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Kali/Escrima and aikido are whole different kettles o'fish, and the connection 'tween Hapkido and aikido is not fully understood, and is pretty tenuous, at best.
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Mr. Gordon,
I must disagree with you on this point. The relationship between Hapkido and Aikido is
disputed but I wouldn't say that it is not understood. "At best" there is a direct link from Hapkido to Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu from Sogaku Takeda to Yong-Sul Choi to other Hapkido masters (but then that also depends on who it is "best" for). At worst, by looking at the (non-kicking) techniques of Hapkido, it is still clear that a heavy Aiki-jujutsu influence exists. Because of the animosity and racial tension between the countries of Japan and Korea during the time that Hapkido was emerging (and continued to this day by some of the older peoples of both lands), it is not surprising that the link would be denied by some on both sides of the Sea of Japan. But by looking at the similarities between the movements and techniques of Aiki-jujutsu and Hapkido, which are free from the burden of political and racial tensions, I think it is foolish to deny the relationship.
Keith