidant aikido has been brilliant for me and I love learning this but iv always wanted to try hapkido can anybody tell me if there are any differences? Much appricated also some tips on chi breathin would be brill

Hapkido has a lot of striking in it - derived from taekwondo, if i'm not mistaken...?
It also seems a lot more violent, and less considerate of the well-being of training partners than aikido.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrWCYk6_4cg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yZihj8Fi98

I wouldn't have thought there are many hapkido schools in the UK/Wales, though...?

[Richard Stevens]

Actually Hapkido has an interesting history. I only know minor details, but like Aikido it has Daito-Ryu influences. Apparently Takeda took in a Korean orphan and taught him Daito-Ryu along with sword work (Ono Ha Itto Ryu?). The youth eventually returned to Korea and founded Hapkido. I'm not sure where the dynamic striking comes from as I know very little about Korean arts, but you can definitely see the Daito-Ryu influence in the locks and throws.

If anyone has better information please correct my mistakes!

[Kevin Morrison]

Aikido and hapkido, like nearly all arts it will depend on the teachers in your area. A lot of places will let you try a free class or at least watch a class before you start. If you have clear criteria for what you want this will make it easier to decide.
The small difference between rite (ritual) and right (correct) made me smile. For a lot of people aikido is a ritual, there are many views on what is the correct way to train.
I hope you find some practice that helps you achieve your goals.

edit: sometimes chasing two goals at once can be counterproductive, especially at the start.

[miser]

Both aikido and hapkido are primarily descended from Daito-ryu aikijujutsu - aikido having other Japanese influences and hapkido drawing a lot of kicks and strikes from Korean influences. The philosophical component of aikido is not present in hapkido, so there's no emphasis in sparing your attacker unnecessary injury, therefore it teaches a lot of strikes, breaks, etc.

Some from wikipedia:
Although aikido and hapkido are believed by many to share a common history, they remain separate and distinct from one another. They differ significantly in philosophy, range of responses and manner of executing techniques. The fact that they share the same original Chinese characters, despite 合 being pronounced "ai" in Japanese and "hap" in Korean, has proved problematic in promoting the art internationally as a discipline with its own set of unique characteristics differing from those of the Japanese art.

Whether or not aikido's right for you is just personal preference. Just try them both and see what you like best.

[Lyle Laizure]

Hapkido has a lot of striking in it - derived from taekwondo, if i'm not mistaken...?
It also seems a lot more violent, and less considerate of the well-being of training partners than aikido.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrWCYk6_4cg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yZihj8Fi98

I wouldn't have thought there are many hapkido schools in the UK/Wales, though...?

"less considerate of the wellbeing of training partners" I don't think this is a fair statement. While different arts train differently the attitude toward training partners shouldn't be any different.

[Anthony Loeppert]

"less considerate of the wellbeing of training partners" I don't think this is a fair statement. While different arts train differently the attitude toward training partners shouldn't be any different.

It at least looks a bit that way from above selected videos... I saw over and over again repeated tapping by the technique recipient which seemed to fall on "deaf ears". Seemed a bit callous to me but maybe it is a mis-representation of Hapkido as I have seen some (to me) "overly enthusiastic" aikido demos too.

[andrew walters]

Thanx everybody for your replys I will stick to aikido as I realy enjoy learning about myself thru this thank you everyone and hopefully my yello belt will be soon

[Randall Lim]

Hapkido has a lot of striking in it - derived from taekwondo, if i'm not mistaken...?
It also seems a lot more violent, and less considerate of the well-being of training partners than aikido.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrWCYk6_4cg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yZihj8Fi98

I wouldn't have thought there are many hapkido schools in the UK/Wales, though...?

Both Aikido & Hapkido share the same Kanji. So they both should mean the same thing, Hapkido being the Korean version of Aikido with influences from Korean Taekwon. It is this Korean Taekwon influence that makes Hapkido much more brutal than Japanese Aikido.

[miser]

To the OP, you might find this thread useful: "Aikido vs Hapkido" (http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10262).

[Gorgeous George]

It at least looks a bit that way from above selected videos... I saw over and over again repeated tapping by the technique recipient which seemed to fall on "deaf ears". Seemed a bit callous to me but maybe it is a mis-representation of Hapkido as I have seen some (to me) "overly enthusiastic" aikido demos too.

Exactly.
Those videos are two 'grand-masters', so if they aren't a good representation of the art, who is?

It's very uncomfortable viewing, what they do to their uke's, who are in agonising pain before they even have a chance to tap, in many of the techniques; after a while, they struggle to continue with the demonstration. I've never seen anybody doing aikido - or even Daito-Ryu aiki-jujutsu - with such lack of consideration.
If you ruin your uke's bodies, who will you train with?

