Awakening to Hapkido Philosophy

by Tammy Parlour, TKD & Korean Martial Arts Magazine, July 1999

If you want to be a good fighter, then spend six months on the city streets and fight. Actually basic white belt techniques are good enough to defend yourself, so why do we continue to study? Beyond physical techniques, hapkido teaches us to perceive the truth.

There was a monk who asked one disciple, "whenever you see dirt, clean it away". Whereever the disciple would go everything would gleam - because he'd constantly be cleaning and shining. Through this work the disciple became enlightened. He realised that in this manner he must also cleanse his mind.

This is why we have discipline and why we bow. We bow to our instructor but it is not for his benefit. Through this bowing process we learn to empty our minds and concentrate. When we concentrate we are aware of everything that happens; every noise, and every action.

We must be one with what we are doing. If we enjoy a book, then we are not conscious of time passing. Likewise, we must concentrate totally during class and be able to translate this concentration to our daily lives - by aspiring to be constantly in the here and now.

When we concentrate our minds we should never ask to be taught more techniques. In time we understand that these are secondary. Within our daily practice we are learning the most effective lesson of all, self-defense against ourselves and an awakening to reality.