I'm not saying that all hapkido practitioners train like this, however: I have seen other videos where the practitioners are not so unforgiving.

[grondahl]

Look at the somersault of the uke in 1:33 :D http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yZihj8Fi98

Just because uke taps like his arm is going to be ripped out of it´s socket doesn´t mean that it actually is going to happen.

[Demetrio Cereijo]

It's very uncomfortable viewing, what they do to their uke's, who are in agonising pain before they even have a chance to tap, in many of the techniques; after a while, they struggle to continue with the demonstration.

Graham, that's theatrics.

[Lyle Laizure]

Graham, that's theatrics.

Agreed! This looks to be a very big public demonstration. Theatrics are almost always a part of this to "show" the effectiveness of an art. It isn't limited to Hapkido. I have seen jujitstu, Aikido, Karate and a few others where the uke makes it seem like nage is causing tremendous pain when in fact they are not. A big part of this is due to the fact that uke knows how nage is going to perform the technique as well as it is probably how they train. I see demonstrations like this as great insight into what an art could do but know from personal experience nothing goes clockwork on the street as it does on the mat.

That being said if in fact they are abusing uke then they are no longer practicing martial arts. They are just being a bully. But as I tell my students, "we're not playing with fluffy puppy dogs, there is going to be some pain and discomfort."

[Tony Wagstaffe]

Give it at least five years and then decide.... also do other martial arts and you will begin to see.....

[OwlMatt]

Hapkido will have a much greater emphasis on striking and kicking, and my impression is that aikido's unique ethical precepts tend to make its locks and throws a little softer in application. More superficially, hapkido uses Korean terminology, while aikido uses Japanese terminology.

Hapkido techniques are often taught as a supplement to taekwondo; it is rare to find a good stand-alone hapkido program.

[Anjisan]

Both Aikido & Hapkido share the same Kanji. So they both should mean the same thing, Hapkido being the Korean version of Aikido with influences from Korean Taekwon. It is this Korean Taekwon influence that makes Hapkido much more brutal than Japanese Aikido.

I had read somewhere that the founder of Hapkido had originally studied Aikido (although I am not sure of the dates so it may have not yet been recognized as such) with Osensei in Japan and then returned to Korea.

I can see the Tae Kwon Do influence. Ironically, given that Tae Kwon Do was my originally style (both traditional and American Kick-boxing Hapkido is sort of what I have ended up-with some Krav Maga and BJJ thrown in for good measure.

[niall]

Just to clear up a couple of points. Hapkido came from Daito-ryu, not aikido http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hapkido. We can wonder perhaps at the motivation of the founder of hapkido adopting the same name (in Chinese letters) as O Sensei for his new art.

Years ago I trained as a visitor at a hapkido dojo (dojang) in Korea. It wasn't at all violent. There were a lot of kick attacks, including from suwari waza. The ukes blended much more than I was used to doing in aikido in Aikikai dojos. The wikipedia article mentions the influence of Taekkyeon - a dance-like martial art - and that was apparent. There was also musical accompaniment. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taekkyeon

[Demetrio Cereijo]

We can wonder perhaps at the motivation of the founder of hapkido adopting the same name (in Chinese letters) as O Sensei for his new art.

Well, it is said the use of the name of hapkido for this DRAJJ derivative started in the late fifties, being one of Choi disciples (Ji Han-Jae) the one who established it. Choi, the alleged student of Takeda Sokaku who founded hapkido didn't used that word for naming his art. OTOH, the name of aikido for Ueshiba-ha DRAJJ (and other similar styles not directly related to DRAJJ) comes from the DNBK in the early forties.

[Anjisan]

Just to clear up a couple of points. Hapkido came from Daito-ryu, not aikido http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hapkido. We can wonder perhaps at the motivation of the founder of hapkido adopting the same name (in Chinese letters) as O Sensei for his new art.

Years ago I trained as a visitor at a hapkido dojo (dojang) in Korea. It wasn't at all violent. There were a lot of kick attacks, including from suwari waza. The ukes blended much more than I was used to doing in aikido in Aikikai dojos. The wikipedia article mentions the influence of Taekkyeon - a dance-like martial art - and that was apparent. There was also musical accompaniment. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taekkyeon

Like I said, depending on the dates it may not have been called Aikido yet. Osensei studied Daito-ryu, so the question becomes did the founder of Hapkido study with Osensei?

[Flintstone]

Like I said, depending on the dates it may not have been called Aikido yet. Osensei studied Daito-ryu, so the question becomes did the founder of Hapkido study with Osensei?
No, he was a servant of Takeda Sokaku.

[Anjisan]

No, he was a servant of Takeda Sokaku.

Thank you!